Spending time at sea made her stomach a little queasy. The waters weren't even rough, but even the smallest of waves were enough to make her run to the bathroom. For the third time that hour, Jasmine leaned over into the bowl and cleaned out the contents of her stomach. What a start to an adventure.
"Did you forget to take sea sickness tablets?" Chuck said.
Jasmine pulled away, wiped her mouth using the back of her right hand then looked at Chuck. "I didn't think I'd fall seasick. I've never been out at sea before," she admitted, before turning back to the bowl again. "When does this end?"
"It'll pass. You should lie down, Jasmine. It'll help alleviate the symptoms."
She gave a weak nod then leaned over again into the bowl. Once she was certain she wasn't going to barf again, she slowly rose to standing position and walked to the nearby sink. Turning the tap on, she ran her hands under the water for a few moments then washed her mouth out. The taste of bile was almost enough to make her vomit again, but fortunately, she was able to hold it off.
At least none of it had gotten into her hair. With assistance from Chuck, Jasmine exited the bathroom and headed towards her room. Chuck had advised choosing a cabin closer to the centre as the further out, the less stable it was. "Thanks Chuck. I appreciate it," she said, as she inserted the cabin key into her quarters. She pushed open the door and walked inside then sat down on her bed. The room wasn't huge – it was just a standard size room with a single queen-sized bed and a table with two chairs.
"We're in this together, Jasmine. You're also a gym leader and a friend. We look out for each other," he said as he sat down on one of the chairs. The rooms were all white – white sheets, white beds, and matching white walls. It reminded him of one of those rooms in a rehabilitation centre where the walls were all padded. "Just hang in there. We're going to find the lost sailors, rescue them and return home."
Almost a week had passed since they had set sail on the rescue mission, but they had yet to find anything. Several ships had come through this route, and none had returned, sparking rumours they had been lost at sea. One of the crews included the infamous Captain Stern, who was said to have come towards the Whirlpool Islands, but the local authorities hadn't found anything nor had any news of their location been spotted.
"What if they can't be found? What if we're too late?"
It was possible. If the authorities hadn't found them, then who could? Days had already passed and not a single word of their whereabouts. Friends and family members had been interviewed, but all claimed they hadn't heard a single thing, and were just was as worried as the rest of the community. If they had perished at sea… then why?
Shipwrecks had happened before, but that had been in the early days where technology was limited. Usually, ships lost at sea had resulted from poor training and human error, but education had improved dramatically in the past decade. There hadn't been a single report of a tragedy at sea in modern times until now. It wouldn't just be a region wide disaster, but it would become international news. How could it have gone so terribly wrong?
"We have to have faith, Jasmine."
Rather than lie down on the bed, Jasmine stood up and paced back and forth, unable to sit still. Her mind was focused on the people on board the ship – either they were still stranded or had perished. Their resources would've run out by now or been lost in the wreckage. "Their families must be so worried."
"We're going to find them. We have to."
It sounded as if he was trying to convince himself there was still hope for the sailors, but with each passing day, Jasmine found it harder to believe. If they had been stranded, then why hadn't they made contact? Xtransceivers might have been lost, but all sailors had water-type pokémon. Furrowing her brows, she brought a finger to her lower lip and gnawed on a nail. The route the sailors often took was home to schools of tentacool and tentacruel. Was it possible that they were the culprits behind the disappearance of the sailors?
"I'm worried, Chuck. I don't think the sailors were simply lost."
He frowned. "What do you mean?"
Pulling her finger away from her mouth, she continued. "If they were lost at sea, then why didn't they try to contact us? Captain Stern is highly qualified too, and he's sailed these waters for over a decade. It doesn't make any sense that he would become lost. Even if they had, they could've used their pokémon to call for help."
"You believe they were attacked?" Chuck's frown remained. "Cianwood's waters are populated by tentacool and tentacruel, but I haven't heard of any reports of trainers being attacked at sea. It would be random."
"Strange things have been happening in recent times, Chuck. The three felines and Ho-Oh returned. There was also trouble in Sinnoh with legendary pokémon." She frowned, her mind reflecting on the past events of modern time. Legendary pokémon were reappearing after years of absence and now pokémon were attacking humans? "I think they're connected, but I don't know how."
"It could just be coincidence, Jasmine. Maybe we're thinking about this hard. It could simply be the sailors were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is breeding season for the tentacruel, isn't it? They do tend to a get a little more aggressive than usual around this time."
Jasmine shrugged. She didn't know much about the breeding habits of tentacruel nor of any water-type for that matter. "I think something has upset them. Maybe… Maybe we didn't capture all the Team Rocket people. They could've done something to aggravate them and that's why they're behaving so aggressively."
The man shrugged. "I wish I had answers, but I don't. We just have to hope we can find what's going on and save those that can still be saved." He rose to his feet. "Everything is going to be all right, Jasmine."
She nodded. Although she wasn't convinced, she could read the look in Chuck's face that he was done with the conversation. Not that she blamed him – it was a depressing topic discussing whether people survived. He headed out the room, but she didn't follow. Instead, she decided to take Chuck's advice and lied down on the bed to lessen the nausea.
She closed her eyes and listened to the waves crashing against the ship. Combined with the rocking motion, it wasn't long before Jasmine fell asleep.
.
"Many years later and here we both are under the same roof," Jacob drawled, leaning back in the seat, his arms folded across his chest. The woman sat opposite to him. They were currently seating down on the grandstand overlooking the battles happening. None of the battles were impressive, but it was better than just sitting inside his father's home looking at cave walls.
"And we are both here for good reason – to preserve your bloodline," Drasna replied, her elbows resting on the edge of the table. "The Dragon Council will not hesitate to ruin your family name, but you prevent this from happening."
"By finding Lugia."
She nodded. "The white dragon of the seas. This was the dragon our earliest ancestors were searching for but were never able to tame."
"And you think a direct descendant of the Blackthorn line can?"
Again, she nodded. "Your family has a unique bloodline, Jacob. Your bond with dragons is unlike any other family. Your grandfather had the gift of foresight; you can read the emotions of dragons and your grandson can sense Lugia's presence although I suspect he's not aware of it yet. I'm sure if we looked back in your family tree, we'd find other unique traits."
"So, you're saying my family mingled with dragons?"
"Not on an intimate level, but rather the consumption of dragon blood. Ghost-type trainers drink the blood of their pokémon to gain access to the Spirit World – the founders of the Blackthorn Clan are no different."
Jacob snorted. Drinking dragon blood. That would explain a lot of things. No wonder the other clans despised them so much and wanted to remove their presence from the world. "And those unique traits were passed down from generation to generation through our children."
"That is correct."
"What makes Lugia so special?"
"The founders of the Blackthorn Clan, your ancestors, believed that finding the sacred white dragon would make them a worthy fit for being the leader. You were supposed to be the next in line."
"I did what needed to be done. If I hadn't of acted, that dragonite would've attacked us all… Regardless of whether it was intentional or not. The judges didn't see it that way – but I know what I did saved us all." He paused then, "He's not going to go willingly."
"Then convince him."
"That finding Lugia is going to make him a proper leader? We've moved on from those days, Drasna. We live in the modern rule now and most of the laws were once followed have since been abolished. Lance isn't going to see any value in chasing after Lugia. Besides, he's already the Blackthorn Elder by blood."
"That doesn't mean his reign will last. He'll be challenged. With Lugia at his side, he'll be protected. Legendaries only choose people pure of heart – what other proof would Lance need to show that he is the rightful heir?"
Drasna raised a fair point, but he wasn't entirely convinced yet. Finding Lugia was a suicide mission; last he heard the dragon was sleeping at the bottom of some cave. Sailors had tried finding the location of the slumbering dragon to no success. Those who went in search for the dragon never returned.
"He is your son, Jacob. If anyone can convince him, it would be you. You know him better than anyone else."
He grabbed his mug of coffee and took a sip, swallowed then cleared his throat. "Untrue," he said softly. "He might be mine, but I hardly know him. What I know is from the papers only. You think he's going to listen to me? Lyra has a better chance of convincing him."
Lyra, Lance's girlfriend. Lyra wasn't the type of girl he thought Lance would've gone for, but surprisingly they matched well. She was the opposite of Clair – calm, reasonable and not obnoxious. He hadn't spoken with her yet, but he was satisfied Lance hadn't opted to pursue someone who wanted him for fame and glory.
"She's not a dragon tamer and won't understand the importance of clan traditions."
"She still has a better chance of convincing him of doing anything than myself. She's spent more time around him than I have – you really think he's going to do as I ask?"
"No matter what – you're still his father."
"Doesn't mean he's going to take orders. From what I heard from my father Lance wasn't particularly keen on following the rules. Quite the rebel, I hear. I guess he picked it up from me." He leaned forward in his chair then sighed. "I can try. Plant the idea in his head, but I can't guarantee anything. He's an adult – he can make his own decisions, and if he doesn't want to chase after Lugia, then I'm not going to make him." Although it would be nice to see Lance have a firm grip on the title of Blackthorn Elder.
Drasna brought a hand to her head and twirled a lock of hair around a finger. Jacob raised an eyebrow but didn't ask questions. "If you want your family name to continue on for generations then you know what must be done. The ways of the clans do not change even if our environment does." She reached over to grab the jug of water and poured herself a drink then brought it to her mouth. After three sips, she placed the glass back down and continued. "You have to make a choice. You can walk away from this and hope for the best or you can convince Lance to follow his destiny and uphold the clan legacy."
"And you care because?"
"I told you earlier. I have invested interest in keeping your clan's name alive. My daughter married into your family through you – I want to see it continue." She took another sip of her glass then rose to her feet.
"Leaving so soon?" he said, reaching out for his mug. "A shame. I would've thought you'd be more willing to spend time with me considering how intricately connected we are." He was glad she wasn't. He never had the time to know her on a deeper level, but Tahlia had mentioned her family was rather conservative. It was a miracle they had even agreed to allow her to marry him. He supposed it was because the parents knew their daughter would be marrying into nobility.
"I have to head back to the league."
"Then go back and do whatever you league people do."
She pushed her chair back in then stood behind it. "I see a lot of Lance in you. Both incredibly stubborn and proud, but I know you both have a sense of duty and a code of honour. I know you can convince him." Drasna didn't speak further and turned to head towards the door, her long wispy curls falling down her back.
Jacob watched her retreat, grabbed his mug again and drank the remaining contents before rising to his feet. Convince Lance to carry out his duty to the family name. No doubt he'd be unimpressed, and if he was that like himself, he'd most likely rebel. Withholding a sigh, he pushed the chair in then headed towards the exit.
.
He needed to get out of Ecruteak City. Naoko was watching him like a hawk, and his gym students were always asking questions, as if they thought he was up to something. The Spirit World beckoned, but as much as he wanted to return and investigate further, he had promised he'd help Fantina.
Over the past few days, his head had been filled with images from the realm of spirits. Sometimes, he could even Eusine's screams, but mostly, the images of the monsters he saw occupied his thoughts. They didn't look like pokémon – or at least, there was nothing in the history of pokémon that even slightly resembled the creature he saw.
Unbeknownst to his students, he had departed in the early hours of the morning and booked a ship to Sinnoh. He hadn't even left a note behind. It's not like they couldn't do anything back at home. Keeping his head low, Morty sat down on the far end of the ship and picked up the local paper. Fortunately, the ship was mostly empty save for a few partially drunk sailors.
Picking up the paper, he placed it on his lap and flipped through the pages. Local pokémon tournament news. Upcoming fashion events. Blue and Silver having a fist fight in the streets. The usual news and nothing out of the ordinary. He flipped through a few more pages and reached one about the missing sailors. Still no news on their whereabouts. Most likely, they were already dead.
"Morty, what a surprise to see you here."
He glanced up from the paper and looked ahead. A woman with shoulder-length black hair sat across in the opposite seat, her legs crossed over and arms folded. She was dressed in white pants and a maroon tank top. "Sabrina. I didn't take you for the type to board a ship so early in the morning." Not the person he wanted to see.
She leaned back in her seat, her dark eyes lingering on his face. The woman never smiled – no, was only capable of one expression – dissatisfaction. She always looked annoyed by something or someone, and yet never offered an explanation why. There was just something about being in her presence that made him feel uncomfortable.
"I was going to say the same about you… but I suppose you've been getting up early to practice your extra co-curricular activities," she replied coolly.
His jaw muscle tightened. Of course, Sabrina would know. She had an amazing ability to sense when there was an imbalance. She was the only psychic-type trainer who had this extra sense. Not even the psychic masters could do this. He scowled. "What happens in my spare time isn't any of your concern. Don't you have better things to do? Like bend spoons?"
Her expression darkened. "I'm here because Fantina told me to be present."
"And that's why I'm here as well."
"She said strange things have been happening in Hearthome. A boy was murdered in the Lost Tower."
Morty nodded. "I heard about that. Could be a problem in the Spirit Realm."
"It's likely, yes. There's a tear in the world, Morty. I can sense a dark evil."
If anyone else had spoken those words, he would've assumed they were joking, but since they had come from Sabrina's mouth, it paid to take notice. "The Spirit World is restless. I saw things I haven't ever seen before. Monstrous creatures that bore no resemblance to the pokémon we see today. That's why Fantina told me to come. I know more about the Spirit World than she does." Perhaps it was fear that kept her away. After all, every ghost-type trainer knew about the risks.
"I've seen things, Morty. Terrible things in my nightmares. My pokémon can feel it too. Something hasn't been right since the return of Ho-Oh and the three felines. We've had Team Rocket causing trouble here, and similar things occurred in Sinnoh with Team Galactic. I heard about Giratina and Regigigas. The awakening of the legendary pokémon." She leaned forward in her chair, her elbows resting on her lap. For once, he saw an expression other than dissatisfaction on her face - fear.
"I saw Suicine with my own eyes, and I was there when Lyra captured Ho-Oh. If the legendaries are returning, why would disaster follow in their wake? Aren't they here to protect us from harm?" Or so he had been led to believe by the professors and researchers, but what if they were wrong? What if the legendaries were here to eliminate humans?
Sabrina shook her head. "Perhaps they have awakened because they have seen the evils of humanity. Team Rocket… Team Galactic… They're watching humans tear each other apart by exploiting pokémon for personal gain. Giovanni wanted money. Galactic wanted to remake the world, and both crime organizations used pokémon to help achieve that. We may not be able to see Arceus, but he is watching."
He thought hard, reflecting on her words. He didn't consider himself to a man of faith – nor did he believe in Arceus – but many people claimed he was the creator of the world as they knew it. It was hard to believe in something that hadn't been proven to exist, yet Sabrina seemed certain. "Why would Arceus seek to punish humans? And why now? What's so different about recent years?"
"We have changed, Morty. Humans have become cruel over the years. Ten years ago, criminal organizations did not exist, and now there's one in each region. Our greed for wanting better things has corrupted us and has made us exploit pokémon to achieve our goals no matter who gets hurt. People do cruel things to their pokémon, Morty. I can feel it every time someone abuses their partners as if it were I being harmed." She grabbed the newspaper from his hands and laid it out on the table and pointed at the article about the lost sailors. "This is no random coincidence. Sailors don't just go missing like that without warning."
Morty frowned. "You think they were attacked by pokémon?"
"You said it yourself – something isn't right in the world of spirits… and I sensed a tear in the veil. Some of the more powerful spirits can leave that realm and enter ours. The dead mixing with the living – you and I both know that is a dangerous combination as it upsets the balance of life."
He had heard the same thing before in old lore books from generations ago. When the dead mix with the living, it will create an imbalance and consequences will happen. "That doesn't explain why the legendaries are involved. I can understand Giratina… but what about the rest? If the legendaries wanted to punish us, why did Ho-Oh allow itself to be captured?"
Sabrina brought a hand to her chin and rubbed it. "…I don't have the answers to that. I've only sensed the darkness growing and spreading across these lands. The tear in the veil will only become larger and more spirits will come through and haunt the living."
"We can fix it, Sabrina. The veil will repair itself in time."
"Unless if it is damaged."
"We'll defend it until it fixes itself then." That meant returning to the Spirit World and fighting against the creatures that roamed the realm. It would mean possibly facing Giratina again and Eusine whose anger would only serve to strengthen him. "If you are correct and the dead have entered the world of the living then they must be stopped at whatever the costs no matter the risk."
"You could be become trapped yourself."
Morty snorted. "Don't tell me you even care, Sabrina. You never thought much of our type so spare yourself the trouble and don't fake sympathy. It's not a good look on you."
The woman scowled. "I know you people don't care much about us Psychics, but like it or not, we have to work together. If you don't want our help, fine, you'll be on your own. I hope you have a great time fighting off the hostile spirits alone."
He had to hand it to her – Sabrina had a way with words and getting things done her way. Was this a trait shared by all psychics or just unique to Sabrina? No wonder people were afraid to study under her or face her in battle. He leaned back in his chair. "I'm not here to fight you, Sabrina, but I think that before we make up any plans, we should see for ourselves what's really going on here. You could be right – and as crazy as it sounds, it's plausible. Like I said, if you're proven to be right and we are being judged by Arceus, then I'll gladly do my duty to my region and do what needs to be done to protect us."
He reflected on her words, trying to make sense of it. In short, Sabrina believed all the recent troubles were of mankind's own doing. To repair the damage, she believed that Arceus was awakening the legendaries to exterminate humans and start all over again. At least, that's what he understood. She believed it was a matter of faith.
As for himself? He wasn't sure what to believe in anymore. There was something wrong with the Spirit World, but he figured it was just the aftermath of the Giratina incident. Of course, that didn't explain the monsters he saw, but neither did Sabrina's theory. If Arceus was intending on eliminating mankind, why would Ho-Oh allow itself to be captured by Lyra?
Maybe that's why Ho-Oh had returned with the three felines. Maybe they had come because they had sensed something was wrong in the world, and they were searching for a hero to guide them. But why Ho-Oh specifically? Why not Lugia? Speaking of Lugia, what had happened to the winged beast anyway? This was even tougher than working out a complex maths problem. If Lugia had returned, would Sabrina's theory still apply?
"I'm also a gym leader too, Morty. You may not believe it, but I do care about my region, and I will defend it to the best of my ability," she replied coolly, her arms folded across her chest. "We all swore the same oath when we took our positions; that we would put aside out personal differences to work towards a common goal."
"You don't need to remind me of those oaths. I haven't forgotten." He had been thirteen at the time when he sworn the oath of the league conference. At first, he thought becoming a gym leader would bring him closer to Ho-Oh, but Lyra proved him wrong. He wondered how the future would've panned out if Lyra hadn't defeated him in battle.
She leaned forward again. Placing a hand on his arm, she said, "Then I'm glad we can agree on something. I'm not making this up, Morty, nor am I exaggerating. I know what I've seen, and my visions are never wrong. Something is coming for us, and I can feel its darkness. It spreads as we speak, and I fear it's only going to grow stronger as the tear in the veil becomes bigger."
Morty removed her hand, unnerved. Although he had never been on the receiving end of her visions, he knew from sources she was always correct. "If you're ever going to be wrong about something, I hope it's this." He stood up, uncomfortable. Her chilling words didn't exactly do much to lift his mood. "I'll be right back. Just going to get some fresh air." And have some time alone to think without interruptions.
.
Jasmine awakened to the blaring of the warning alarm. She sprung to her feet and rushed to the door then pulled it open. Chuck. His brows were furrowed. "We have to abandon ship. Now."
"What's going on?" she said.
Chuck looked left and right, as if checking the coast was clear, before turning back to face her again. "Captain says we've run into a school of tentacool. They're not moving either. We've also picked up on some tentacruel in the distance."
"Then we must be in the same place as where the sailors went missing," Jasmine noted. She pushed past Chuck, turned left then hurried down the corridor until she reached a door leading to the deck. Pushing the door open, she stepped outside in a strong breeze, her hair flying around her face. Chuck joined her side a few moments later. "We can't abandon them, Chuck. Dead or alive, they need to be found."
Chuck didn't meet her gaze. Instead, he placed both hands on the rails and looked towards the east at the mainland. Most of the population probably didn't even care. There would later be a memorial for the dead, but would they come out of grief or because they felt obligated to attend?
"We can't go any further. This is where our journey ends," he said.
She looked at him. "I'm not giving up."
"I didn't say we were… But this ship isn't going to move. The captain doesn't want to agitate the tentacool and risk the lives of the people on board. A ship this big will not go unnoticed. We'll have to go on our own. The captain is going to let us take a boat so we can continue on."
Relief overcame her. "Then let's climb on board then."
Chuck nodded. "We will find them, Jasmine."
"I know… I hope the news is positive."
Silence fell. The two trainers gazed out at the ocean, each lost in their own thoughts. The waters were still, but beneath the surface, danger waited. "I suppose therefore you chose to live in Olivine. You could look at the ocean every day," Chuck said, breaking the silence.
"It's beautiful and mysterious, much like the bond between trainer and pokémon," she answered. "The bond between people. There's no explanation why we establish strong relationships with some and forge hateful ties with others. Others are just closed to feeling." Much like Volkner in Sunyshore. She visited him every season, but he was so guarded, it was almost impossible to get through to him. Last she heard he was apparently with Maylene, but she couldn't see that lasting long.
"Like Volkner?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Volkner?"
"I know you visit him, Jasmine. You told me so last time I came to Olivine. Do you really think you can help him?" Even the gym leaders in Johto-Kanto thought Volkner was a lost cause. It was a wonder why Cynthia hadn't fired him yet. He caused a lot of grief for people.
"I'm not giving up on hope, Chuck. I can't do that. I must believe everyone can be saved, even if they don't think they deserve it. That's why I'm searching for these sailors. Someone has to have hope for them." When hope was lost, everything was.
"You're a better person than most. With the ampharos incident, a lot of people would've just saved themselves and left the pokémon behind," Chuck noted. "I guess that's why you chose to train steel-type – a strong heart."
She smiled. "I suppose so."
"Now let's board the boat and set sail."
She nodded. "Let's go."
.
There were so many words he wanted to use to describe his hatred for Blue, but they were so inappropriate he expressed his anger by driving a fist through the window. Thanks to Blue, he now had a busted lip, a sore head, and a bruised ego. The physical wounds would heal in a few days, but it would take years for his ego to heal.
What made it even worse were all the people around who had been taking photos and filming the fight. Now his loss would be forever immortalized in their cameras. Already, a few videos were on PokéWeb, and it hadn't even been a week since the fight began. He was recognized by everyone now and not for all the right reasons either. Instead of being 'Lyra's friend' he was now 'The one that got beaten up by Blue Oak'. How embarrassing.
"Silver, I'm surprised-What in the name of Arceus?"
Since Lyra had moved in at the league, Silver had taken to staying at Ethan's place instead. His parents had been concerned at first, but Ethan insisted Silver was a good kid. Fortunately, the parents were out of town now otherwise they'd be quite upset at seeing one of the windows smashed. Clenching his jaw, Silver brought his wounded hand to his chest, feeling the warm liquid seep into his shirt.
Perhaps smashing the window hadn't been such idea after all.
"Just get me some bandages, won't you?" he hissed.
Ethan nodded and hurried back into the kitchen. He returned a few moments later with a first aid kit and a roll of gauze bandages. Silver held his injured hand out. "Why did you do that for?" he said, as he unfurled the roll and wrapped it around Silver's hand.
"Blue Oak happened." Curse that name.
"I heard about that."
"I hate him."
"Settle down, Silver. Getting angry about it now isn't going to help."
He continued to wrap the bandages until Silver could no longer see his hand anymore. Once done, he grabbed a pair of orange scissors and cut it off. "He sent Lyra away up Mount Silver, Ethan. I wanted to make him pay for that." He wanted nothing more than to wipe that seemingly permanent smirk of Oak's face by breaking his nose and giving him a black eye. "You know he deserves it!"
"I know Blue is a jerk, but did you have to fight him?" Ethan checked to see if the bandages were on firmly then once satisfied put the remaining roll away back into the box. "It's all over PokéWeb."
"Don't remind me," he muttered, his hatred for Blue growing with each passing second. "The next time I see him, I'm going to beat him to a pulp. No one makes a fool of me, Ethan. No one."
"Just take it to the league. Give Lyra a call. She'll sort him out."
Silver shook his head. That was the last thing he wanted to do. "No, this is my fight."
"Don't be so stubborn, Silver. This is Blue Oak we're talking about. A former Champion and the grandson of Professor Oak. As much as of a jerk Blue is, you're always going to be the bigger jerk for picking a fight with a famous face," Ethan reasoned, cradling the box in his hands.
"I'm not going to run like a coward to Lyra every time I need help. Besides, she's busy with boring league stuff," he retorted. "We are going to take him down ourselves."
Ethan's eyes widened. "We?"
"Yeah. You're my friend now so you're obligated to help me." Ethan was a bit of a pansy, but he wasn't that bad of a guy really. He was friendly enough and a good chef. If Lyra saw him worthy enough to be her friend, then Ethan could be his friend too. "Come on. Don't tell me don't want to make Blue squirm."
Ethan didn't respond straight away. He was obviously thinking about it. "…That's going to make me look bad too, Silver. I'm studying to be Elm's assistant. If I'm picking fights with the Oak family then I'll never be taken seriously as a pokémon researcher. I'll be a criminal." He was scared. The pansy.
"I'll do the fighting. You just help me with strategies and stuff."
"…I don't know…"
"You've only got a marill. I wouldn't expect you to do well in a fight anyway."
Ethan never fought back when Silver insulted him. It was like he expected it and just didn't bother defending himself. Either that or he didn't care. "I was actually going to ask if you wanted to come to the day-care centre with me. My grandparents say they have received an egg from Kalos region, and they were thinking of giving it me. But like you said, I'm a researcher not a trainer. So, I was wondering if you'd like it instead."
Oh. Now he felt bad for insulting Ethan. Oh well. It's not like the guy was offended anyway. "Do they know what it is?"
"Supposed to be a fairy-type pokémon."
He had heard about them. They were apparently super effective against dragon-types. Wait a minute… if fairies were strong against dragon-types… then he could defeat both Lance and Clair with just one pokémon! Although Blue was his main concern, he still wanted revenge against his loss to Lance. Besides, hadn't Lance promised a tag-team battle at one stage?
"Uh, Silver?"
"Let's go to the day-care centre then."
"Are you sure you'll be fine? You know your hand and all." Ethan looked like he was regretting the invitation now.
Silver marched towards the door. "My legs do the walking. Come on, let's just leave already. I want to see this egg." Placing his hand on the doorknob, he turned it clockwise then pulled it back and stepped outside into a gentle breeze. Shards of glass lay scattered across the garden bed. Whoops. "We'll worry about the window later. Just ask Lyra's mother to keep an eye out for any intruders."
The poor boy's eyes widened at the glass. His hands grabbed the sides of his head. "…My parents are going to murder me…"
"Just say a wild pokémon got too excited and attacked the window." Surely, it wasn't that hard to tell a lie to his old folks. Silver did it all the time and never felt any guilt. "Look, if it makes you feel any better, I'll help you clean up later, yeah?" Seriously. It was just glass. What was the big deal? It's not like anything was stolen.
"…Yeah… Sure…"
Sometimes Silver loved how passive Ethan was. It made bossing him around that much easier.