For those of you who recognize my name, I wrote 'Affliction', if you remember that story, the premise is essentially the same but there are some differences. I didn't like the direction Affliction was going so I had to re-write it all from scratch. This is an OT (original trainer) based loosely off the Heart Gold/Soul Silver games. You can expect, action, violence and all that supernatural good stuff, so I hope you guys can give this a chance and leave your thoughts, they're much appreciated.

Chapter 1: Silverhart

"Raaaazoooor! Where are you?!"

In the sea of men and women dressed in blazers and suits, a high-spirited boy shouted into the disorderly crowd of commuters in hopes of finding his lost companion. Unfortunately, the crowd murmur from the hustle and bustle of the train station drowned out his efforts. Nevertheless, the boy showed no signs of being discouraged. Without the slightest bit of hesitation, he latched himself onto a life-sized statue in the middle of the square and made his ascent. He slipped off a few times, but after several failed attempts, his efforts finally got him to the peak. The boy took a deep breath, cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted with all his might:

"RAAAAAAZOOOOOOOOR!"

Unbeknownst to the boy, a pair of eyes had been closely watching the scene. Not too far from the statue and seated on a bench was a bespectacled young woman with short silver-blonde hair dressed in office attire typical to the commuters in the train station. She watched with intent fascination, in silent awe of his resolve. She could tell right away that he was different; backing down simply did not cross his mind. While others his age would have given up out of sheer frustration, this boy seemed to become more determined as the going got tough. He wasn't discouraged by those who paid him no mind, instead, choosing to shout louder with more conviction. It was an admirable stand and she had to suppress the impulse to reach out and help the boy for she was curious in seeing his next course of action.

"RAAAAZOOOOR! IF YOU COME BACK, I'LL BUY YOU A HOT DOG, ALRIGHT?!"

He continued to look around frantically until by sheer luck, their eyes met. The boy stared with unwavering intensity, his frantic display easing into a deep trance as he was sucked into her pair of hallow-like irises. Slightly startled that she had somehow caught his attention, she forced a weak smile and watched his eyes light up. Without warning, he grabbed the statue's arm and swung off, leaping several meters into the air before landing roughly on the ground. He winced and clutched his scraped knees but stood up moments later, laughing it off and limping toward her.

Through the eyes of the average person, he was just your dime a dozen brat acting up to seek attention, but Sylvia wasn't your average person and neither was the boy. What she saw was simply beyond the untrained eyes physical limitations. There was something more...something special that intrigued her greatly. Aura was the life force...the ethereal white glow that represented the essence of life in every living creature, man and beast alike. Her eerie silver eyes began to glow and her vision was flooded by a wave of white flames.

The whole station was a mass white aura, but there was one that was distinctly different.

Her heartbeat slowed to a complete stop as he emerged from the crowd and stood before her. There was a reason why this boy had caught her attention and it wasn't just from his gusty display. There was no mistaking it this time, after countless failures and sacrifices she had finally found her other half.

The boy's aura was different; it glowed with an unmistakable sheen of bright silver.

"Wooooooow, you're really pretty!" the boy exclaimed in wondrous awe, staring at her with great big eyes. "You'd be perfect for Razor! He told me that he's looking for a pretty girl to get married to when he evolves!"

Unsure of what to make of the vibrant boy's words, Sylvia scratched her head and let out a small laugh.

"Waaaaaaaaaaait a minute, I knoooow you..." the boy suddenly said in a slow and suspicious tone. He took a seat next to her before rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"From where?" Sylvia asked.

The boy remained silent until his pensive expression grew bright upon realization. "I remember! You work with my mom! You were in one of the group photos my mom brought home from work! My mom works for Silph, you work there too, right!?"

Sylvia gave him a slight nod. "What's your mother's name?"

"My mother's name... Isn't it, mom?" he asked with uncertainty and she stifled a laugh.

Sylvia stared at the boy's features closely; the boy was much younger than he looked from afar. He was tall and lanky, but she could tell that he was only about five years of age. His skin was tan and his head was covered by messy chestnut-brown hair. His eyes were big and vibrant, a bright shade of auburn. He was dressed in a simple red shirt with a pokéball logo on it and jean shorts. Her eyes trailed down to his scraped knees and saw pockets of blood beginning to bubble out of the wound. She hovered both of her hands over his knees and a faint light began to emanate from her palms.

"It feels warm," the boy whispered, fascinated by the blue glow enveloping her hands.

Sylvia gave him a reassuring look before clasping down on the wound tightly. The boy's face twisted in pain but he suppressed the urge to cry out.

"Tempestuoso."

"Hey—" The boy paused in mid-sentence as the light disappeared and she lifted her hands from his knees. His mouth turned into a gaping hole and his eyes were wide when she saw that they were completely healed. "How did you..."

Sylvia pushed her falling glasses up her nose and gave him a faint smile. "If you're looking for your Totodile, he's over by the food stands."

She couldn't help herself, she had previously resolved to not help the boy and merely watch but her desire to comfort the boy was far too overwhelming. The boy whirled towards the hot dog stand near the gate and surely enough, he saw a young woman he recognized as his older sister, arguing rather ferociously with the vendor while tightly gripping a Totodile in one hand and holding onto another little girl with long dark hair in the other. He turned back and narrowed his eyes in suspicion before leaning in to stare at Sylvia closely, a mere inches separating their faces.

"You're psychic...aren't you?" he questioned in a hushed tone. Sylvia gave him a faint grin.

The boy, like most children his age, was easily excitable and that coupled with their vivid imaginations meant that nothing was limitless. She could see it in his expanding eyes, the revelation exercising his mind on all cylinders. She could literally feel his excitement graze the very essence of her soul, the silver wisps of aura flaring brightly.

Sylvia gave him a genuinely happy smile and gently patted the mass of messy brown hair on his head. "Keep strong and never falter when faced with adversity. Your determination is what makes you strong, Taylor Silverhart."

The boy flashed a toothy smile and nodded. "Thanks for the help, lady!"

Sylvia watched him bound away and shut her eyes. She wondered if it was fate that she missed the train on the way to work or if it was simply a chance encounter, regardless, they met. It was strange...the moment she laid eyes upon the child; she developed tunnel vision for the rambunctious young boy. The chaotic world around her was now completely irrelevant. Previous worries, plans, even her devotion to her Mistress...nothing mattered any more. All she could think about was the boy and his well-being. It was only natural, after hundreds of years of searching; the first chapter to her life had finally come to a close.

Yes, Sylvia's long search had finally come to a much-needed end.

Unless the centuries of observing the world had deteriorated her vision, what she just witnessed was a truly joyous sight.

Sylvia stood up from the bench and took off her glasses, staring up at the sky as revelations began to dawn on her. However joyous an occasion the boy's appearance was, it was certain that they would eventually discover him, if not already. Preparations needed to be made and past acquaintances needed to be sought out. It was short, but living the stationary life of a normal human being didn't suit her. Her six month run as the CEO of the Silph Co.'s Johto branch would have to come to an end.

Taylor Silverhart signified the start of a new era.

The start of her era.

The Blackthorns were an ancient and illustrious clan of dragon tamers, with the roots of their success beginning with Siegfried Blackthorn. He was a tall and charismatic man with shining red hair of much grandiose, setting the foundation for the clan's future success by taming dragon pokémon all over the world. During his journey, he developed and nurtured his reputation not only as a dragon master, but also as the strongest pokémon trainer in the world. For many years, he endured the blistering cold of Mt. Silver's peak to continually hone his skills, defeating every challenger that came his way.

It was at the age of 65 when someone finally dethroned Siegfried in his glorious reign. His grandson, Lance Blackthorn, surpassed every feat he had accomplished and after a long and drawn out battle on the peak of Mt. Silver lasting two days, he had the title as the world's strongest dragon master as well as becoming the world's pokémon master to his name, all at the tender age of 17. Satisfied with his defeat, Siegfried passed on the title as head of the Blackthorns to Lance and decided to settle down in Newbark Town and away from Blackthorn City as to not interfere in his grandson's reign. He met a beautiful young woman in the quaint little town and they were blessed with a little girl.

However, the good times were short-lived. Tragedy struck and in an unfortunate car accident, his wife died. Her death drove Siegfried to the brink of madness and he developed semantic dementia. His daughter, only six years of age at the time, was taken in by Lance and the rest of her extended family in Blackthorn City and Siegfried eventually died weeks later.

Misaki Blackthorn's arrival wasn't well-received by a majority of the clan's members. Some were in awe that their aunt or grand aunt was a mere six year old girl but showed her respect as a child of Siegfried nevertheless. However, most whispered inconspicuous rumors about the legitimacy of her Blackthorn blood due to her sable-black hair and her piercing blue eyes, contrasting the blood-red hair that most clan members possessed. The fact that she was an illegitimate child also brought about much discussion, but over time, they grew to accept that she was staying and there was nothing anyone could do to overturn Lance's decision.

"Hey, how did your gym battle go?" Lance spoke as he looked up from a stack of papers on his desk and gave him a coy grin to his younger sister. "Did you give the kid his badge this time or did you have another fit and send him off to the old man in Dragon's Den?"

Clair crossed her arms and leaned on a bookshelf, giving his chuckling brother an annoyed look. "I would have," she sighed, "but the hermit is training Lynd and Misaki today so I just gave the kid his badge and told him to scram."

Lance let out another soft chuckle before shutting his book shut and grinning. "What can I do for you today, sister?" he questioned, leaning back on his chair.

Clair took a seat in front of his desk and stared thoughtfully at the ceiling before bringing her eyes down upon Lance with a worried grimace. "I finally found out the identity of grandpa Siegfried's second wife."

Lance leaned forward and stared at her expectantly. "Is she one of them?" he said in a hushed tone as if afraid that someone could possibly be eavesdropping.

A grim look darkened the gym leader's face as she bobbed her head slowly. "Misaki has their blood as well..." she quietly announced.

Lance leaned back and covered his face, taking a deep breath and sighing. "It doesn't matter that our blood has mixed with theirs," he concluded after a moment's pause. "Misaki is still Siegfried's daughter and thus, should still be considered a Blackthorn. I will follow through with my plan and leave the succession of our family to either her or our dear brother. When Lynd turns sixteen next week, I will send them off to embark on their journey to determine our clan's future."

Clair narrowed her eyes and shook her head to show her dissatisfaction for his words. "Lance, you and I have raised and treated them as if they were our very own," she began, giving him a pleading look. "Misaki is different, you should know this better than anyone. Her lack of empathy for her actions worries me...or have you forgotten how many Dratini she has carelessly burned to a crisp from her outbursts? Everything about her is bordering sociopathic."

Lance was quiet, staring thoughtfully at his sister but before he could speak, Clair pressed on, "Lynd might not be as naturally talented or have special powers like Misaki, but he's level-headed, kind and has great charisma. Our younger brother is the right choice...I'm begging you, not only for the sake of our clan and Lynd, but for Misaki as well. She absolutely must not become the next—"

"And who put you up to spewing all of this nonsense about her?" Lance hissed, bring a fist down on the desk and knocking over several objects. "I do not care what the elders and Father say, if they wanted to call the shots, they should have challenged Siegfried themselves..."

Clair cowered slightly underneath his intimidating glare, but she remained steadfast and spoke up, "Lance, this has nothing to do with Father and the elders' disdain for Misaki, everything I'm discussing with you are my thoughts and opinions on the matter...and I think you're making a grave mistake if you're going to leave the leadership up to chance—"

"And you are a fool to think that your opinion matters," Lance barked, causing the Blackthorn gym leader to back off. "This world is all about the survival of the fittest, Clair and the prosperity of the Blackthorn clan is dependent upon the strong making tough decisions. Leadership of this family will not go to the second strongest, nor will it go to the most charismatic. Our legacy forbids it. Whether that person is our younger brother Lynd, or Misaki is yet to be seen so don't go making any pre-meditated judgements because you aren't calling the shots."

"Brother..."

Lance sighed and his hardened look softened as he put on an apologetic expression for his sister. "They will compete in this year's Silver Conference and whoever ends up on top will take over as the sixth head of the Blackthorns. With threats looming everywhere, I can't afford to choose the next leader based on kindness. Besides, empathy can be taught, that's what the old man is training them for."

All of a sudden, the door burst open and a man came running in, looking distraught. "Sir Lance, Ms. Clair!" he frantically shouted their names and stopped at the desk, huddle over to catch his breath.

"What is it?" Lance questioned.

"The...hermit...is...dead," he said in between raggedy breaths.

"What!?" Clair nearly shouted and Lance furrowed his brow in confusion. "How?"

"He was engulfed in a tower of flames...I think it was...Misaki."

Clair looked towards her brother and he stared back, looking as equally horrified. "And what of Lynd?"

"He's fine, he's trying to calm her down."

"You will not speak a word of this to anyone, understood?" Lance barked and the man nodded frantically. He grabbed his cape hanging by a hook against the wall before storming out of the room.

Clair shut her eyes and sighed. It was bound to happen.

After all, Misaki Blackthorn had Silverhart blood.

/ / /