Silver's Victory

*Victory Road*

"Being back here brings back some memories…" I said to my pokemon. "None of them are good, and it does not help that there is absolutely nobody in this cave."

"Come on, boss…" Liteweight the Jumpluff said. "We've got your back."

"We believe in you." Twinkle the Starmie agreed. "I do anyway."

"You're going to shock the league with your return!" Powerball the Electrode said excitedly. "We can probably use that to their advantage!"

"I can be brave because of you!" Lucius the Steelix said ironically. "We can surely make our way through an empty cave."

"I've been with you and by your side since the very beginning of this Johto journey." Flint the Typhlosion said. "And we're in this together whether I have to carry you on your back or drag you by your feet."

"My father trusted you with every ounce in his being." Talon the Pidgeot said. "I can see now why he was so trusting and faithful, and as you had his faith, you have mine as well. Except this time…We're going to win!"

"Yeah! We are going to win this time!" I said, suddenly feeling a lot better. "Alright, let's head on our way!"

As I walked down victory road, I remembered those that had fallen so far…first there was Dracula…a Zubat that I was able to use on my first Nuzlocke that had managed to escape with his life to Johto…unfortunately he was the first to fall here…

Next of the fallen pokemon was Sunnyside…an Exeggcute that unfortunately had the worst luck battling a Wiggllytuff.

Finally there was Scarlett…a red Gyarados that had decided to attempt to take on Petrel but had perished when his pokemon Self Destruced, turning her whole body to cinders.

These were but 3 of the many pokemon I was fighting for, and I had plenty of pokemon that I was fighting for from my old team in Kanto as well.

So I was quite upset when I saw Silver at the end of the tunnel.

"You here for a battle?" I asked as I readied myself to call Powerball.

"…..Not….Exactly…" Silver said slowly. It looked almost painful for him.

"Well then what do you want? Team rocket is gone for good now, and you will not be able to revive it."

"So you figured out who I was huh…" Silver let out a slight chuckle.

"So if it isn't to avenge your parents or their organization…what exactly are you here for?"

"I….I want…want….your help."

"I'm sorry…" I said. "I think I might have gone crazy, did you, Silver, the one who screwed me over during my Kanto journey, just ask for my help?"

"I did." Silver said, seeming to accept it. "I…want you to train me and help me become a better trainer! I've done a lot of thinking and what you and Lance said to me is right. My pokemon aren't going to get stronger unless I care for them properly! I've already offered Professor Elm Feraligatr back, but after seeing how much it grew he decided to let me keep it. I turned myself in to the police but they were too full with hardened team rocket criminals to contain me so they just had me pay a fine. I want to really make this reform work, and I want you to train me!"

Huh…like father like son I guess…what with the being evil and then just stopping…

"Why me though?" I asked. "Why not someone who doesn't have a pressing matter to attend to?"

"The answer…lies around us." Silver said.

"But…there is absolutely nothing but rocks around us." I replied.

"Exactly. You are the only other trainer besides me with enough balls to even enter Victory Road. In fact, no one has entered this tunnel since you lost to Bruno here six months ago."

Bruno…Just hearing his name brought back unpleasant memories of that day. It wasn't his fault of course, he was just doing his job…but yeah…unpleasant memories.

"Well, I'm sorry but I wouldn't even know how to train you."

"Don't be ridiculous! It'll be simple." Silver said as the music started.

"Whatever you do…" Silver sang. "I'll do it too. Teach me everything and show me how. It all means something and yet nothing to me."

I started to walk out when Silver blocked the exit. "I can see there's so much to learn…" he sang as I walked outside and he followed me. "The league's so close, and yet so far…I see myself as my Pokemon see me, oh I just know there's something going on here!"

"I want to know!" He sang as he blocked my path up the steps. "Can you show me? I want to know."

"Want to know? Then get out of my way." I sang a reply.

"Tell me more." Silver sang. "Please show me…"

"There's something spectacular, but you're still in my way." I sand back to him.

"Every gesture…Every move that they make, makes me feel like never before." Silver sang, referencing his pokemon. "Why do I have this growing need to walk beside them?"

"Ugh." I said as Silver started to force me back down the steps from the door.

"All of these tactics I never knew, I really want to get in that place." He sang as he pointed to the league. "Beyond the trees, above the clouds, I see before me, a new horizon!"

"Come with me then." I sang giving in. "And watch the league…where there's battles beyond your dreams! As long as you promise to not screw me." I sang as Silver nodded. We both were greeted by Lance opening the door.

"Take my hand." Lance sang. "There's something you need to know oh oh…" Lance sang as Silver and I each took one of Lance's hands…but then the music stopped abruptly.

"Gotcha!" Lance cackled as he tossed Silver and I into a cage and slammed the door shut and locked it tight. "No trainers to battle means I remain champion! I had a feeling my damnable cousin Clair would send you of all people to try to dethrone me. She's been suspicious of me ever since I left her in charge of the Blackthorn Gym…"

"Lance! It's me!" I said. "It's Hank Coro! We took down Team Rocket at Mohogany Town together!"

"Wrong!" Lance said as he waved a finger. "You took down team rocket. I on the other hand made sure that the machine to help pokemon evolve and get stronger was destroyed, effectively making it difficult to evolve many pokemon, and strengthening my chances of remaining Champion!"

"This is preposterous!" Silver said. "I demand you release us at once. Or at least Coro. He has all eight badges and reserves the right to ch-"

"Silence!" Lance yelled as Dragonite shot a Hyper Beam at Silver. I crawled over to him. He was unconscious, but still alive.

"Here's what I think of your eight badges." Lance said as he dumped my badge case in the trash. "It looks like you are coming with me to see the Champion's room. Unfortunately, it's where you will remain until I wipe out every miserable little pokemon in the Indigo Area and save myself from Mewtwo's Rule!"

"You're insane!" I protested, but Lance just cackled maniacally as he carted me and Silver off.

*Later*

My pokemon came out of hiding from the upper floor of the pokemon center before the Elite 4 rooms.

"So…there goes Hank…" Talon said. "Now what do we do?"

"We can't enter in the League by ourselves!" Flint exclaimed. "Wait a minute….can we?"

"The person at the register won't know what we're saying." Lucius said. "Flint, you're the only one with hands that can grab a pencil or pen. Do you know how to write?"

"I don't know how to write anything." Flint admitted.

"Well, we have to at least try to register. Hank would want us to!" Liteweight said.

"One try, coming up!" Powerball exclaimed as he rolled up to the registration desk. "I'd like to register our party here under Hank Coro ma'am!" Powerball said to the register with a smile.

"Huh…" The register said. "You can't be any one of the League's pokemon…"

"Worth a try!" Powerball said. "Now again!"

Before he could try again, a small group of Unown entered the building.

"What are all you wild pokemon doing here?" Flint asked the Unown. Some Unown floated over to him and rearranged themselves to read "HELPING YOU".

A few more Unown moved to the register and rearranged themselves to read. "HANK CORO WOULD LIKE TO REGISTER WITH THEESE SIX POKEMON."

The register looked awestruck that the Unown were even moving, let alone communicating. She looked to make sure that Lance was nowhere to be seen.

"I'm glad he's back." She said as she nodded and opened the door to allow my pokemon through.

"Thank you so much for your help." Flint said to the Unown. "We owe you."

"NO." The Unown read. "WE OWE YOU."

"Well, don't worry." Flint said. "We're going to rescue our trainer and defeat the Champion, then we'll save you from this Nuzlocke and you can finally come out of those Ruins of Alph without facing danger!"

"THANK YOU" The Unown read. "GOOD LUCK."

"Flint!" Liteweight called from inside the room. "We gotta move! Now!"

"Thanks for the help guys." Flint said as he left. "It looks like we have some hope of winning this thing yet!"