Lyra and her team of three made excellent time as they traveled along the short path of Route 38. They were just on the edge of town before they stumbled across a dairy farm housing a sick miltank. When Lyra learned of the sick pokémon, she didn't give it a second thought before feeding the sick pokémon her stockpile of oran berries. Over her journey through Johto, she had learned that berries were an important commodity to any trainer, especially when he or she first starts out. So when she received her berry pot from the flower shop in Goldenrod city, she decided to take advantage over her new equipment and grow a surplus of berries just in case. The sickly miltank graciously accepted the offered berries, her dry tongue slurping them out of Lyras' extended hand. Not long after did the miltanks color and stamina return to her. Mooing loudly, the cow-like pokémon tackled the brunette to the floor in an appreciative hug. Cheering happily, the two girls beside the miltank also joined in the dog pile. Lyra pulled them all in a hug as she laughed, Wish chirped excitedly and shimmered as he collected their happiness in his shell.

"Bye Lyra!" The twins shouted to the brunette as she and her togetic left.

"Bye! Thanks again for the moomoo milk!" She called out waving. The owner of the farm, the father to the two girls, was so gracious for Lyras help that he gave her a bottle of his miltanks finest milk. Milktanks, although not rare, were not common either. A bottle of moomoo milk was considered a delicacy, a luxury even. It was something her family could not afford since her fathers passing years ago…

Shaking her head to clear her dreary thoughts, she continued southbound towards Olivine City. Upon her arrival, Lyra closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She didn't realize how much she missed the sea until that moment, the smell of the saltwater in the crisp air, the cool breezes the wind brings, even the fog that rolls over the town in the morning. Her whole life she lived close to the waters edge. For the first time since she left, the feeling of being home sparked inside her. That moment was short lived, however, when a familiar face came into view.

"You again?" Silver asked almost annoyed. Although his voice was rough and callous his eyes betrayed him. The red head had spent years perfecting his emotionless glare. It was something he was proud over. But when the image of a certain brunette teenage girl came into view, he couldn't prevent the tiniest spark of happiness in his eyes when he saw her again.

Lyra paused cautiously. She had grown accustomed to those blood red eyes. Although they made her nervous at first, they always entranced her to begin with. So when she saw the tiny spark in his eyes, she had trouble discerning its meaning. Was he upset? Did he want to battle?

Silver likewise had become familiar with his rivals expressions. When he saw the confusion on her wrinkled brow he rolled his eyes and sighed. "There's no need to be alert. I don't bother with wimps like you." He added quickly. After his near death experience at the Burned Tower, he wasn't overly eager to challenge her again anytime soon. "Speaking of weaklings…" Silver continued, "The city's Gym Leader isn't here. They are supposedly taking care of some sick pokémon at the Lighthouse." Anger flashed in his red eyes as he turned to look over the waters edge. "Humph! Boo-hoo! Just let sick Pokémon go! A Pokémon that can't battle is worthless!"

Lyra gasped at his harsh words. "How could you say that?!" She had covered her mouth with her hands in horror of his words. Sure Silver could be thoughtless with his words, and even cruel sometimes. But… to willingly let a pokémon die? "Why…?" Her words trailed off as tears welled in her eyes. Ever since she lost her father she was determined to help any hurt or sick, human or pokémon. For the first time, Silver's words cut deep. Even when he left her crying at the Ilex Forest Shrine paled in comparison to now. Her fluttering togetic chirped with concern as he hovered by her face.

Panic, guilt, and regret instantly filled Silver. The last time she cried, it was over the loss of her father. No doubt his words hit the same trigger. "Damn." He hissed below normal hearing range. He told himself he didn't want to see her cry again, especially if he was the cause to it. "Look, forget about it." He said quickly, trying to fix the situation. His mind desperately searched for the right words to use. "Why don't you go train at the Lighthouse? Who knows? It may make you a bit of a better Trainer!" When that didn't work he finally sighed. "Besides, the sick pokémon is still up there. Maybe…"

"I could try and help it!" Lyra gasped as if she had come to that revelation on her own. Franticly, she rummaged through her bag until she pulled out a tiny handbag. "Hmmm, I don't have much left…" She pouted as she counted the remaining few oran berries. "Never fear! Lyra is here!" She shouted towards the sky and ran passed Silver towards the Lighthouse.

The red head remained rooted to his spot, bewildered. She just ignored me! He thought angrily to himself. He was used to being ignored, it was better than the alternative in his opinion. But Lyra had been the first person to pay attention to him, despite his attempts of scaring her off. So when she ran passed him without a second thought, he felt his blood boil. "Oh no. I am waiting right here." Sitting down on a bench outside the Lighthouse, Silver waited impatiently for the brunette to return. She would not ignore him again.


The heated battle between a sailor and bird keeper raged on inside the Lighthouse. Equally matched, equally skilled the two were down to their last pokémon. This wasn't their first encounter with each other; the two of them had had a grudge match ever since the sailor came into port. A bird could pluck a fish from the sea, but the sea could swallow the bird. Everything but their shared dislike towards electric types set them apart. This is it. They thought simultaneously. This time, I will win for sure. In a bright flash of light the trainers summoned their strongest ally.

"Tentacruel, let's show that airhead who's boss!"

"Pigeot! We will prove that waterlogged man wrong!

Both pokémon, eager to become victor, readied themselves for battle. Ready for whatever the other had to offer.

"Excuse me! Coming though!" Lyra shouted as she sprinted through the battlefield.

"Flaaaaf!" Shouted an excited Flaffy while following after her owner. In her excitement she accidentally released a small amount of electricity from her white fleece.

The trainers watched in horror as the jolts snaked towards their pokémon. "No, no, no, NO, NO!" A large boom was sounded as both pokémon were simultaneously hit. The two pokémon dropped to the floor after the super effective one-hit KO.

Blissfully unaware, Pharos continued running after her owner, eager to help the sick pokémon. "Flaff!" She cried happily as she became shrouded in light.

Reaching the ladder leading to the last floor, Lyra leaned against it to catch her breath. "Phew that was quite the workout, wasn't it Phar-HUH?" She exclaimed while turning around to face her once fluffy friend.

"Amph?" Pharos asked then covered her mouth in shock. Looking down she now stood two feet taller and her once pink skin had turned yellow.

"When did THAT happen?" Lyra asked, her newly evolved Ampharos.

"Amph, ampharos?" She said, equally as confused as her trainer. Pharos then giggled beside herself for being able to say her own name. "Pharos!" The tall electric type continued giggling.

Lyra couldn't keep from joining in. She knew 'Pharos' meant lighthouse, but for her Ampharos to evolve IN a lighthouse was so redundant she couldn't keep from erupting in a fit of giggles herself. The two of them stayed there for a moment, holding each other until their eyes teared up. She needed a good laugh. "Alright, alright. We need to focus." She finally said pulling away while suppressing a laugh. "We have a sick pokémon that needs our help."

Pharos nodded her head in agreement, gaining her composure once more. "Phar."

Climbing up the ladder, the pair saw a young woman with long chestnut hair and an ampharos laying its head in her lap. Looking up, the woman offered a weary smile, her blue eyes exhausted. "Hello there." Wiggling a hand free from under the pokémon, she extended it towards the visitor. "My name's Jasmine."

Accepting her handshake Lyra offered a sympathetic smile. "Lyra." Kneeling down, Lyra traced her hand along the sick ampharos.

"Her name is Amphy." Jasmine offered while petting her friend.

"What happened?" Lyra asked while Pharos knelt closer to inspect her fellow kind. Rubbing her head against Amphy, Pharos gave her a small electric jolt. The ampharos in Jasmine's lap snuggled deeper into the womans lap as the electricity soothed her aching body.

Jasmine frowned. "I'm not quite sure." She said while shaking her head, chestnut hair sweeping across the sick pokémon. "But we have to do something soon. Not only is Amphy getting worse, but also her electricity powers the Lighthouse. If we can't get the lighthouse operational, then the next ship will surely crash into the shore. Thankfully there is an herbalist in Cianwood City that is rumored to cure any sort of ailment. But… I can't leave Amphy here." She said, her blue eyes downcast.

"I'll go." Lyra offered. Determination filled her eyes. "I will get the medicine for you. I'll hurry over and come back before tonight. Problem solved!" Lyra said triumphantly.

Jasmine offered a weak smile before turning her head. "Thank you. I really appreciate your offer but… there is still another problem." Biting her lip she looked into Lyras eyes. "Cianwood is across the sea. Even if you were to go by ship, it's still a day's journey. At least."

"Okay…" Lyra thought for a moment. She certainly didn't have access to a ship so it would take longer than a single day. "When does the next ship arrive?"

"Tonight."

Lyra fell from her kneeling position to her butt. It was impossible to make it on time! But if she didn't think of something, people would get hurt; maybe even die. Racking her brain an idea finally came to her. "Pharos." She said getting the attention of her electric pokémon.

"Amph?" She asked. Turning her attention from the ampharos to her owner.

"I need to ask you a favor. I would never ask unless it was important." Lyra said.

Standing up, Pharos gave what looked like a salute. "Phar!"

A grin spread across Lyra's face. "Thank you, Pharos. I know you can do this. I believe in you. Pharos will act in Amphy's place tonight."

Shock spread over Jamines face. "I could never ask you or your pokémon to do something like that! Powering the lighthouse is very strenuous. It takes months of training for a pokémon to supply a constant amount of power like that."

Lyra turned towards her pokémon. Pharos gave a sharp nod of determination. "Pharos is confident she can do it. And if she is confident, so am I." She said while placing her hands on her hips.

Jasmine marveled at the bond between the girl and her pokémon. She knew first hand how hard it was to leave a pokémon behind. He had kept herself cooped up inside the Lighthouse for days, unwilling to leave Amphy's side. Perhaps if she had left earlier things would have been different…. No. Dwelling on the past would not fix the present. She had no choice but to trust this young trainer and her newly evolved ampharos. "Thank you, Lyra."

Trainer and partner hugged each other as they said their goodbyes. "Remember, don't use more electricity than what is necessary. I know you like to show off sometimes." Pharos smiled sheepishly and rubbed her arm. Lyra grinned at her actions. "Just use a steady amount to power the Lighthouse. I left the rest of my oran berries with Jasmine in case you start getting tired. She will be here with you." Stifling a sniffle Lyra continued. "I will be back as soon as possible." Giving her ampharos a final hug, Lyra departed. She had never been separated from her pokémon before. It felt unnatural. But Lyra knew in her heart this was the right thing to do. Sacrifices were sometimes necessary for the greater good.


Silver continued waiting in his spot, watching the entrance of the Lighthouse. Lyra had been in there for a while now. Perhaps the trainers in there were too much for her to handle. Recalling his previous battle he laughed. Tch, yeah right. It wasn't too long after those thoughts did the brunette girl finally exit. She raised a hand to her eyes to block out the sun while she seemingly searched through the city. Raising from his spot, Silver crossed over to the girl. He had some unsettled business to settle. Spotting the red head she searched for, Lyra waved her hand erratically while running towards him. Silver froze in his tracks. An hour ago she had ran passed him as if he didn't exist but now she ran willingly ran towards him. She looked so happy too… this made him suspicious.

"Silver!" Lyra panted after she finally reached him. Her baby pokémon fluttered behind her, resting his stubby arms on her shoulder. After she finally caught her breath Lyra spoke. "I need to ask you a favor."

"Forget it." Silver said while raising a hand and turning away. He was right to be suspicious. She wasn't looking for him, she was looking for something from him.

"Please. Listen." Lyra pleaded. "I need your help."

Silver stopped while he still had his back turned to her. She needs… MY help? No one had ever asked for his help before. He was trouble, a menace, and the last person someone should ask help from. "With what?" He finally asked flatly.

"I need your help getting across the sea towards Cianwood City."

Silver turned on his heel, his face incredulous. "You must be joking." He laughed. "Why on earth would I help you?" He folded his arms, to make his point. He wasn't some ferry service she could call to her aid at any given time. He was her rival! It was his duty to make things more difficult for her, not the other way around.

"Please Silver. The ampharos that powers the Lighthouse is really, really, sick and the only cure is in Cianwood." She continued to plead, her brown eyes begging.

Refusing to look at her directly, Silver turned his head away. "If it's that important, go yourself."

It was now Lyras turn to look sheepish. "Yeah, about that… I don't have a pokémon to ferry me across." She looked down at her red shoes and twisted her hands nervously. She was currently at his mercy, if she didn't play her cards right, she wouldn't be able to get the medicine in time for Amphy. Not to mention poor Pharos…

Silver narrowed his red eyes at the girl. For being such a strong trainer, she was incredibly unprepared. "You still only have three pokémon?" He asked skeptically.

"Well, sort of." Lyra responded while cutting a glace towards the Lighthouse.

Silver shook his head, he wasn't even going to try and decipher what that meant. Thinking for a moment longer Silver finally looked her in the eyes. "No."

"Silver!" Lyra yelled at the boys retreating back. Alright, time to play it the hard way. "Jasmine won't leave Amphy's side until she is cured." When she heard Silver's harsh 'so?' she continued. "If we don't cure Amphy, you can't collect the next gym badge which means you can't complete the Pokémon League Challenge!" She shouted.

Once more Silver stopped, his fists shaking. Checkmate. Until the sick pokémon was cured, he couldn't progress further. And the only way Lyra could get the medicene was… "Ugh! Fine!" He shouted angrily. Striding over to Lyra he lowered his head so he was staring down at her. "But you owe me for this!"

Happiness bubbled inside of Lyra as she squealed. "Thank you, Silver!" Taking advantage of their closeness she wrapped her arms around his waist in a tight hug.

Silvers spine went ridged as felt the girls embrace. Placing a hand on each of her shoulders he pried her off of him. "Yeah, whatever let's just go." He said while attempting to cover his flaring cheeks.

Lyra suppressed a giggle while she and Wish trailed after him.


Much to Silvers annoyance, his newly evolved Feraligatr was filled with ecstasy to see Lyra. As soon as he released his water starter from his capsule, the girl ran over to him to hug him. "Fang! You have gotten so strong!" She cried out while admiring his new form.

"Fang?" Silver asked, his voice dripping with irritation.

"Yeah, it's my little nickname for him." Lyra said smiling innocently.

"No. No nicknames!" Silver commanded. "You may give your pokémon pathetic little names, but don't start naming mine." After rebuking his large alligator-like pokémon, he commanded him into the water for the two of them to surf on. Climbing on first, Silver sat down on the shoulders of his feraligatr, waiting for the brunette to take her seat.

Nervously she climbed on the large blue pokémon, careful not to trip over his large red spikes. Loosing her footing on the pokémons slick skin, she nearly toppled into the water before a hand instinctively grabbed her wrist. "T-thanks she stuttered while sitting down behind the red head."

"You are so clumsy." He said while directing his pokémon to begin surfing.

That's something Ethan always said too… Lyra thought to herself. Ethan knew her better than anyone else, he was her best friend! Looking at back of the red head she bit her lip. She knew better than to think they were friends, they were rivals after all. But sometimes it felt like they were friends. Ever since the beginning of their journey they had been bumping into each other, each time growing closer. In time, could they one day become friends?

"You're quiet." Silver said, interrupting Lyra's thoughts. Silver tilted his head back to make sure she didn't actually slip off into the water.

"Huh?" Lyra asked ungracefully.

"You haven't spoken for a couple hours. I thought you drowned or something." Silver responded callously.

Lyra pouted at his words but when she looked up she saw the sun had already begun its descent. It had been a couple hours. Looking behind them she saw the figure of the Lighthouse lit up. A proud grin spread across her face as well as a worried ache in her heart. "I'm just worried is all." She finally responded.

"Over what?" Silver asked. He wasn't one to pry but her open-ended response had him wondering.

Lyra sighed. "Do you see that Lighthouse behind us?"

Shifting his body, Silver turned to get a better look behind them. "Yeah. The one from Olivine, what about it?"

"Pharos is powering it, right now." Lyra said with her eyes fixated on the tower.

Silver brows raised in surprise. So that's what she meant earlier. "Your flaffy is doing that on its own?"

"Ampharos, actually." Lyra beamed while turning to face Silver. "You were right about training at the Lighthouse."

Silver stared into her eyes for a moment longer than he intended to. Whenever she had looked at him in the past it was either out of fear, embarrassment, or irritation. Sure, there were the occasional smiles, but it was always because of her pokémon or some insane idea she would come up with. But this time, she smiled at him. Silver nervously looked away. "We should set up camp for the night. It's too dangerous to surf at night."

Nodding in agreement, the brunette eyed the surrounding whirlpools; they were becoming more and more frequent.

Reaching the shore to one of the Whirl Islands, Silver and Lyra climbed off Feraligatrs' back. The girl gave the water pokémon an appreciative pat while Silver returned his beast. Pulling out another pokeball, Silver released his Haunter. "Check the surrounding area for any unwanted intruders." Nodding obediently, the ghost type pokémon dissipated.

"Alright guys, come on out." Lyra smiled while throwing her two remaining pokeballs. In unison a quilava and togetic appeared. "Blaze, could you make us a fire?"

Tilting his head to the word 'us' Blaze surveyed the area until he spotted the red head. Snarling, Blaze bristled the flames on his back.

"Blaze, it's okay. Silver is helping us." Lyra said hurriedly while kneeling beside her loyal starter. "Don't pick a fight." Looking back she saw Silver give an equally intimidating glare at the fire pokémon. "That goes for you too." Silver snorted and walked a few paces away. Sighing Lyra shook her head. This would be quite the adventure.

It wasn't long before a proper camp had been set. Lyra and Wish searched for dry driftwood while Blaze started a large campfire. Silver finished setting up his tent as his haunter came back to report. "The area is secure." Silver said while trying the last knot in his tent. After recalling his pokémon he walked towards the campfire and took a seat across from the Brunette and her pokémon. Looking around Silver gave the pigtailed girl a confused expression. "Where's your tent?"

"Ah… well. This is my first time camping, actually. I always stayed overnight in pokecenters." She smiled sheepishly while staring into the fire. Her quialava and togetic snuggled up close to her.

Silver nodded wordlessly. That would explain why she always seemed a day behind him. While she had been taking it easy in a cozy pokecenter, he had been roughing it out in the wilderness. Although, he wouldn't prefer it any other way. As awkward as it was to have another person sharing his campsite, it was also nice in a way. It had been so long since he had gotten close to another person. Groaning he pinched his brow. Those damn nightmares! He thought to himself. Those images never ceased to haunt him every night. He had hoped that having the company of another person would help cancel them out. So much for that theory.

"What's wrong?"

Silver opened his eyes to see brown ones staring at him. Jumping, Silver stared blankly back. "What?"

"You looked like you were in pain." She said, her tone worried. "Do you want to talk about it?" She offered while sitting next to him. Her two pokémon were happily asleep next to the fire, blissfully unaware of the world around them.

"Hmph. I'm fine."

"No you're not." Lyra protested.

Silver opened his eyes to look at this girl beside him. Gritting his teeth he glared back at the fire. "Why do you care?" It wasn't really a question, it was meant to be rhetorical. But Lyra answered it anyway.

"Because I care about you."

Silver felt his heart stop as his breathing was caught in his chest. "What?" He asked, his eyes wide with disbelief. Had he heard her right?

"Well yeah… I mean I care about all my friends." She bit her lip and looked away. Should she say more? Should she have said less? She wanted to gain his friendship but she felt if she reached too far he would run off.

He continued observing her without speaking. Friends? He thought to himself. It had been a long time since he called anyone a friend. Much less call him a friend. "I-I don't have friends." Silver finally said breaking the silence while staring back at the fire.

No friends? Lyra mouthed. Her eyes were filled with pity as she regarded him. It was no wonder he seemed so lost at times, if it had not been for Ethan, she would be too.

Sensing her pity, Silver scoffed. "I don't need your pity." He said, his tone harsher than he intended it to be. "It's just…" Ugh! Why am I even talking about this?! "I had a friend… once."

"What happened?" She asked while settling into the log she sat on. She could tell this was a difficult subject for him to talk about, so she was careful to wait until he spoke again.

Silver didn't reply for a while as he stared into the flickering campfire. "She died."

Lyra covered her mouth with her hands as she gasped. "How?" She couldn't keep herself from blurting out her untactful question.

He shut his red eyes when he heard her question, when he opened them again they were glassy. "A bombing. She died instantly." He said, his voice almost cracking at the end. He had spent years training himself how to conceal and suppress his emotions for his own protection. Speaking about his past make him feel like he was losing that control, he felt vulnerable, and weak. He hated it.

"I-I'm so sorry." Lyra whispered as a tight knot formed in her stomach. She knew from experience that there were no words to comfort the grieved. Sugary words might sound sweet, but they didn't bring back the dead. She continued to fidget with her hands, unsure of what to say or do next. She wanted to help, but she had no idea how.

Silver shrugged. "That was a long time ago." His brows furrowed together in thought. "What upsets me the most, is I can't remember her name or even what she looked like. All I remember is her name started with a 'K' or maybe it was a 'C'… and she wore pigtails." He shrugged once more. Since his nightmares had returned he tried desperately to remember that girl, his first and only friend, but to no avail. It was like that memory was blocked off from him.

Lyra offered a weak smile. "Sounds fashionable."

"If you say so." Silver offered a ghost of a laugh.

"I wish I could have met her." Lyra finally said.

Glancing at the brunette beside him he admitted, "You probably would have gotten along." Standing up, he stretched all the kinks out of his sore body. Ferrying across the open sea on a pokémon might sound like fun, but it was murder on ones back. "We better get some sleep if we are going to make it to Cianwood by tomorrow."

Ten minutes and a short argument later, the teens snuggled in to their makeshift beds. Lyra had offered to sleep outside the tent, due to being unprepared on her part, but Silver insisted she take his place instead. He was not about to let her sleep on the rocky shore while he was cozy in his tent and sleeping bag. Not that he was trying to be a gentleman; it was more of a test to his own manhood. Proving to himself that he could rough it out if he had to, and he was not about to let a girl show him up.

After the teenage girl scooped up her tired pokémon and snuggled into her borrowed sleeping bag, it took only moments for her to fall into a deep slumber. Silver on the other hand found it much more difficult to fall sleep. Using his purple jacket as a blanket, and a log as a pillow, Silver huddled next to the dying fire for warmth. He wasn't normally affected by the cold, in fact he welcomed it, but between the chilled breeze across Route 41 and the cold rocky shore, it was beyond Silvers level of tolerance. In time, the red headed teenager managed to drift off into uneven sleep.


Silver found himself wandering inside a dark cave he had never seen inside of before. Unable to see in front of him, he slid his hand along the side of the slick wall as he continued walking down the crude stairway. The air was musty and damp, obviously this was a place not even the sun had seen. "Is anyone out there?" Silver called out into the darkness. The heavy air filled his lungs, making it hard for him to breath. "Where am I?" Silver listened in vain for the sound of someone's voice, but all he could hear was the unnerving drips of water from the stalactites and the faint roar of the ocean above.

"YOU HAVE COME." Sounded a strong booming voice. The voice carried through every nook and cranny in the dark cave.

Silver involuntarily flinched and covered his ears. The voice had boomed inside his head as well. "Who are you?" He shouted, desperate for answers.

"YOU WILL SOON LEARN. HOWEVER, YOU ARE NOT YET READY." A flash of crystal blue eyes stared at the lost red head, studying him, measuring his worth.

"Ready for what?" He cried out again, still holding his ears fearing they would rupture under the intensity of the voice. "Who are you?!" His voice wavered and cracked. He was desperate and scared.

"SOON, YOUNG ONE. SOON."


Silver awoke in a panicked start. His heart thudded heavily against his chest while his head still pounded from the intensity of the voice. He wiped a shaky hand over his sweaty brow and he tried to calm his thoughts. It was a dream. He sighed heavily as he took in his surroundings. That's right. I am on Whirl Island. He thought while continuing his observations. Glancing at his tent, he saw Lyra was still sound asleep, hugging her quilava; her awake quilava. Red eyes stared at red eyes, daring each other to look away first. Several minutes passed until the quilava huffed and resumed his sleep. Silver sighed, he hadn't gained the trust of the fire pokémon, but he may have gained its respect. Opening his eyes again, Silver just about jumped out of his skin when he came face to face with a crown headed pokémon.

"Toge?" The togetic innocently asked. While fluttering its tiny wings to remain at Silvers eye level.

"Gah, what do you want? Go away." Silver hissed while shoeing away the pokémon like a fly. Why did she always let her beasts roam around freely? The strange pokémon covered his mouth in what looked like a giggle. The togetic pointed a stubby arm towards the campfire. Silver turned around curiously and saw that the once dying firepit was once again in full flame. Cocking a confused brow at the fluttering pokémon, it then pointed at its companion, the quilava. "He… relit the fire… for me?" Silver asked quietly.

Nodding its head, the togetic gave Silver a happy grin. "Getic."

When Silver woke, still in once piece, he had been impressed by the quilavas sense of self-control. Rather than tearing him to pieces, that same quilava had instead ignited the fire on his behalf. Silver was dumbstruck.

"Toge-toge!" The togetic chirped happily while releasing a loud yawn.

Before Silver had the chance to react he felt his eyelids grow abnormally heavy. Unwillingly, Silver succumbed to a deep sleep. The first good nights sleep he had had in over three years.


Feraligatr stretched out his cramped seven-foot body the moment they touched the shore of Cianwood City. That morning, Silver had urged they leave Whirl Island immediately so they could make it to Cianwood during the morning. Lyra didn't complain. She was worried over Pharos. She knew her ampharos was strong, but she had never tested her limits like this before. Did that make her a bad trainer, she wondered. No, testing the limits of you and your pokémon was the only way to grow. She had heard that somewhere before.

"I have some business to take care of." Silver stated rather suddenly after he recalled his large water pokémon.

"Oh, okay then." Lyra smiled. She noticed he had been quiet, even by Silvers standards. She almost asked, but decided against it. He could still be upset over their conversation from last night. "See you around."

"Yeah, whatever." Silver responded while he looked around, lost in his thoughts.

Lyra immediately set off to look for the herbalist Jasmine spoke of. Within the hour, the kind man made Lyra a dose of his strongest medicine. When she mentioned how her ampharos had powered the Lighthouse last night, he insisted the medicine be free of charge. Bowing her head graciously, Lyra and her quilava left the small shop. "Well," Lyra started while glancing at her pokemon beside her. "There's still some time before Silver returns, shall we go ahead and challenge the gym here?"

"Lava! Quilava!" Blaze shouted excitedly. He had not fought since his battle against Morty.

"Alright, then it's settled! Next stop, the Cianwood City Gym! Home to the fighting types!" Lyra announced happily, oblivious to the stares she received.


"Okay." Lyra panted heavily. "That was really hard." Little by little her bond with her pokémon had been growing. She could understand her pokémon better allowing her fighting skills to improve. Unfortunately this meant she too felt fatigued over an intense battle. And Lyra quickly learned that challenging a Gym Leader with only two pokémon, lead to a very intense battle.

"Pholsion." Blaze agreed tiredly.

Lyra grinned as she looked up at her newly evolved pokémon. The fire starter now stood several inches above her. It was strange to think that just a few months ago he could sit comfortably on her head. "Oh, I am so proud of you, Blaze!" Lyra squealed as she squeezed her pokémon in a fierce hug.

"Ty…" Blaze said tiredly. Too tired to fight her off he stood awkwardly while his trainer continued to cling onto him.

"Excuse me!" Came a soft-spoken feminine voice.

"Um, yes?" Lyra asked while letting go of Blaze, much to his relief.

"Did you beat the Gym Leader, Chuck?" Her eyes filled with anticipation while she waited for the brunette to answer.

"We, in fact, did." Lyra beamed proudly while showing off her new badge.

"Oh, WOW!" The young woman cried. "You're amazing! Here, take this!" The woman quickly reached into her pocket and shoved something into Lyra's hand. "This will help you on your journey."

Raising an eyebrow, Lyra looked at the disc like object in her hand. "A TM?" Lyra asked.

Giggling the woman responded, "No, this is much better than that. It's an HM, it will teach your pokémon how to fly long distances!" Excusing herself she shouted a 'good luck' to the teen before disappearing.

"To… fly?" Lyra said nervously. She felt her hand tremble under the disc as she continued to gaze at it.

"Typhlosion." Blaze said soothingly. He knew of his owners fear of heights, but he also knew she had the ability to overcome such fear. She already did so with Team Rocket in the Slowpoke Well.

Sighing, Lyra closed her eyes. "You're right." Looking at her faithful companion she smiled. "Besides, if we fly to Olivine, we'll make it back to Amphy and Pharos sooner."

Blaze simply nodded; he didn't need to say anything more.

Exhaling a deep breath, Lyra pulled out a pokeball from her pocket. Clicking the center button, the ball expanded in her hand. "Come on out, Wish." Tossing the ball in the air, a cheerful togetic appeared in the air.

"Toge toge togetic!" He chirped happily.

Lyra lifted the disc towards the togetic. "Wish, I have to ask you something."

"Toge?"

"This is HM 02, it will teach you Fly." Lyra paused again to study the flying type. "Would you like to learn it?"

"Getic!" Wish exclaimed excitedly while doing a backflip in the air. "Getic, getic!"

Lyra and Blaze giggled, it didn't take a pokémon whisperer to decipher that. "I also have another question though," Biting her lip; Lyra pulled a small glass like object from her bag. It was the prize she won from winning the Bug Catching Contest. "Wish, this is a shiny stone. If you want to, it will evolve you. The choice is yours though, you don't have to if you don't feel ready."

Blaze watched the fluttering pokémon curiously. Evolving was exciting, but it could also be scary. Feeling your body change into something different was a difficult change to adjust to. Turning bipedal in the blink of an eye was something Blaze found to be a challenge. How much more would Wish change if he chose to evolve?

Wish stared at the stone carefully. Unlike his current form, he had a choice in whether or not to evolve. Looking between his mother and his big brother he flashed them a large grin. There was no way he would be left out in the evolutionary party. Reaching for the shiny stone, Wish was engulfed in a brilliant flash of light. "Togekiss!" Wish shouted while stretching out his large wings.

Lyra and Blaze stood in awe at Wishs' new form. His tiny two-foot body expanded to an impressive height of five feet. He was large enough for most passengers to ride on. "Wish… You're amazing!" Lyra cried out while smothering him in a large hug. She felt Wishs' strong wings enclose her in a shared hug. A chuckle escaped her lips, this was something she would have to get used to.

After Lyra taught Wish Fly, with the HM 02, Wish and Blaze chatted excitedly amongst themselves. A smile graced her face as she watched them. Looking around her surroundings she spotted something, or rather someone familiar. "Hey…" Lyra started as she began walking closer. Catching the attention of Blaze and Wish, the two looked at her curiously, then at the subject of her attention. Stopping a few paces away, Lyra smiled. "It's Suicune."

The suicune had spotted the young teen and her two pokémon a while ago. Curiously, she had observed how they interacted with one another. Gazing at the girl, Suicune, rose from her seated position and stood her ground. After a few moments passed she dashed across the sea and disappeared in the distance.

"Yo, Lyra. Wasn't that Suicune just now?"

"Gah!" Lyra cried out in surprise, turning on her heel she glared at the owner of the voice. "Eusine, when did you get here?"

"Oh, I've been around…" He waved her off nonchalantly. "I only got a quick glimpse, but I swear I saw her running majestically over the waves. Ah Suicune, so beautiful! So grand! It races through towns and roads, from seas to land! She's so wonderful… I wish to see Suicune up close…" Eusine carried on while gazing across the ocean where Suicune once was.

Lyra looked awkwardly between her two pokémon. There was no doubt about it, this man was really weird.

"I've decided." Eusine said rather suddenly, while combing a gloved hand through his blonde hair. "I'll battle you as a trainer to earn Suicunes respect! Come on, Lyra, Let us battle now!"

Lyra was given very little time to react as Eusine tossed out his first pokémon, Drowzee. Summoning forth Wish, she instructed him to use his newly learned Sky Attack. Obediently, he soared into the air and dove towards the physic pokémon causing a one kit KO, unfortunately, not before Drowzee used his hypnosis. As the fainted drowzee fell to the ground, Wish fell beside him equally unconscious. "Great work, Wish." Lyra whispered while landing a soft peck on his pokeball. "Alright, Blaze, your turn!"

"Haunter, go!" Eusine commanded. "Don't go easy on me, now, Lyra. I must prove to Suicune that I am a worthy opponent!"

This guy is nuts! The brunette thought to herself. Turning to her large fire pokémon, Lyra shouted, "Blaze! Use your Lava Plume!" Nodding, the fully evolved fire starter fell down to all fours, bristling the tall flames on his neck. In a roar, fireballs shot out across the battlefield, just barely out of range from either trainer. In a panic, Haunter did his best to weave in between the blasts but took a direct hit near the end of the attack.

"Haunter, Lick!" Phasing from his spot on the battlefield to directly in front on the typhlosion, Haunter gave Blaze a messy paralysis inducing lick. The large bear-like pokémon shuttered in response.

"It's okay, Blaze, use swift!" The typhlosion roared trying to shake the paralysis. The haunted laughed as the golden stars passed harmlessly through this phased body. Dang it! How could I forget normal attacks don't affect ghosts?! Lyra mentally cursed herself for making such a rookie mistake.

"Use your Curse! Now!" Eusine shouted triumphantly while stretching his gloved hand over the battlefield. Stabbing himself with a needle, the Haunter laughed as Blazes' health was cut down with his.

"Flamethrower!"

"Hypnosis!"

Despite his sluggish moments, Blaze managed to hit first. A second pokémon was downed. Lyra bit her lip in concentration. Blaze was still paralyzed not to mention his health continued ticking away. Wish was still healthy, but also asleep. Either choice was a risk. Which one would she take? "Blaze return!" She decided, swapping out teammates, she summoned her togekiss. In a flash of red light, Wish appeared midair then dropped like a sack of potatoes to the ground in his slumber. "Togeeee" He moaned softly in his sleep. Lyra cringed. "Sorry!" She whispered across the battlefield.

"Hah! The battle is in our advantage!" Eusine cried out while releasing his last pokémon, an Electrode.

Oh no, oh no, oh no…Lyra mentally panicked. Flying was weak to electricity! "Wish! Wake up!"

"Sonic Boom." The blonde called out smoothly, confident of his victory.

The electrode sent out an unavoidable tornado of electricity that slammed into the togekiss' vulnerable body. "Toge!" The flying type squeeled from the powerful blow. The blast had successfully awoken him. Unfortunately it also dealt a heavy blow to his health.

"Wish!" Lyra shouted to her fatigued pokémon. "It's time to use our secret weapon! Are you ready?" She knew her next move was risky; it was nothing short of a gamble. One direct hit from that electrode and it was over. However, one miss on Wishs' account and it was equally over. She took a deep breath and focused her attention on her pokémon. Wish had never failed her before; she knew he could do this. Nodding affirmatively, Wish took a large breath as tiny particles of light began to gather in his mouth

Eusine widened his eyes in understanding. "Electrode, dodge that attack! Do not let it hit you!" His warning however was too late. A powerful beam of light coursed through the air and struck the ball shaped pokémon head on.

Each pokémon stood their ground, panting from the after effects of the Hyper Beam. After a few silent moments the electrode rolled over unconscious. Lyra, too, stood her ground panting. Eusine was tough. In fact, he was strong enough to be considered a Gym Leader. The girl mentally cursed herself for being so unprepared for this battle. After fighting Morty, she had ran out of chesto berries and forgot to refill her supplies. Not only that, but she didn't give her pokémon a chance to get used to their new forms. No doubt it had put a large strain on both of them. After thanking Wish for his hard work, Lyra recalled her tired pokémon.

Eusine remained rooted in his spot, staring disbelievingly at the girl before him. With only two pokémon, she had defeated him, even during a type disadvantage. "You're… amazing, Lyra." He finally said in a voice just above a whisper. Gliding towards her he continued his monolog. "It's no wonder Pokémon gravitate towards you! I get it now." Eusine continued to close the distance between them until just a foot was between them. "I will continue my search for Suicune. I am sure we will see each other again soon, my dear Lyra. Until then I look forward to it." Placing his hands on each of her shoulders, Eusine bent down and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek. Chuckling when he noticed her surprised and bashful look.

"Get your hands off of her, now." An angered red head threatened while placing a hand on a purple clad shoulder to rip him away.

More surprised than intimidated, Eusine turned around curiously. When he saw the seething anger in the boys red eyes he immediately understood. It was obvious the boy came at the wrong moment and had jumped to his own conclusions. Trying to dispel his anger Eusine spoke up while offering his hand. "Ah, you must be a friend of Lyra. My name is Eusine."

"I don't care who you are. Now back off." Silver growled once more.

Nodding, Eusine decided to heed his words before an argument, or worse, a fight broke out. Turning his attention to the girl behind him he said one final farewell before taking his leave. Silvers' eyes stayed fixated on the man until he was out of sight. Giving Lyra a sharp glare, Silver continued his rampage. "Do you always let people do whatever they want to you?"

Lyra stunned at his accusation responded defensively with her hands on her hips. "I do not! Eusine is a friend!" Why didn't other people trust her judgement? First Ethan, now Silver. She thought to herself. Eusine was weird, she didn't argue against that fact, but otherwise harmless.

"A friend huh? Well I don't trust him." He spat while raking his fingers through his hair.

Anger instantly boiled within her. "A friend of mine said the same thing about you once…" Lyra muttered hastily under her breath, then quickly hoped he didn't hear her.

Silver heard her, but chose to ignore it. "Whatever." He finally said while walking off. What was he thinking for going out of his way trying to help her out? This was all a waste of time. He still had to find more powerful pokémon before Team Rocket launched their next attack. The more time he spent around the Brunette, the more time it took away from his mission. When his friend died that day, a piece of him died along with her. He would never be able to fill that void again. They could never be friends.

Lyra attempted to catch up with him after he briskly walked off but decided it was for the best if she let him go. "He must still be upset." Lyra convinced herself. Against her better judgement she always gave him benefit of the doubt. Silver was becoming more and more complex as she continued to draw closer to him. Would there ever be a time when they could be friends? The brunette sighed and shook her heads from those thoughts. She couldn't focus on such things at the moment. The sun was already setting so surfing or flying would be too dangerous. This also meant Pharos would be powering the Lighthouse for the second night in a row. She felt so lost without her. Whenever Blaze or Wish became over ambitious would bite off more than they could chew, it was Pharos that brought balance to their little team. Perhaps that's why her battling had been so erratic today. It wasn't just because she was missing a third of her team, but she had made rookie mistakes that could have cost her. I promise I wont ever leave any of you again.


The next morning was promised clear skies and only a ten percent chance of rain. It was a perfect day to practice flying for Wish and Lyra. She would have preferred to practice over a field of fluffy mareep rather than whirlpool infected waters but she would have to make due. Pharos and Amphy were waiting for her. Shoving the last bit of her newly purchased supplies in her bag, she tightened the strap and turned to face Blaze who waited patiently behind her. "Ready?"

The Typhlosion shook his head.

"Me neither…" Lyra admitted. Her fear of heights was not as severe as they were when she first started on her adventure, but they were by no means diminished. Flying would be nothing short of a challenge for all of them. "Well, we better head out before we lose any more daylight." Sheilding her eyes as she walked out on the beach, Lyra smiled when she saw the clear blue skies. Recalling Blaze she swapped him out for Wish who chirped happily when his wings touched the open air.

"So you're going to fly then?" The red head asked as he appeared with his golbat beside the brunette girl.

"Oh, hi Silver. Yes we are." Lyra said while offering a small smile. She had not seen him since he stormed off the night before. After she rented a room from the pokecenter, she even stayed up hoping to hear him come in so she could talk to him. When she didn't hear any new guests come into the center, she assumed her either rented a room earlier or was camping outside again. She suspected the later. Petting her flying pokémon, Lyra exhaled a shaky breath. Her nerves rattled but her determination was strong. She could do this!

Silver carefully examined the brunette next to him. Obviously she was nervous, possibly from a fear of heights. After storming off yesterday he really should give the girl some words of comfort, at the very least, so she wouldn't fall off and drown in the sea below. Opening his mouth he quickly shut it when he heard footsteps behind them.

"Stop thief!" A middle-aged man shouted as he ran towards the teenagers and their pokémon. Without a second thought, Silver quickly mounted his bat-like pokémon and soared in the air out of sight. "You!" He wheezed as he approached the recently abandoned girl.

"Me?" She asked while pointing at herself. Wish cocked his head, equally confused.

"Yes! You stole Shuckie!" He boldly accused while jabbing a meaty finger towards the suspected thief.

The brunette and her togekiss exchanged confused glances until a memory from last night settled in Lyras' mind. After she had taken Blaze and Wish to be recovered at the pokecenter, a man came storming into the center claiming to have been robbed. When he recognized Lyra as a trainer, he pleaded for her to look after his shuckle. Even after she tried to explain that she would be leaving that next morning, the man insisted, explaining that he wasn't strong enough to protect his pokémon from thieves. Reluctantly, Lyra was forced to oblige. Now, that same man hastily accused her of stealing the pokémon he begged her to hold on to. "Gah, fine! Here he is!" Lyra said, irritation dripping from her voice. Tossing the ball towards the man she quickly mounted her togekiss. Wish, equally as eager to leave, spread his strong wings and soared into the air, leaving the older man coughing in the kicked up sand.

With one disaster averted, Lyra now faced another. She had never flown before. She shut her eyes and clung onto Wish's red and blue crown feathers as he soared over the vast sea below. Risking a peek, she girl cautiously opened an eye but quickly lost her sense of fear when she took in her surroundings. The sea below sparkled like a brilliant sapphire as it reflected the suns rays while the blue sky above was adorned with small puffy clouds. In the distance she could make out a few landmarks: the Lighthouse, the Bell Tower, various hills and buildings, until finally she saw Mount Silver. From her vantage point she could see all of Johto. It was remarkable. Wish chirped excitedly as he felt the wind slide over his smooth aerodynamic body. Lyra found his excitement contagious, as she too began to laugh while the air whipped her pigtails around. Hanging onto her puffy cap she leaned closer to Wish and urged, "Alright, let's see how fast you can go!"


Evolutions all around! This chapter was a lot of fun to write; despite how much trouble I had at the end. I think I had 3 different variations of the ending. One was a full out argument between Silver/Lyra, another was Silver slipping her knew her name, and finally the one that actually happened. Overall, I am satisfied with how it came out.

Now, for the exciting stuff! In celebration for Blaze, Pharos, and Wishs' final form evolutions, I made up some digital paintings for all of them. I would love you to death if you would check them out. If you don't, that's okay too, I am just happy to have you as one of my readers. I have a link to my DeviantArt account on my profile, but if you are lazy like me and don't feel like going there, my account name on DA is VivArts.

Enjoy! Also, thank you for all your reviews and PM's. I treasure all of them. It's you guys that keep me writing.