Silver: I do not own Pokémon. Read and Review.

I looked at my watch waiting patiently. Next to me, my Pokémon stood waiting for my command.

"Get ready." I commanded.

My Pokémon stiffened their bodies, ready to obey me.

"FIRE!" I roared.

Garchomp was the fastest. He fired a perfect Draco Meteor in the sky. The rest of my Pokémon attacked it. Charizard with Flamethrower, Pikachu with Thunderbolt, Servine with Leaf Tornado, Typhlosion with Fire Blast and Floatzel with Sonic Boom. The attacks collided and the night-sky was illuminated, like fireworks. It shimmered for a while before finally fading.

I stood in the cold shivering for a while.

"Again." I commanded.

The attacks collided again, and the same effects were created.

I looked at the sky, waiting. And my patience was rewarded. A Togekiss was approaching rapidly with three trainers on its back.

Misty's Togekiss to be exact.

"Pikachu! Thunderbolt!" I yelled.

Pikachu obeyed, and the electricity flowed in the air without a target, make Togekiss appear yellow.

Togekiss circled the Thunderbolt for a few seconds, then dived, nearing me.

As it landed I ran to it.

"Hey Misty, Tracey and Daisy." I said cheerfully as I helped the three of the Pokémon.

"Ash Ketchum. You disappear for three months, after becoming a Pokémon Master, then send me the weirdest note, and end up on top of Mt. Silver. Give us a reason at least!" Misty scolded me.

"C'mon! Is that the way to treat your boyfriend?" I asked, as I ruffled her hair playfully.

"Is that the way to treat your girlfriend?" Misty shot back.

Ouch.

"Trace, I know how much you like sketching Pokémon, so why don't you sketch my Servine? You haven't sketched the Unavo Pokémon right?" I suggested, ignoring Misty.

Tracey, understanding that he wasn't wanted, nodded and went to my Servine, who was preening her leaves.

"Now I can-" I began, then stopped as I heard the approaching footsteps of a Pokémon.

I turned around sharply. Gary appeared on his Arcanine.

"What the hell was that?" He yelled to me.

"What the hell are you doing in Mt. Silver?" I shot back.

"Training." He answered, as he reined in his Arcanine.

"I see... Well, I have a little story to tell you and Mist." I said, I helped him of the panting Pokémon.

The two settled comfortably on the snow, and looked at me expectantly.

"I have a brother. Giovanni's son, and whenever I tried to talk to my mom about Silver or Giovanni (I refuse to call him 'dad') , she'd just laugh nervously and hastily change the subject. It was like that every single time. Except...once, when I was around eight, I pestered and pestered her for answer, until she snapped:

"Look, Ash, I know you care for your brother, but it's just the past now. There's nothing you can do to change it. It's just water under the bridge."

That simple phrase she said last, that simple expression, stuck in my mind forever.

Water under the bridge, water under the bridge...it haunted my mind for months, as though mocking me.

Then it finally hit me, and I realized that the phrase wasn't true. It didn't apply to us. Never.

The blood that bound me and my brother Silver together, that made us siblings- would always be there. It was too thick for any amount of water to wash away. Whether it was the past or not, Silver would always be my brother. Because blood has always been thicker than water..." I spoke softly.

Gary stared at me. "Silver is your frickin brother?"

"Yeah..."

"What's the point of all that you just said?" Misty asked.

"I'm on a master-quest. I have to find Silver. So... Gary... Couldyouandmistylookaftermypokemonandtrainthem?"

Gary laughed. "Slow down Ashy-boy!"

I took a deep breath. "Could you and Misty look after my Pokémon and train them? While I'm away I mean."

"Sure!" Misty agreed, and Gary nodded.

I hugged them both.

"Thank you so much! You have no idea how much it means to me! Oh and since I'm gonna be away, you can use my Pokémon for private battling!"

"Serious?" Misty asked, as she knew how rarely I lent people my Pokémom.

I nodded.

"Oh I've just remembered!" Misty said as she reached into a plastic bag, and pulled out some stuff. "Here you go!"

"Why do you need this?" Gary asked smirking.

"I'll tell you tommorow. Just be at Misty's, at 'round noon." I promised.

The two nodded, and Gary climbed on his Arcanine and rode it into the darkness.

Tracey tapped my shoulder.

"Done." He said as he showed me a drawing of my Servine twirling with leaves.

"Great! Let's go now." Misty said, her voice slightly strained.

Tracey looked at Daisy, and nodded.

Softly so the other two couldn't here, Misty murmured. "Tommorow or a faceful of mallet."

Wow! Hard choice.

Without waiting for a reply she climbed on Togekiss.

I watched the Pokémon until it disappeared.

"Garchomp!" I called.

"Gar?"

"Use your claw to cut my hair."

Garchomp looked surprised but he obeyed nonetheless. My hair was left in uneven state.

I placed the blue-eye contacts, that Misty brought, on my own, and slipped of my clothes and placed the new ones.

I looked at my reflection in the ice and grinned.

Last time I was seen publicly, I was a lithe cheerful kid, who was dressed neatly. Now I was a tan and muscular boy, and I had unusual sternness in my face. My clothes were ragged. I wasn't the same Ash anymore.

"Time to do the plan."

I climbed on Charizard, and he swooped to Mt. Silver's base.

There I placed my clothes on Servine and Floatzel and buried them.

Garchomp hid behind some rocks.

"Pika?" Pikachu looked at me.

"Go." I whispered.

Pikachu climbed on Typhlosion's back and sped off.

I climbed on Charizard again. Once again he flew, but this time, he clung to the rocks. I released a slip of paper and watched as it landed on the mound.

Within a few minutes Typhlosion appeared, with Nurse Joy, and a couple if trainers.

They circled the mound for a few minutes, then left crying.

Charizard shot down the rocks immediately.

I dug up my semi-frozen Pokémon, and Garchomp, Pikachu and Typhlosion circled me.

I grinned. "Well done!"

However as I turned to the east, I saw a strange light.

I stiffened my body for a minute, then laughed.

"It's dawn!" I chuckled.

Charizard snorted, and blasted me with a Flamethrower.

I laughed again, then gave a well-stifled yawn.

Typhlosion curled next to me. Slowly I laid on his back and fell asleep.

I woke a few hours later, lying on the ground. My own Pokémon were training on their own.

I stretched lazily, "Let's go to Misty now, it's almost noon."

All of them froze.

I reached out with my PokéBalls. "Return!"

Charizard and Pikachu stayed outside the balls.

(That sounded wrong.)

Charizard picked me up, and Pikachu.

"To Misty!" I commanded.

He gave a loud roar and flew.

Charizard landed gently in front of her door.

I heard Misty crying.

"I-I can't believe it!"

Gary started soothing her gently.

I recalled Charizard and rapped the door gently.

I heard coming footsteps, and a puffy-face-red-eye Tracey peered.

"Yes?" He snapped.

I was about to comment, then I remembered that I was Ash2.

So I shoved him powerfully and moved in, followed by Pikachu.

"Mam Misty?" I said politely, as I entered.

"No challenges today. Get out before I smash your face with my mallet." Misty snapped.

I stifled a giggle.

"Ferali? Gatr!" A voice cried from behind me.

With that, I was cannon-balled by my Feraligatr.

"That's the first time, I see Feraligatr friendly." Gary commented. "Hey Ferali! Stop that assault!"

Ferali ignored the command, and began licking me.

"That tickles! Stop it! Please!" I laughed, losing my fake accent.

"Ash?" Misty, Gary, Daisy and Tracey said at the same time.

I struggled to push the over-enthusiastic PoKéMon, of me, and when I did, I stood up, my eyes gleaming with amusement.

"Told ya I'd come. It'll take more than a fake-suicide attempt to stop me!"

Misty ran and cannon-hugged me. She was quickly joined by the other three.

Wait... Gary has a heart?

After they all stopped squeezing me with an Ursaring's power, the questions began.

"Have you seen the newspaper?" That was Tracey.

I grabbed it and read. "I can't go on! PoKéMon Master Ash jumps of Mt. Silver!"

"Ash, you have some explaining to do." Man, Misty was mad.

"First of all, my PKMN Master plan, was just a way of powering myself up. Now I'm no longer Ash. I'm Soul. A PoKéMoN Trainer, with no known origin. That way I can do what I want, and people won't interfere." I explained.

"Shall I tell your for you Ash - I mean Souly-Boy?" Gary offered.

"No."

"Where will you start the search? There are over five region's!" Misty pointed out.

I thought for a brief minute, then answered. "Giovanni."

"The former Team Rocket Leader?" Daisy gaped.

"Yeah." I replied.

"Will you change your set?" Gary asked. " I want to know who to train."

I thought again. "No I won't, unless absolutely necessary."

The others nodded, so I took that as a cue to leave.

"Soul?" Misty said as she followed me.

I turned around, and was surprised by a kiss.

"So you do care." I teased.

"Course I do! Anyway just come back safely knuckle-head."

I nodded, and exited, without ever looking back, for fear that she should see my tears.