Chương 58: Colors

You: I'm here to get you. Cursed Girl: Coming. Despite how Yvonne did and said everything as dryly —even through text— as possible. It was easy to pinpoint when something did excite her. She sent that message 30 seconds after I sent my message... and she showed up outside 3 minutes later.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Yvonne said, breathing a little harder than normal to show that she had been in a rush. I eyed her, removing my gaze from the dozing Rhyhorn who hadn't spared me a glance.

"I expected you to take longer. You look better already," I praised. It was a far cry from the last time I saw her. Yvonne wore a slightly oversized long-sleeved red shirt over some black shorts. She still had no hat on, but she had a red-and-black single-strap bag as an accessory that looked suspiciously like mine.

"It's been a while, Silver. I missed you," she said bluntly, smiling slightly at me. I grunted.

"How's school been treating you? Made any new friends?" She shook her head, not that she looked bothered by the admission.

"Um... School is okay; I was very behind on studies, but I've been slowly catching up. I have a goal now to become the #1 student, so could you help me?" I cocked my head.

"I've never been to school," I informed her truthfully.

"I don't mind. You said you'd get Crystal to help me, right?" Yvonne prodded. My expression turned exasperated.

"I'll see what I can do, but my journey is starting soon." Yvonne nodded in acceptance.

"I don't have any friends, still. I noticed that the people who don't want to do work sit next to me because the teachers don't like to look my way." I mulled that over.

"You'll make some today." She smiled.

"I'm glad... Did you say you're starting your journey soon?" she questioned. Yvonne asked a lot of questions, way too much for my liking, honestly, but whatever.

"Yeah, I'm going through Johto," I replied.

"Can I come with you?" she asked. I snorted.

"Absolutely not. You need to focus on your studies, and I'm too busy to actively help and keep track of you." Yvonne frowned.

"You're very behind on your studies, Yvonne. I don't want you journeying as a dumbass," I said calmly.

"I see... Okay, if I become the #1 student by the end of this school year, will you take me with you on your next journey?" she asked. I eyed her.

"Who's the current #1?" I asked randomly.

"Calem." Ah, she didn't stand a chance. Not only was she behind, but she also had to surpass Calem somehow, and that guy reeked of talent.

"Sure," I agreed. I didn't think she was going to beat Calem, but if this motivated her enough to improve, then I suppose it should be rewarded.

"I'll probably be traveling through Hoenn after Johto." Yvonne nodded excitedly, her strange eyes pulsing with determination.

"Joy... was in Hoenn. Okay, I'll do it."

"You won't be becoming a trainer. You can just travel with me for the time being... but I want you to start your journey in Kalos," I said vaguely.

"Okay, that's fine with me." I snorted.

"I need to talk to your mom." Yvonne nodded in acceptance, turning on a dime and making her way back to the door. She summarily opened it and stepped through, not even looking back to see if I was following her. Man, her social skills really were trash. I politely removed my black sneakers, placing them to the side as I stepped through the door. Yvonne saw my action and tilted her head, making no move to remove her own black sneakers.

"Mom, I brought my friend," Yvonne called out dully. I resisted the urge to remind her that I wasn't her friend, just letting it be for now.

"Friend?! One sec!" The voice that said that grew progressively closer. I watched a young woman step into the living room. Fair-skinned, blue eyes... with a head of brown hair. Yvonne's mother wore a simple black T-shirt and a tracksuit, whose sleeves were tied in a knot around her waist. Hard to imagine she had given birth to two teenage girls, but then again, I thought the same of all the other mothers. They had some flawless skincare routine or something... even Yvonne's, who practically oozed tomgirl energy.

"Hello, Ms. Gabena," I greeted easily. She was an easy woman to research. After all, she was quite famous... famous enough that she could support her family without a job for years. I imagined she was still receiving income from somewhere, but I didn't care to find out. Grace Gabena had been a Rhyhorn Racer. One of the most popular around. It was a career she made a living on, and she was damn good at it until she injured herself one day.

Combined with the fact that her husband had recently passed and she had two daughters to care for, the woman had been met with an early retirement.

"Hello..." Grace greeted warily. Her eyes were narrowed slightly; she gazed at Yvonne's close proximity to me before her expression hardened.

"Yvonne, I wanna talk to her alone," I said coolly. Yvonne blinked, nodding slowly.

"Kay. I'll go on a short walk with Misery," she decided, releasing her Absol.

"Don't stray too far. I'm not going searching for you," I retorted dryly, idly crouching to rake a hand against the Absol.

"Okay." I didn't glance back at the door shutting, keeping my gaze focused on Grace, who was glaring at me now.

"Where's your other kid?" I asked conversationally.

"With her friends, which I'm thankful for," Grace bit out frostily. A hum was all she got.

"That's a lot of hostility you're directing towards me. You didn't even ask for my name." I walked over to a chair and sat down.

"It's Silver, by the way. Pleasure to meet you."

"Silver..." she tested the name on her lips, a confused expression on her face before it widened dramatically.

"Wait, you're the boy from the Indigo League! The one with the foul language! How... what are you doing here? You're too young to be a trainer in Kalos." Grace shook her head.

"I thought the person targeting Yvonne would be... Well, that doesn't matter. What do you want?" I smiled.

"I was just visiting Kalos. I didn't come here for any particular reason, but somehow your daughter still found me. Your same daughter who you've neglected for years." My smile vanished.

"You've got a lot of nerve to be upset with me after what the hell you did to your daughter," I said coldly. Grace reeled back with a hurt expression.

"What I did...? What did I do to Yvonne?"

"Nothing at all, and that's the problem." She flinched.

"What exactly was your plan with Yvonne? Let her stay holed up in her room for all of eternity and pretend like the problem doesn't exist?" A scowl formed on my face.

"I really despise negligent parents, so tell me exactly why you gave up on Yvonne, or I'm taking her from you." Grace's eyes widened in terror.

"W-What?! Take her from me? You can't do that! I'm still her mother a-and I won't let you touch my daughter! You must be out of your mind if you think I'll let such a thing happen," she practically snarled. I stared frostily at her.

"Did you miss the part where I said you're negligent? You've allowed her to miss how many years of school?"

"You can get in serious trouble for that, and I imagine the only reason you haven't is that everyone's too afraid of your daughter to bring it up. In fact, they might be glad she's holed up in her room. Are you glad?" Grace went pale. A distressed look replaced the ferocity, and she gasped weakly.

"Next question, do you really think Yvonne would prefer to stay with you over me? I mean, I know the answer, but do you?" I asked genuinely. I watched her mother take a deep breath at my question. She shakily backed away from my harsh sneer." I'm the one who convinced her to stop staying holed up in her room. I'm the one who's making her go to school. I'm the one who's given that girl who has no purpose a glimmer of light to focus on. So tell me, why the hell are you glaring at me? I should be the one pissed off.

I'm only 13 after all," I asked bluntly. Grace shuddered, averting her gaze. She struck me as a strong personality, someone who wouldn't back down to anyone. Not as bad as Amber, but definitely up there. But this would not be one of those times. I had my own personal problems with a parent who couldn't do their fucking job. Not only that, the one they were being neglectful towards was a genuinely cursed girl who could destroy the world.

I could afford to be a little more pissed than usual that I was once again being saddled with someone's work. Grace shook.

"You don't think I tried?!" she finally cracked.

"I tried my hardest! Yvonne's my baby, my first child... but I'm not equipped to help her!" Tears of frustration formed in her eyes as she clenched her fist.

"Ever since she was born, Yvonne's been strange. I've never seen anything like her eyes before. No one in my or my late husband's family has anything like that, but she was born with them." I hummed to myself, content to listen to Grace spill her heart out. My expression was painfully neutral, just storing the information away.

"Bad things happen to people around her. I didn't want to believe it at first; how could I ever want to believe such a horrible thing? My baby cursed? I never even once entertained the thought, even with her eyes, even after the 5th parent told me a kid broke his leg after messing with her," Grace revealed quietly.

"But then my husband got sick. Oh, Shane..." she trailed off, a look of anguish on her face.

"Do you have any idea how awful it is watching someone you love slowly die in real time? Knowing that no matter what, there's nothing you can do about it?" Grace asked me, unshed tears finally spilling. She placed her face into her palms and leaned against a counter, shuddering and shaking in her grief.

"How could I have ever known that my husband was actively dying because of our child? I never imagined her curse would be so damaging." I watched her gaze at me.

"I denied it being Yvonne even then," she admitted.

"After all, why was he the only one suffering? Serena only ever got sick once, but she was scheduled for a trip to Kanto. After she came back, she was good as new."

"I thought he had a disease... but then one day I woke up to a loud crash and crying. I rushed to the room, and I saw my husband dead on the floor, while my daughter kept saying to herself, "I don't want to die," over and over again," Grace whispered. Evidently, this was an extremely traumatic event for her. She barely looked like she was holding it together.

"My husband, Shane, was as loving as loving could get. He was a better parent than I could ever be," Grace cried.

"I could never even imagine him laying a finger on Yvonne or Serena... so why? Why was my daughter crying because her dad wanted to kill her?" I had no answer for her that she'd want to hear.

"When the authorities took his body, you know what they told me?" Grace asked brokenly, gazing at the floor.

"They said his body was in perfect condition. His death was a freak accident. They didn't know the cause." Grace laughed weakly.

"My husband, who had been slowly dying for years, died perfectly healthy. It's almost like he was never even sick."

"It felt like some sick joke. I know what I saw. I know what I lived with all these years! My husband was dying, but the moment he finally died, he was the healthiest he'd ever been?!" Grace was hysterical now. Still, I just stared evenly at her.

"I tried... I tried so hard to keep the family together. I didn't want to think Yvonne killed him. I didn't want to think Shane tried to kill her. Yvonne locked herself in her room, but I didn't want that for her. I knew she had a hard time making friends... but I didn't want to curse my daughter to a life of loneliness, so we moved to Vaniville Town for a fresh start..." Grace looked soullessly at the floor.

"And then I got injured. While riding a Rhyhorn, I took a horrible fall. I won't bore you with the details, but my spinal cord was damaged. It's healed now, but I can't risk aggravating it anymore."

"After that, I gave up on everything. I lost my husband, I lost my daughter, and I lost my passion. I didn't have the will to try and convince Yvonne to leave her room." Grace finally looked ashamed.

"And you know the worst of it? After I stopped trying with Yvonne, things did get better. It broke me to realize my daughter really was cursed. I didn't want to believe it, but how can I deny the proof? At some point, I just grew complacent with how things were." She collapsed abruptly, the strength leaving her body. She curled into herself, a weak sob wracking her body.

"I'm so pathetic... the reason I glared at you... My first instinct wasn't that you were breaking her out of her shell, but that you were trying to take advantage of her curse!" she admitted weakly.

"What type of mother thinks like that?! When did I start viewing my own daughter as someone dangerous?! Can you tell me? I don't know!" Grace looked outright hysterical, staring at me with a wide, broken gaze before curling back into herself. Strong sobs broke through the house as the woman reached her breaking point. I stared at her before standing up. Grace didn't notice my approach until I crouched in front of her, going eye level with the distraught woman.

"You're in an unfortunate situation," I said truthfully, placing my hands on either shoulder.

"Your daughter is cursed, and you know that... but was your plan to leave her holed up in that room?" Grace shivered at my gaze, trying to avert her gaze but gasping as I forcefully turned her head back to face me.

"No... I just..."

"You didn't have a plan at all. You didn't even bother sending her to an expert. You wanted to wait for Yvonne to come to her own solution, but without your guidance, how was she ever going to make one that's good for herself?" My grip subtly tightened on her shoulder.

"It's not your job to give up on your 13-year-old child. No matter how hard it gets, the burden of responsibility falls on you, her mother," I said lowly. Grace shivered as my grip tightened further, visibly wrinkling her shirt.

"Even if you want to give up, you don't. Even if you want to quit, you can't. You're all that Yvonne has to look up to, so no matter what, you won't fail her. That's what it means to be a parent." Grace stared at me with wide, horrified eyes.

"Y-You won't take her from me?" she asked softly. I stood up, releasing the invisible tension that weighed her down.

"You're right in that you were very ill-equipped to deal with her, and I'm not heartless enough to discard all the mounting troubles you had," I said honestly. She was honestly in a very shitty situation. Her mental health couldn't have been faring very well, and she likely just had a total collapse after losing the one thing she had known her whole life. It was a domino effect, and when that domino finally took her career, she shattered completely.

"Stand up, and do your job. If you don't, you'll never see your daughter again, and that won't be because of me." Grace sniffed, shakily standing on her two feet.

"Do you know what Yvonne said to me?" I asked rhetorically, forcing Grace to hold my gaze.

"She told me that she never asked to be cursed and she never asked for her eyes... and you know what else? She didn't ask to be born either. You brought her into this world. Whether it was conscious or not, you and your husband made that decision together."

"Right... Right!" Grace nodded, wiping her eyes.

"I'm done running away from my daughter. If I don't help her, who will?"

"Exactly. You still have time. Even if the whole world scorns her, she should always be able to rely on a mother's warmth." My chilly demeanor was gone now, a satisfied glint in my eyes. This was good. Getting Yvonne's mother involved in her life was step 1 in taking a majority of her attention off me. Step 2 was introducing her to my gang.

"Thank you... Silver. You've got a rotten personality, but... you're also strangely sweet," Grace sniffed. I inclined my head.

"She's a member of my gang. I have to make sure she has the best life for her." Grace looked confused.

"Gang...? Do you mean Colors?" she asked slowly.

"Yeah. She qualifies for it, and since she's so attached to me, I invited her," I explained blandly.

"Okay... I can see now that you have no bad intentions for my daughter; I won't cause a fuss. Do you... know how to deal with her curse?" she asked hesitantly.

"I have my ideas."

"I... I trust you," Grace said softly.

"Thank you again. I needed someone to knock me on my head a little, or in your case, a lot. You hit me with a hammer," she joked. I waved her off.

"Your life collapsed around you, and you needed to pick up the pieces for you and your children. Naturally, you made a bad decision. I won't hold that against you, and if you help Y out as she needs, it'll stay that way." Grace stared at me.

"You know, my other daughter... Serena, she doesn't like you. After seeing your interviews, I couldn't say I was surprised. But I guess we shouldn't judge a book by its cover."

"Sometimes judging a book by its cover is a good idea. Inactivity just pisses me off, especially when I have to deal with the fallout of it," I grunted, reaching for my pokegear.

"Do me a favor. Send this lady a message and say Silver sent you. You clearly need a friend, and Delia is probably the sweetest woman alive," I explained.

"I have friends," Grace said defensively, crossing her arms as her strong personality began rearing its head. I stared evenly at her.

"Every other mother I've met has said the same thing. All of them were wrong. I've got no hope in you." She winced.

"Well, I am still a newer person in this town, relative to everyone else... and being famous makes friendships feel a bit... inauthentic. No one really wants to have a personal relationship with Yvonne's mother. I'm grateful Serena hasn't encountered such hardship," she admitted. I sighed.

"Seriously, Delia is a sweetheart. Only Solari is as sweet as her, and she'll probably introduce you soon enough... Actually, take Solari's number instead. Delia is old, so she doesn't know how to really work phones," I muttered. Grace finally nodded.

"Okay... I'll take your advice. Maybe talking to someone could be good for me," she sighed.

"It always is." I dusted myself off.

"Now I'm getting outta here. I'll be taking your daughter for the day, so don't worry too much."

"I won't. You're a strong trainer, so I know she'll be safe with you." I nearly bit my tongue at that before shaking my head.

"I'll bring her back in one piece."

"I'm going to wash my face... and thank you so much for helping my daughter. You really did manage to breathe new wind into her," Grace said softly, turning on her heel.

"Just passing off some goodwill," I said cryptically, placing my shoes back on. I quickly departed the house, shutting the door behind me, and paused at the sight of blue eyes narrowed dangerously.

"You and your mom have the same glare," I said idly. Evidently, that was the wrong thing to say because her glare deepened.

"Stay away from my family," Serena said coldly.

"You speak like her too. You and Grace have a lot in common," I mused. After learning of Yvonne, I could actually see the slight differences between them. Serena's hair was a darker shade of blonde, almost looking brown. In contrast, Yvonne's hair was slightly lighter. Coupled with the blue eyes, Serena looked much closer in appearance to Grace than Yvonne did. Yvonne's hair was also significantly longer, reaching her butt, while Serena's stopped at her back.

They still looked like twins, but they had their distinctions.

"What did you do to my mom?!" she hissed.

"Opened her eyes to the truth," I replied honestly. Maybe I was truly as insufferable as Janine and Gold seemed to think I was, because Serena's eyes took a murderous tint. Did my way of wording just inherently piss people off? Who am I kidding?

"I didn't hurt her or anything, if that's what has you worried. Kinda dumb to do a crime with no disguise on," I informed her.

"Stop messing around! I know you heard me, Silver," she scowled.

"Oh, you know me. Fan of mine?" I asked.

"Not even in the slightest! You're rude, belligerent, and you toy with your opponents! You're needlessly cruel, and I don't like that!" Serena said matter-of-factly. I crossed my arms.

"All true things. I can see why you'd want me to stay away from your sister," I replied honestly. Serena looked thrown for a loop. She wasn't expecting me to agree with her, judging by her reaction, but she recovered quickly.

"Then why aren't you?" she questioned.

"Because she doesn't want to stay away," I replied boredly. Serena clenched her fist at my response.

"Stay. Away. From. My. Sister." My eyes flashed in mild annoyance.

"Oh yeah? And I guess you're the reason she's walking around and attending school?" I prodded, strolling right up to Serena. She stepped backwards, a hint of fear on her face as I loomed over her.

"Would you rather your sister stay inside her room all day? You see that she's finally happy and you can't deal with it?" I baited her knowingly. Serena gasped in horror.

"Of course not! I just... You can't possibly be a good influence for her," she said weakly.

"Well, I'm the only positive influence because you didn't do anything for her," I said cruelly, sneering at her.

"I can do whatever I want, and to be honest, there isn't a damn thing you can do about it. Yvonne will listen to anything I say." Serena shivered violently.

"But if you can convince Y to stay away, by all means, feel free," I said eventually. By now, we were so close that our temples nearly touched. I saw the bead of sweat forming on Serena's face, the Kalosian unable to hide her fear. But to my surprise, her features hardened.

"Don't call her that. Don't call her Y! You don't know the misery she had to go through because of those eyes!" she barked venomously. I raised a brow.

"Is that why you got so mad I called your other friend X?" She clenched her tiny fist, likely recalling something.

"You don't know how she reacts to people calling her Y," she said coldly.

"Why not enlighten me, pretty girl?" I commanded.

"Serena? Silver?" Yvonne called out, Misery right next to her. Serena let out a deep sigh of relief as Silver took his eyes off her. She watched those predatory eyes of his flit over to her older sister, the silver gleam shining unnaturally underneath the sun. He was so unnerving. His eyes didn't feel like they belonged to a human; they looked better suited to a pokemon, like a Weavile... she could have sworn his pupils were set into slits.

Many people were scared of Yvonne's eyes, but to Serena, Silver's were far more terrifying. Yvonne stared at the two of them, her head cocked to the left. Her expression was as vacant as ever. To anyone, it would clearly look like Serena and Silver harbored a dislike for one another, but she wasn't so sure Yvonne caught it.

"You two know each other?" Yvonne questioned. Silver snorted.

"You could say that, Y. She seems to be a fan of me." Serena scowled as Yvonne focused her undivided attention on Silver.

"I thought I told you not to call her that!" she shouted, her temper boiling over. She recalled the way her sister reacted to Calem calling her that, and felt her blood fire up.

"It's okay." Serena abruptly froze, the anger draining off her features. To her utter disbelief, she watched a smile form on Yvonne's face, her older sister's eyes still locked onto Silver, and she strolled up to him with far too few reservations.

"Silver can call me Y. He's the one who gave me the nickname," Yvonne informed her.

"What?" Serena croaked weakly. But Yvonne had looked so upset when Calem called her Y. Why did she have an opposite reaction to Silver's use of it? Silver looked amused, the gaze of a hunter staring at Yvonne... who was willingly walking into the beast's den. As she saw that smug smirk on his face, the knowing smirk of someone who knew he was going to get away with whatever it was he did, Serena knew she needed to act. This wasn't... this wasn't going to end well for Yvonne.

"Yvonne..." Serena said slowly, grabbing her sister's attention.

"You shouldn't be hanging out with him." Serena couldn't help the foreboding feeling as Silver's smirk widened.

"What?" Yvonne said slowly. Her expression almost looked confused. Serena coughed.

"It's just... he's such a bad influence on you! Silver isn't a good person, and if you keep hanging out with him, he's going to hurt you!" Much to her disbelief, Silver nodded in agreement.

"She has a point. I've got my own problems, you know? I can't possibly be a good influence on you." Yvonne's expression flattened even further than it normally did. Her eyes pulsed lowly, Serena's sister staring vacantly at her in a way that made the younger of the two shift uncomfortably.

"But you're the only one who treats me normally. I don't care what type of influence you have on me... I'm not letting you abandon me because you're the only one who looks at me and sees Yvonne," Yvonne said bluntly. She focused her attention on the stunned Serena.

"Why would you say that to me, Serena? Do you hate me?" Serena reeled back. A hurt expression flashed on her face, and she hastily shook her head.

"No, I don't hate you at all. I just... I just want what's best for you!" she exclaimed.

"What's... best for me?" Yvonne muttered.

"Do you think it's best if I stay in my room?"

"N-No, of course not!" Serena shouted.

"But I wouldn't have left without Silver. Saying to stop talking to him is the same as telling me to shut myself back in there," Yvonne countered bluntly.

"Silver helped me more than you or Mom ever did, Serena. I've never had a friend, but I finally make one, and now I can't even have that?" Yvonne glared darkly at her, a foreign expression donning her face. She missed the cautious look Silver shot her, and Serena nearly did, too, paralyzed by her sister's gaze.

"I'll do what I want. I've been doing that anyway, and no one had any complaints before. Now that someone finally helped me, everyone suddenly cares about Yvonne?" Yvonne clenched her fist.

"Now everyone wants to leech off of Silver's hard work. I really hate that," she admitted darkly.

"Yvonne, that's not what it is!" Serena pleaded, eyes going foggy.

"Yes, it is. None of you actually care about me, so leave Silver and me alone or else." Serena flinched, ducking her head as tears formed in her eyes. Is that what Yvonne actually thought? No one cared for her? Of course she'd think that... no one made any effort to help her for years. She was a pariah even in her own house, but someone finally broke her out of her shell... and they tried to take that away from her. No wonder Silver had smiled. He knew all along how Yvonne would react to that.

To Yvonne, he may as well have been her world, and he knew that.

"Hey, hey... don't be so cruel to your sister," Silver admonished.

"She's dumb, but her heart's in the right place. I'm not a paragon or anything." Serena's head shot up. Yvonne turned towards him.

"I... she's just worried for me?" she asked slowly.

"Look at me. I think your sister is right, but you won't listen to that," Silver said in amusement.

"It may not seem like it, but your sister does love you. Remember what you told me? You were the one trying to keep her away, never the other way around," he reminded.

"That's true..." Yvonne muttered, turning towards her sister once more.

"Sorry, Serena, for being cruel, but I'm not going to stop hanging out with Silver. He... makes me feel alive," Yvonne admitted. Serena's heart panged at that. Alive. Her sister felt alive. You didn't have to dig deep to realize Yvonne's old lifestyle was no way to live. Hated by everyone around, self-imposed exile... What right did Serena have to take that away from her? Even if Silver wasn't the most positive of influences, he was the only influence who helped Yvonne out.

In a way, losing that would only ruin Yvonne.

"I'm sorry, too," Serena whispered.

"I was being selfish. I saw that you were happier, but I ignored it because of the source of your happiness. Please just be careful." Yvonne nodded.

"I will. Thank you, Serena." Silver snorted.

"Now that we've got that sorted. We're leaving. I'm gonna be late at this rate, and I hate being late." Yvonne's nod came out even faster.

"Okay, let's go." The two strolled past Serena, who just looked at Silver with a puzzled expression. He caught her gaze as he walked past her, only flashing a smug little smirk. He leaned in close, reaching her ear.

"You're welcome, Ash fangirl," he whispered, continuing his leisurely pace. Serena shivered at the abnormally cold breath brushing against her ear. She whirled around with a shocked expression, gazing at his and Yvonne's retreating form.

"How did he know?" she wondered with a disturbed expression. She didn't like him one bit. She didn't care that he helped salvage her relationship with her sister before it got bad. She didn't like him because she knew he only did it on a whim. There was no sincerity in his actions. Serena knew her hunches were correct. Silver was bad news... But Silver was helping her sister... and Silver helped her. Serena didn't know what to think. She sighed, entering their home.

"Mom?" Grace wiped a towel on her face, glancing at Serena in some surprise.

"Oh, Serena, you're home. Didn't you say you were sleeping at Shauna's?" Serena nodded.

"I saw Yvonne going for a walk. She looked more excited than normal, so I rushed back to see if something happened," she admitted. The mother of the two sighed.

"I take it you met Silver, then?" she asked. Serena clenched her fist.

"I don't like him." Grace nodded.

"I understand why. He's very abrasive... but he said exactly what I needed to hear, so I can't bring myself to hate him." She was a mixture of relief and frustration about the whole thing. No one had ever spoken to her about Yvonne's situation, and honestly, Grace wasn't sure anyone ever would. For a teenager to show up and verbally rip into her, all while giving her advice on how to get better... Grace wasn't sure if she should be insulted or grateful, so she settled for both.

"Do you think... he's really what's best for Yvonne right now?" Serena wondered, a frown of concern etched onto her face. She just couldn't shake the feeling of how dangerous he was. Grace thought it over. Silver had told her everything she didn't want to hear, but needed to hear. It was hard to keep down her slight resentment, a natural cause of hearing things you don't like, but Grace was also glad that he told her regardless. He was rude, and more than a little cruel in how he worded himself...

but he also gave her an avenue to reconnect with her daughter and a potential friend.

"Even if he isn't to be trusted... I think he spoke to me to make sure we are," Grace said firmly.

"I need to focus less on who Yvonne is talking to, and focus more on helping her first. I've failed her enough... and he's giving me the chance to redeem myself." No more. Even if it killed her, Grace would not neglect Yvonne ever again. Serena saw the resolve on her mother's face, and smiled in determination. Mom hadn't been the same since Dad died... but it looked like she was finally getting better! She didn't like him, but she didn't have to like Silver.

Instead, she'd selfishly take advantage of his benefits and try to repair her family.

"You're worried," I pointed out. Y said nothing for a moment, eyes slowly roving over to me.

"You could tell?"

"Barely. You're about as expressive as a Quagsire." Her gaze met the floor next.

"What if... what if I hurt them with my curse? I don't want to hurt your friends." A valid concern, but I should snuff it.

"First things first, it'll be easier for you if you stop thinking of it as a curse. You'll be fine, trust me. Intention matters, and if something happens, I'll step in," I explained calmly. Yvonne's gaze met mine. She shuffled slightly, one hand idly clutching her oversized shirt.

"Do you think they'll like me?" she eventually asked. I snorted.

"They probably already love you. I'm the outlier." I crouched down, capturing Moon in a hug and lifting her off the floor. Her tiny arms wrapped around my neck, and I huffed in amusement.

"If it isn't the almost birthday girl," I greeted. Moon's lip quirked up.

"I'm gonna turn 7. Will I be old enough for you to tell me stuff?" she wondered.

"Nah, but sometime after your birthday, I'll take you somewhere with me, yeah?" I murmured. She nodded enthusiastically.

"I wanna meet Mewtwo and Gaiatwo and all the other clones." I choked on my spit.

"Who told you about Mewtwo and the clones?" I asked incredulously. Moon blinked slowly.

"Um... a little floating pink kitty. It was really cute. Mom didn't believe me when I told her about it." My eye twitched. Okay, so Mew was now actively messing around. Good to know. Here's to hoping it didn't become elusive when I needed it.

"I'll see what I can do," I replied eventually, allowing her to take her spot on my back.

"Silver!" Sapphire beamed, bounding up to me. She had been squeezing Crystal and Gold before spotting me. I smiled at her, allowing the youngin to pull me into a bear hug.

"Saph, how's it been?" I asked, palming her brown hair. Her deep blue eyes gazed up at me in happiness, her excitement practically spilling out of her. Seriously, she was even trembling.

"It's been so fun! Cherno and I have been having a great time getting to know each other!" The Cherubi squealed happily, leaping up and down with an excitement that matched Sapphire.

"That's good. By the time you start your journey, I want you to be the best of your year," I said confidently. Sapphire nodded enthusiastically but yelped in surprise as a force crashed into her in its attempt to reach me.

"Teeeeaccherrr!" I grunted, catching Lyra lest she cause me to fall.

"Stop calling me that," I said flatly, allowing her to squeeze me. She beamed up at me. Evidently, there was no intention to stop calling me that in her eyes.

"Keep bugging him for me! If you don't, he'll start nagging me again about my choice of friends!" Mars shouted in the distance.

"Please!" Janine joined, sitting right next to her. I snarled warningly at them.

"Let's not start our first official meeting with two dead bodies. And I thought I told you to keep this maniac away from me!" I barked at Mars. Mars held up her hand.

"I said no promises." Jasmine giggled softly, patting a sleepy Yellow's hair.

"Silver, would you like to introduce your friend?" she asked politely, turning towards the silent Yvonne, who was watching the exchange with a blank expression. Gold and Crystal perked up, gauging the Kalosian with an interested gaze.

"Is this the girl you were telling us about? Yvonne?" Gold mused. On his back, Sun dozed freely. Yvonne cocked her head.

"You talk about me?" she asked me curiously.

"Yeah," I said to both of them.

"Everyone, this is Yvonne. She's the newest member of our gang. She's 13 years old, and she's from the Kalos region." Crystal gasped in fascination.

"Wow, you really do have Y's in your eyes." Yvonne nodded slowly.

"I was born with them," she revealed. Gold whistled.

"Wow, those look gnarly," he muttered, invading her personal space easily.

"And I thought Silv's eyes were creepy! That's pretty cool!" he said shamelessly.

"If not for the children on our backs, you'd be on your back with a concussion," I said tonelessly. Gold grinned, even as the others gasped.

"Did you say she had Y's in her eyes? Like the letter Y?" Sapphire prodded, closing the distance.

"Woah, that's so cool!" Lyra gaped.

"Seriously? Hold on, lemme see this," Mars marched up to her, Janine a step behind. Soon enough, Yvonne was swamped by nearly everyone there. I easily moved away, watching her eyes dart to mine in confusion, but ignoring it in favor of making my way over to Crystal and Jasmine.

"A girl with Y's in her eye... I've seen so much since meeting you guys," Jasmine sighed.

"She seems overwhelmed. Shouldn't you help her?" Crystal wondered. I glanced over at Yvonne, who was watching with uncharacteristically wide eyes as Lyra and Sapphire badgered her ears off. It was likely that no one had ever expressed positive interest in her eyes, so this was a new experience for her.

"Nah, she'll be fine. She needs this," I replied. Crystal smiled softly.

"Yeah... I get the feeling she does." Movement from the corner of my vision caught my eye, and I watched curiously as a Pidgeot landed. A familiar figure leapt off the bird with practiced ease, raking a hand through his brown, near orange hair. Blue sucked in the breath he took, eyes going wide at the sheer number of people here. His bright blue eyes roved over the assortment of gazes locked onto him.

"What... the hell? There's so many of you," he muttered in horror.

"Oh, hey, Blue!" Mars waved with a small smirk.

"Blue?! No way, you guys didn't tell me he was in the gang, too! Look, we're both basically Blue! I'm Sapphire! I saw you at the League!" Sapphire cheered, pointing at her own eyes. Blue immediately choked on his spit as he made eye contact with Sapphire.

"Sapphire...? I'm... not a member of this cursed gang!" he denied hastily.

"You're all cursed, too?" Yvonne asked, cocking her head to the right. Crystal, Gold, and I sighed in unison.

"Something like that." At least Cynthia wasn't here. She and the other Champions were off doing their own thing at my insistence... which was basically a firm demand. Whatever it was they did, that was up to them. Fun stuff. At least I finally got to that gang meeting going. Lorelei drank her cup of wine with a polite smile despite the raging torrent of emotions coursing through her.

"I didn't think you'd have such good alcohol," Lance complimented, downing his 4th glass with a grin. He had always had a ridiculously high tolerance, courtesy of being in a clan as traditional as the Wataru.

"Pwah, this is good stuff!" Cynthia praised, placing her glass down with a pleased smile.

"I must say you have an exquisite collection of alcohol," Wallace praised. Steven nodded politely.

"While I don't really enjoy it, I will make an exception for you, Lorelei," he said earnestly. Lorelei's smile was a tad more genuine.

"Thank you for your kind words, but surely you aren't all here just to visit a retired woman. Are such congratulations truly necessary?" she asked.

"Of course! Lorelei, please do not downplay your contributions to Indigo," Wallace said confidently, holding her hand with both of his own.

"It will take a lot to fill in your shoes."

"I'm sure they will manage. Indigo will not fall with one person missing; I've made sure of it," Lorelei said confidently.

"I envy your ethic. You've always been so diligent," Steven praised.

"What am I gonna do without her?" Lance lamented. Lorelei waved them off with a slight cough, her body warming at their words.

"Please, I'm no good at handling heaps of praise. Don't let my disposition fool you." She decided to direct the conversation to more important matters.

"I'm aware of why Cynthia is here, but Champion Steven and Gym Leader Wallace... what is the occasion?" she greeted politely. Steven smiled.

"We heard whispers that Kanto was in a dire state. I wouldn't feel right not offering my assistance to Lance because I know he'd do the same for me," he said honestly. Lorelei nodded in agreement.

"I was willing to postpone my retirement to assist Kanto further, but Lance here refused," she admitted. Lance grinned.

"As if I'd keep you from spending real time with your family. You've done more than enough for us, Lorelei... so take a rest, why don't you? You've set up a system that keeps us running already, so we'll manage." She sighed.

"If you insist... It's hard to imagine that the 16-year-old boy who so brazenly asked me on a date would mature into our reliable leader," Lorelei complimented genuinely. Lance spluttered.

"You'll never let that go, will you? I was a hot-headed kid! Of course I'd ask you out," he complained.

"I'm flattered, Lance. You are still too young for me, however," Lorelei said dryly. The Dragon Master rolled his eyes.

"You've been spending too much time around Silver. I don't like that," he said gruffly. Lorelei chuckled.

"He has done tremendous damage to my character, I'll admit."

"You are not the only one!" Wallace chuckled, shooting Steven a peculiar smile. Lorelei watched Steven take a deep breath and resisted the urge to take her own. The moment Steven appeared, she had immediately known that the man had encountered Silver. She cursed herself for retiring early because there was no way she would have allowed Steven and Silver to meet without her being in the vicinity. Time for damage control.

For obvious reasons, Lorelei could not reveal Silver was the thief to Steven Stone because the man would probably stop at nothing to seek justice. He took his duties very seriously, and when the man made a deal, he would ensure it was not broken.

"Champion Steven? I take it you've met my nephew?" Lorelei asked knowingly, a sympathetic expression on her face.

"Please, Lorelei, I cannot have you calling me Champion Steven in the safety of your home. Just thinking of that title makes me exhausted," Steven admonished with a small sigh.

"To answer your question... Yes, we've met, and while I didn't wish to bring this up with you, I now feel it's important." Lorelei carefully gauged everyone's reaction from Wallace's exasperation, to Cynthia's mild annoyance, to Lance's lack of surprise.

"They all know already... but Silver still isn't under fire. Good," she thought. None should ever doubt her love for Silver. Perhaps their family truly was forced to commit a crime or two.

"I suspect that Silver stole his Beldum from my colony," Steven revealed grimly. He carefully watched Lorelei's reaction, expecting some outburst because Silver was practically her son. Lorelei had retired for him... But outrage was not on her face.

"While I won't go into details about how serious an accusation that is, meeting Silver would take a toll on anyone," Lorelei began smoothly.

"Truth be told, I am not aware of many of Silver's captures..." Steven leapt at that.

"So even you do not know?! That gives credence to my suspicions!" he said. Lorelei nodded in agreement.

"It does, but in that same vein... where did Silver get his other pokemon? Did he steal the Sneasel that no one has ever seen before? Or the Feebas that no one would have interest in selling or capturing?" she questioned seriously. Steven frowned. She raised a valid point... Lorelei sighed.

"I understand Silver's personality is difficult. He makes it very easy to blame him for anything negative, and likely even encourages it, but Silver is a kind boy deep down. I think if you take the time to understand his character, you'll learn more about him, Steven," she said earnestly.

"He's lived a difficult childhood, and I am working with him. I do not know if he stole your Beldum, but based on what I've seen, he loves all his pokemon dearly." Steven mulled that over with a frown.

"The Colony and I have a deal with one another. In exchange for their services, I will protect them with the full might of the Stone Family. You can understand that having one stolen under my nose is humiliating at best, and downright shameful at worst. I failed in my obligations," he revealed.

"But now, the matter between Silver and me has grown a little more personal. That Metagross of his has suffered something, but I do not know what... I wish to reach the truth of that answer, and if what I find out is less than desirable, then I do apologize, Lorelei." Lorelei resisted the urge to sigh. Steven was an honest and earnest man, one who would uphold his duties regardless of how he felt. He truly was the worst person alive to make an enemy of...

"I understand, Steven. As a former Elite 4 member, I wholeheartedly agree with your perspective." But Lorelei was a mother now, and that took precedence. Silver stole Beldum, yes... but his intentions were never negative.

"Silver has done Kanto a favor that we cannot properly repay, Steven," Lance said abruptly.

"I don't know if he's the thief or not, but there's more than meets the eye with him. I'm sure you'll find that out sooner or later." Cynthia nodded in agreement.

"I'd recommend getting to know him! You never know how helpful he can be if you ever run into your own trouble. He's a very intelligent boy," she praised. Lorelei shot them a look of surprise.

"They absolutely know he's the thief," she thought to herself, feeling a well of amusement. What a dangerous thing his charisma was. Here was Silver, with two Champions defending him. He truly did underestimate himself.

"I stand firm in my belief of his character. You do not know the effort needed to earn a Milotic's love, Steven... but Cynthia and I do. Silver loves his pokemon with his whole heart," Wallace said encouragingly. Steven looked troubled.

"I will have to be the judge of that myself. Evidently, Silver has left a strong impression on all of you, even Wallace here, but the facts are facts. I have to uphold my duties... but perhaps I have been too harsh." He shook his head.

"Silver and I may never like each other, but I promise you all that I will go about this as unbiased as possible." Lorelei looked relieved. Steven was a Champion. They were unyielding on the best of days, fully believing in themselves, which was why they reached the apex of the world. Just being able to chip at him was a monumental feat.

"You've always been too rigid, friend," Lance chuckled, slapping Steven's back.

"If he did steal the Beldum, but the Beldum seems happy with it, is that truly a crime?" You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Steven twitched.

"Yes! Yes, it is! Regardless of their bond, a crime is a crime! Wallace said the same thing!" Cynthia chuckled deeply.

"Don't you think it's a little deranged to hoard a family of Beldum? Silver's Metagross is so expressive in comparison to yours that if it is from that colony, I think he did him a favor!" Steven took a deep breath.

"I need to retire and hide myself in Meteor Falls where none of you will ever speak to me again," he said flatly. Lorelei smiled politely.

"I think in due time, you'll be drawn into Color's orbit, Steven. Why, they're having a meeting right now." Steven blinked.

"They are? Just how many of them are there?"

"Everyone, this is Domino," I introduced, pointing at the girl standing next to me. There was a nervous smile on her face that vanished as I palmed her blonde hair.

"She's our secretary and has a lot of talents. You probably won't be utilizing her much, but in the future, you'll find out she's necessary," I explained. Domino flushed at my praise, beaming at them all.

"I'm still kind of new to this, but I'm getting the hang of it!" Blue tilted his head.

"Bit young to be a secretary, don't you think?" he questioned. I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, she is... but I can personally vouch for her skill. She's probably the most versatile person in this room. Even I can't match up," I admitted. Janine nodded begrudgingly.

"I agree with him. While not the most adept at battling, all her other talents more than make up for it." Domino's flush deepened. She looked at Janine in surprise before smiling tentatively at her. Our belligerent ninja caught her gaze and glanced away, crossing her arms.

"Besides, I like the idea that she's close in age to us. We're all new to this, which means we get to learn it our own way instead of having someone else handle all of it for us!" Gold jumped in, leaning against his seat with a grin.

"It really shows that we're the new generation, doesn't it?" Crystal smiled. I nodded.

"Domino will be better than anyone we would have hired anyway. It's just long-term vs short-term investment, exactly like us. Better for someone with high potential to grow with our ideals than having their own. We're all a bunch of talented freaks, but we're young. In a few years, we'll be invincible." Blue looked surprised, though it was probably because I included him in the talented statement. Domino grinned confidently.

"I won't let you down! Trust me when I say, I'll make Team Colors the best they can be!" Sapphire cheered.

"I believe you! Let's exchange numbers, Domino! I want to talk about my uniform with you!" Our secretary nodded, pulling out a brand new Pokegear.

"I'll give you all my number! It'll be important for any questions you have to ask." I hummed.

"In the future, you might have assistance. I imagine this is going to be a lot to handle." That was for the far future, though, when we had our footing. For now, we were building ourselves up.

"You guys... have really thought this out," Blue noted with a disturbed expression.

"I didn't expect you all to be capitalizing on your fame. That's really... impressive." I eyed him.

"It's very chaotic around us. Might as well benefit from it, so that's what we're doing." I shrugged helplessly at my admittance. Crystal grinned.

"Now's a good time to tell you all that the three of us are sponsored by Silph Co!" she revealed. Janine's mouth opened in surprise.

"No way! All three of you?!"

"How did you manage that?!" Blue asked in amazement. I smirked.

"Crys and I talked to the president a while back. He agreed to sponsor the three of us properly, so we're gonna start raking in a lot of money. He really wants to cash in on our popularity."

"Apparently plushies are already in production. Naturally, we'll get royalties. He expects our more unique pokemon to sell fast," Crystal smiled.

"We've also got some other stuff cooking up! We're going to be a proper gang who can rely on each other when things get tough," Gold assured. Sapphire's eyes glowed.

"Holy..."

"Crap," Mars muttered, staring appreciatively at us.

"I sometimes forget how scary smart you all are." I smiled.

"You haven't seen anything yet. We've got a lot of ideas cooking that we'd like to get into..." I turned curiously towards Lyra.

"I know you aren't technically a member, Lyra... but when one of my ideas comes to fruition, let's talk. I think you've got potential," I decided. Lyra, who had looked a little put-out, nodded vigorously at my words.

"Whatever you need, Teacher! I'll do my best!" She could be good as an up-and-coming streamer, someone who could show off the progression of their journey. With her personality, I think she'd make a lot of fans, especially considering her status as a rookie. Yeah, that was a good idea... I could make Lyra a star.

"We're also gonna have a base. With Warp Panels! We'll have bases all over the world so we can find each other everywhere!" Gold exclaimed. Sapphire cheered.

"Our first one is gonna be close to Olivine," Crystal explained. Jasmine lit up, a flush appearing immediately.

"You guys didn't tell me that!" I snorted.

"It was supposed to be a surprise... but we wanted to be close to you." The sheen of red practically overtook Jasmine's entire face.

"Will you have one in Kalos?" Yvonne asked quietly.

"We'll have one in as many regions as we can... so yes. We're relying on you to find an ideal location for us," I told her. Her eyes lit up slightly, and she nodded.

"Colors is going to take over the world eventually... we're just setting it up for all of us! Hopefully more people notice their names match our qualifications and they join... but if we like the person enough, we might invite them anyway!" Crystal exclaimed.

"Like Jasmine and Janine, who could just add Purple to her name but refuses to," I muttered.

"Shut up! I refuse!" Janine scowled.

"Our future bases will have advanced training facilities, too. The League has some great ones, but we'll surpass it because we'll surpass them all," I explained. Blue looked distinctly sick.

"Can we get to that training thing?" he asked weakly. Crystal nodded.

"Oh, yes! Actually, Silver and I were discussing something concerning training..." she clapped. Gold immediately groaned.

"Oh fuck off," he exhaled. Mars looked concerned.

"I've learned from experience that Gold is surprisingly the most reasonable between you three. Why does he look so exhausted?" she asked warily." Because those two are perfectionist freaks! Do you understand how stressful it is for me to have to deal with them constantly? I'm the test dummy for all their ridiculous ideas!" Gold shouted in exasperation.

"Pussy," I muttered under my breath. His eye twitched.

"I agree with Gold. Oftentimes, I am also a test dummy with him," Jasmine confessed, a fearful expression on her face. Crystal looked confused.

"What's the matter? It should be fine!" Sapphire beamed.

"I trust her!" Yvonne cocked her head.

"Me too." Gold threw up his hands.

"You guys don't understand. In isolation, they aren't bad... Okay, Silver's bad no matter what, but when you combine Crystal and Silver's efforts, they become scarily competent to the point where I'm starting to think they aren't humans, and I have to suffer for it most of the time," he stressed. He pointed two fingers at us.

"Those two demons-""Demons?!" Crystal spluttered.

"-Will run us into the ground! Mark my words!" Janine smiled.

"It'll be fine, Gold. This sounds fun!" she encouraged.

"I trust you 100%, teacher!" Lyra beamed. Mars immediately groaned.

"Janine's a freak, too. We're so doomed," she sighed. Gold nodded sagely.

"Good luck. I tried my best to impart knowledge to our little juniors, but they want first-hand experience. I won't try again." Our newer recruits looked confused.

"Do I have to join? Can't you say no? Someone has to watch the children," Jasmine wondered despondently. I eyed her.

"I love you, Jas, but don't ask another stupid question. Everyone participates except for the Jrs. They'll do their own thing." Jasmine sighed, glancing down at her white dress.

"I'll go change."

"I... see... what... Gold... meant," Mars wheezed, collapsing onto the floor. Sweat poured down her features, the redhead panting harshly as she tried to catch her breath. Lyra whined, unable to even muster up a sentence to say. She and Sapphire were leaning on one another, using the other as support to gather what little energy they had. Yvonne lay comatose. Blue feared she might have died if not for the steady rise and fall of her chest.

The girl had been the first to collapse from the quite frankly ridiculous workout, and she hadn't moved since.

"What type of maniacs are they?" Blue muttered to himself, wiping the sweat off himself with a rag. He greedily drank from his canteen, offering it up to the rest. Mars snatched it, but Blue couldn't find it in himself to be offended by the action. He turned towards the field, where Silver, Crystal, and Janine seemed to be competing. Those three were neck and neck, running at what might have been just a little below their top speed. Were they serious?! They had been running for ages now.

Worst of all, they seemed to be enjoying it. Blue never expected Crystal to be so athletic... A little further back, Gold, Domino, and Jasmine ran at the same pace as each other, refusing to stoop to the level of freakishness the former three were at. Blue was athletic. It was mandatory to be athletic to be a trainer, and he prided himself on being exceptional at everything. In terms of athleticism, he had topped the class right next to Ash...

Considering the freakish levels of strength his childhood rival exhibited, Blue considered that a mighty feat. But admittedly, he hadn't kept up on his training. He just relied on the benefits of being a trainer to keep his body maintained, and it had done a marvelous job. He was actually more athletic than in his beginning days by virtue of constantly being on the move. Being a trainer was physically demanding. He was glad he never followed through with that stupid idea to buy a car.

When he was 10, he had been hellbent on it... But at 12, he grew out of it. What type of idiot would do that? Definitely not him. Evidently, Colors did not operate on the belief that just traveling would help them. Those freaks were actively still training themselves. Blue didn't even know where his pokemon were. Silver and Crystal had just told them to release them from their balls, and had Metagross and Bronzong whisk them away to their own corner.

"Honing your body is just as important as honing your pokemon's. Plus, you'll gain a closer bond if you show a willingness to train with them," Crystal had said, her sugary words distracting them from the hell she was about to inflict upon them.

"We aren't expecting you to fight pokemon, but I want you to be able to fend for yourselves," Silver added firmly, his sharp gaze forcing them to stand straighter.

"Physical conditioning, basic self-defense... stuff like that! We'd love to be able to protect you, but we won't always be there... and when we aren't, we want you guys to be well equipped," Crystal explained earnestly. Blue thought they were being excessive, but then he thought back to the anarchy of New Island, and suddenly, he didn't have a problem with it. They were the best trainers of the year; he wouldn't complain. He should have complained.

After filling them up with determination, Crystal and Silver had stripped them of all of it by putting them through hell. Gold was onto something. Those two monsters had no clue what the concept of stopping was. They were run through the wringer, and because Silver and Crystal were freakishly athletic, they expected the same from them.

"How the hell is the secretary so athletic?" Blue asked in disbelief. He could handle being outdone by the others, but the secretary? She had been embarrassing him all day! Sure, it was a surprise that Gym Leader Jasmine was so athletic, but it made sense in hindsight. The girl barely looked winded, and they had been going at it for a while...

"Domino is an old friend of Silver," Mars rasped.

"He's always been an athletic freak, so I bet they have the same reason." Of course. Blue already knew the secretary wasn't normal, but at least that explained it.

"I can't feel my legs," Sapphire whined.

"I can't thoughts my feel," Lyra slurred.

"Yvonne, are you alive?" Blue asked warily. He had been caught off guard by her strange eyes initially, but the weird girl was worryingly inactive.

"Mmm..." Yvonne muttered. He accepted the offered canteen from Mars before gently placing it against the girl's mouth, watching as she greedily drank as much as she could. Blue wisely pulled back before she took enough to choke, then repeated the same for Lyra and Sapphire, though at least they weren't completely dead on their feet. The workout had been rough for Gary. He couldn't imagine what these four had gone through.

Their last workout was cardio, and Silver had said, "Run until you can't anymore," before taking off. They were already exhausted from the previous workout, followed up with the hand-to-hand combat that Blue was sure Silver used as an excuse to beat them up. He was only sure of it because the redhead kicked his ass thoroughly. Then again, the others did, too... and Silver had spared him in comparison to the ferocity he attacked Janine and Gold with.

Though judging by their expressions, those 3 might have just wanted to kill each other. For someone who complained so much, Gold sure was capable of keeping up. Next time he was going to train with Jasmine. Her eternal patience was a boon, and she had easily helped the ones with no experience. Blue himself had some experience. When he was younger, he had trained a bit with Gym Leader Chuck during a trip to Johto. As a result, he had lingered around Crystal, Mars, and Domino.

That was when he realized the secretary wasn't normal. She kicked his ass thoroughly while giving him advice all the while. Evidently, he had to get back to a strict regimen to keep up with them. Maybe Chuck would appreciate another visit. Blue idly watched the three little children playing with one another. He had no idea that there were so many candidates of Colors.

Sapphire had been a shock, and Blue hadn't connected that little Yellow from Viridian qualified, but Sun, Moon, and especially Yvonne were even more so. Was this fate? Did Blue showing up here cement his spot in this gang of colors that he matched in every aspect?

"No! You can't join these nutjobs! This is strictly business, Blu- Gary! Gary!" he thought resolutely. He was brought out of his musings by the sight of the ones still running coming to a halt.

"I'm tired," Jasmine exhaled, beads of sweat falling down her features.

"You sure don't look it," Gold said sarcastically, swiping the sweat off his head. Despite his endless complaints, he had diligently done his part, showing that no one was a bigger victim of Crystal and Silver than he was. Blue was fairly sure those two wouldn't let him skimp out on his training. He probably tried once.

"Trainers pick up traits from their pokemon, and it's a lot more obvious from specialists. Seeing as Jasmine's a steel-type trainer, she must have high physicals. She mentioned never getting sick before, too," Silver muttered, stretching his body idly. Blue caught that with interest. Silver knew about that?

"That would explain why she's so deceptively strong and resilient," Janine hummed.

"It's like how Father can resist most poisons, or move the way he does. I myself am slowly reaching that, but I'm still young... and Jasmine is too." Jasmine blushed.

"I do feel like I've been growing quite a bit this year. Maybe actively training so hard speeds up the process?" Blue leaned forward, listening to it all with a fascinated expression. He had no idea they dabbled in this either. It wasn't something he studied often, but leave it to them to learn everything they could about their pokemon and themselves.

"Hearing you guys nerd out after this workout is genuinely making me sick," Gold grunted. Silver rolled his eyes.

"You've both improved a lot. Good to know you've been following the regimen," he praised. Crystal grinned.

"At first I thought you were trying to kill me, but I realized it's actually really fun! Gives me something to really focus on while my team trains." He nodded with a smirk.

"You're damn athletic, Crys. I'm impressed you were keeping up with Janine and me." Janine nodded in agreement.

"You are so fast, by the way. What is in your legs?" she asked in amazement. Crystal blushed, rubbing her hair.

"I've always been pretty fast."

"Hard to run away from her. Once I escaped, and she kicked a ball at my head with perfect aim," Gold added with a scowl. Silver abruptly laughed at that.

"You could probably catch a pokemon with your legs, Crystal." Crystal flushed, rubbing the back of her head.

"Oh c'mon... stop teasing." Blue distantly heard Lyra scoff under her breath, shooting the happy-go-lucky girl a surprised look. There was a frown on her face as she watched Silver and Crystal's interaction.

"Good work. Domino will be sending you all the regimen. You don't have to follow it religiously, but make sure you can at least do 75% of it," Silver instructed. Domino nodded. He should be surprised that she didn't look nearly as exhausted as she should be, but at the thought of the ass-kicking she delivered, Blue banished that thought.

"Actually, I've been observing them all. May I send them their own unique regimens? It's more effective this way, and they have areas they can improve in... and you did throw some of the less athletic ones into the deep end. Poor Yvonne needs something more manageable... and a better diet," she rationalized.

"She's been observing all of us while doing that insane workout?" Blue thought in disbelief. Who the hell was this secretary exactly?! Silver raised a brow, but nodded.

"If you don't mind the extra work, feel free." She nodded eagerly.

"I don't suppose I was one of the ones thrown in the deep end?" Gold tried unsuccessfully, shooting her a confident grin. Domino shook her head.

"You completed every exercise well! You don't need any adjustments." He groaned in defeat.

"Yeah, figured." Silver chuckled.

"Alright, let's all take a break for now," he said, strolling over to the prone Yvonne. He crouched in front of her, tilting his head.

"You know, I did tell you to take it easy," he said. Yvonne's eyes popped open at his voice.

"I... didn't want to let you down." Crystal and Jasmine immediately cooed. Silver looked a little stunned, but snorted.

"Don't overexert yourself just for my sake. I understand your circumstances. You don't even look like you can move."

"I can't. I tried already." He blinked before sighing. Almost effortlessly, he hauled the strangest one there up, getting an uncharacteristic noise of surprise out of her, and placed Yvonne on his back. She floundered slightly before going docile, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Hey," Moon said immediately, staring accusingly at Yvonne.

"That's mine." Silver huffed, immediately reaching down and grabbing the girl.

"You'll have to make do with this for now, Moon," he soothed, tucking her into his side. She crossed her arms, expression as flat as Yvonne's.

"Fine." Yvonne tilted her head.

"What's yours?" she asked.

"Big brother's back," Moon said firmly.

"Ah..." Yvonne pondered that.

"Sorry, I can't move." Silver groaned.

"I need some water," he muttered, marching off. Gold laughed, only for a wheeze to escape him as Sun crashed into him.

"Little me, I'm tired," he complained, hoisting up the boy despite his words.

"Wait till you get old enough to join us properly. You'll understand my pain," he sighed. Sun laughed.

"I'm old enough! I'm turning 7!"

"Enjoy the younger years. Pray your sister doesn't turn into a maniac... but seeing who she looks up to, I'm not holding out much faith," Gold said wistfully, trotting off. Crystal giggled.

"Lyra, can you move?" she asked, concern clear in her voice as she crouched in front of her sister and offered her hand. Lyra scowled.

"I can move just fine. I'm not a baby, Crys!" she huffed, standing up on her own, only to stumble forward. Crystal easily caught her with a frown.

"There's no need to act strong, Lyra. We're all friends here." Blue winced. Judging by Lyra's reaction earlier, that wasn't going to sit well with her.

"Act strong? Ugh, you're the worst! We can't all be perfect like you!" Lyra shrugged her off, stomping away.

"What's her deal?" Mars muttered, helping Sapphire up. Crystal sighed.

"Lyra always gets difficult with me. She'll be fine soon enough," she explained. Mars grunted.

"I'll go talk to her. C'mon, Saph, you look like you're about to faint."

"I am," she squeaked.

"I hear ya. That brother of mine isn't normal," the redhead grumbled.

"No pain... no gain!" Sapphire tried to say optimistically, only to wheeze from the effort.

"Let's go get you some more water," Mars muttered, hauling the girl along. She lagged slightly, but thankfully for her, Silver had long begun forcing her to condition herself. It was just never this bad. She couldn't feel her stomach.

"Weee," Sapphire said deliriously.

"If I'm expected to do this with a sun team, I think I'm going to die," she said honestly. Mars barked in laughter at her abrupt words.

"If you have to exercise under the blazing sun constantly, you might become the scariest of us yet," she said.

"Can I quit?" Sapphire asked suddenly. Mars laughed even louder.

"What was it you said? No pain, no gain?" Blue was wondering if he should quit too; he wasn't even an official member.

"Not bad," I offered, reviewing Yvonne's paper with a bored gaze. Crystal nodded with narrowed eyes.

"You're smarter than you give yourself credit for, Yvonne. You say no one else wants to teach you?" she asked softly. Yvonne shook her head.

"I'm cursed, so they'd rather stay away from me," she replied. Crystal scowled.

"Those jerks! What's wrong with the people in your town?" Yvonne shrugged.

"It's okay... I'm cursed, so I understand," she said quietly. She yelped as I flicked her head.

"Didn't I say stop thinking of it like a curse?" I reprimanded. Her Y's gazed at me with wide eyes, and she rubbed her forehead, nodding slowly.

"Okay... sorry." My blue-haired companion sucked her teeth, a dark look of annoyance on her face.

"Well, to hell with them. If no one wants to help you, we will! Let's exchange numbers. Be sure to shoot me a text whenever something confuses you, okay? I'll make sure you're better than everyone in that uptight town," Crystal practically demanded. Yvonne stared at her with a mildly surprised look before nodding.

"Does this mean we're friends?" she asked hesitantly. Crystal nodded without hesitation, a brilliant grin on her face.

"Of course we are! You're part of our gang, so that's a given." She reached over and ran a hand against Yvonne's messy hair. Yvonne smiled at the unexpected action before shifting her gaze to me. I caught her eye and said, "What?"

"Are we friends now?" she asked. I blinked at that. Was she still on that?

"Didn't you call me your friend to your mom?" I asked boredly. She nodded.

"It was the easiest way to introduce you. I know you don't think we're friends." Crystal shot me a look, but I ignored it.

"Is it really so important that I become your friend?" I asked seriously. Yvonne nodded without hesitation.

"Yes, because without you, I'd still have nothing. I want you to be my first friend," she said earnestly. I mulled it over before sighing in defeat.

"Alright, we can be friends then, Y." Her eyes actually lit up, and she smiled a wider smile than normal.

"Really?"

"Yes, really." Yvonne actually looked happy for once. Her stance loosened, and she let out a small breath.

"Good... good," she repeated to herself. I glanced away.

"Just don't regret it." That was said under my breath; I had no intention of letting Yvonne hear that. Crystal's gaze never left me.

"You got your Klefki?" I asked curiously, turning my gaze away from the Mars, chatting animatedly with Yvonne, whose hair she was currently working on. Next to them, Janine chatted right back, Yvonne listening with a lost expression. Crystal grinned, rubbing the back of her head.

"Yeah, I was in talks with someone these past few days and managed to secure one right before its egg hatched!" I nodded thoughtfully.

"Pachirisu and Klefki... pretty defensive options. Are you going to finish off with another defensive pokemon?" I wondered. She mulled that over.

"I think I want a Claydol. I'm very interested in utilizing one, and I've got ideas for it. While primarily defensive, I can definitely make it work offensively, plus it can learn Gravity," she added. Claydol, huh? I'm surprised that's what she ultimately decided on... but that was a good choice. Field control, defense with the option to play offense, too. I could see Crystal being a monster with it.

"Catch two more, and I'll feel less lonely," I tried. She snorted.

"I wouldn't be opposed to catching more. I'd love a fighting-type... but right now? No thanks. Maybe sometime into my journey I'll catch a new one." I sighed in exhaustion, prompting Gold to chuckle.

"I think I know what I want next... but I'll probably hunt it down," he informed us easily.

"Not gonna tell us what?" I prodded. He shook his head with a smile.

"Nah, I like surprising you guys. Sometimes, I even like to surprise myself. I mean, look at Pibu," he cackled. Pibu in question was running around, carrying Arachne on her head with a cheer. Pachiree was chasing the two, sparks flying between them that caused them to glow brighter.

"Speaking of which. When were you gonna mention your Pachirisu had its recessive ability?" I interrogated Crystal. She flushed.

"It caught me by surprise, too... but I won't complain. Pachiree was a completely unexpected capture, but she was just too cute..." Crystal sighed.

"Fortune truly does favor you guys," I muttered.

"What about you, Saph? Any idea what captures you want next?" Sapphire jumped. She had been listening to our conversation with a fascinated expression, absorbing all that she could from us.

"Um... well, I was thinking of a Vulpix in the future, y'know? Preferably with its recessive ability... but I did some more research and realized I might want a Torkoal more," she admitted. I leaned forward in interest.

"A Torkoal over a Ninetales? Explain your rationale," I tested. Sapphire fidgeted.

"Well... I think my team is going to be plenty offensive once I start capturing them. It won't leave me too much room for a more defensive option, but a Torkoal would be really strong, wouldn't it? It can absorb a lot of damage, has a way to set the sun naturally... field control too. In comparison, Ninetales, while definitely useful, would offer me just another offensive option," she listed off. She continued to fidget under my gaze, but I cracked a smile, leaning over and ruffling her messy brown hair.

"You've been doing your research. I'm proud of you," I said honestly. Sapphire blushed beet red, ducking her head with a shy smile.

"I'm serious about becoming a Sun Team expert! I've been studying all that I can in preparation." I hummed.

"What about a starter? What will you do with that?" She gained a frown of contemplation.

"Maybe I can apply for Professor Elm's test and get a Cyndaquil? Either that, or I ask Dad for a pokemon and become his sponsee."

"Go team Cyndaquil!" Gold cheered.

"I'd prefer Chikorita, honestly... but with Leaf Guard, which is its recessive ability. That or a Chlorophyll Bulbasaur," Sapphire admitted. Leaf Guard would have been pretty perfect for Gaia's current skillset, but once we began implementing Overgrow more, it'd be completely fine. I already knew that she was likely going to Hoenn at the start of her journey, in which she'd probably take Torchic... but she didn't know that yet.

"What would you ask your dad for?" Crystal questioned.

"Something rare that I wouldn't have an easy time catching," Sapphire said shamelessly. A bead of sweat immediately formed on Crystal's face. She shot Gold and me a look of disbelief, only to be met by our smug smiles.

"Atta girl!" Gold cackled.

"You learn fast. Tell you what, when you start your journey, I'll try to help you catch one of those rare ones. What do you want?" I asked. Sapphire's gaze lit up.

"A Capsakid!" I blinked slowly. A Capsa what?

"You've... really been doing your research, huh?" I muttered. She nodded ferociously.

"Scovillain is a dual Grass/Fire type. It has two different fighting styles based on its head, but both excel under the sun! Controlling two of the best types for the sun, but in one pokemon would be ideal. I bet it would become one of my most vital pokemon," she gushed. Holy shit, I turned Sapphire into a freak for Sun Teams. This was hilarious. Scovillain, huh? True to her words, this pokemon was a little like Zweilous, except one head was practically a fire-type, while the other was a grass.

It was very aggressive, but unlike Zweilous, the two heads acted in perfect harmony.

"This... is a really smart choice," I admitted, genuinely impressed by her initiative.

"I'm a little scared that you thought this much about it," Crystal said slowly. Sapphire puffed up.

"It's all I can think about most of the time! I'm so excited... just one more year, and I can start making my team!"

"We really are freaks. Look what we did to poor Saph," Gold said in exasperation. I chuckled before turning to Blue. The Oak was listening to it all with thinly veiled interest, unable to hide the fascination in his eyes.

"What about you, Oak? What's your goal this year?" I mused. He flinched in surprise as the eyes turned towards him.

"Make it to Top 8 this time, ideally," he muttered in discontent. I glanced at his pokemon.

"You have a good team. Just don't have a training partner to push you," I observed.

"Are you planning on evolving that Rhydon of yours?" Blue blinked at my abrupt question.

"Eventually... but Protectors aren't easy to secure even for me. You can't really find 'em anywhere in stores." I nodded in contemplation. Rhydon could naturally evolve into Rhyperior, but that took a long time. The items needed to evolve pokemon like Rhydon or Magmar were jam-packed with enough energy to elicit a forceful evolution. Otherwise, they'd have to accumulate all that energy from their environment. They could go years without evolution, which was why the items were created in the first place.

If the pokemon wasn't ready for the injection of energy, they very much risked permanent harm. There was a reason pokemon who evolved with those items ended up so strong.

"Train up your Rhydon to its limits. Make sure it's ready for evolution, and I'll secure a Protector for you," I informed him. Blue's eyes widened in confusion.

"You're helping... why?" he asked. I raised a brow.

"You're here for training, aren't you? Did you expect us to keep you weaker than us intentionally?" Gold snorted.

"Where's the fun in that? It's way more exciting when you can't tell who's gonna win!" Crystal nodded eagerly.

"The adrenaline... the rush... You can't get that feeling from a one-sided slaughter. The most joy you'll ever get in a battle is when you put everything on the line to win," she agreed.

"Huh... You guys really are freaks," Blue trailed off.

"Well, I've got no one to train with. I travel alone," he muttered.

"Just exchange numbers with us, and if you see that we're in one area for long, come our way," Gold offered easily.

"We're not first years anymore. We can be anywhere in Johto pretty quickly." The brunette glanced at the three of us before sighing in defeat.

"That's a good idea. I could use all the training I could get," he admitted.

"No shame in knowing your limits," I shrugged.

"Don't visit me without a heads-up. I tend to move around... sporadically," I said vaguely.

"Noted," Blue drawled, holding his head in distress. I smirked.

"Just do me a favor: if you ever happen to be in the same area as Mars and Lyra, keep them safe, okay?" He caught my eye before nodding.

"Of course. You'd do the same, wouldn't you?" he asked knowingly.

"Only if I caused the problem," I answered easily.

"Guys, dinner's ready!" Jasmine shouted to us. We all glanced over in unison. Gold and I had helped, but she wanted to finish it up, so we let her; we chose to focus on improving our teams.

"We'll discuss more next time," Crystal assured. Blue nodded slowly.

"Thanks... guys. I appreciate it," he said earnestly. Gold snorted.

"You're not all bad when you get your head out of your ass. You kinda remind me of Silver, but way less volatile," he mused. I raised a brow.

"I mean everything I say to people I don't like," I said boredly.

"Awww, he likes us!" Mars shouted in the distance.

"Gang privilege. As our benevolent leader, Silver is obligated to like all of us," Crystal beamed.

"I'm not the leader," I groused.

"I'm not part of the gang," Blue denied hastily. Gold stared at him in amusement.

"Dude, you're still denying it? I've gotta respect it."

"Maybe it's his way of coping," Crystal muttered.

"Like Silver's refusal to be the leader."

"He definitely likes hanging out with us, though!" Sapphire grinned, poking Blue's cheek with an innocent gleam. Blue groaned.

"Hey, I hear you're just as smart as Oak," I said suddenly, gazing at him.

"We're gonna be using that."

"As smart as Gramps? No way," Blue denied, shaking his head. I snorted.

"We'll still use you. You're smart and a good battler... I like that."

"Maybe he can invent Region-wide Warp Panels for us!" Gold exclaimed. Blue perked up in interest. I smiled.

"I've got someone working on that already... but maybe you'll learn from him. My acquaintance is quite the genius." I could see in his eyes how fascinated he was, and decided maybe I'd have him meet Colress in the future. If Blue was as much of a genius as I expected, he'd be very vital to us.

"Hey, wait, don't just go offering me up for yourselves! I'm not a member of the gang," Blue insisted.

"Let's just let him be in denial for now," Crystal told us.

"You can't escape them. I've left that group chat 38 times," Janine said soullessly. Blue gaped at us.

"Boss Silver!" I glanced at Sapphire in curiosity. She was fidgeting slightly, a nervous smile on her face.

"Boss Silver?" I repeated slowly, very slowly. Her smile immediately wavered. Sapphire rubbed the back of her hair nervously, an awkward laugh escaping her.

"Of course! Well, you're my senior... and one of the founders of our gang, and we all respect and admire you a whole bunch-""What do you want?" I interrupted rudely. My brow was raised slightly, utterly unconvinced by her act and wanting her to get to the point already. Sapphire's jaw dropped at my interruption.

"W-What do I want? Nothing! Why would I want something-" She let out a squeal of distress as I reached out and grabbed her cheek, pinching it easily.

"Word of advice, junior: Gold is the one you want to prop up like that before asking something. I'd rather you just ask me outright. I've never been one to beat around the bush," I informed her, releasing her and patting her on the head. Sapphire rubbed her cheek, shooting me a dirty glare.

"What should I do for Crystal?" she asked suddenly. I snorted, biting back my chuckle.

"Puppy dog eyes. Crystal can't say no if you're adorable enough... and in general, she's too nice." Sapphire was adorable in that she absorbed everything we told her. You could tell that she really was ecstatic to be a member of Colors. She took a deep breath before gazing at me in determination.

"I want to travel with Lyra and Mars!" I blinked. I did see those three talking with each other a lot. Lyra and Sapphire seemed to get along swimmingly, but I didn't expect it to reach this level already.

"Did you discuss this with Mars?" I asked calmly. My twin, while not to my degree, was relatively antisocial, so traveling with two extroverted girls could be overwhelming for her. Sapphire nodded.

"Mars said if I can come, she'll lay down some ground rules. She likes me, but she also likes her peace, and she says Lyra and I might make her head explode..." Well, my twin was brutally honest at the best of times. She was never afraid to speak her mind...

"I won't be annoying, promise! I just think my time could be better utilized traveling and gathering experience through Johto," Sapphire insisted with a serious expression. She was really serious about this. Sapphire was locked in...

"You won't be allowed to own more than one pokemon, you know? You're still not registered as a trainer," I pointed out. I'd carefully ignore that Mars owned two pokemon while not being registered herself. Something, something, redheads born for crime.

"I'd just memorize notable spots for when I do become one. I want to be prepared... and honestly, I'm the top of my class. There are things I can learn, but traveling would be more beneficial, I think," she admitted.

"But you're still in class." Sapphire winced.

"That's why... I came to you. I need you to convince my mom that I can handle taking online courses while I travel," she requested. I exhaled immediately, pinching my nose.

"You want me to convince your parents to let you travel?" I asked slowly. She nodded eagerly.

"You're outta your goddamn mind." Her jaw dropped.

"P-Please! There's no way I can convince them on my own, and you always know the right things to say!" I sighed as she grabbed my coat pleadingly.

"I'll see what I can do, but you're coming with me. Don't expect to fall back on me for everything," I said sternly.

"Of course! I want to be someone that can stand next to you guys, not behind... I just need to reach my stride first," Sapphire mumbled. All she got was a roll of my eyes.

"Yeah, yeah... You're lucky I see how serious you are about this," I grunted, ruffling her hair. Why couldn't she ask Crystal? That would be so much easier... Sapphire's home was modest and located in the middle-class neighborhood of Olivine. Two stories tall, cream-colored plaster walls, a slate-blue roof, shuttered windows. They even had a chimney. It was nice. I raked a hand through my hair, watching as Sapphire nervously unlocked the front door.

"You understand that because you asked me and not Crys, I'm doing things my way, right?" I informed her moments before she opened it. Sapphire went pale.

"U-Um, I'm sure it'll be fine..." she stammered. I rolled my eyes, strolling into her house with a mildly curious gaze.

"Nice place," I complimented. She smiled, loosening slightly on instinct at being in such a familiar place.

"Mom? Dad?!" she shouted.

"What is it, May?!" A woman's voice yelled in the distance.

"I brought a friend over! And I said you can call me Sapphire now!" Sapphire announced.

"A friend?!" Norman questioned.

"Yeah! He and I wanted to talk to you about something!" There was a brief silence.

"HE?!" The woman shouted. At speeds that I found admirable, Sapphire's parents rushed to greet us. Norman was a familiar sight, the man breathing slightly in his haste to get over here, but her mom was a first for me. Sapphire's mother looked remarkably like her. Same brown hair, same fair skin... They had their differences, like the fact that the woman had lavender eyes as opposed to Sapphire's deep ocean blues... but it was easy to see who she inherited her looks from...

"What's this about bringing a friend over? And a boy?!" The mother crossed her arms, staring judgementally at me. I cocked my head, shooting her a wave. Norman sighed in exasperation as he recognized me.

"Caroline, it's not what you think. These are Sapphire's new friends... Gym Leader Jasmine's companions," he reminded. Caroline gasped in horror.

"Oh! Where are my manners! I'm sorry, I had no idea who you were-""Silver!" My brow raised at the unknown voice. I turned towards the source, spotting a bespectacled child with dark teal hair. He was staring at me in clear recognition, eyes wide in disbelief.

"You're Trainer Silver, the runner-up of the Indigo League!" he exclaimed. I eyed him.

"Mhm, that's me." I needed to get used to being recognized. While I wasn't the type to go to heavily populated areas, I should still get used to it. I was only going to get more famous the stronger I got.

"I've already met Norman, so it's nice to meet you for the first time, Mrs. Caroline. I'd call you Maple, but that's the name of someone else I know," I greeted politely. Caroline smiled.

"The pleasure's all mine, Silver! I've heard quite a lot about you! Max here is a big fan of yours!" The kid blushed in indignation.

"F-Fan? No way!" he denied insistently. I cocked my head, but shrugged in disinterest.

"Right... well, anyway. I'm here to talk about Sapphire-""I was a fan, but after that final... ugh! How could you lose?" I paused abruptly.

"Max... shut up!" Sapphire hissed nervously. Max continued heedlessly.

"I mean, Green cheated against you, and you didn't even bat an eye! Friends or not, why would you defend her?!" he asked angrily.

"Max!" Caroline shouted, appalled by his words.

"That is no way to speak to-""Max, huh? You're Saph's little brother?" I mused, staring coolly at him. He didn't look older than 8, but I was bad at guessing people's ages.

"I really hate when a person who has no clue what they're talking about speaks as if they do. You can be as mad as you want about it, but don't ever question me again, got it? Green's my business, not yours, and if you don't know our story, you have no leg to stand on." I said it evenly and politely, no inflection in my tone as I stared the kid down. He shivered slightly, inching behind his dad, who gauged me with an unreadable look.

"You seem like a smart kid, so don't do that again. Ignorance is a dangerous thing," I warned. The League didn't matter to me when, just before we had nearly all died to Mewtwo. Green's "cheating" didn't affect me when she was holding my corpse earlier. I had pulled out everything in my disposal to defeat Mewtwo. Why the fuck would I care that someone did the same to me? We all had reasons for what we did, and refusing to acknowledge another person's perspective just made you seem stubbornly stupid for no reason.

Sapphire looked horrified. She turned to me and bowed at a perfect 90-degree angle.

"I-I'm sorry about him. Max means well; he's just not the most social around, and he was really frustrated by the finals," she stammered.

"Don't make excuses for other people, Saph," I drawled, forcing her to stand upright again.

"He's absolutely correct. Max, apologize," Caroline said firmly, crossing her arms. Max spluttered with wide eyes.

"B-But-""Max," Norman said sternly.

"There are better ways to express your grievances. You aren't the one who experienced that loss. Silver is. You were rude." Max ducked his head.

"Sorry, Silver. I just wanted you to win... You were the smartest person at the League," he mumbled. I stared at him, noticing a tear hit the floor.

"To be honest, the League was just a way to test my strength," I said conversationally, making his head shoot up in surprise.

"All I really care about is getting stronger, while having fun with my friends, so getting upset because someone had a trump card that made them stronger only makes me look like an even bigger loser."

"Secret weapons, trump cards, hidden strategies... That's just the name of the game. Why should I care so much that someone has their own? I also have my own strategies and secrets that others don't know about..."

"Do you think Lance would get upset if a trainer brought a team of ice-types specifically to combat him?" I wondered. Max shook his head.

"He'd just win!" he said adamantly. I nodded in agreement.

"Exactly. If someone does the same to me, the goal remains the same. I need to win no matter what cards are dealt against me." I waved him off.

"If you ever wanna be a trainer, you'll face a lot of things that make you realize how unfair the world can be. If you ever face me, that's all you'll be thinking of. But if all you do is whine about it, you'll never improve. Instead of thinking, "Man, Green is such a cheater for having a clear advantage over me," I'm going to make sure even with that advantage it doesn't matter." My eyes flashed with a firm resolve.

"The road to being the strongest isn't supposed to be easy. There's supposed to be obstructions, roadblocks, all types of things that want to slow you down... but you still need to plow right through them. You'd do best to remember that. I've got plenty of time to grow... This was only my rookie year after all." Sapphire's eyes glowed.

"So... cool," she gaped. Similarly, Max was gaping at me as well.

"I... right. Right! Sorry again, Silver! I'll keep that in mind!" he exclaimed. I stared at him, cocking my head.

"Now that that's settled, I'm not here to talk about myself. Norman, Caroline... Sapphire wants to travel with my twin sister and my companion's little sister, who's going to be starting their journey soon. Since she wants to be a trainer, I think it'll be a vital experience for her."

"WHAT?!" Max shouted.

"Traveling early?" Norman crossed his arms thoughtfully. Caroline didn't look as convinced.

"Sapphire? Is this true?" she asked. Sapphire looked surprised, but nodded hastily.

"Yes! I won't neglect my last year of studies. I can do online classes while I travel with them. Lyra is Professor Elm's top prospect this year, as well!"

"You've really thought this out," Caroline muttered in surprise. I didn't miss the proud glint that entered her eyes, but she remained firm... likely not wanting to give in so easily.

"Of course! Ever since meeting Colors... I finally feel like I have a set direction that I want to follow. I'm gonna be a trainer, and traveling with two rookies will help me prepare for when it's my time to start my journey! It's better if I know what I'm getting myself into, right? I'll be able to avoid danger!" I had a small smile on my face. Saph probably could have handled this on her own. She had a good head on her shoulders.

"They're both rookies?" Norman asked in surprise.

"If you're worried about their safety, you shouldn't be," I interjected.

"Crys, Gold, and I are all traveling through Johto this year, and I obviously won't leave my twin unattended." Norman eased at that.

"If this is what she wants, I think we should accept," he said. Caroline quirked a brow.

"Colors... I admit, I haven't watched too many of your battles, but you all seem to know what you're doing."

"Soon enough, we'll be known outside of battles," I said confidently. Saph's mom peered at me.

"Are you the reason my little gem is using her name now?" she asked softly. I leaned against a wall.

"A group of kids with names that match their eye colors. It wasn't our intention, but if Saph can find enough kinship with us to want to use her real name... who am I to deny her? She's one of us now, so you can believe she's in good hands," I said honestly. Sapphire sniffed, pulling me into a tight hug.

"I won't let you guys down. Even out of battles, I'll become great. I'll become someone the world can recognize as a core member of Colors!" she said confidently. I patted her head.

"I believe you. You've got that same insane gleam in your eyes that we do." Caroline sighed with a small smile.

"My daughter is totally enamored with Colors. I feel like I should be a little worried about how easily you all swayed her, but instead I feel happy for her. Oh, alright, we'll sign you up for those courses, but make sure you maintain your good grades, young lady!" Norman nodded.

"Any sign that journeying is negatively impacting your classes, and we'll bring you back," he said sternly. Sapphire's grin split her face, and she jumped happily.

"Yes! I won't let you down! I've gotta go tell Lyra the news," she gushed, dashing off. I bowed politely.

"I'm glad you guys agreed." Norman chuckled.

"Trainers all share one thing in common with each other, and it's how unnaturally stubborn they are in their beliefs. Denying Sapphire here without a good reason would only make her resent us. She's found her calling, and no one can change her mind... So it's up to us to guide her." I nodded in approval.

"You're a good dad, Norman. I'm sure you'll find that Gym Leader Position by the end of the year," I said cryptically. Norman blinked in surprise.

"You think so? Johto's positions seem very secure." I hummed.

"Expand your horizon. Johto isn't the only region." Caroline smiled.

"You know, I heard quite a few things about you, none really positive. You're far more polite than I expected," she admitted.

"Next time you see me, I won't be nearly as nice. Lorelei just asked me to be cordial on my first meeting. I can do that much," I drawled. She giggled before freezing.

"Wait a moment. Lorelei? Elite 4 Lorelei?" she asked slowly. I nodded.

"She's my aunt."...

"WHAT?!"

"You've been quiet," I said, taking a seat next to Yellow. Yellow fiddled with her tunic.

"Big brother Silver... I miss Green," she confessed quietly.

"I-I know she wants to be alone for a bit, but..." I patted her hair understandingly.

"I get it. You're a sweet kid, Yellow... but it's alright to be a little selfish," I informed her.

"Green will be back before you know it, but she'd feel even worse knowing how she made you feel, so can you be strong?" Yellow listened to my patient voice, nodding strongly.

"I can be strong, big brother!" I smiled at her.

"I'm not supposed to do this... but I'm sure Maple will understand. Is there a pokemon you want by chance? We can look for it together later." Yellow had no interest in being a trainer, so I didn't mind giving her an extra pokemon. She probably wouldn't catch it herself. She mulled the question over.

"I-I want the um little pink pokemon." For a second, I felt horrified that Yellow was telling me she wanted Mew of all things, but thankfully she added, "With the egg! They're so helpful, I like them." I sighed in relief.

"A Happiny? I can do that," I muttered. Yellow beamed at me.

"Thank you, big brother. When Green comes back, I'll tell her everything I did!" She squealed as I ruffled her hair, glaring at me with all the fury of a chipmunk.

"You do that. When she comes back, I'm sure she'll appreciate it, but for now, mingle with your other friends. Sun is worried for you," I told her. Yellow jumped at that, nodding hastily.

"Okay! I'll go have fun!" she said. With that, the blonde dashed off. I watched her go with a shake of my head.

"I have to do everything around here," I groused, slowly pushing myself up.

"Tiring?" Blue asked curiously, staring at me with a conflicted expression.

"Why do you think I complain so much?" I retorted to him, leaning against a wall. He snorted.

"You're weird, but I guess I can see why. You give good advice." I eyed him.

"You seem to be having fun. I suppose we'll see you at more of these, Blue." Blue spluttered.

"Gary! My name is Gary! I'd even prefer you calling me Oak!" he demanded, marching off. I watched him go with an amused expression.

"He makes it way too easy." I took a deep breath, rubbing underneath Ares' chin. She rumbled in contentment, pleased by the long flight to Pallet Town. I had just dropped off the juniors back at their respective homes, promising Moon I'd visit her more in the process before making my way back to Olivine.

"I'll smell ya guys later," Blue announced, rubbing his Pidgeot while nodding at us.

"Feel free to visit again!" Jasmine beamed, waving at Blue. The Oak shot her a tentative smile.

"Thanks for the food. It was delicious," he admitted. She immediately flushed.

"It was nothing; I'm glad you were able to enjoy!" Crystal waved at him.

"Have a good night, Blue! We'll add you to the group chat later!" Blue immediately froze in horror.

"What?! Don't do that! I don't want to be in any group chat with you maniacs!"

"And don't say anything else to me! Pidgeot!" Before he could be properly harassed, his Pidgeot took off through the sky. The last thing I heard was its trill of amusement.

"Messing with him is kind of fun," Crystal admitted, a small smile adorning her face.

"Way too fun," Gold chuckled, yawning slightly.

"I'm beat. Gonna call it a night." Crystal beamed.

"Our first meeting... this was so fun! Soon, we'll have our own base with all types of gadgets and equipment. It'll feel so official!" she gushed.

"We'll have to schedule another one. It'll probably be after our next journey begins... but it should be fine." I thought it over before nodding.

"A base? Gadgets? Equipment? That all sounds... really fun," Mars admitted.

"Of course you'd think that, Evil Twin," I muttered. Her eye immediately twitched.

"You're way more evil than me, bastard," she snarled. Domino looked utterly pleased.

"I've got a good idea of what's necessary for building a team, so if you need me for anything, let me know!" I had to admit. Hiring Domino as our secretary had been nothing but a boon. She was really good at what she did. It was no wonder Giovanni valued her so much, to the point where he'd have made her my #2.

"Domino, you can stay with me for the time being. We have things to discuss, and you're familiar with my home," Janine said bluntly. Domino yelped at that before nodding hesitantly.

"Right! Thank you for having me!" I snorted.

"Perks of being a ninja princess. You got your own place basically." Janine twitched harshly.

"I'm only doing this because I know you didn't have a place for her to stay!" she sneered. I smirked insufferably at her.

"I was gonna let her stay with Solari... Also, just add the purple to your name already. Purple hair, purple eyes... It can be your codename." Much to my amusement, Janine's expression immediately turned contemplative before she shook her head violently.

"Shut up with that damn silver tongue of yours! Domino, let's go!" she barked. Domino jumped and rushed to her side.

"I'll see you all later!" she waved. The two strolled off, speaking in hushed whispers even as Janine summoned her Crobat.

"What's my codename?" Sapphire asked sleepily.

"Our eyes are our codename. You're Saph to us, and May to others... but your codename is Sapphire," I said easily.

"Cool," she slurred. Jasmine smiled softly.

"Let me bring you home, Sapphire," she mumbled, reaching down and grabbing the girl. She effortlessly hoisted her up, prompting Gold and me to whistle. She instantly flushed, turning towards us and whining.

"Stop that, you two. Ever since you realized how physically fit I am, I feel like you've been harassing me way more... that's mostly for Gold, though," she muttered.

"A cutie who can kick ass. Hard not to comment on it," Gold pointed out, causing her flush to deepen.

"I want you to start hurting people who give you a reason to," I said seriously. The drastic difference in our reasoning caused Jasmine to shut down. She just mechanically carried Sapphire away, who waved tiredly at us.

"Bye bye," she yawned. Gold cackled freely.

"I'm heading off, too!" he announced, easily clambering atop Wartaro.

"Wait, Gold, we're both going to Newbark, and I want someone to talk to," Crystal demanded. She turned on a dime, hoisting up the unconscious Lyra with a small sigh. Lyra sleepily latched onto her, causing the older of the sisters to smile.

"We'll see you guys later," Crystal waved, carefully placing Lyra on Airee and securing her. She followed suit, keeping a protective hold on her sister.

"Byeee," Lyra said sleepily, snuggling deeper into her. I watched them fly off with a hum.

"And then there were three," Mars sighed, standing next to the silent Yvonne. While remaining the same length, Mars had tidied up Yvonne's long hair quite a bit, turning her from a jungle creature to a proper citizen.

"You need to drop Yvonne back off in Kalos, yeah? I think I'm just gonna wait here," Mars decided, leaning back easily with a hum.

"You could just come with me, and then we go straight to Lorelei," I pointed out.

"Nah. Payback for nearly killing me with that workout. I'm exhausted." I hated my twin so much.

"C'mon, Yvonne." I beckoned her over with a roll of my eyes. She obediently walked up to me, eventually stopping at my side.

"See ya, Yvonne. Don't be a stranger and shoot me texts, yeah?" Mars yawned. Yvonne nodded.

"Thank you, Mars... I really like what you did with my hair," she said earnestly.

"No worries, you robot. Anything for a member of the gang," my twin smiled. Yvonne smiled back before turning towards me.

"I'll be right back. Be careful," I said. Mars rolled her eyes.

"You sound like Aunt sometimes. What the hell's gonna happen to me? Death by sea salt air?" I flipped her off; she returned the favor. Annoying brat.

"Annoying brat," Mars grumbled, echoing my thoughts. We glared at each other one last time before I grabbed Yvonne and vanished.

"You're nicer to me around them." I turned towards Yvonne.

"Is that so?" She nodded.

"You're almost like a different person." I glanced into the sky at that.

"Hm, yeah... I guess you could say that. Being around them lightens the weight on my shoulders," I said honestly.

"I see..." Yvonne muttered.

"Did you have fun today?" I asked eventually. She nodded.

"I did. It's the most fun I've ever had... I never expected to have so many friends now," Yvonne admitted, grabbing her Pokegear that was now filled with plenty of new contacts.

"Good. You're a member of Colors now, and they love you, so don't be afraid to talk to them, okay?" Yvonne stared at me.

"I didn't expect you to be so popular," she admitted.

"Every time I looked your way, you were talking to someone. They really like you, don't they?" I scratched my head.

"For reasons I'll never know, yeah," I sighed. She stayed silent.

"I like you, too... so I can see why. I was a little sad I didn't get to spend more time with you."

"Then be more assertive," I said coolly.

"You can't expect things to go your way by being a bystander. If you want something, fight for it. That's what I do." Yvonne hummed, nodding at my words. Suddenly, she closed the distance and pulled me into a tight hug.

"I wanted to try this since I saw you getting hugged so much earlier," she murmured, burying her head into my neck. I stared at her with a stunned expression before sighing softly.

"This is why you were so deep in thought?" I asked, wrapping a single arm around her and returning the hug.

"Mhm. This is nice. I'm going to hug you more from now on," she said bluntly. I exhaled.

"What a selfish girl you are." There was no real bite in my tone, and I just allowed our strangest member to embrace me. I suddenly paused at the slight tremors.

"Thank you... for meeting me, Silver. I know you didn't mean to, but I'm happy," Yvonne said, voice wavering slightly. My gaze softened ever so slightly.

"No problem, Y. No one deserves the cards you were dealt, so I'm just making sure life is a tad fairer to you."

"Is... Is Y my codename, then?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah, unless you don't like it." She shook her head rapidly.

"No, I like it. Y... Yeah, it's cool." I patted her.

"Good. Your eyes have been a sign of struggle, but from here on out, they'll be something you can be a little proud of." Yvonne released me, smiling at me.

"I'll see you later, Silver. Visit me when you can." I grunted.

"Crystal adores you, so we'll probably drop by sometime." Yvonne's smile widened. It was easy to spot that she had latched onto Crystal. Good. Crystal was a great influence on Yvonne, the best in our gang. It was good that they became friendly.

"My birthday is April 4th," Yvonne said suddenly. I blinked.

"Yeah, I know. You told me already. Crystal's birthday is the 30th, by the way."

"I want to do something when that day comes. You said you'd do something for Moon, right?" Yvonne requested. Not waiting for a response, as if my answer was already yes, she turned on a dime and entered her home. I watched her go and pinched my nose. At this rate, I was going to have to celebrate a lot of birthdays. At the very least, Crystal and Yvonne's birthdays were in the same month. I slipped backwards, vanishing as quickly as I had arrived.

"C'mon, Mars. Let's go..." I trailed off, watching my twin doze away. I sighed in exasperation, crouching down and hoisting her up.

"Don't say I don't do anything for you," I warned. Without much thought, I secured her against my back, tucking my arms under her leg even as she looped her arms around my neck.

"Shuddup... You're the reason I'm this tired," she groused, tucking her head into my hair. I chuckled.

"What are you gonna do without me on your journey?"

"Have peaceful sleep without a demonic Zoroark waking me up."

"Fair play... but it wakes you up."

"I hate that you think this is a good thing."

"You're actually leaving?" I said in surprise. Cynthia nodded with a small smile.

"I may drop by and visit, but I'm satisfied with this trip." There was a distinctly impressed look on my face.

"I know your idea of a visit is way more than I'm comfortable with, but this is a good first step."

"You shouldn't treat me like some rabid beast, you know. That's offensive," Cynthia reprimanded.

"If it walks like a duck, and talks like a duck, it's probably a duck." Cynthia smiled in amusement.

"I had fun, Silver. Thank you for accommodating me," she said earnestly. I inclined my head.

"You weren't all bad, Ms. Sinnoh. If you visit me too much, I'll hurt you." She laughed freely.

"I don't doubt it! I may visit you when you're close to the Ruins of Alph!"

"I'll avoid it just for you," I drawled. With a wave, she climbed onto her Garchomp. The dragon grunted at me, eyeing the ball that Ares was in before shooting off. All things considered. That wasn't bad. While a little excited, Cynthia's curse didn't seem all that awful. Was it something that would grow worse over time? Probably. For now, though, it was good enough.

"I take it you'll be staying a little longer?" I asked Wallace. Wallace nodded cheerfully.

"We're set on helping Kanto as much as we can, so we'll remain here for a little while more," he explained. I nodded. Wallace was easily one of the weirdest people I met. My bad manners didn't affect him whatsoever, and he insisted that we were great friends despite Steven's obvious dislike of me. Well, whatever. The water master didn't have an obvious issue with me, so I wasn't inclined to make one...

"You know, I did tell Steven he was being utterly ridiculous," Wallace said suddenly. I raised a brow.

"Oh yeah?" The gym leader nodded cheerfully.

"I admit, your array of pokemon is more than suspicious, but to me, you can't be some horrible criminal because of the bond you have with dear Freyja." Wallace placed a hand against his chest.

"The way you two look at one another, the battles you partake in, the absolute trust to believe in her capabilities while she believes in your calls... I know what is necessary to break a Feebas out of their shell, and you have passed with flying colors." I stared at him.

"I've been through thick and thin with Freyja. One thing that should never be doubted is the bond I've built with my team," I said honestly. Wallace nodded enthusiastically.

"Of course! The fact that you didn't reveal the method to evolve Milotic is more than proof enough for me. You believe everyone else should fight to earn their loyalty as well." I felt a little bad. I was certainly the thief, but Wallace seemed to think otherwise, solely because of my bond with Freyja.

"I take it Steven has suspected me for a long time?"

"Since near the beginning of this year! I'm amazed how set he is. I've yet to see him suspect anyone else. He can't even wrap his head around your reasoning, but he refuses to give up," Wallace complained.

"Why, I even told him that if you were the thief, perhaps you had done so because he's hoarding them and that's a far simpler solution to acquire one!" I blinked harshly at Wallace's joking tone. That... was the exact reason why. I guess a reason like that wouldn't sit well with Steven, huh? He was a tactical man through and through, so my illogical actions must have thrown him for a loop.

"That is pretty funny," I admitted. Wallace smiled.

"I say all this to once again apologize for his actions. It's not easy to be under the scrutiny of someone of Steven's status. He is stubborn in his beliefs, and for good reason. It's rare for me to see him make an incorrect decision, but bear with it a little longer. I'm sure in due time, he will see what Cynthia, Lance, and I see," he encouraged. I snorted.

"I'm already a controversial figure, so this is nothing new to me. I live the life I want to live, and if someone has an issue with that, they can kindly fuck off. Steven's status doesn't mean anything to me... and at worst, it might be an inconvenience when I inevitably travel through Hoenn." Wallace clapped happily.

"Bravo! Brilliantly said. Don't worry, it may not seem like it... but I'm rather good at swaying Steven. I'm sure I can prevent him from doing something reckless regarding you." I smiled.

"You're not all bad, Wallace." Wallace laughed.

"Of course. From one Milotic owner to another, it's our duty to look out for each other. Steven's insistent interventions could possibly lead to separation between you two... and such a thing may as well be fatal to poor Freyja." My expression turned frosty.

"Sorry to say, but I'd make an entire enemy of Hoenn if that happened." Wallace smiled sadly.

"That is what I fear. There are many things you can glean from a person who owns a Milotic... and having the resolve to battle the world for them is not something that surprises me. I'm the same way after all, but something tells me you're far more vengeful." I snorted.

"You're smarter than you look." Wallace chuckled.

"Perhaps we will see one another again before departing back to Hoenn! Either way, we still have our scheduled tea parties, if not." I shook my head.

"You're really hellbent on that, huh?"

"Of course! Poor Freyja has adopted your antisocial tendencies, but she could do with some friends of her species!" he insisted. I shut my eyes.

"Sure, whatever."

"Wonderful! You know this means we must exchange contacts, yes?" Wallace gushed. I sighed.

"Whatever."

"Freyja's beauty is lustrous. Despite not participating in contests, she's rather well kept. I imagine you spoil her endlessly?" Wallace teased. I looked distinctly tired.

"I spoil all of them..." Wallace clapped before a coy smile appeared on his face.

"Have you ever considered participating in contests?"

"Not a chance in hell." He gaped at me.

"What?! Contests are a marvelous way to stretch your creativity!"

"None of my pokemon are meant to participate in contests," I explained easily.

"You don't know if you don't try!" I snorted.

"I know. They're my soldiers, after all. Your best bet would be Gaia, but she'd get bored or banned after the battling section." Wallace mulled that over.

"You are stunningly correct. Well, what of Freyja?" I laughed loudly.

"Freyja is the most likely to say no of all my pokemon. She doesn't like the idea of performing for other people. They didn't pay attention to her when she was a Feebas, so why should she feel the need to seek their validation as a Milotic? All she cares about is impressing me, and I'm always impressed by her." Wallace shook his head in exasperation.

"Like trainer, like pokemon. One day, while traveling through Hoenn, I'll have you do a contest. I can even introduce you to my niece! She's a star in her own right. I can see her overtaking even me in popularity soon enough. I believe I heard her talking about Colors as well!" This guy was ridiculous. I just told him I wouldn't do a contest, and he says he'll put me in one regardless? Wallace was absurd.

"Actually, though she doesn't qualify, having her be affiliated with your group would be wonderful! She could use some friends. Her name is Lisia, she's around the same age as you all, and did I mention she's a contest star? Of course I did! My older sister never ceases to complain that she followed too much in my footsteps," Wallace sighed. Utterly absurd.

"When we have our tea party, I'll introduce you! It's a fantastic way to build connections between the two of you! Ah, I can see it already!" Completely, utterly absurd. I pushed open the door to Mars' room, expecting to see my twin unconscious on her bed. Naturally, as her amazing brother, I was going to make sure she was awake. If Loki was walking with me... that meant nothing. Nothing at all. Much to my disappointment, Mars was actually awake for once.

She glanced up at me, eyes half-lidded to signify she was still tired.

"Nice try, bastard," she mumbled, yawning slightly. Next to her, her Sneasel diligently folded up one of her shirts, placing it in her fancy red bag. Glameow lounged lazily on the bed, mewling in contentment.

"You're actually awake... huh," I muttered, leaning against the wall. Loki looked distinctly disappointed, prompting Mars to glare at him.

"Whaddya want?" she groused. I rolled my eyes. She was such a grump.

"We have to be to Newbark later today, so Aunt wanted to talk to the two of us." Mars grunted. She pushed herself up with a nod, making her way over with a sluggish pace.

"Your hair's actually growing longer," I noted.

"I'm experimenting a bit. I don't want it too long, but I want to try something a little new," she admitted. I raked a hand through the mess of red hair, taking the time to gauge my sister's appearance.

"Why are you looking at me like I'm about to disappear?" she questioned, leaning into my touch with a contented sigh.

"I've kinda just gotten used to seeing you. I can't believe you're starting your journey today," I muttered. Mars scoffed.

"You can visit me whenever you want. I'm the rookie here."

"Yeah, but I'll still miss you." Red dusted her cheek.

"Don't be such a dork. You sound like Aunt, you know?" she complained. I snorted.

"Don't be so cruel to your brother. A lot of people have a problem with me, so if anything happens, let me know immediately, okay?" I asked. Mars noted the serious look in my eyes and nodded softly.

"Of course. I'm not strong yet, but I'll get there."

"And until then, I'll shield you without being overbearing," I assured, pulling her into a hug.

"Thanks, little bro," she mumbled, returning the hug easily. A long time ago, I questioned Lorelei's attachment to me in Celadon. To me, it felt like she didn't know me long enough to warrant the effort she was putting into me, and she responded that love was not a transaction that cost time. I think I finally got what she meant. As far as I was concerned, Mars was my twin, and I loved her dearly.

Having a version of myself, one who hadn't yet been corrupted by the whispers of a gang of villains, was something I appreciated. I'd do my best to keep her this way. I already failed with Green, but I'd eliminate any problem before they even got to her. If anyone dared to interfere with Mars, I'd make good on my vow of no killing and show them there were far worse things than dying. Just ask Petrel. I'm sure his never-ending nightmare was lovely.

"Did you get a little taller?" Mars asked randomly. I snorted.

"I hope so." It was only a matter of time before I got hit with the sledgehammer known as puberty... and it occurred to me that I was now in a gang full of people that'd probably be getting hit with it around the same time. That detail alone might make Johto explosive. Dealing with Gold while going through the agony of puberty sounded like hell. Lorelei smiled at the two of us; I didn't miss the misty sheen in her eyes.

"It's hard to imagine Silver will be starting his second journey, while Mars her first," she began, pulling the two of us into a tender hug. We returned it easily, letting our emotional aunt hug us.

"Hey, don't worry, Aunt, we aren't going far," Mars reassured. I nodded in agreement.

"You're retired now, so you can do whatever you want. Whether that be hanging out with the other moms now, or dropping by to visit."

"I'm aware... but I've gotten used to seeing you," she confessed. Mars snorted.

"Silver said the same thing. You two get more and more similar as the days go by," she chuckled.

"Says you." I rolled my eyes. Lorelei chuckled softly.

"I've called you two here to discuss important things. As you both are aware, I'm now your sponsor, so I've created the official paperwork for you." Mars and I nodded curiously, watching as our Aunt pulled said papers out. She read them over once, a satisfied smile on her face, before handing one over to each of us. She then gave me a pen, which I grabbed. Lorelei's smile abruptly vanished as I signed the paper without even looking it over. Her mouth opened in shock as I handed Mars the pen, and she followed suit.

"W-What are you two doing?!" she asked urgently. We blinked at her.

"Signing the papers."

"You did not even read it over!" she exclaimed.

"Have a little more doubt and paranoia! Have I taught you two nothing?!" Mars cocked her head.

"What's there to doubt when it comes to you?" she asked slowly.

"In the first place, I have you read over some paperwork I get," I replied honestly. Her cheeks dusted.

"Well... this isn't what I expected. I'm truly flattered, but I expected you to read a few words. Could you two please read it over?" she asked in embarrassment. I shrugged.

"I trust you, Aunt. But if you insist..." My eyes roved over the paper, my blank expression shifting more and more until my eyes widened in disbelief. Mars looked at the paper dumbly.

"Hey, Aunt... these look like-""Adoption papers," I finished, gaze shooting up to meet her. Lorelei glanced away with an uncharacteristically shy expression. It was dangerously cute.

"Well, the easiest and most efficient way to qualify as a trainer's sponsor is to be their legal guardian, and technically speaking, I am not officially either of your guardians," she explained.

"You want to adopt us?" Mars asked quietly. Lorelei nodded strongly, a sincere expression on her face.

"From the moment I met both of you. Once I realized that Silver's parents were not present, and neither were yours... I contemplated it for a long while for Silver, so adding you into the mix was simple and only reinforced my initial belief." She flushed.

"I was expecting you guys to read it over before signing anything because, of course, this is ultimately your decision, but well... you two have already signed the papers. Not to worry, I'll print up a new set-""Aunt," I interrupted, staring at her.

"You don't gotta print anything else. In the first place, I already view you as my mom. This is just making it official, right?" Lorelei looked stunned, nodding slowly at my question.

"I never thought I'd be adopted," Mars admitted, rubbing her red hair with a flush.

"I was a bit of a problem in the orphanage before Cyrus took me away."

"So you two accept?" she questioned quietly.

"I'm amazed you thought we were gonna deny it," Mars cackled.

"I'm amused that your plan failed," I snorted. Her flush deepened, but we were unable to see it as she dragged us into a close hug.

"I don't know what it is about our family that seems to burden us with trouble, but I do know I've never been more glad to meet you two. Thank you," she said earnestly. My eyes softened.

"I should be thanking you." Mars sniffed slightly.

"I never thought I'd have actual family. A brother and a mom... I'm glad you guys took me in." Lorelei sniffed, too.

"Alright, today is an important day, and I don't want anyone to question why you were crying," she coughed, pulling back.

"I have one more gift..." Mars watched with wide eyes as Lorelei handed her a Pokeball.

"As a rookie, it's your sponsor's job to give you a starter pokemon... and you may consider this a belated birthday gift," Lorelei said proudly. Mars accepted the ball with a stunned expression before smiling wryly.

"You know, it's really ridiculous that you two won't even let me catch my own members," she sighed. Lorelei blushed.

"I know... but if it makes you feel better, I began my journey with three pokemon, much like you!" My twin rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"Let me catch the rest of my team, please. That applies to both of you," she stressed. I held up my hands.

"I won't interfere at all. If you didn't realize, I was also given a pokemon by someone without my knowledge." Lorelei didn't even have the decency to look embarrassed when I called her out. No, she just looked entirely smug, seemingly justifying the insanity of her actions to herself.

"Wait, no fighting. Let's see who my starter is first," Mars interrupted, releasing her pokemon promptly. A small black pokemon materialized. It had an ovoid body wrapped tightly in fur that looked like a yellow cloak, giving the impression the pokemon was cold. Small blue eyes blinked rapidly, staring at Mars. Its wide teeth chattered slightly, despite there being a 0% chance the pokemon was cold.

"Mars, meet Snorunt," Lorelei introduced with a small smile.

"She's not as young as Beira, so she's well equipped for battle, and she wields her recessive ability, Moody." My brow raised at that. Moody was a peculiar ability that constantly allocated changes to your body, shifting strengths and weaknesses elsewhere. It was... bizarre, and honestly a little difficult to work with, especially if you weren't good at spotting the changes. One second your pokemon could be as fast as an Electrode; the next it could have the defenses of an Avalugg.

But then it could be as slow as a Shuckle, while having the defenses of a Chansey. That wasn't to mention the shift in psyche. It was a gamble, really. I'm surprised Lorelei gave this to Mars, especially considering even if Snorunt evolved into Froslass, she'd still have traces of Moody.

"I know what you're thinking, Silver," Lorelei interjected.

"Moody is a tricky ability to navigate... but, if properly utilized, it will be a boon like no other. I trust that Mars, as a member of Colors, wields the insanity to push herself and Snorunt here to new heights." Ah. I see now. A smirk appeared on my face at the insanity displayed by my aunt.

"She's basically challenging you, Mars. Every member of Colors is pushing their pokemon to heights not seen before, so Lorelei is giving you the avenue to do the same with Snorunt," I explained. Snorunt shivered, eyes looking worried as Mars gained a gleam in her eyes.

"First day and you're already challenging me, Aunt?" Mars questioned.

"Fine! I accept! Snorunt, look at me! You and I? We're gonna tear the competition apart this year! Let's shoot for the top, alright?" Snorunt hummed before an unhinged gleam also entered her eyes. She jumped eagerly, mood switching in an instant, and jumped into Mars.

"Ah, shit! Cold!" Mars yelped. Snorunt immediately teared up at Mars' reaction, beginning to wail.

"Agh, c'mon, I'm not mad at you! Just a little surprised!" Mars placated urgently.

"You really gave her a handful of a starter, huh?" I asked in amusement. Lorelei chuckled strongly.

"I believe she'll be able to conquer the challenge I've laid out for her. If she is, she will have one of the strongest Froslass alive."

"You seem confident she'll evolve her into Froslass," I pointed out. Lorelei puffed up.

"But of course. My children's ice-types are a reflection of me after all."

"Ready, Mars?" Mars nodded at my question. She double-checked her bag, adjusted her Poketch, and checked that her hair was fine. On her waist, three neat Luxury Balls rested before she covered them with her black and white jacket.

"Yup! First, Olivine, then Newbark, yeah?" Mars questioned.

"Mhm, gotta pick up Sapphire after all." Newbark... the place where it all began for me. To think I'd be going there again after all this time. I may have been a Kanto native, but Johto invoked a strange familiarity out of me. Makes sense... it was my region after all. How ironic that I'd be dismantling the rest of Team Rocket during this journey. Maybe fate was a real thing.