Chương 51: Red I

There would be a small intermission before the ceremony. Naturally, I took the opportunity to beeline it straight to the Center. Even if I had achieved first place, I wouldn't have really wanted to go to the ceremony, but I'd show up. I shoved my Meta Pods in my ears and marched towards the center in a rush, only slowing slightly at seeing Lydia ahead of me. I frowned at her.

"I can't even take in my loss in peace?" I asked blandly. Lydia flinched at my tone.

"I-It's not that... I just wanted to hear your thoughts about the match you just had?" she said, suddenly unsure of herself. I exhaled.

"What's there to say? I lost. Losers don't have the right to say anything," I said matter-of-factly.

"That's a bit harsh to say about yourself... isn't it?" she asked. I eyed her and scoffed.

"I wouldn't have much of a leg to stand on insulting other people if I didn't hold myself to the same standards."

"But that battle seemed to be yours to grasp! I've never seen a Meganium do the things you are capable of doing! It's safe to say that if not for Leaf Green's unknown, and quite frankly, controversial transformation, which we still don't have an explanation for, you'd be the winner!" She squeaked at the heinous glare I shot her.

"Why are you making excuses for me by reducing my friend's accomplishments?" I asked darkly, silencing her on the spot. The woman looked stunned by my words.

"I didn't ask any of you to make up reasons as to why I should have won that match. I lost, plain and simple. I don't care what happened in that match. Green prepared better and won because of it. I don't need or want any of you to try to tarnish her victory."

"You are taking your defeat oddly well. It's... very mature of you," she said. She stepped back at my snarl.

"M-My apologies!" she stammered. I scoffed at her. Did they expect that just because of my horrible personality, I'd be unable to take accountability? I'd be completely insufferable if that were the case.

"Green won, and I lost. She's the one you should be interviewing... but based on your questions, you should leave her the fuck alone too," I said blandly. Lydia finally frowned.

"You're being a bit too harsh on yourself, Trainer Silver. You're a rookie who made it to the finals of your first tournament! That's incredible! You've singlehandedly shifted the perception of the Meganium line! Fire techniques?! I never thought I'd see the day! You were undoubtedly the main star of this League!" she exclaimed. I waved her off.

"I don't need excuses or cheering up. I'm the one who was talking a big game and failed to deliver. Instead of trying to cheer me up, laugh at me, or something for being so arrogant," I demanded, taking off to the center.

"My team and I won't accept your cheap words. All that's left to do is become better for the next battle."

"R-Right! We'll leave you to it, Trainer Silver! Once again, you had a wonderful performance!" I huffed. Something told me my trip to the center wasn't going to be peaceful. I was right. My trip to the Center was so far from peaceful that I had reverted to my feral self. Dozens of people screaming at me, trying to cheer me up, congratulating me for making it so far... But the ones that pissed me off the most were the ones saying I should have won, and I got that one a lot.

If I should have won, then I would have won. I don't give a damn about shoulda, coulda, woulda. I gave Green the info needed about Mega Evolution and probably reminded her of it back at New Island. Of course, Professor Oak would probably know something about that and have it. I didn't need any of that shit. They were making me more annoyed with my loss than I actually was. I didn't need shitty condolences after losing. I didn't need someone to say "At least" and then follow it up with some shitty excuse.

All that mattered was winning and losing, and I lost. That was that. There was no need to place an asterisk on it. By now, I stopped speaking back and just started snarling at them, glaring with enough heat to make even the most oblivious of folk back up. How absurd. I wish I had Loki. I stormed into the Center with a scowl on my face, practically ripping off my arm strap and handing it to the surprised Nurse Joy.

"Oh, Trainer Silver! Please hand them over!" she said immediately, grabbing my team without hesitation.

"I've seen my share of battles, but that one was the most concerning! Regardless of what I heal, no battling for an extended period of time, okay?!" I huffed at her stern tone.

"Yeah, whatever. I'll be taking a break anyway." I had enough battles for a while. I'd be surprised if I battled for the rest of this year... granted that wasn't very far. She nodded, eyeing me for a second longer before turning away. Thank fuck for that. I couldn't handle another person trying to console me. I marched to the furthest booth I could find, glaring at the couple there who jumped at my arrival.

"Hey dude, watch who you're—,""You're in my seat," I interrupted the guy effortlessly.

"This isn't your seat!" he spluttered. The girl blushed and looked away.

"There are better places to make out than a Pokemon Center. Get out of my seat, or we can make this even more awkward," I informed them. The guy scoffed.

"Don't get so cocky just because you made it to the finals! You still only got second place!"

"What did you get?" I asked in return, raising a brow. At his splutter, I scoffed.

"What? Did seeing me battle get your blood pumping? A little odd, don't you think?" I taunted. My gaze darkened.

"I don't need a fucking loser calling me a loser. Get up, get out of my seat, and go do something worthwhile." The guy clenched his fist. He looked like he was about to swing, something I very much wanted to happen... but the girl stood and hastily bowed.

"W-We'll go right away!" she stammered, dragging her stunned boyfriend away.

"Don't you know he's related to Elite 4 Lorelei?! Are you out of your mind?!" she hissed. He paled a bit before rushing off. Before they made it far enough, I heard the guy say, "Nepo kid can't even win with all he has."

"What was that?" I asked loudly, causing him to stiffen. He turned and met my cold eyes.

"I don't need my pokemon to kick your ass. You can decide if I'm a nepo baby then," I warned easily. I tilted my head at them before sliding into the booth in front of the one they were sitting at.

"As if I'd sit in a seat where a couple just was," I informed them, shutting my eyes and leaning further in.

"WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?!" he finally snapped.

"Nothing in particular with you. You just happen to be an easy target," I shrugged. He growled, only for the girl to urge him forward once more.

"I'm glad you lost! You deserve it!" I placed my cheek against a fist.

"I bet a lot of people are happy... but should you really be beating down on a kid who just lost?" He quirked his brow in confusion before he noticed the array of people staring at him. He went pale before stammering and rushing off. I watched them go with a half-lidded gaze before my eyes shifted at the sight of a smoothie being placed in front of me.

"Was that really necessary?" Crystal asked, holding her own with an exasperated expression.

"I don't know what you mean," I replied, watching as she slid into the booth. Gold rolled his eyes with a milkshake in both hands.

"You're an asshole, you know that? Rile people up and then pin the blame on them." I shrugged.

"Human perception is very easy to manipulate." They shook their heads.

"We'll talk about that at a later time. How are you feeling?" Crystal asked, tugging on her straw and taking a sip. I followed her lead, sipping slowly.

"I'm pissed that I lost... but I won't throw a fit over it. You know how I get," I mused. Gold clapped supportively.

"Improvement! You have been getting better at handling your losses." My lip quirked slightly.

"A bit. I feel better after embarrassing that guy."

"Did he even do anything to you?" Crystal asked incredulously.

"Nope." She exhaled.

"Figured." My lip quirked just a little further up. Gold's brow wagged at that.

"Oh? Is Mr. Grump smiling?!" I ignored him.

"Where's Green?" I asked bluntly.

"I'm here... just healing my team." Green approached slowly, averting her gaze slightly. I tilted my head at that.

"What are you doing, winner? Get in here," I drawled. She jumped at that, gazing at me with wide eyes. I simply smirked.

"Didn't we already agree that there'd be no hard feelings? I hate when you get like this because of how you think I might be feeling... just like our very first battle, huh?" I reminded. Her eyes glistened slightly.

"Yeah... just like our first battle," she whispered, sliding into her customary seat right next to me. Gold snorted, handing her the other milkshake he had been holding.

"How's Saury? Mega Evolving him in that state can't be good," I pointed out. She shuffled.

"He won't be able to battle or train for at least a month. What I did was... really reckless," she mumbled. I hummed, watching how she refused to gaze at me.

"Good for him. He's a workhorse; some time to be lazy will do him good," I said pointedly, staring at her. She shuffled at my words.

"Yeah... I think so too." I continued to stare at her before Gold caught my attention.

"I'd like to think this tournament was a success for Colors," he said, grinning coyly.

"Smashing," I concurred. Leave it to them to get me out of my funk instantly. I was always moody after a loss... they must have found out how to stop me from my brooding. Crystal beamed.

"We have a lot to talk about after the award ceremony... but for now, let's just enjoy our drinks." We all nodded in agreement, and that was that. The only noise that filled the air between the 4 of us was the sipping of our drinks. The battlefield that Green and I had wreaked havoc on wasn't just clear of all damage... it had been completely transformed. Holographic displays rose around the stadium, while League officials moved with practiced efficiency, making sure everything was in order.

One approached our gang, gesturing for Green, Crystal, and me to a podium that could hold 4 people. Maria was already there; the girl from Kalos perked up and waved at us with a small grin. I ignored Gold nudging my back, just marching forward and taking my spot on the stand with the big shiny 2 on it. Ugh. Why did I come here again? Crystal nudged me gently, taking her spot right next to me with a small smile.

"You're looking really grumpy, Silver. Try to at least hold it in until after? Then we can listen to your complaining?" I stared at her with a scowl.

"Since when have we started talking so much like this?" I shot back. She shrugged.

"I missed you a lot... and I realized how much I enjoyed talking to you. They're very... insightful," she mused. I rolled my eyes. Talking to Crystal was fine, though most of it was her trying to temper my foul personality. She really was acting like a second in command these days... even though she was the leader. Green was standing front and center to my left. I saw her stance and poked her leg, getting her to yelp.

"Be a little happier. You ripped 1st place out of my hands after all," I groused. She nodded at my words, standing a little straighter. As soon as she did that, a soft ceremonial theme began to play. Trumpets and strings accompanied it, singing of triumphs, albeit in a way that respected all who participated.

"Ladies and Gentlemen... welcome to the closing ceremony of the Indigo Conference! After a long fought battle... we have crowned a winner! Someone we can call the victor of the League!" As always, cheers accompanied the words of the announcer, whose name I had never learned.

"It has been an honor to commentate on these spectacular matches. In all my years, I've never been more surprised, and that is in part due to the Top 4 of this tournament!" The crowd erupted even louder this time, chants of "Colors" ringing through the entire podium with enough force to send vibrations through the stadium.

"With the closing of the tournament, rewards must be given out... so join me in giving a standing ovation for the one and only, Champion of both Kanto and Johto, Lance Wataru!" The noise before was nothing in comparison to what I was currently hearing. I winced as the screeching of the crowd took a deafening octave, one that only increased in volume as Lance sauntered onto the field. Sometimes, I forgot how famous Lance was. To me, he was a dork through and through who loved to torment me.

But he was the champion of two regions, wasn't he? Lance was all smiles, towering over everyone both physically and metaphorically. He approached us at a measured pace, waving at the crowd of people and getting them to roar his name.

"Way to hog the attention." I rolled my eyes at him. Lance laughed easily.

"It's a natural cause and effect... but I apologize regardless. This moment isn't about me; this is about the wonderful trainers who fought hard to give us a show we'll never forget!" he announced. It was admirable how charismatic Lance was. It was effortless, the way he could sway the crowd. As if they weren't just shamelessly cheering his name, the crowd once again pivoted to us. Lance grinned. He looked like he had rested up quite a lot these few days, the bags gone. Or maybe he was wearing makeup.

"A wonderful performance is deserving of a wonderful reward. I'm here to hand out the medals for the Top 4 contestants!" Lance announced. The giant man marched up first to the awed and blushing Maria. He gently placed a medallion around her neck with a bright smile.

"First, to Maria Ward! You've impressed us quite a bit with your performance! While I know this wasn't your desired result, you should be proud all the same," he said for them all. Then he leaned in a little closer, so that only the 4 of us could hear.

"I expect you'll be getting a call sometime. You really did quite well," he hinted with a small smile. Maria squeaked at the close proximity.

"O-Of course, Champion Lance! I look forward to the call... and thank you for the kind words!" I snorted at that, ignoring the dirty glare she shot me. Lance chuckled, standing straight and turning to Crystal.

"Crystal... it could have easily been you in the finals, a testament to how close that battle was. I think you'll be winning a League very soon and very convincingly... granted you aren't participating with your gang in them," he said cheekily. Crystal laughed.

"I love being around them, so that might not be so easy... but maybe one day, I'll participate in a League alone to win it!" He nodded with a smile before leaning in once more.

"I see a future where you'll be a champion very easily. If you ever want to take the title off me, I'll gladly train you up for it," he offered. Crystal jolted with wide eyes, flushing at his earnest words and demurely accepting the medallion.

"I-I'm honored, sir! But... maybe a bit further into the future," she decided. Lance nodded, having expected that.

"Of course! You kids are still young, so there's no rush." He stood straight, locking eyes with me. Instead of a medallion, he was holding a silver trophy in his hand that he handed over to me. I accepted it with a mildly disgusted expression, vowing to shove it into some corner of my room where I never had to look at it.

"Don't be so upset, Silver. There's no shame in losing after such a thrilling battle," Lance assured, placing a large hand on my head. Much to my chagrin, I didn't stumble like I normally did, and that made me vow to assassinate Lance one of these days.

"Losing can sometimes be even more valuable than winning. There's more to learn from it, and you will always have another day to battle. You and Green put on one of the most exciting battles of the year, one filled with surprises left and right... even as Champion, I was caught up in the moment." He pressed the trophy more firmly into my hand, forcing me to accept and acknowledge it.

"Roadblocks are temporary... you'll always reach your destination eventually." I stared at him with wide eyes before shaking my head with an exasperated smirk.

"Don't use my road quote on me... and I guess you're right," I conceded. He smiled warmly.

"Good. You have nothing to be ashamed of. I'm sure many would consider your performance the best of the entire League... and I'm still excited over that explosion you let off!" Lance leaned in closer.

"I know you won't ever accept a position of authority... for now, but if you ever need advice, feel free to ask me." I snorted.

"Will do, Hero." He chuckled and stood straight, turning to the final contestant there with a golden trophy in his hand that bore the logo of the Indigo Conference.

"Leaf Green... it feels like only yesterday, I met a nervous little girl who couldn't even look me in the eye, and now look at you!" he grinned widely. Green smiled shakily, ducking her head as Lance placed the trophy in her hand.

"Don't worry. You won your battle fair and square. It was shocking for sure, but you technically broke no rules because there's no rule against it," Lance said warmly. She averted her gaze, but nodded.

"It's safe to say, you've left the entire world shocked with your performance. Many eyes will be on you... waiting to see what your next move is, and I know you won't disappoint. You are the first rookie to win the Indigo Conference, a feat no one has accomplished. You've cemented yourself as the strongest trainer of this tournament, and you did it with your team by your side." Lance forced her to stand a little straighter, warm yellow eyes gazing into her vibrant green.

"Stand proud, Leaf Green. You've proven that in the future, few will be considered your equal. Even I might be a stone for you to step on. As the winner of this conference, you are, of course, given the privilege of battling my Elite 4 for a chance at my title..." Green choked up at that, nodding with a small sniff.

"I'll become the strongest... just you wait!"

"In most, that would be arrogance, but in you... It's inevitable," Lance assured, stepping back and turning to the crowd.

"All of you, please give another standing ovation for these trainers for putting their teams in such intense battles for our viewing pleasure!" I didn't hear the crowd much, just staring at Lance's back with a small smile. Seems like I really couldn't deny it. Lance was cool.

"And with that, we have reached the end of the Indigo Conference! Thank you to not only the trainers, but also the viewers for making this an unforgettable experience! May the flames of Moltres protect us all!" Green captured the squealing missile. Yellow cheered happily, grinning up at her with glittering eyes.

"You did it! Good job!" the little blonde beamed.

"Thank you, Yellow," Green murmured, inhaling the flowery scent of the girl's hair as she squeezed her. Yellow beamed up innocently at her, getting a tentative smile out of Green.

"I don't really like battles, but I like watching you! That was awesome!" Awesome...

"Yeah, it was," Green said softly. I caught a speeding missile easily, lifting it and adjusting it to my frame with a small frown. Moon shuddered against me, gazing up at me with fat tears brimming in her eyes. Her lip wobbled ever so slightly, prompting me to pat her head.

"What's up, little me?" I asked softly. It was odd to see Moon so expressive. She actually looked distraught at whatever was bothering her... and as my little protege, it was up to me to make sure she was okay. She said nothing for a long while before sniffing quietly.

"I wanted you to win. I was cheering for you," she mumbled. Aw shit. That... was the most adorable thing I've ever heard in my life.

"Sorry, Moon... I tried to win but couldn't. Sometimes, even at your best, it won't be enough," I said honestly. She squeezed me again.

"You did good, big bro," she whispered. My heart warmed ever so slightly.

"Thanks, little sis..." I murmured.

"You better win the next one, big bro!" Sun demanded, hanging off Gold's back. Gold snorted.

"You got it, little man." The two high-fived easily, satisfied by that simple statement. Crystal puffed her cheeks.

"Where's my little one?" she complained, crossing her arms. This must have been because of her denial of ever finding future members of Colors... darn it! She'd get one eventually. Eventually...

"You guys did so amazing!" Jasmine squealed, glomping all four of us with a flushed grin. How someone barely taller than us could gather us up like this? I couldn't tell ya. I just let her squeeze us with a wry smirk, looking at her elated expression. Jasmine stepped back with a blinding grin. I'm genuinely so glad she was antisocial as shit because Jasmine was very pretty, and if anyone tried to make a move on my adorable little sister, I'd probably kill them.

Somehow, someway, Jasmine seemed to be able to read my mind. She gazed at me with bright red cheeks, donning an incredulous expression... before smoothing it over for her own sake.

"I'm so proud of every one of you. Seriously, all the battles you guys were in were so fun. No one can stop talking about Colors!" she gushed. Gold grinned.

"Even though I got the lowest placement, my reputation is still intact! If I can get out of this unscathed, I think we're golden!" Crystal beamed.

"It helps that the only person to beat Colors was another member! We basically crushed any opposition that wasn't us!" Green smiled.

"We got really lucky that the competition this year didn't have one of those Elite 4 Candidates. I heard Johto and Sinnoh both have one this year." I snorted.

"I'll chalk it up to you and Gold's existence. You guys are so lucky that you probably got rid of those super vets. For once, I'm thankful for it." Gold put up a peace sign.

"Great! It woulda been so lame if we did all this just to lose to some Elite 4 dude." Jasmine nodded eagerly.

"I would have been so disappointed if someone besides you all won after the performance each one of you put up!" Janine smiled, pulling Green and Crystal into tight hugs.

"I'm amazed by all of your progress. I don't think you four just stole the show in Kanto. I believe every single region is gazing at you all." I huffed.

"They all saw me get second place. Bummer."

"Drama queen," Gold and Janine said immediately. My eye twitched, and I lunged at the two.

"I'm so fucking sick of you two!" I snarled. They both snarled right back, but right before we could get into a three-way brawl, a hand grabbed Gold and me, pulling us away from each other.

"That's enough, you twin squirts," Amber drawled, holding us up like we didn't weigh a thing. My eye twitched.

"Do you want to get assaulted?" I hissed, turning towards her with narrowed eyes as she dangled me like I was some fucking cat.

"Only you would threaten my mom after only meeting her once... Let's jump her!" Gold decided. Amber let out a barking laugh, dropping us before we made good on our promise.

"I can't believe it. You turned my son into an even bigger hooligan!" I dusted myself off, turning towards her to tackle the woman, only to get snatched away by a squealing Marina.

"Oh, little Silver! Come with me!" she greeted cheerfully, dragging me away to a brown-haired girl.

"Oh wow, you're Gold's mom?!" Green asked in surprise.

"You look just like him," Jasmine awed.

"But much better looking!" Janine finished.

"And tall!" Green awed. Gold's hiss of aggravation was the last thing I heard before I was promptly shoved in front of who could only be Lyra. While they had almost drastically different colors, I could tell that Lyra and Crystal were related. Unlike her two other relatives, Lyra had brown hair and brown eyes. She had a poofy white hat with a big red ribbon, a red hoodie, and dark blue overalls. Christ, no wonder Crystal tried it on once at Saffron.

Lyra was gazing at me with stars in her eyes, squeaking as her mother pushed me directly in front of her.

"Oh, Lyra~! This is Silver, the trainer you were so interested in!" Marina said cheerfully.

"Introduce yourself! I'm going to meet the rest of Crystal's friends!" With that, the blue-haired woman whisked herself away. Lyra gaped at her with disbelieving eyes, while I snorted quietly.

"I don't know why you're interested in me, but I'm not interested in being killed by Crystal, so tell me your mom is just overreacting," I said immediately. Lyra waved her hands frantically.

"My mom is a lunatic, please don't listen to her, Teacher! I had nothing to do with that!" I nodded.

"Yeah, I figured. No offense, but she's not all there—" I paused. Wait a second.

"Did you just call me teacher?" I asked in confusion. Lyra nodded enthusiastically, stars entering her eyes once more. Even considering how short my gang was currently, she was shorter. I think she was just below 5 feet.

"It's nice to meet you, Teacher. I'm Lyra Kotone, and as of today, I'll be your student! Or, well, after I get my starter from Professor Elm. I'm picking a Chikorita! I've wanted one since I was way younger, then I saw you in the League with your Meganium, and I was so inspired that I decided right then and there that you were going to be my teacher! I'll definitely pick Chikorita! I got first place after all!" A shudder crawled down my spine. A very familiar shudder. A shudder that I recognized immediately.

This was the same shudder that would rip its way through me whenever someone unhinged latched onto me.

"Can you teach me how to use fire like Gaia?! Ugh, it was so cool! I was so bummed when she lost but she was still so awesome!" she gushed. I backed away from Lyra slowly.

"Nope, I refuse," I said adamantly. Lyra blinked in confusion.

"Huh?" I shook my head.

"I can't be your teacher. I'm awful at that type of stuff. Ask Crystal, she's like your sister, isn't she?" My eyes narrowed as Lyra's expression stilled for a moment. Then she ferociously shook her head.

"No! It has to be you! I don't want Crystal to be my teacher," she denied. I shook my head even more.

"No, really. I'm a busy person. I won't be able to visit you at all, and I've got no interest in traveling with you." I needed to stay away from Lyra. I could feel it. She was a lunatic like her mother. She was bad news. Forget having her travel with my sister. I unknowingly set Mars up to travel with a psychopath. No matter how much I loved terrorizing her, not even I would put my twin through that. Lyra looked doubtful all of a sudden, causing hope to bloom in my chest.

"I didn't think about that... but aren't you traveling through Johto like Crystal is?"

"Yeah, but I'm all over the place, really. You'll probably never know where I'm going to be," I replied casually. Lyra bit her lip at that, holding her chin in contemplation.

"Well... that's true—""Silver! Were you telling Lyra about Mars?" Crystal asked, bounding up to us with a small smile. She missed the astonished glare I shot her. My companion just gazed obliviously at the interested Lyra.

"Mars?" Lyra perked up. Crystal nodded with a smile.

"Silver and I were thinking you should travel with his twin sister, Mars! You're both rookies, and this way we can visit you to check up!" The stars in Lyra's eyes had returned. She nodded so vigorously that I felt a gray hair forming in that moment.

"I accept! I'll travel with Mars!" I held my head and groaned. Either Mars was going to kill me, or I was going to kill my... Nevermind.

"Oh, it seems I am the last to arrive." All conversation halted at the sound of my aunt. We turned towards her, a small smile on my face at that. While being harassed by Lyra, the other mothers had shown up as well. Maple was spinning a stunned Green, kissing her daughter repeatedly with a grin on her face. Stolen novel; please report. Lorelei adjusted her glasses. Mars was with her as well. She shot me a questioning look, asking me if I was okay, to which I nodded, satisfying her enough for now.

"While I'd love to get acquainted with you all as soon as possible, we can save that for later. For now, there is a trip to make," Lorelei explained, smiling at them all. She was made for moments like this. I watched as she controlled the conversation easily, getting the focus on the task at hand.

"So we'll be going to your place?" Gold asked. She nodded.

"One of them. It's been fully refurbished, and I'd like to celebrate such a successful League." No one disagreed with that.

"Right then... it is rather far, so we'll be Teleporting. Come with me," she beckoned. I glanced.

"Your group is coming too?" I asked Delia. With her was the Ash trio of him, Brock, and Misty. I'm honestly surprised they were still here.

"Of course we are!" Delia beamed, yanking me into a tight hug that made me grunt.

"The more the merrier," I said sarcastically, watching as Ash glared at me. I sneered at him before willingly tightening the hug on Delia, getting a happy noise from the mother, who was too attached to me. Right before Ash could lunge and attack me, Brock reached out and grasped the back of his shirt, dangling the boy in midair. I spared him a superior sneer, patting Delia on the head.

"How are the orphans?" I asked, voice disgustingly sugary.

"So much better! They're warming up to the new living conditions, but people are a different story. They absolutely love Yellow, though!" Delia explained, just delighted that for once I was being affectionate.

"Let me go! I'm gonna kill him!" Ash hissed.

"No," Brock sighed. Lorelei exhaled.

"Hello, Ms. Delia," she greeted warmly. Delia beamed.

"Just Delia is fine, Lorelei! We've talked about this before!" My aunt smiled, beckoning towards me.

"May I?" Delia released me, allowing my aunt to greedily snatch me up.

"I'm not some toy for you to share," I said flatly, watching as Delia noticed Ash's frazzled state and immediately rushed him.

"How are you feeling?" Lorelei murmured.

"Eh, I'm fine now," I shrugged honestly. She smiled at my words, raking a hand through my hair.

"I'm glad. Come now... let's see one of our homes." I nodded, curious about this. I knew Lorelei had a manor that she much rather preferred, so hearing that she secured an island of all things still surprised me. She was so dramatic. I was right, Lorelei was dramatic. As shit. Pale sand wrapping around one side, dark volcanic rock on the other... waves breaking in steady white bursts against the shore. The island was massive, expanding in every direction.

It was significantly larger than New Island, probably able to fit all our members and even more. The house, if you could even call it that, sat alone on the island at the highest point. The first thing I'd describe it as was elegant, exactly what I'd say my aunt was. It stood out easily; tall windows, pale stone walls, and an entrance framed by columns... that looked as if they were made of ice.

"When you guys said you had a new place... I didn't think it was an entire goddamn island!" Gold hissed to me.

"Yeah, like I suggested to Lorelei that she should buy an entire island for a family of three!" I hissed back.

"How do you even have this much money?!" Crystal hissed in disbelief.

"Me?! You mean her!" Mars hissed, gesturing wildly to my Aunt.

"I knew Lorelei was rich, but this is ridiculous," Green hissed in concern.

"I have to agree with you all," Jasmine... tried to hiss.

"What's so wrong with this?" Janine hissed, tilting her head.

"Why are we hissing?" Ash hissed in confusion. Lorelei pushed her glasses up slightly.

"I have a manor as well that we will likely frequent more. It's much closer to Johto. You are all welcome to visit when you want," she added. I shook my head in disbelief. She was insane. The mothers looked on with wide eyes.

"It's gorgeous!" Delia praised.

"I suppose this is what being one of the strongest trainers in two regions gets you," Maple said idly.

"It's no wonder Silver had no issue parting ways with his home," Solari mused, a small smile on her face.

"You guys aren't more shocked about someone owning an entire island by herself?" Amber asked, scratching her head.

"It's Elite 4 Lorelei, you are surprised?" Marina countered. Amber mulled that over.

"Fair point. That's rare for you to make," she mused.

"Hey!" Marina cried. Crystal put a hand up.

"Um... why an island?" she asked curiously. Lorelei tilted her head.

"For you all, of course. In the future, I imagine you will be incredibly powerful, and some regulation will be required. It's best if you settle all your battles here. I've made sure a large piece of this land is suitable for action," she said matter-of-factly. The rest of my gang looked surprised by her claim.

"For us?! You really trust us that much?!" Gold asked.

"Of course! I more than anyone believe in the potential of Colors," Lorelei said strongly, smiling at us. She turned her head in a particular direction.

"It is a good thing I secured this as well. I have made a friend who quite adores the amount of space they have."

"Your friend?" Green asked curiously. A melodious noise filled the air, prompting us all to look up. Artitwono swept in, a pleased smile on its face as it circled us.

"Articuno?!" my gang shouted in surprise. The bird of ice chirped at us, a pleased look on its face that turned into elation as a flash of red and yellow appeared.

"Oh wow, all three?" I questioned, watching as Zaptros and Molseis made their appearance. The three birds squawked at each other, all three noises sounding akin to the elements they represented, and blasted off.

"... Is anyone going to explain that?" Amber finally asked, a dumbfounded look on her face. All eyes landed on me. I sighed.

"Those are the clones of the Legendary Birds of Kanto, Artitwono, Zaptros, and Molseis," I explained patiently.

"They were interested in finding friends, and while I don't know who Molseis chose, Artitwono is very fond of Lorelei, while Zaptros is a fan of the moms, particularly Delia," I explained.

"WHAT?!" Ash asked in disbelief, turning towards his sheepish mother with bugged eyes.

"Zaptros has a hefty appetite! I feed them a lot!" Delia explained. My gang looked dumbly at me.

"What happened during the month we were training?" Crystal croaked.

"I found out I have a cousin who may as well be my twin sister."

"We got that one figured out already," Gold said dryly, waving at Mars.

"It's a lot," I exhaled, raking a hand through my hair. Lorelei mercifully stepped in.

"I'm sure Silver will explain in due time. For now, I believe it is time for celebration. In their first year, these trainers, who are our children, have already showcased their talents to the world. I know it is not my place to speak for all of them... but we are so proud of you," Lorelei said warmly, yanking me into a hug. I let out a fond laugh as the other mothers did the same with their children.

"We'll talk later," Lorelei murmured to me, squeezing my shoulders. I nodded, just returning the hug easily before breaking off.

"We've made the executive decision that you mothers should get along with each other. Since we're in a gang, you'll be seeing each other a lot," I said bluntly, pushing the stunned Lorelei forward.

"W-What?" she stammered in confusion, turning towards me with wide eyes.

"You all need more friends," I said firmly. Maple let out a strangled noise.

"Stop that! Why do you keep doing this like we're not your mothers!" she protested.

"How many friends do you have outside of Solari and Delia?" I retorted, beckoning my amused gang over. She spluttered before recovering.

"The scientists in the Professor's lab!" she said triumphantly.

"Give me your phone. Let me see if you have their numbers." Awkward silence. I smiled.

"You guys already know her, but my poor Aunt is antisocial. I love her very much and hate that for her, so I think you should have a closer relationship. All of you are probably lacking friends, so here you are." Lorelei shot me an astonished look.

"Why are you speaking about me as if I'm you?" she replied.

"Because you are. Somehow, someway, I got my antisocial tendencies from you. If I'm forced to have friends, so are you."

"We love you too, Silv," Gold chimed, grinning wildly at the annoyed look on his mother's face. I smiled.

"These are Amber and Marina. They're Gold and Crystal's mom. I think you'll all get along great." I turned on a dime and waltzed off.

"Make sure you all get along, Solari." Solari giggled fondly with a short nod.

"I'll do my best."

"YOU AREN'T EVEN TRUSTING ME?!" Maple roared in disbelief.

"Nor I?" Lorelei asked, personally affronted.

"You need to warm up to them first. Solari is the least insane of the mothers, so I trust her," I soothed Lorelei, utterly ignoring Green's mother. She grumbled slightly.

"Very well... I will do this for you." I smiled and squeezed her.

"STOP IGNORING ME!" Maple screeched, lunging at me. Lorelei coughed, staring at all the mothers there with an awkward expression. Why did she listen to Silver? She could run a meeting, take command of a room... but here she was faltering at... casual socialization.

"For those of you who may not know... I am Lorelei, a member of the Elite 4 of the Indigo League," she greeted. Amber snorted loudly.

"While I don't mean to be rude... I think everyone here knows who you are," she said dryly. Lorelei flushed as all the other mothers nodded in agreement.

"Oh, there's no need to be so formal, Lorelei!" Delia greeted the woman with an excited smile. Solari nodded with a pleased smile.

"We know Elite 4 Lorelei... but I think what Silver wants is for us to learn who the woman underneath is." Lorelei gazed at them all, smiling slightly.

"I admit, I am unused to more personal relationships, so forgive me if I am a little awkward." Maple waved her off with a blinding grin.

"Don't worry! I'm sure we'll all get along great!" Marina beamed, clapping happily.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all. I'm Marina, and this is my best friend Amber. We're the mothers of Crystal and Gold, respectively!" she introduced. Amber nodded, towering over the other mothers there. She grinned widely.

"We've known each other since we were teens. Went to school together!"

"She used to cheat off my work," Marina added with a wink.

"Psycho you may be, you are unfortunately pretty smart," Amber added shamelessly. Lorelei turned towards Amber with searching eyes.

"Are you a Wataru?" she asked suddenly. Amber raised a brow.

"Twice in one week? Yeah, I am." Marina gaped.

"You're a Wataru?!" she asked in disbelief. Gold's mother rolled her eyes at the idiot.

"Hardly. My grandma was in the clan and married out of it." Lorelei raised a brow.

"I find that hard to believe. You look exactly like a member of the clan. I'm actually in disbelief that I did not notice it in Gold, despite him looking exactly like you." Amber let out a barking laugh.

"You really are Silver's mom. He basically said the same thing!" Lorelei flushed.

"Oh no, I'm not his mother. I'm just his aunt. His mother is my older sister." Delia giggled.

"Lorelei... you are definitely Silver's mom, regardless of what you think. It's very easy to see that you are his world," she pointed out. The Ice Master's eyes were wide.

"Truly?" she asked. Solari placed a palm on her cheek with a wide smile.

"That boy is always thinking of you. He puts up a tough front, but he always talks about his annoying aunt." Maple nodded in agreement.

"Take it from us mothers... You are, without a doubt, that adorable little gremlin's mom!"

"He threatened to kill me because I mentioned you," Amber chimed in. Lorelei's flush only deepened at that.

"I... had no idea he talked about me so much," she admitted. That was... Lorelei didn't think it possible for her love for her children to deepen, yet here she was. Ah, she was so incredibly whipped when it came to Silver, and more recently Mars...

"See! You even have the mom flush when you're so proud of your children! Amber absolutely despises it when I point it out to her," Marina cheered, grabbing both of Lorelei's hands with her own. Amber snarled.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't flush, especially not because of that unruly little brat known as my son," she said bluntly. Crystal's mother completely ignored her.

"It's adorable! I make the same faces thinking of my little stars! You may not be their actual mother, but that doesn't matter to them!" The pleasant feeling that coursed through Lorelei was steadily ramping. She was unable to keep the blinding smile off her face, swelling with pride at the thought of her children. She coughed.

"Enough about me. We are here at the behest of our children... insisting that we be friends with one another. I am unable to say no to my son, but it seems he has once again proven to be right." Maple grumbled.

"I hate it. How dare he set us up on playdates! We set them up, but nooo... he's going around calling all of us single mothers. How does he know that?! I-I'm popular!" Solari patted her soothingly.

"It's okay, Maple. He's technically not wrong?" she offered.

"I'm a busy lady!" Maple shouted, stamping her feet in outrage.

"I know," Solari soothed. Amber chuckled loudly.

"Huh, so we really are all single. I can see why for Marina and Lorelei... but not so much for the rest of you," she mused.

"Me?! What did I do?!" Marina cried out in protest.

"I've known you for years, Marina. The better question is what haven't you done... and I think the only answer is murder, which I'm not so sure about. I still have no idea what happened to your husband," Amber retorted dryly. Marina whistled innocently.

"I haven't the slightest clue myself! Just know I'd never kill anyone!"

"We should be more concerned about that," Maple pointed out seriously. Delia waved her off.

"It's fine! Marina just has her quirks!" she said cheerfully.

"No, really. What did she do to him?" Maple asked in concern. Solari giggled.

"Maybe we will learn further in the future?"

"How am I the only one concerned about this?!" Maple shouted. Marina pulled her into a tight hug.

"I like you, Maple! We'll be great friends! My little star put up quite the fight against yours, didn't she?!"

"D-Don't change the subject!"

"P-Pardon? Why does it make sense for me?" Lorelei interjected in confusion. Amber stared at her dully, making the woman step back.

"Not only are you terrifying... You somehow have a kid that's more terrifying than you are. That Silver brat will probably kill anyone you compliment." Lorelei shuffled awkwardly at that.

"Is it bad that I feel flattered he is so protective of me?" she asked weakly. She found it rather adorable... surely that wasn't terrible? Lorelei was quite protective of him... Every mother shot her a sympathetic stare that made Lorelei feel all the worse.

"Like mother, like son! My little Ashy is just like me!" Delia beamed.

"So is my little Leafy!" Maple grinned. Amber snorted.

"Gold's my kid through and through."

"Sun and Moon seem to encompass two different halves of me to the fullest," Solari smiled kindly. Marina waved happily.

"Crystal is just like me, too! So is Lyra!" Amber stared at her.

"Crystal is nothing like you, and I thank any higher being that one member of your family is normal." She spluttered.

"Amber, stop bullying me in front of our new friends!" she cried, tears forming in her eyes. Amber pinched her nose as Marina fell into the arms of the second-tallest person there... who happened to be Lorelei. Lorelei stared dumbly at the short woman, instinctively catching her lest she drop to the floor.

"Lorelei, Lorelei! Please, you're an ice type trainer, correct? Spray a little cold Amber's way like she's a wild pokemon. She hates it!" Marina pleaded.

"Are you 12?!" Amber barked in annoyance, reaching over and gripping the lady's cheek with thunderous force. She accidentally brushed against Lorelei, which brought out a surprised yelp from Gold's mother.

"Cold! What the hell?!" she gaped, backing far away from Lorelei with a burned expression.

"I apologize... I've been told I radiate quite a bit of cold. As a Wataru, I imagine you wouldn't appreciate that. Lance does not either," Lorelei apologized with an embarrassed flush.

"Yes, just like that!" Marina cheered, tears vanishing in an instant. She looked utterly pleased at the wary look on Amber's face, hugging and squeezing the befuddled Lorelei with a bright grin. Solari, Maple, and Delia all smiled at the chaos.

"To think we'd make so many new friends!" Delia said happily, clapping at the thought of making so many friends. Solari put a hand over her heart.

"To think my life would have changed so much in such a short amount of time. I feel as if I've been blessed, both with new friends and so many darling children." Maple clutched her heart.

"Ugh... way too adorable." This was great! If their little children could go around forming a gang, they could too!

"Let's all exchange numbers! We can gossip and brag about our children!" Maple decided.

"We can make food as well! This deserves a big celebration!" Delia decided. Marina nodded enthusiastically, only to wither away at Amber's piercing glare.

"I'm not allowed in the kitchen. Amber banned me," she said glumly. Lorelei shuffled awkwardly, embarrassment on her face.

"I'm not allowed either... Silver banned me," she admitted. Maple collapsed.

"It's no wonder he goes around making such ridiculous demands! You need to be firmer, Lorelei!" she complained. Amber snorted disbelievingly.

"Tell that kid what to do? He seems more stubborn than Gold!" she cackled. The Ice Master sighed tiredly.

"That may be an understatement. I am rather stern, but it brushes off Silver like I am water and he is oil. It's only more recently that he so willingly listens to me... and then I discovered it's not his lack of listening that's the issue, it's the way he thinks." Truth be told, Lorelei was still very much worried about her nephew.

She was relieved that being around his friends allowed him improve in real time, but she didn't forget that look in his eyes when he vowed to hunt down every single member of Team Rocket. It had honestly grown even worse when she learned of Giratina. Just thinking of those ominous red eyes caused her to shiver. She had been keeping a close eye on him, but outwardly, he seemed better than ever. Lorelei could not tell what was going on in his head most of the time...

but she could at least see he was getting better, unstable he may be.

"You even have the worried mother look down!" Maple sighed knowingly, patting her shoulder.

"Come on! Let's talk while preparing! The kids won't come to the kitchen, so we can gossip all we want!" Lorelei looked at Maple's dazzling smile and smiled in return. Well, with her retirement, she'd have plenty of free time. Genuine friendship was something that she didn't quite have, so this was a pleasant change of pace. This was fine. Lorelei would enjoy a new chapter of her life, starting with this strange assortment of mothers. I stared at the assortment of dishes with a sigh, feeling my stomach rumble.

The food at Indigo wasn't the greatest, mostly packaged stuff you could reheat. The food cooked by the mothers was nothing like that. Bowls of mashed potatoes, a dish of roasted vegetables, steaming loaves of bread, glistening with butter. The aroma was overwhelming in the best way. Sliced fruits, fresh salad, and berries were cut and sliced to perfection. Hell, there was even some fancy cheese to grab. If I were a lesser man, I'd start salivating; my brother certainly wasn't hiding how pleased he was.

"I think I just died and went to heaven," Gold said seriously, not even bothering to hide his hunger.

"You bought this much food?" I asked Lorelei incredulously.

"I've always wanted to have a sort of housewarming party. While I did not expect this many people to show... I'm quite pleased by it regardless," my aunt replied.

"Don't be shy!" Delia urged, grinning proudly at a job well done. Amber wiped an arm against her head.

"Dig in! We didn't whip all this up for small servings!"

"Wow, everything looks delicious!" Jasmine awed.

"Did you touch anything?" I asked Lorelei seriously. She flushed at my accusing stare.

"N-No... I did not," she mumbled gloomily. I patted her reassuringly.

"You can sit next to me." She visibly perked up at my words.

"And you?" Crystal asked, staring a hole into her mother. Marina spluttered as both her daughters fixed her with a pointed glare.

"You almost burn the house down once and this is what you get... Can't you give your mother a little grace?!" she asked.

"No," they said in unison. She sulked.

"No... I did not touch anything."

"Good," Crystal said firmly. Marina gaped.

"Aren't you going to say anything to reassure your mother?!"

"Why?" Lyra and Crystal asked in unison, puzzled by her request. She collapsed into the amused Amber's arms.

"My children are cruel, so cruel... so so cruel," she whimpered. Amber and Gold snorted in unison. It was a good thing they prepared so much. Every trainer there stacked up enough food to be considered worrying.

"Even you, Lorelei?!" Maple gaped in disbelief. Lorelei blushed.

"Even if I don't travel as much, it's a given that I'd still have quite the appetite," she defended, taking a seat next to me and my equally large platter of food. Mars sat to her right, while Green sat to my left.

"It's just a trainer thing... though my little Ashy has always had quite the big stomach!" Delia giggled. Ash rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"I can't help it when you make such good food!" he praised, wasting no time in digging into his massive plate.

"Man, this is amazing!" Gold awed, devouring his portion with gusto. Crystal nodded readily, diligently eating her own giant plate, only to growl warningly as Gold reached over to pick something off.

"It's going to be so hard to go back to our normal food after this."

"Ms. Delia is still one of the best cooks ever," Green sighed in bliss, attacking her plate with almost as much ferocity as Gold. She stopped at my pointed glare and sheepishly accepted half the vegetables off my plate that she "conveniently" forgot to grab.

"I thought I was decent, but Delia is something else," Amber mused, somehow attacking her plate with a speedy grace.

"I would have loved to help. Everything here looks so delicious!" Jasmine sighed in bliss.

"Don't worry, I'll text you!" Delia assured, a rosy blush on her cheeks at all the compliments.

"But enough about our cooking! How did the members of Colors even meet?" We perked up at the question, staring at each other for a quick second.

"During the S. S Anne is when all four of us officially met and started hanging out," I said easily.

"The three of us hit it off easily!" Gold cackled, pointing at himself, Crystal, and Green. Marina blinked in confusion.

"Three? Don't you mean four? What about Silver?" she asked. The woman shut her mouth at all the stares pointed her way.

"I know what I said," Gold told her seriously, causing her to sweat. I rolled my eyes.

"They refused to let me be antisocial and forced their friendship onto me until I warmed up to them. It started with Green and Jasmine... then Crystal and Gold joined the fun." Crystal beamed.

"But it worked out! Not a lot of people are willing to pry apart your thorns to see the person underneath!"

"You really didn't make it easy for us," Green said dryly. I snorted, ignoring the way my chest warmed up.

"I could say the same thing to you all, persistent idiots." Marina squealed happily, clapping with a grin.

"You're all so cute! I love this! I hope you're all friends forever!" We smiled in unison at that.

"Now we're all famous... we're gonna have to prepare for that," I sighed tiredly. Gold cackled.

"I thought I was gonna be the most famous, but little miss someone decided to one-up us all, huh?" he asked, leering at Green. She flushed, ducking her head. My companion immediately dug into her plate of food, staunchly keeping her gaze off us the entire time. My eyes narrowed slightly, but no one else seemed to notice, just chalking it up to Green being embarrassed.

"Stop teasing, Gold! I think we're all the center of attention now!" Crystal laughed. Lorelei smiled proudly.

"I will help you all to the best of my ability. You've exceeded even my expectations in only your first year. I may be retiring, but I will gladly assist Colors, which includes all the attention you will no doubt be receiving." There was a tense silence.

"YOU'RE RETIRING?!" She blinked at the question.

"Oh... right, I have not officially announced that yet. Yes, I'm retiring. I want to shift my focus onto Silver, Mars, and the rest of you young children." Crystal blushed brightly.

"For us?!" she squeaked.

"Of course. These past months, I've found myself endeared to all of you. I wish for nothing but your success," Lorelei said kindly. Her heartfelt words brought warm smiles out of all of us.

"She isn't the only one. We'll support all of you! No matter how famous you get, your mothers will always be your biggest supporters!" Maple beamed.

"Keep it up, and I'm gonna start calling all of you mom," Gold joked, polishing off the rest of his plate. There was a brief silence at that, prompting Gold to look up. I sighed in aggravation.

"I can't believe you said that," I muttered.

"Huh?" Gold muttered.

"W-Well, if you insist!" Maple said, blushing rosily with a pleased smile on her face. Solari nodded with a pleased smile.

"Silver is practically my son already. I'd be most pleased if you considered me your mother!" Amber rolled her eyes.

"I guess I wouldn't hate that too much. Yeah... you can all just call me mom," she decided. Delia looked utterly delighted.

"Count me in! I'd love that!" she gushed. Marina squealed loudly.

"Me? All your mothers?! Surely you won't all leave me to adopt Skitty like two certain daughters of mine!" Lorelei gazed at the mothers in disbelief, opening her mouth and shutting it.

"Well... I suppose I've already claimed you all. I would... not be against it," she mumbled, cheeks dusting at the twin stare of Mars and me.

"What did I just cause?" Gold asked dumbly. I exhaled tiredly.

"You just unleashed the mother's wrath. They were already unbearable before, now they're gonna be impossible." Crystal pinched her nose.

"Well, it's not all bad! At least there's plenty of us to split their attention."

"Go Team Mom!" Green cheered.

"I'm not opposed. Though Father might not react well to being part of Team Mom," Janine admitted. Jasmine gazed at the mothers with a wide smile, as enthused by the idea as they were. And then in an hour or so, she was gonna complain about us considering her our little sister. Ridiculous.

"I'm so lost," Ash said in a daze, gazing at them all with horribly confused eyes.

"Our adventures are wild, but this feels a little different," Brock laughed, rubbing the back of his hair. Misty had an exasperated smile.

"It's confusing, but this chaos is pretty fun!"

"Get used to it," I grunted, pinching my nose.

"Okay, first things first!" Misty shouted, both hands on her hips.

"You two!" I raised a brow, placing my cheek on a fist. Across from me, Ash Ketchum sat with a grumpy expression.

"You need to figure this out! We can't stay for long, so we're getting this outta the way now!" she demanded. Jasmine looked confused.

"Figure what out?" she asked curiously.

"Those two are brothers," Gold replied. Jasmine, Janine, and Mars' eyes all bugged.

"WHAT?!" Mars turned towards me in disbelief.

"BROTHER?! WE HAVE ANOTHER?!" I rolled my eyes.

"Not we. He's my brother on my dad's side." She calmed down ever so slightly at that.

"Woulda been nice to know anyway."

"Slipped my mind," I murmured. Jasmine shook her head in disbelief.

"Of course it did. I thought you were joking, but things really do slip your mind, no matter how important it might be for another person to hear, don't you think?" I shrugged helplessly.

"Enough of that! I am not going to watch sweet Ms. Delia cry again because you two can't get along. You need to come to some sort of solution!" Misty decided firmly. I tilted my head.

"I already told Delia I won't go out of my way to cause problems anymore. I'm not changing anything about myself, though." Ash scoffed at that, prompting me to eye him.

"Seems like Mr. Wonder Boy doesn't like what I had to say," I responded with a raised brow.

"Of course I don't like what you say! I never like what you say!" Ash snarled with a scowl. I rolled my eyes.

"And that's that. We just never have to speak again; I'm fine with that outcome." I held out my hand for him to shake it.

"You don't speak to me, I don't speak to you. Deal?" Ash looked taken aback by my quick and sincere solution. He likely didn't expect me to give up so quickly, but one thing about me was that I valued not having headaches, and going through regions arguing with the boy savior sounded like a massive headache. There was a conflicted look in his eyes as he hesitated to grab my hand. I drew it back after a moment.

"You see? My resolve is set in stone. It's his you need to wonder about."

"We don't have to be brothers. Just because we share the same blood doesn't mean we're automatically family. I share enough blood with people I don't want to think about," I said matter-of-factly. My gang shuddered at that. Misty opened and shut her mouth, thrown off guard by my actions. She didn't expect my rather dark statement either. An uneasy expression made its way to her face.

"He raises a good point. It seems like he doesn't care, so Ash, what do you want exactly?" Brock asked, crossing his arms. Ash looked surprised. Maybe he expected me to be more antagonistic about it, but a promise was a promise.

"Huh? You don't care if we're brothers?" he asked dumbly. I let out a suffering sigh.

"No, I don't anymore. If I did, I would have told Delia to tell you to fuck off." This was actually really awkward, now that I thought about it.

"The more family, the better, right? We're twins, so this decision should involve me too!" Mars interjected.

"Pretty sure you try to kill him in an alternate universe," I thought to myself.

"Whatever issues you guys might have... squash it at the very least! I like Delia, she makes great food," Mars said shamelessly. Nevermind, she was definitely my sister, alright. What a selfish thing to say. Ash looked conflicted.

"So that means... you'd be my sister too?" he asked slowly.

"We're twins, so yeah! What's his is mine!" she said matter-of-factly. I glared at her.

"If you ever say that selfish ass quote about me again, I'm going to put you in a headlock every single hour of every day I'm around you," I warned. She grinned, nonplussed by my threat. I don't know where she got the idea that I spoiled her in particular, but she needed to banish it. I would starkly ignore that I did in fact spoil the shit outta her. Ash gazed at the two of us with wide eyes.

"Are you really helping my mom?" he asked suddenly. I blinked at that.

"She seems convinced about it. I told her to catch some pokemon with you, but opportunities fell into my hands, and I wasn't interested in watching them myself. Now she thinks I'm going out of my way to help her," I muttered, looking disgruntled. It was just extremely convenient for me. It's not like I was going out of my way to help her. Holy shit, I sounded like a tsundere, but I was genuinely telling the truth. I didn't go out of my way to find those pokemon......

Ash stared at me with wide eyes to the point where it was making me mildly uncomfortable.

"It'll take me a long time to warm up to you," he said eventually. I withheld the urge to groan. Part of me was hoping he really didn't want to talk, but alas.

"I'm not gonna act like your big brother or anything. I've got two dumbass siblings already. Three, if you count Gold... 4 if you count Moon, but I like Moon so she's not a dumbass," was all I said.

"Hey!" Gold and Mars snarled. Ash snorted.

"As if I'd want that!"

"What about me?!" Jasmine cried out in distress.

"You're all of our little sister, Jas," I said warmly, smiling at her. She gaped at the nods of unison from the rest of my gang. Even Crystal nodded.

"Stop that! I'm older than all of you! Leave me alone!" she protested. I snorted in amusement, pulling her into a headlock and getting her to wail in annoyance. Misty looked distinctly relieved.

"I'm glad that turned out well. Wouldn't want a repeat of last time to happen," she sighed.

"Yeah, I'm not injured this time, so I'd break bones," I said warningly. Brock and Misty laughed at that, only to realize that they were the only ones doing so. As they looked at my deathly serious expression, they began to inch away steadily from me. I suppose this was fine, too. Ash and I could be cordial. This would get Delia's pathetic puppy dog eyes off my back, and we didn't have to act like actual brothers. Good, I don't know if I could handle acting like brothers with this guy.

Ash and his crew didn't stay for long. They mentioned getting a call from Oak to do something, so they left as quickly as they came. Hm, was that about the Orange Island junk? Possibly.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" I asked Moon, who was dozing against me. The three children had fallen asleep even before we arrived here. Moon had been unconscious after crying about my loss. Similarly, Yellow and Sun had slept away on Green and Gold.

"I didn't wanna," she mumbled sleepily. I stared at her in blatant amusement, only to wince at the very loud "Teaaaacher!" Lyra rushed up to me with an excited grin. I let out a suffering sigh.

"What, Lyra?"

"Is this really where you live? It's so huge! I was exploring outside with Marill, and we totally got lost, but then I used my expert traveling skills to find the way back. I definitely didn't use the bright lights. Pretty awesome of your student, right?!" I stared at the twinkling stars that made up the dumbasses eyes, feeling myself aging in real time.

"Who is this?" Moon asked flatly, wide awake. Lyra blinked, finally noticing the child attached to me. She let out a squeal of excitement, yanking Moon out of my grasp and getting her to let out an almost catlike yelp.

"Who's this little cutie?!" she asked happily, squeezing the struggling Moon with a bright smile.

"I'm Lyra! I'm your big brother's student! I hope we can get along!" Much to my amusement, Moon immediately began protesting. I actually wasn't even aware she could look so outraged.

"What? No. I'm big bro's pro... prot..." she tried to say.

"Protege," I supplied helpfully.

"Protege," Moon finished bluntly, glaring at the oblivious Lyra. Lyra gasped.

"So we're both his students?!" she asked excitedly. I resisted the urge to laugh at the warning noise that left Moon's throat. Lyra turned to me, oblivious to how feral my little minion was becoming.

"Teacher, I thought you said you were terrible at this stuff, but you already have two students!" she gushed, wiping the smile directly off my face.

"I am not your teacher," I stressed.

"Yet!"

"Never," I hissed.

"Never. Never," Moon agreed. Lyra tilted her head. She put a finger to her lip and hummed before coming to some freakish conclusion on her own.

"I'm learning more about you, Teacher!" she beamed. I fought the urge to slam my head against the floor, standing up and capturing Moon, who had her arms extended for me to grab.

"C'mon, let's go meet your traveling companion," I sighed. Lyra nodded cheerfully, a spring in her step as she kept pace with me. For once, luck seemed to be on my side. Mars was conversing with Crystal. I watched my twin lean over slightly, fiddling with Crystal's hair. She looked distinctly satisfied.

"If you want a new style, I'll change it up. You look good like this!" she praised. Crystal flushed happily.

"Thank you again, Mars. Maybe now, Silver won't bully me so much..."

"Think again," I said dryly. Crystal jumped high at that, shrieking in terror and whirling around.

"D-Did I summon you?!" she asked in disbelief.

"Nah... just a coincidence," I waved off. Crystal huffed before lighting up at seeing Lyra.

"Oh, Lyra! Where have you been?" she asked.

"She got lost on the island," I replied. Lyra balked, turning betrayed eyes towards me.

"I didn't get lost. I was exploring!"

"Lyra, you shouldn't just wander off! You know how you get," Crystal chided worriedly. I hummed curiously as Lyra huffed, her mood completely flipping.

"It's good to get practice in! I'm going to be traveling soon!" she countered, crossing her arms. Crystal was nonplussed.

"If you traveled alone, you'd go missing!" she said matter-of-factly. I interrupted immediately, very much sensing the impending argument. Crystal had become a little too blunt hanging out so long with us.

"Speaking of traveling alone, you won't be doing that. Lyra, this is Mars, my twin sister," I introduced, shoving the awkward Mars in front of Lyra.

"Woah, so you're teacher's twin?!" Lyra asked in awe. Mars nodded.

"You're Crystal's sister, huh? Not what I expected," she mused. Lyra's expression pinched slightly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked defensively. My twin tilted her head.

"It means you two are polar opposites. What else could I have possibly meant?" I snorted at that.

"Is that... a problem?" Lyra asked with a small frown.

"Why would it be? I just made an observation. Silver and I get called similar all the time, and you two are like the only other siblings in our little gang besides Sun and Moon," Mars pointed out, a puzzled frown on her face. She shrugged.

"I'd love to be the polar opposite of that guy. I feel no joy being compared to him."

"You love me," I retorted dryly. She flipped me off; I returned the favor. Lyra gazed at the two of us before focusing on Mars. She laughed, relief on her face.

"I like you, Mars! Let's get along!" she cheered, pulling her into a tight hug. Mars rasped in confusion, eyes wide in confusion.

"Why the hell are you hugging me? We just met!" I hummed as the two talked to each other. Lyra had an inferiority complex, one caused by Crystal. That was rough. Crystal was exceedingly talented, and her potential made it so that her limit was minimum champion level. I sighed to myself. I'd have to keep a close eye on Lyra.

"Hold on. Teacher?" Crystal asked dumbly. Lyra puffed up.

"Silver is gonna be my teacher!"

"No, I'm not," I denied.

"No, he's not," Crystal and Moon, who had been dozing off until Lyra spoke, agreed.

"He is!" Lyra insisted, literally refusing to take no for an answer. God, she was such a freak.

"Crystal and I will give you tips when I drop in to visit Mars," I compromised. Lyra reeled back.

"What?! But I only want tips from you!" she complained.

"Both or none," I denied harshly, boring a hole into her. She withered slightly at my stare. Finally, she nodded at something I said.

"If you say so, Teacher," she mumbled. I snorted.

"You two need to start discussing travel plans. Make sure you're on the same page," I said coolly. Mars stared at me, then looked at Lyra with narrowed eyes.

"Kay, come to my room. I've already got it mostly figured out, so you can add your input anywhere," she said, grabbing Lyra's arm and dragging her off.

"Ah, wait! I can walk on my own!" Lyra shrieked. Crystal and I watched them go.

"Thank you, Silver," she said softly.

"... Wouldn't want you two to end up like Lorelei and Ariana. I'll try to make her see reason," I muttered.

"It wouldn't get that bad... right?" Crystal asked in concern. I sighed.

"It only takes one mistake. Now gather the crew up in my room while I put Moon here to bed.""'m not tired," Moon mumbled, eyes already shut as she faded in and out of consciousness.

"Don't be stubborn. Sun and Yellow are already asleep. C'mon and let's go join them," I grunted, marching to one of the many extra rooms in this absurd house. I'm so glad this wasn't our main place. Lorelei was ridiculous.

"I'm sorry." Jasmine, Janine, Crystal, Gold, and Green watched with wide eyes as I effortlessly bowed at a 90-degree angle. Only members of my gang were here for this, with the exception of Mars... which meant it was finally time. Time for us to begin unpacking our issues. There was no chance we'd get it all off the table in this one meeting, but it was a good start.

"S-Silver?" Jasmine whispered in shock.

"I'm an idiot. I'm so desperate to keep the things I love safe that I end up pushing them away to protect them," I admitted, staring at the floor.

"When I was with Team Rocket... it was the worst moment of my life that I can remember. I missed you guys, I missed bantering in our chat, pretending to be upset when I was bothered... the group calls at night. When you guys came to retrieve me, I was surprised that you all cared that much about me. It made me happy... and it made me even more depressed that I willingly ran away from you." Gold and Crystal flinched backwards, recalling that meeting with startling clarity.

"It hurt, seeing you so willingly run away from us. It reminded me... of Johto," Crystal admitted.

"We chased you all the way to Kanto, made amends... just to go back to chasing you," Gold muttered. I exhaled tiredly.

"If I went back with you guys in that moment... Mewtwo would have intervened. He would have wiped you two out in an instant, and I don't know the end result of that." The two's eyes widened in realization at that.

"Right, Mewtwo was watching you nonstop," Crystal mumbled.

"Who knows what he would have done to us?" Gold trailed off. The core members of Color recalled Mewtwo's performance at New Island very well. He was a genuine monster, one capable of bringing Kanto to its knees. In comparison, we were just rookies... There was a weary look on my face.

"I missed you guys so much, but... but you were all dragged into a mess that I caused. When it finally blew up in my face, I felt obligated to make sure that, at worst, it only blew up in mine. I couldn't... I wouldn't be able to handle causing your deaths. It'd break something in me," I admitted.

"As I got to know you all more, as we forged our bonds, I realized that I couldn't lose any of you. I had no friends before this... I was a criminal, an outcast, but despite that, you guys still accepted me, even with all my faults. I decided that I was done with Team Rocket's nonsense and I would deal with them once and for all, just so you guys can be safe." They sat there, stunned into silence by my words. I couldn't blame them... this was the most honest I'd ever been.

It was rare for me to show such blatant vulnerability. But they deserved it. They deserved it and more. I gazed at Green with genuine remorse.

"I've never felt more terrified than knowing that Giovanni was going to kill Green and Lorelei... and it was going to be my fault. He was there for me, not you two. That's why I thought I needed to do this alone. I didn't even tell my team... they weren't happy with me either." Green shuddered at that, tears already forming in her eyes at my words.

"Oh, Silver," Crystal mumbled, standing up and pulling me into a tight hug. After a moment, Jasmine joined the hug and squeezed me, a tiny whimper escaping her.

"I can't imagine how much distress you were in. You felt like you were running out of options in real-time... and you made the best decision you could. In that moment... I think you did the right thing. There was no other choice, was there?" Crystal asked softly, staring at me with those knowing eyes that she always seemed to look at me with. I breathed slowly, burying my face into her neck for a split second as the emotions I felt flared up once more. Terror, panic, anxiety, loathing, hate, hate, hate... hate.

"I hate Giovanni so much. I hate the man that I call my Father. He was going to take two of the most important people away from me... right in my face. How could he do that? Isn't he supposed to be my dad? Why don't I have any good memories about him?" I whispered, clenching my fists with enough force to draw blood if not for my gloves. Janine clenched her fist tightly.

"I can't believe him. He's supposed to be your father! Why... why is he so cruel to you?" she asked quietly. It made sense... Janine couldn't fathom the idea of someone's father being so cruel, especially with one as doting as Koga. I was happy that her dad was receptive enough to even listen to a child's advice.

"He always talks about strength. About how the strong rule the weak, but then he kidnaps me and keeps me weak for months. I battled his 8th badge team, and right before I won, he used his real team against me to teach me a lesson. He doesn't want anyone else to be strong; only he's allowed. I'm just an accessory to him, his heir who will always be just that."

"My father sentenced me to death when I was only 8 years old. He experimented on me without a second thought. The coward was too afraid to volunteer, so he used a piece of himself instead." Tears formed in Crystal's eyes at my words. None of the others fared any better.

"You know what I learned recently? I willingly gave myself amnesia so I can forget what they did to me," I admitted quietly. Gasps of horror rang out at that.

"What?" Green asked, not believing what she was hearing.

"You can't be serious!" Gold shouted.

"I don't even know how I can get them back. I don't even know if I want to," I admitted.

"I think I know what I'm doing all the time, but the truth is I don't... so because of that, I decided it was only right that I tried my absolute best to fix the mess I caused, and I did that by becoming a monster who almost doomed Kanto in the process." The silence was heavy. Crystal and Jasmine's grip on me was unrelenting. At some point, Jasmine had begun raking a hand through my hair, but at my quiet admittance, it froze.

"How could you even call yourself that?" Gold asked, a rare look of fury on his face.

"Monster? You? Are you serious, Silv?!" I gazed at him with wide eyes, only for Crystal to turn my head towards her.

"What type of monster would do everything in his power to protect so many people? What type of monster would sacrifice his well-being?" Crystal asked softly.

"What type of monster would have so many people ready to throw away everything to save them?" Green added, shutting her eyes.

"A monster wouldn't try to help a grieving girl cope with loss," Janine whispered.

"And a monster wouldn't become a lonely girl's best friend," Jasmine finished. I was stunned silent by their words. I opened my mouth, but no words came out. Gold shook his head furiously.

"We watched you get tortured by that Mega Evolution, and what's the first thing you do while a bunch of Gods are destroying everything around? You summoned a barrier that kept us all safe from it! Do you understand how shitty it feels to be able to do nothing while you're screaming... and then throwing up—" Gold stopped abruptly, trembling in a way that made knots form in my gut.

"We thought you died, Silv. If you tell me I was crying for a monster, then I might never forgive you." I felt like I was being dipped in ice at his quiet admittance. I knew Giratina wasn't going to kill me. There was a chance, but I was 75% sure I would have stayed alive after what I did to Mewtwo. They didn't know that. I didn't tell them. Of course, I didn't tell them, because I was a paranoid idiot whose life would have been so much easier if I weren't so afraid to share things.

It wasn't me against the world anymore. I kept telling myself I could trust them, but then I went and did shit like this. A lot more people care about you than you think.

"I have a hard time believing I deserve you guys... and it causes me to undervalue myself in comparison. That's why I'm so okay doing the stuff I do as long as you all get out of it safely," I admitted quietly.

"I love you guys, really. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you because of me... so when something dangerous happens, I push you away. At least that way, I'm keeping you safe."

"Trust us, Silver. No one can do anything alone. We love you just as much as you love us, so don't go pulling off this bullshit again," Gold said firmly. It was eerily similar to the time he told me to trust them back at Saffron. Back then, I had scoffed... but now, I could only nod resolutely.

"You're right. I'll be better. I promise I'll be better. If nothing else, I'll always put my trust in Colors," I said resolutely. Crystal smiled softly.

"I think you're one of the most human here, Silver. Monsters don't have such an overwhelming amount of love." Green stood up, pulling me into a tight hug next.

"I'm so glad you're trusting more than just me," she murmured, a palpable relief coursing through her. I exhaled, returning the hug.

"I'm trying... which brings me to the next thing I want to talk about." Green stepped back in surprise as all of us looked at her.

"Green, you've been acting concerning. Very concerning," I said bluntly.

"To the point where it's not normal," Crystal added, eyes narrowed in concern. Jasmine nodded in agreement.

"You're almost nothing like yourself. We're worried about you," she said softly.

"You can talk to us," Janine assured.

"Yeah! That's what we're here for anyway!" Gold added. She shuffled slightly.

"I've... been really sad lately, but I'm better after the League! I-I really wanted to win!" My eyes narrowed.

"What would have happened if you lost?" I questioned. Green averted her gaze at that, prompting me to place my hands on her shoulders.

"You realize you revealed Mega Evolution to the world, right?" I asked her. She shuffled slightly.

"I was caught up in the moment. I... I thought that if I lost without using my whole arsenal, I might regret it." I stared at her.

"Green... this dogged obsession with strength isn't worth it. It's not you. Take it from the person you're slowly becoming, it's not fun," I said softly. She bit her lip at that.

"I wasn't strong enough to protect you," she said quietly, tears forming in her eyes. My eyes softened.

"Green, the situation was abnormal. It was so abnormal. You and I weren't even close to being the strongest ones there... and we would have never stopped Mewtwo normally." I raked a hand through her hair gently.

"Why do you think I kept going around asking for help from legends? Me, of all people, shamelessly asking for help... It's because I knew I wasn't strong enough to protect you guys."

"None of us were strong enough!" Crystal said resolutely.

"But it won't stay like that. Look at us! We're only in our first year, and we took an entire tournament by storm!" Gold grinned. Jasmine looked unbelievably proud of us.

"I can't imagine how you'll progress by the second year. Trainers tend to slow down, but it may affect you guys less so than others," she informed us. I smiled, tucking Green in easily.

"We're at least traveling through Johto together. Even if we all go our separate ways after, by the end of the second year, we'll have easy ways of just meeting up." Gold laughed.

"Hell yeah! We really need to kick Team Colors into high gear!" I snorted loudly at that. Green sniffed.

"Now that Green has revealed Mega Evolution, we'll have to prepare for the floodgates. We'll navigate it," I said. Gold and Crystal both nodded in unison.

"It's probably going to get a lot of eyes, but the four of us all revealed something worth focusing on. I think we can deal with it," Crystal muttered.

"We can always just go full Silver if they keep pestering us. He's surprisingly effective," Gold mused. Jasmine giggled.

"Please don't. One Silver is enough. I'll help you guys to the best of my ability!"

"An easy solution would be for another of us to find a Mega Evolution," Janine said coyly, a small smile on her face. We all snorted at that. Even Green let out a quiet little laugh.

"We're still healing. I'm not expecting a single conversation to help us, but we're getting there, and we'll get through it," I said, gazing at them all. This was my gang; my best friends, my family. I no longer had to isolate myself. I wasn't interested in taking over the world... but if my gang was here, it sounded a bit more fun.