Chapter 1: A new beginning.

Lyra smiled as she lay back on the sandy beaches of Olivine, closing her eyes. She was now 19, closing in on her 20th year which was 7 months away. She had gone on her journey, not to mention foiled Team Rocket's plans, when she was sixteen. She still wore the same, marshmallow news cap she had back then, but had ditched the jean dungarees a year ago. She had replaced them with a knee high denim skirt that was slightly faded. That was paired with a white halter neck top, which gradually faded to ocean blue closer to the end. Her ankle socks were white and covered by a low heel pair of white boots. She didn't tie her hair into two pigtails either, having opted for a messy bun which did nothing more than keep strands of hair out of her face.

The sound of rolling waves paired with the squawking Gullwing and gentle ocean breeze added to Olivine's relaxation factor. The city was known for its port, gym and tiny ocean view cafés, which was just as great a tourist attraction as Ecruteak's Towers, Kimono girls and the overall historic feel that flowed through it.

A few minutes later, Lyra's sun was blocked and her ears picked up on what sounded like a Pokémon making the sound of when they're happy. She cracked an eye open, noticing the large blue and red/pink Pokémon standing over her. It had a large jaw which seemed able to break anything in half. It stood with a slight slouch, the red spikes on his back seeming more intimidating this way. It was a Feraligatr, and she knew whose.

It belonged to a certain redhead who was coming towards them, looking pretty irritated with his Pokémon. His hair was the same length it had always been and the sun caught his grey eyes, making them look an even lighter colour. As it was hot on the beach, Silver wasn't wearing his jacket, the colour of it having switched from black and red to grey and white. He still wore blue jeans and the same style shoes. His jacket had hidden the grey and black t-shirt he wore.

Lyra got up as Silver approached the two.

"I see you finally let your Feraligatr roam free." Lyra said, shaking the sand off of her skirt.

"Yes. All my Pokémon get a chance but they don't understand the meaning of 'Don't run off.'" Silver said, glaring at Feraligatr, making him a clear example. He sighed and returned the water type.

Lyra couldn't help but giggle. "It just shows that your Pokémon are adventurous. " She said with a smile. Silver had gotten a bit better over the years. He was still hot-headed and brash. But his demeanour over his Pokémon had changed. He no longer felt like his Pokémon or himself had to be the absolute strongest. They had been given more freedom, like the ability to roam outside of their balls, though this was creating problems for Silver.

"I didn't think I'd see you here in Olivine though. I thought you'd have been in Ecruteak, seeing as that festival is going to take place there this weekend." He said.

"Oh, I am going to go to the festival, I'm taking off tomorrow. I just thought I'd enjoy the sun a little."

"You really are a girly-girl." Silver said with a slightly playful, slightly irritated tone.

Lyra picked up her hat and hit him with it playfully. "Last time I checked I wasn't afraid to get down with Miltank wrangling when they escape pastures."

Silver shrugged, grinning ever so slightly. "I guess that's true."

There had always been a friendly air between the two since Lyra and Silver battled against Lance and Claire in the Dragon's Den. At that point Lyra had seen the change that had taken place within Silver and she had decided to watch him practice there each week. But Lyra had also witnessed reason for Silver's former demeanour and personality, and that was when she had seen the conversation between Silver and Giovanni, his father and former leader of Team Rocket, take place. His father was cold and uncaring, which made sense why Silver was also so. He had been left alone when he was growing up and due to his dad's negligence, had grown to see Team Rocket as weak. This only made Lyra grow closer to Silver, knowing that there was a good person underneath his harsh exterior, which protected him from emotional pain. They were clearly more than good friends, but neither of them acted upon this feeling.

"Are you going to the festival?" Lyra asked after she had put on and adjusted her hat to fit perfectly atop her head.

"I'll see if I'm in the mood for noisy crowds accompanied by lots of young children running around and screaming." Silver answered.

"I guess one reason to stay away are the large, noisy crowds. But there are more pros than cons." She said with a bright smile.

"Oh, you mean like most of the girls having to weak Yukata?"

"Hey, it's to show the heritage and culture of Ecruteak, nothing wrong with that. Plus it's cute!"

"Of course you'd think that."

The conversation was interrupted by a loud, reverberating boom and smoke billowing into the sky from the mountains' direction.

"What the hell?" Silver asked, blinking slowly.

"That looks like it's coming from the Pokémon Safari… I wondered if something just happened there…"

"Well, there's one way to find out, and that's by using flying type Pokémon."

Lyra nodded at Silver and placed her hand on her Pokéball.

Next time on ODD! Johto's Guardian:

A quick attack speed explosion. Culprits disappearing like Huanter in early morning Mist. The Start of the festival.

No clues or traces left on the attack within the mountains. The culprits don't even leave foot prints behind. And the friendly Ecruteak Heritage Festival begins!

Chapter 2: A barrel of mysteries.