I've literally spent the last two days using the Musada method to breed a shiny Cutiefly. Eight PC boxes filled, and no dice. BUT I got the little fella.

This story will probably wind down to having roughly forty to forty-five chapters. Which means… the next part will be coming up soon! So on the day of the final chapter, expect the new story to be published the same day.

Amy47101 does not own pokémon, only her OCs, Vale and Sara.

o.0.o.0.o

The Adventure Saga

Enlightening the Soul

o.0.o.0.o

Destiny is quite a fickle thing, isn't it?

o.0.o.0.o

Silver could feel his bones creaking and bending in unnatural ways as he ripped the cloak from Mask. His world swirled, and he wasn't sure if it was because of the effect of being unprotected in this place, or if because his life was beginning to fade. Masks feather and protection fluttered away, a golden light in a sea of darkness.

"Without that feather…" Silver hissed. "You're just a man. Just like me. And so… we're both going to disappear into time… And die here… together!"

If he was taking his life, he was going to take Mask with him. For the hell Silver went through with him, for everything he took from him… As much as he hated to admit it… He knew his mother cared at least a little bit, she just went about it the wrong way. And maybe, if he hadn't been kidnapped, then maybe he could have lived a semi-normal life with his single mother.

But then again, he was taken from Kanto when he was a little boy. Would he have remained in Kanto had he not been taken? Would he had ever decided to make a name for himself in Johto, completely separate from his so called father? Would he had ever met Lyra?

Quite complicated, once he started to question it.

Mask simply fell back, limbs cracking at unnatural angles. Silver, grimacing in pain, reached up a warped arm and wrapped his fingers around his mask.

"No more hiding." Silver hissed, in both pain and seething rage. "Look me in the eyes, you bastard!"

With his arm warped at a near unnatural angle, Silver gripped the grinning face that's taunted him since childhood. It took much more effort than he anticipated, like the thing was nailed to his face. With a final, painful wrench, the mask tore off, lifting in the air above his face.

And what he saw shocked him. Instead of a human face, he saw wires connected to the mask, nails floating away. Underneath was a camera, the screen cracked and broken, a microphone warped under it. As more of the cloak fell away, Silver realized that it was more and more of a metallic, automated body. His stomach twisted with rage and horror as he realized that Mask was to smart to actually go into this by himself. No doubt he had access to people who could make a full-bodied automaton to do his bidding. Why on earth would he put himself in such a dangerous situation?

Silver drifted away from the crackling, breaking metallic body, feeling his own bones breaking alongside it. Knowing Mask, he was probably out of the country at this point.

Great, he immediately thought. All of this was for nothing. His noble, heroic plan of dying alongside his greatest enemy completely went up in smoke. Something in his head popped, and suddenly, he was floating in darkness.

Well, whatever. He'd be alongside Lyra soon enough, he supposed. He closed his eyes as his body began drifting, like a stick on the ocean. He was ready to do anything after his father smacked him away, abandoned him. Steal, hurt, even kill if he had to. Silver was ready to commit any wrong in order to find his own battle and attain his goals. And yet, he forgot what he was even fighting for to begin with.

Lyra…

Could we be happy together, now that we're gone?

Suddenly, something else popped, and painfully, he felt his bones cracking back into place. He landed on his back with a thud, huffing painfully for breath. He knew that putting bones back in place was just as painful if not more over breaking them, but he knew that every bone in his body was probably broken. And by some unnatural means, they snapped back into place.

"Arceus…" he groaned, lifting his hands and flexing his fingers. His joints popped. As he forced himself to sit up, his spine cracked and popped, like he had slept for a long time in an uncomfortable place or unnatural position.

Looking around, he… couldn't really place where he was. A parking lot, definitely, but where? Turning around, he saw a huge building in front of him. Goldenrod General Hospital.

Silver had no clue why he was here, but he awkwardly and stiffly hobbled up to the front entrance. Sitting on a bench and pressing his head into his hands, he tried to figure out what happened. He was dead, right? But weren't you supposed to stop feeling pain after you croaked?

"Silver!" a familiar voice called his name sharply. He snapped his gaze up, hissing as his neck cracked. He tilted his head back and forth, trying to work out the kinks. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Krystal marching towards him, a look of displeasure on her face.

"Krystal?!" he exclaimed, seeing the girl with her pigtails down, marching towards him.

"You… Honestly, you're hopeless sometimes! Even my husband knows better than standing outside while his significant other is giving birth, and he's him!" she shook her head. "Knowing Ethan, he's probably thinking about the kid stats and the likelihood of it coming out 'shiny' or something."

Silver could only stare at her with an open mouth. Since when were those two a couple, let alone married?! And significant other? His? GIVING BIRTH?

"Come on, you!" Krystal grabbed him by the arm and began dragging him through the doors and into the hallway.

Silver, at this point, was seriously lost. He had no clue what Krystal was going on about, but he was fairly certain she had the wrong Silver, if that was possible. He glanced at her again, furrowing his brow.

"What happened to your pigtails?" he asked, still not used to seeing the girl with her usually gravity-defying pigtails. Who would have thought she had wavy hair when it was down? Krystal looked at them oddly.

"I stopped wearing those years ago, when I completed the pokédex in Unova. They were childish in retrospect of the very adult position I now hold."

"Unova…?"

"Arceus, did you accidentally ingest some morphine or something? You're acting off today."

"Of course he's acting off!" another familiar voice laughed. Silver widened his eyes as Ethan cheerfully waved to him. "It's not everyday you get to celebrate the birth of your firstborn."

Krystal let out a long sigh. Silver simply blinked at Ethan. Did he hit a miraculous growth spurt or something? The Ethan he knew was not that tall. Even his hair seemed neater, combed down, though there was still that explosion of bangs over his forehead.

"You two," he finally managed. "I don't know what you're thinking, but I'm not-"

"Of course you're the dad!" Ethan laughed. "No one but you could pass along that head of red hair. Honestly, it's so impeccably bright that I was wondering if it was dyed. But I guess your kid proved me wrong."

"You saw the baby?" Krystal asked, suddenly sounding less cross and more excited. But there was a undertone of disapproval. She shot a small glare at Silver

"Yeah, but I made sure not to look it in the eyes. You know, the first thing a baby sees, they think it's their mom."

"That only applies to pokémon, Ethan." Krystal said, suppressing a chuckle. Ethan shot her a look that was filled mirth but begged for pity.

"And do you know how many times I was a 'mom'? It took forever to get some of them to stop latching onto my leg, and I'm not going to even begin on feedings." he shuddered. "That being said, I guess it all comes with being a breeder."

Krystal rolled her eyes, then continued dragging him down the hallway. Silver still wanted to argue that he was most certainly the wrong Silver, if that was possible, but something tugged at his curiosity. Wherever, whatever, this was, apparently, he was a dad. And he wanted to see what sort of woman managed to capture his heart that wasn't Lyra. He could see himself comparing every woman he would dare to give a chance again to Lyra. No one would be as precious as Lyra.

As they rounded into a peacefully quiet corridor with thick doors, Maternity Ward posted proudly over the doors. As they kept going, they finally stopped in front of a room. Faintly, Silver heard muffled voices talking. Ethan and Krystal looked confused.

"I don't think she was expecting anymore visitors today. I know you called us." Ethan said. He looked over at Silver. "Were you?"

Silver didn't know how to answer, so he just shook his head.

"It might just be a nurse." Krystal said, as if it were obvious. They quietly opened the door, ushering him inside, ahead of him. Silver awkwardly shuffled into the room, looking back at them. Ethan practically had to shove him forward.

As he was forced towards the bed, he saw a young woman with light brown hair and hazel eyes. She was wearing a hospital gown, covered by itchy hospital blankets and propped up by a plethora of pillows. In her arms was a tiny little bundle facing away from him, but Silver saw a pale blue cap with a tuft of red hair sticking up. In fact, now that he looked closer, the entire room was filled with a light blue theme. At the woman's side, sitting in a chair and holding his finger out to the small baby was a man. A man he could only describe as himself, only about a decade or so older. He looked happy, at peace, almost.

This made Silver feel sick. Because there was no way around it, if Ethan and Krystal were behind him, and the future him was in front of him, then that woman holding the baby was Lyra. She looked almost exactly like her…

If Lyra had survived… Would this had been their future?

"Oh wow!"

Arceus, even her voice was the same. He looked up, and saw glimmering amber eyes smiling at him. The shining orbs only matched the bright smile on her lips.

"Silver, you never mentioned a brother! He looks just like you when you were sixteen!"

The future him lifted finally lifted his head from the infant, face immediately shifting from happy to confused, then finally, accusing.

"I don't have any blood siblings." he responded accusingly. His gaze lifted even higher, and Silver looked behind him. Krystal and Ethan looked baffled. "Ethan, who did you bring into my family's hospital room?"

"Me?!" Ethan exclaimed. "I dunno, Krystal found him!"

"Admittedly, yes." Krystal said with sigh. "I found him out front on a hospital bench. I thought he was you."

"They put me in the waiting room with two nurses watching me like a Fearow." future him responded. "The minute I heard Lyra screaming, I tried to punch a doctor and they hauled me out."

"Lyra…?" Silver asked hesitantly. Lyra beamed at him.

"That's me!"

Silver swallowed, then bowed his head. He didn't say anything, but his throat was choking up.

"Aaw…" Lyra whined under her breath. "Hey, what's your name?"

"S-Silver." he responded shakily. A heavy silence fell over the room. Silver looked at her again. "What's going on?"

Lyra smiled at him.

"Come here, Silver." she said like everything was fine. "Can you guess his name?"

Silver shuffled forward, looking at the small infant. Lyra held him out to him.

"It's okay. I think… Well, can we make a guess at what's happening, because I think a certain messenger pokémon is playing pranks."

Silver felt stiff and awkward as Lyra passed the little baby to him. She carefully cradled his head until it was resting safely in the crook of his arm. He could feel his stomach twist. The last baby he held…

He glanced into brown eyes, staring silently at him.

"You… Don't sound all that surprised that I'm here." Silver said slowly, keeping his gaze on the infant. He expected the baby to cry or laugh or something. He just stared at him, like he was observing something new.

"Well, considering how we became known as the heroes of Johto, it's no surprise." Krystal said with a soft smile. "But never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that you'd be holding a baby like that."

"Ah, yes. Edgy little Silver. You should have seen it after our names got out. You were overwhelmed with the attention, but enraged by the fame Lyra obtained!" Ethan laughed loudly.

"Famous…" Silver said slowly, connecting the dots. "Celebi did this?"

"Most likely." Lyra pulled her legs to her chest and folded her arms around them. "Have you come up with any names yet, Silver?"

Silver was confused for a moment, then he realized that she was referring to the baby. He glanced at the baby again, who seemed to have an expecting look on his face. You better not mess this up, Dad.

… Yeah, he was still to young to think thoughts like that.

Glancing down at the baby again, the name suddenly hit him.

"… Haruto. Right?"

Lyra clapped in a congratulatory manner.

"Correct! Named after his grandpa! Of course, I expected you to know, because you suggested it."

"It was better than the ideas she had." future Silver rolled his eyes.

"What was wrong with Soul? I thought it was cute!" Lyra argued, balling up her fists in a childish manner.

"Because naming our kid Soul is as bad as-"

"Naming your kid Silver?" Ethan teased. Future Silver narrowed his eyes.

"My mother named me that," he said in a low voice before smirking. "And it's not like you're one to talk, Ethan Heart Hibiki."

Krystal snorted, hiding her mouth under her hand as she chuckled. Ethan was gaping, looking both surprised and insulted.

"Sh-Shut your mouth!" Ethan snapped. This only caused Krystal to laugh harder. "Krys! Come on, don't you like my name?!"

"Sure. Yes, of course." Krystal said through chortles of laughter. Ethan stood proud. AsmSilver opened his mouth to argue with his future counterpart, Haruto let out a small whine… then threw up on the front of his jacket.

Silence fell over the room as the little baby settled back down into his arms. He didn't cry. He didn't yell. He just gave a satisfied look, as if he had gotten back at someone. Ethan snorted.

"I'll take that as karma for all the crap you put me through when we were younger." Ethan said. Future Silver sighed, crossing his arms. Lyra simply giggled.

"Want me to take him back?" she offered.

"Please." Silver grimaced. Lyra took the little thing back into her arms, grabbing some tissues from a side table to wipe his mouth. She then held the box to Silver. He took a few and began trying to wipe the stuff from his jacket without gagging. Even after he managed to wipe the disgusting substance away from his jacket, there was still a wet stain on his shirt. The smell was anything but pleasant.

Someone clapped their hand on his shoulder.

"Welcome to fatherhood."

Silver closed his eyes and slowly exhaled. Then he turned his head slowly to give Ethan his most menacing glare.

"I'm only sixteen and I still have a mess to clean up in my time. Don't even think of teasing me about being a dad here or in the past."

Instead of being intimidated, as he often was in his time, Ethan simply shook his head.

"After dealing with you for a decade or so, do you expect me to find that intimidating?"

Silver was stunned. He slowly turned back to the future him.

"You need to step up your game."

"And you never should have lowered yours." he sighed, crossing his arms, then slowly looked back to his small family with a soft look on his face. "But then again, I don't entirely blame you."

Lyra smiled warmly at him.

"See? How can you expect anyone to be intimidated when you're like that?" Ethan demanded.

"How can any woman take you seriously enough to put up with your nonsense?" Silver shot back.

"Way to soon on your part, you're, like, sixteen!" Ethan exclaimed. Silver chose to turn back to Lyra. She smiled at him.

"How…" he started, then trailed off. "Is this the future or something else?"

"You know, Silver, I think you need to go back to your friends." Lyra said quietly. "We can't help you here."

"Of course you can help me!" Silver exclaimed. "If this is really the future, then where is Mask, really? And how are the both of us even alive to have Haruto? Lyra-"

"Keep smiling, Silver. Everything always works out, doesn't it?"

Lyra smiled as she said this, the world started to fuzz in and out of focus. As this happened, Lyra raised her hand to wave goodbye.

"See you soon, Silver."

As the world fully began to fade, little Haruto raised his tiny hand and clenched his fingers tightly into his palm, as if this was the best he could manage as a wave.

Suddenly, he was in the darkness again, but instead of floating, he was standing. Standing like he was on solid sidewalk or pavement. Yet all he saw was pitch blackness.

"Hmph," he snorted, closing his eyes and putting his hands in his pockets. He remembered, when Vale was little, tales of false hope she had heard. How fairies had travelled through pitch dark paths to get between their world and the human one. And he manipulated those dreams of finding that path to escape to the 'fairy world'.

"Silver! Is that really you?"

He felt his shoulders tense, then he slowly turned around. There, looking just as radiant and peppy as she always was, was Lyra. The sixteen-year-old Lyra. His Lyra.

"Oh! It really is!" she gasped, fingers fluttering over her mouth as tears brimmed in her eyes. "Silver!"

o.0.o.0.o

Krystal could only stare in flabbergasted shock after Fire questioned them on Lyra's identity.

"What do you mean, who's Lyra?!" Ethan exclaimed. "Lyra, Lyra Kotone! Your junior, The Treasurer, the entire reason we infiltrated Mask's base was to rescue her!"

"No," Fire shook his head, completely baffled. "We entered that base to help Sara rescue Vale. We failed, though, because Vale…" he trailed off. "But yeah, I don't know a-"

"Shut up, shut up, just shut up!" Ethan shook his head, balling his fists into his hair. He turned back around slamming one of his fists into the shrine. The entire thing shuddered. Their seniors startled, looking up at him. "Celebi! If you can travel through time, come here and bring back Lyra and Silver! Dammit, if I'm a reincarnation of a hero, and if Krys and Silver are too, THEN BRING BACK OUR FRIENDS!"

"Ethan!" Krystal exclaimed as he continued pounding his fist into the wood. "Ethan, you'll break the shrine!"

"And what do I care if I do?!" Ethan shot back to her, teary-eyed. "Silver is lost in time, Lyra is dead, and it's all because of what Mask did! How are we even gonna bring back the juniors we have now that the portal is closed?! What's been undone that can't be fixed?!"

He crumpled to his knees, digging his fingers into the wood.

"What's the point, Krsytal?! What's the point in being a hero when we're recycled versions of people in the past? What's the point when we're the sloppy-seconds of our seniors?"

"Ethan, please…"

"Don't tell me it's not true! Don't tell me that! We didn't even have that much recognition to begin with, Krys! Lyra and Silver stopped Team Rocket! Lyra and Silver thwarted their plans and beat the eight gym leaders! You, and especially me, aren't even comparable to that!"

"You know, you'd think I'd remember someone who-" Fire started off, crossing his arms behind his head with a confused look on his face. Ethan cut him off, not even bothering to let him speak.

"And the worst part of this all is that no one will even remember Lyra! All because she didn't get the chance at life she deserved! What kind of friends were we, Krys? now we'll be forever be known as the heroes who were nothing but sloppy seconds, the heroes who lost their friends in battle!"

There was a long silence.

"You were wrong about being a supporting unit, Fire." Ethan continued, voice cracking with each word. "So, so wrong."

Krystal was quiet, then walked towards the shrine and kneeled beside him.

"Pray with me." she said simply.

"Yeah, mimic the past reincarnates-"

"You are recklessly brave and I am undyingly devoted." Krystal said seriously. "Tell me, Ethan, did we develop this because we happen to be reincarnations, or did we become who we are because we faced our own challenges? Did we receive our individual titles because we were the sloppy seconds of our seniors, or did we receive them in recognition of our own talent? Are we who we are because of people before us, or are we who we are because we made it here ourselves?!"

Her voice rose louder on her last sentence. Ethan averted his gaze.

"If you don't want to pray for at least Silver's safe return, that's fine! But don't you dare give me some excuse that you're any less or more of a person because of who we were in past life and who came before us in this one!" she stubbornly turned to the shrine. "If it worked once before in getting Ho-oh to resurrect Suicune, Raikou, and Entei, then it will work just as well now to bring back Silver and maybe even Lyra."

With that, she dropped to her knees, clapped her hands together in formal prayer, then bowed with her forehead touching the ground. Her body curled around the unmoving body of the infant version of their dead friend, as if protecting it from any harm that would dare to come her way.

Ethan watched her for a minute, then turned to his seniors. Fire still looked like he was trying to figure out who Lyra was. Dayna had one hand resting on each of the infants stomachs, safely keeping the twins in place while she watched what was happening between them. Leaf was enraptured in the reality of having Serenity back in her arms, and Gary looked like he was focusing greatly.

Ethan let out a long sigh, then followed Krystal's suit. She was right, in every sense of the word. Whether he was a hero of the past, or the junior of a dexholder, he was Ethan Heart Hibiki, first and foremost. And his prayers meant just as much as any others.

Please, Ho-oh, Celebi, Raikou, and all the legends of this world… I might not be a saint, but I'm a person nonetheless! Please, please, please! Perform a miracle and bring back my friends!

o.0.o.0.o

If Lyra was holding something, she was pretty certain she would have dropped it at this point. She wasn't sure what the process of fading into existence was, but all she knew was that she remembered there being a pop in her ears, then she was here, wandering around endlessly in darkness.

And like a flash of color in the darkness, she saw a bright red head of hair, also aimlessly wandering through this abyss. And before her mind could register what she was saying, her heart hammered at an amazing speed, and spoke for her. And she called his name.

His shoulders tensed, and he slowly turned. She locked gazes with cold gray eyes that gave them a metallic hue, befitting of his name.

"Oh! It really is!" she gasped, feeling tears spilling over. "Silver!"

She broke into a sprint and after a moment, so did he. She wasn't sure if she should have been surprised when he started making a running sprint towards her as well. Her hat flew off her head, falling to the ground with a heavy plop. Within mere moments, both were clinging to each other like the other was the only person left in the world… which in a sense, they were. She had her arms wrapped around him tightly, and his arms were both tight yet gentle, almost like she was an illusion that was bound to break away and disappear in a matter of minutes.

But she understood that too. She was five seconds from breaking down into a pile of overjoyed tears. Something warm dropped onto her head, sinking into the roots of her hair.

"Aw," Lyra said, pulling back and glancing up at him. Touching her fingers to his cheek, she felt her heart blossom with warmth. A small trail of salty, warm water trailed across her fingers. "Silver, I've never seen you cry before."

"This has to be a dream." he shut his eyes, shaking his head. "If it's not, I'm set to do cartwheels across this place."

"Cracking jokes? Is that really you?" Lyra murmured behind a laugh.

"I was serious." Silver sniffled, reaching up and running his hand across his eyes. "I've never been happy to the point of crying before."

"That's okay." Lyra couldn't help but beam. "I've never been that happy either."

"Could've fooled me." Silver shook his head. "You're always so bubbly, I would think a flower would make you cry."

"Happy tears are special." Lyra said with a firm resolution. "They're like evolution stones. There's only so many, so you have to use them sparingly. Like for weddings. And when your kids are born."

Lyra blinked as Silver's ears seemed to match the color of his hair. He had an awkward look on his face, like he just happened to remember something particularly embarrassing.

"What's wrong?" she asked, blinking her eyes. "Was Ethan teasing you, Silver?"

"As if." Silver scoffed, turning his gaze away. "I could get enough ammo against him to make him want to crawl in a hole and stay buried there."

Seeming to have regained his composure, he moved his hands so they were on her shoulders, squeezing them as if to actually confirm that she was real.

"How are you alive? I saw… I held…" he grimaced, almost like he was remembering something horrifying. "Lyra, that madman made me hold… made me… hold…"

Lyra swallowed sadly. Silver was bowing his head with his eyes clenched shut, more tears falling from his eyelids. He was inhaling deeply with quick, short breaths, like he was trying to hold back everything, trying not to break down. And she had a small inkling of what Mask had done.

"It's okay," she said softly, reaching towards his face, cupping it in her hands. "It's alright. I'm here. Literally and figuratively, I'm here for you Silver."

"I was so done." he continued. "Our seniors can quote us on this, I swore that I was gonna loose it if I lost one more thing to Mask. And when I… was holding you I swore I was going to die in that time warp and take him with me. But even then… Even then I failed. He didn't go in himself, Lyra. He sent in some freaking robot that got destroyed instead. So even if I wanted to die, even if I wanted to take him down with me and avenge Vale and end this all, I couldn't. No matter how hard I tried, no matter how much I wanted any or all of the troubles in my life to end, that damn man was always one step ahead. When he caught me and Vale, when he tracked us down, when he re-entered my life, and even when we had Leaf, the Arceus-damned Strategizer, make a plan of action with my help, I still failed. Is this what it's like, Lyra?"

He snapped his gaze up with the most pitiful, watery look on his face.

"Lyra, is this what it was like for you when you lost your father? To be so hopeless that you wanted to just end it all, because you figured it would be better on the other side?"

"I don't know." Lyra shook her head, lip quivering. "I don't know what it's like to want to die, because I always tried to look on the brighter side of things. Because I always knew someone out there would miss me if I was gone, someone would cry about me being dead…"

"I always thought Vale would have been that person, and maybe you. But you, you would probably say something like 'Death isn't something to mourn, it's something to celebrate. Death is only a celebration of the memories and life of the person we lost, and we have to cherish it.'"

"No, Silver, no." Lyra shook her head. "I'm an optimist, but I'm not completely blind. I would cry so much if you died. I'd be… I think the right word would be 'brokenhearted'. Please don't say you want to die. Please don't say anything like that. Please, you're strong. If you were strong enough to get as far as you did, then you're strong enough now, aren't you?"

"I lost Vale. My father won't even admit I'm his kid, my mother is stuck in jail… And I'm afraid of what will happen if we try to leave. What if you disappear? What will I do then?"

He flinched, averting his gaze and roughly rubbing his eyes.

"What am I doing?" he grumbled, quickly passing her. Lyra turned to to watch him, and saw that he was going for his hat. Picking up the fallen accessory, he held it in his hand, muttering under his breath. "I thought I couldn't cry anymore. What's wrong with me?"

Lyra suddenly balled her hands into fists and stood tall and proud.

"People don't cry because they're weak." she said firmly. "They cry because they've been strong for too long. I don't count tears as weaknesses of crying, because it's just water leaking from the eyes. But tears the come from someone finally being open after being strong for far to long, those are real tears."

Silver slowly turned to look at her. She shut her eyes, exhaling.

"And those tears should be comforted, because in those little drops of water is not weakness, but unbelievable strength."

Opening her eyes, Lyra saw Silver looking at her with a look that was a mix of bafflement. Then his face morphed into something of admiration, with a small smile on his face. Lyra could feel her entire neck heat up, remembering his earlier proclamation of love.

Silver approached her, holding her hat by the brim. She closed her eyes, and felt something warm brush against her forehead. Cracking her eyes open, she felt her breath hitch when she realized that Silver was kissing her on the forehead. Before she could look him in the eyes, however, he plopped her hat on her head and pulled the brim over her eyes.

"Wah! S-Silver!" she exclaimed, pushing her hat over her eyes so she could turn to look at him.

"Unfortunately, I'm not worthy enough to steal a kiss from your lips yet." Silver sighed, glancing back at her with a smirk. "Maybe one day. But not today."

Lyra felt the heat crawl up her neck and to her ears and cheeks. Silver held out his hand.

"Lets find a way out of here."

Lyra smiled, grabbing his hand.

"Yes, lets!"

o.0.o.0.o

Whether it was minutes or hours, Lyra wasn't sure. But within moments, she thought of something to talk about, to fill the silence.

"You know, when I was little, I read a story around dark paths like this." she said with a soft smile. "About how fairies and whatnot travelled this path, and about how a human girl got caught by a fairy and got trapped on the paths."

"And the girl was hopeless because only fairies could navigate the paths, and she was afraid that she would never see her family again." Silver continued. "As she continued thinking of her loved ones, she suddenly could hear the voices of her family and friends…"

"Then navigated the path to her home!" Lyra finished gleefully. "You know the story?"

"Vale told it to me when I was young, when we were talking about escaping. That was her first suggestion." Silver responded. "I called her an idiot."

"Oh…" Lyra trailed off. "I'm sor-"

"You didn't do anything wrong." Silver said. "But what I want to know is where she heard that story. It's not like Mask was exactly a fan on fictional tales of fairies and witches."

"Maybe it was before she was kidnapped?" Lyra suggested.

"Age four and under, Lyra?"

"Well, I remember things from when I was four." Lyra shrugged. "A lot of things involving my Papa, really."

"I don't." Silver said bluntly. "Honestly, it makes me a little upset. I bet my Mom was okay back then. My dad… Not so much."

"Thats a shame." Lyra sighed. The memory of Silver's interaction with Giovanni popped into her head. "Do you ever wonder why Mask took you way back then?"

"That was never really clear." Silver said with a furrowed brow. "He says that it's because I showed a talent for evolving pokémon, it was something I was born with. But everything I know about evolving pokémon I learned over the five years I was held there. The other kids had preset talents, I think. Going off Vale, she already had a pretty decent set of battling skills as a kid."

"I remember Sara saying something about that." Lyra murmured. Her heart felt heavy for a moment. "Do you know… if Ariana left Team Rocket before or after you were born?"

Silver didn't respond. He looked like he was thinking.

"Because if you were three when you were taken… And then you turned up again when you were about twelve during that Final Battle… I mean, maybe it would make sense if your father didn't really know about you. And maybe Ariana went back to Team Rocket to find Giovanni because she knew she'd need their help to find you."

"...It doesn't excuse that she chose a mafia over some sort of police help… I think she just posted some missing person posters and didn't even try to go to police." Silver said under his breath.

"But it means she loves you, doesn't it?" Lyra asked. "She went through all of that trouble to find you and reunite her family… All for you. I guess I'm just trying to say that it's more than I could say about my mom." she choked on a laugh. "If I suddenly went missing, she'd probably only look for me because she wants media and proceeds from the public."

Lyra suddenly snapped her mouth shut.

"Sorry. I shouldn't talk like that. It makes me sound ungrateful."

"The truth should be spoken." Silver said. "And you already know my opinion on your mother, so you shouldn't be so sensitive when it comes to me. Because in some sense, you might be right. As for Mask's reasons for kidnapping me, whether it was for my so-called skill or not, I could care less. Because my father proved that I meant nothing to him a long time ago."

"So you think...?"

"I'm not going to lie and say the thought hasn't crossed my mind before. But Mask primarily kidnapped children for exceptional skill, hence, his hunt for the pokédex owners. On top of that, he's on a hunt for legends because he wants to appear powerful. From leaked news and Proton, I could guess that Mask got hint of my fathers endeavor to create a pokémon more powerful than Mew."

"Mewtwo…"

"Yeah. Honestly, Mask probably kidnapped me as ransom against my father for all his information on Mewtwo. When that fell through, as my dad supposedly doesn't have a son, he probably decided to make use of me."

"But your mom was searching, wasn't she?"

"...I suppose."

Lyra smiled.

"You should visit your mom. After," she waved her other arm through the air. "After we get out of this mess."

Silver didn't respond to that, but he squeezed her hand tightly. She found herself smiling at that.

"How long have we been walking?" Lyra wondered aloud.

"Who knows?" Silver responded.

"Do you think we'll ever get out of here?"

"Do you want my honest opinion or my sugar-coated one?"

"You were never one to sugar-coat things, Silver." Lyra teased.

"I don't know." he said simply. "I honestly don't even know how we got here, nor do I know how to get out."

"You humans, always so pessimistic."

Both froze at the giggly voice. Looking upwards, they saw an orb of golden-green light fluttering above them. The orb suddenly took a semi-familiar shape.

"C-Celebi…!" Lyra gasped.

A tinkling giggle echoed in the dark void.

o.0.o.0.o

The screech of a vaguely familiar bird echoed over the land of Johto, drawing closer and closer to the Ilex shrine. A golden bird with legendary feathers that glittered with the colors of the rainbow flew overhead. For centuries, it had searched for a pure-hearted human, inspired by the humans who once loved and were loved by the legendary beasts he resurrected.

Once every thousand years, something akin to a miracle was performed. The last one that he had performed was resurrecting Suicune, Raikou, and Entei. Now, they were regarded as legends.

Circling the Ilex shrine, he heard faint cries of the pixie-messenger, Celebi. She had already entered the tunnel of time to find the two trainers. With a mighty gust of his wings, he descended into the small clearing.

o.0.o.0.o

Wind whipped her pigtails around her head, causing Krystal to duck down in order to not get blow away herself. She looked to the side, and saw Dayna, Fire, Leaf, and Gary protecting the infant versions of their future juniors. As the gusts of wind got stronger, she turned, and saw Ho-oh descending. Ethan scrambled to stand next to her, face both tearstained and awestruck.

"Ho-oh," she whispered under her breath, bowing her head and stepping forward, slowly unveiling baby Lyra's little head. The blood dribbling from her nose had long since crusted over and Krystal could feel the chill through her little white dress. "I don't know what you view Ethan and I as, but we know you chose Lyra as your pure-hearted trainer, the one you've been searching for for centuries. That pure heart has been wiped away from this world because of a man that tried to imprison you. Please, bring back Lyra, and bring back Silver. Bring back out friends! Please!"

Bowing down, she held up the body of baby Lyra. There was silence across the clearing. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dayna and Gary looking at her with abstract horror, Fire looked confused, like he was still trying to figure out who Lyra was, and Leaf's expression was unreadable. She could understand the horror and confusion. After all, all this time, the bundle she was carrying, carefully hiding, was the small corpse of a baby.

Ho-oh stared at her for a moment, then gently bowed his head. Like a parent kissing their child, his beak brushed against her tiny forehead, both Ho-oh and her were surrounded in a golden light. The light was so bright it was almost blinding them. Krystal forced her eyes away, not wanting to loose her sight for good. Eyes clenched shut and still holding the baby up, she waited. And then…

A bright bubbly laugh, achingly but nostalgically familiar, echoed throughout the clearing.

o.0.o.0.o

"Please excuse my lords late arrival," the pixie-messenger continued as the area warped from darkness and into bright colors. "But being a god-legend is a pretty complicated job, you know?"

"What's going on?!" Silver demanded, pulling Lyra close. "I'm not going back without her, so don't think about it!"

"What is with you?" Celebi demanded, cocking her head curiously. "Why are you so pessimistic? You do realize Ho-oh has the power to resurrect those he deem worthy? I think his chosen human is worthy enough of that honor! You should be happy Ho-oh is allowing me to give you a second chance, chosen one of Entei!"

It was followed by another tinkling laugh, they were being pushed towards an doorway. Lights and memories flashed through her mind, and Silver let out a sharp exhale of breath. They, they hurtled through the portal, rolling over one another until they came to a stop at the edge of the clearing. Silver pushed himself off her as quickly as they landed, almost like they hadn't even stopped. There they laid, staring up at the sky.

"I remembered something about my mom." Silver muttered under his breath. Lyra sat upright, her attention completely on him.

"What?!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"She was sick." Silver muttered. "She was sick, but she would hold me at night when I was two or three, because I was terrified of Spinark and Ariados. Even though she needed the rest, she persevered through all of that just to provide for me. And judging by how she looks when I last saw her, she shook off whatever she had and is still going strong."

"Oh, Silver…" Lyra whispered, genuinely happy and touched that somehow, going through that time warp made him remember something so sweet. Silver sat up, propping his elbow on his knee and then propping his head on his elbow

"Lyra!" Ethan exclaimed, sprinting towards them and latching an arm around her childhood friend. "Oh my Arceus, I thought you were dead! I so thought you were dead!"

Lyra opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off with a loud groan.

"Lyra Kotone, The Treasurer!" Fire exclaimed. "I can't believe that I forgot that for a few minutes there!"

He fell onto his rear, holding his head. Dayna looked at him concerned.

"Are you feeling okay, Fire?" she asked gently. She looked like she wanted to stand up and check his temperature, but she had her hands full with the twins.

"I swear, my head is not in the right place right now. To much stress, I think." Fire sighed. "Seriously, we've been doing nothing but traveling lately, I think this pushed me over the edge."

"I hope you're prepared to travel a little more." Silver said, also standing up. "Mask is still out there. He sent in a robot copy of himself so there was no risk of harm to his physical form. He's probably on his way or already out of the region by now."

"Damn." Fire sighed, tilting his head back. "This job never cuts any slack, does it?"

"Did you expect it to?" Gary asked. He turned his gaze to his juniors. "You four have your work cut out for you now."

"Arceus forbid." Krystal sighed. She approached Lyra and Silver alongside Ethan. "I'm glad to see the two of you back. We really scared for a few minutes there."

"But now what?" Gary asked.

Lyra cocked her head, playfully tickling the baby in Krystals arms.

"I guess we have to take these little ones home." she said, glancing back at the shrine.

The portal was still open, Celebi flicking around it, playfully waiting for them.

o.0.o.0.o

Yeah, so, I planned on updating this on New Years Day, but it's getting updated now. So Happy New Years!

The waving scene with Haruto was actually inspired by an event that happened in my life, when my cousin, Logan, was born. My uncle was holding him as my family was about to leave the hospital room, and he raised his hand, still clenched in a fist, and opened then closed his fingers. My aunt, his mother, was so surprised that she asked my uncle if he helped him or made him do that. He did it all on his own, and it was so cute~.

I hope to Arceus someone recognizes the reference to one of my other stories I put in here. I swear, I might be disappointed if one of you DON'T recognize it.

Also, a new OC for Alola is in the making! Actually, she's completed… But all I can tell you is that her favorite pokémon is Pyukyumuku, nicknamed Pookie, and she is targeted by Team Skulls enforcer for reasons yet to be known. ;)

Amy47101 signing off! ^.^