"Hello, and welcome to the Pokemon Center! How can we help you today?"

The receptionist's energy caught Ethan slightly off guard. She held uncomfortable eye contact, her piercing gray eyes boring into Ethan's. The Chansey by her side was equally professional and unnerving, offering a happy chirp that made Gwyn squirm in Ethan's arms.

Thankfully, Krystal spoke up. "We're here to pick up a package for Professor Elm."

The receptionist nodded, checking her computer screen. "Ah, yes, I see. Mr. Kaneki?"

Ethan nodded back, pulling his Trainer ID out of his wallet and showing it to her. She leaned forward, squinting, before nodding one final time. "Perfect. I'll be right back." She delivered the line almost musically, as if singing it. Ethan flashed her a smile as she disappeared into the room behind the counter, leaving Chansey up front. The normal-type's smile and stare did not waver, bringing a nervous flush to Ethan's face. Chansey's hospitality seemed almost uncanny, a product of training and decidedly not natural.

Finally, the receptionist returned, holding an egg case with two hands. The case was a simple glass container, cylindrical with a padded base and a lid on top, but Ethan's attention was immediately brought to the egg inside. It was large, easily the size of a basketball, and just barely ovaloid enough to not be a sphere. Its white shell was speckled with flecks of red and blue as well as some larger shapes, triangles mostly. Ethan racked his brain to identify what pokemon it could contain, but came up blank.

Gwyn scampered out of his arms as the receptionist handed the egg case off to him with a smile. He accepted it gingerly, careful not to jostle it too badly. Once he had it, he held it close to his chest, not wanting to risk dropping it. He nodded and smiled with a quick "Thank you."

The receptionist nodded back. "Thank you! Is there anything else I can help you with today?"

Ethan thought it over for a second, idly running his tongue over his teeth. "Is there a gift shop or something nearby?"

Krystal wasn't too thrilled with the detour to buy Lyra a souvenir, but Ethan really couldn't bring himself to care. He was being kind enough to escort her through the wilderness of Route 29, so the least she could do was wait while he bought a t-shirt with a sunglasses-clad Quagsire (the mascot of Cherrygrove's baseball team and the only things the city had going for it) on it.

"You're seriously making me hold the bag?" Krystal groaned.

"Would you rather hold the egg?"

Ethan took her silence as a concession. He squinted as he stepped out from under the storefront's canopy. The sun hung low in the sky to the west, casting Cherrygrove in a soft golden light. Ethan guessed it was about five in the evening, though with the egg in his arms, he couldn't check for himself, and he didn't think Krystal would do him any favors and check for him.

"We should get going then."

Krystal nodded in agreement, adjusting her backpack strap. "What time will we get there?"

A smile crept onto Ethan's face as opportunity presented itself. "Well, what time is it now?"

Rolling her eyes, Krystal opened her Pokegear, checking the display. "Almost five."

He wasn't far off then. "Probably around nine, nine thirty maybe. Depends," he answered.

"On what?"

Ethan shrugged. "How fast we walk,, if you need to take a break-" Krystal stuck her tongue out at him. "-wild pokemon, yadda yadda. Lots of factors. Sun sets at, uh, around eight thirty, but it'll get dark before that 'cause of the trees, so that'll play a part."

A look of concern flashed across Krystal's face. "Wild pokemon?"

Ethan furrowed his eyebrows. "Well, yeah," he responded. "It's the wilderness."

Her concern was quickly replaced with irritation. "What kind of wild pokemon?"

"Well, it'll be too early for the Noctowl to be out, but they're kinda vicious. No doubt they'd try to eat Gwyn."

The Cyndaquil huffed, fire erupting from his back. Ethan ignored him.

"Raticate tend not to hunt by the path, but they care less as it gets darker, so I wouldn't count them out completely. Luxio maybe,but they tend to stick north, and I haven't heard about anything nearby. Really, nothing Gwyn can't handle."

"You think he can take on a Luxio?"

"No pokemon likes an Ember to the face. And I already told you, probably no Luxio this far south."

"Probably."

"I really don't know what you want me to say. I can't guarantee that we won't run into one, but it's not likely."

"That's just not very reassuring."

"Welcome to pokemon training."

"You just started today."

"I'm a quick learner."

Krystal didn't dignify Ethan with a response, choosing instead to begin walking east. Fine by him. The sooner they got to New Bark Town, the sooner he'd be asleep in his bed and not traveling with her.

Ethan's first impression of Krystal hadn't been overtly negative- in fact, he had kind of expected to like her. She seemed similar to him- headstrong, smart, and down to eat lunch, which seemed like a pretty killer combo at the time. He soon found that those qualities were only really charming in himself, and not the arrogant know-it-all next to him.

That's what he told himself, anyway.

Route 29 had a special kind of beauty in the golden light of the setting sun, a kind even Ethan could appreciate. The tall grass almost seemed to be on fire, catching and reflecting rays of sun in a way that almost mimicked fire. Clusters of trees casted long shadows across the grasslands, painting the landscape in darker hues sporadically. Ethan could occasionally see the brush rustle in the distance, catching a quick glimpse of a Sentret or Phanpy, but pokemon largely steered clear, and Gwyn took quick care of any Pidgey or Rattata that got too close.

To tell the truth, Ethan wasn't particularly fond of battling. He knew the ins and outs, sure, and he'd be dedicated as they come when it came to training, but he didn't have the love of the sport that most trainers did. He saw it purely as a way to claim the title of Champion, a necessary evil he'd have to utilize to get to Indigo Plateau, so he was beyond happy to let Gwyn hone his skills on his own against the non-threats of Route 29. It'd been less than a day, but his Ember was becoming more controlled, and his Tackle almost blurred enough to be considered a Quick Attack. Ethan made note of some small things, like possible strategies and things to work on (he had an idea to turn Smokescreen into a projectile to blind the opponent directly), but largely let Gwyn handle the wild battles himself. He felt to act as a guiding hand instead of an active participant in battle. Unorthodox, maybe, especially in a region as emphatic on harmony as Johto, but Ethan saw no point in turning battling into a game or sport-it's a battle. You either win or you lose. Ethan wanted to win.

His train of thought was interrupted by a grumble in his stomach. Krystal looked at him, her mouth twitching. He met her eyes, eyebrows furrowing. "What are you looking at?"
"You can't be hungry already, we ate like three hours ago."

"Don't tell me what I can't be. I've got a fast metabolism."

"It's probably cause you're wearing that fucking hoodie. You're sweating out any calories you're eating."

Ethan was wearing his hoodie, the same heavy red one he's worn every day since he was sixteen. He had never thought to take it off, even in the July heat, and he doubted he ever would.

"What the hell do you know? You're a mythologist, not a… biologist."

"When you die from overheating, I'll pretend to be shocked."

"Shut the fuck up."

"No, fuck you."

They continued from there, trading verbal jabs back and forth for several more miles. Ethan hated giving her credit, but it seemed he had finally found an equal in Krystal, when it came to insults at least. She seemed as eager to instigate as he was irritable, a shtick Gwyn quickly grew weary of. The fire-type instead chose to stick to the tall grass, seeking out challenges from any pokemon unfortunate enough to cross his path.

Ethan held the egg close, occasionally looking down to inspect it. "What pokemon do you think it is?"

Krystal laughed, catching Ethan off guard. She met his eyes and her smile immediately faded. "Oh, you're serious."

"Well, yeah."

"Sorry, I just thought it seemed obvious. It's a Togepi."

Togepi. Togepi? The name sounded familiar, but he couldn't… oh! Cynthia Vestal, Sinnoh's Champion, used a Togekiss on her team. Togepi evolved into Togekiss. It all started coming together for Ethan as he remembered what Togepi looks like, a rather puny and spiky pokemon that wears its eggshell until it evolves. Rare in Johto, but sometimes found in the depths of Ilex Forest. Even working for Professor Elm, Ethan had never seen one in person. No wonder Mr. Pokemon wanted the professor to take a look.

"Oh," was all he could muster.

Krystal's face betrayed just the slightest hint of apprehension. "Sorry, I didn't mean to… They're not very common at all, I don't blame you for-"

As much as Ethan would've loved to revel in her discomfort and the fact that he got her to earnestly apologize, he didn't want to string her along too badly. He chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "It's alright, dude, don't beat yourself up."

Krystal mumbled another apology then remained silent. Ethan could just barely make out her face in the fading light, but she seemed pensive. He hadn't thought of it to be such a big deal, but it seemed that she genuinely didn't want to hurt his feelings. He felt a pang of remorse for being such an ass to her, but he couldn't feel that bad, could he? He was an ass to everyone! The Quagsire t-shirt he bought for Lyra served as a testament to that, an apology in a plastic shopping bag.

Ethan didn't have enough time to reflect properly as a startled yelp called from the brush- Gwyn's startled yelp. Without thinking, he handed the egg case off to Krystal, running into the tall grass. He made it only a few yards before stumbling onto the problem- a Raticate. The normal-type stood twice as tall as Gwyn, its sharp teeth bared and hissing. Gwyn trembled, his vigor replaced with fear. Ethan's mind went into overdrive. "Gwyn, Ember, quick!"

The Raticate growled at Ethan, giving Gwyn time to flare up the fire on his back and fire off an Ember. The small burst of fire hit the side of Raticate's face, singing its whiskers. The creature hissed in pain, turning its full attention back to Gwyn. With a snarl, it lunged forward, fangs ready to come down on the Cyndaquil. Gwyn responded instantly, covering itself with Smokescreen. Raticate missed its mark, biting into smoky nothing as Gwyn lunged into its side with Tackle. The fire-type wasn't quite forceful enough to do any real damage, but he had enough power to disorient the normal-type, who teetered without full use of its whiskers. Unfortunately, even without proper balance, the Raticate was still frenzied, and in its confusion batted Gwyn with its claw. The Cyndaquil was sent flying, landing a few feet away with a soft groan.

Ethan saw red. Without thinking, he rushed forward, delivering a swift kick to Raticate's jaw. The normal-type was sturdier than Ethan expected, barely budging, but a sharp crack confirmed that he did some kind of damage. Hissing in agony, Raticate fled back into the tall grass, disappearing into the dark. Ethan considered running after it, anger still clouding his mind, but another mewl from Gwyn snapped him back.

"Gwyn!" Ethan kneeled beside his starter, squinting to assess the damage in the dark. The sun was tucked behind the trees now, giving no aid. He quickly pulled his backpack off of his bag, fumbling through it until he found his flashlight. Clicking it on, he inspected Gwyn under the light. His stomach churned. Across the side of the Cynaquil's body were three bleeding claw marks. They didn't seem too deep, thank Arceus, but they were still open wounds, caking Gwyn's fur with blood. Ethan took a potion out of his bag and sprayed the wounds. A white foam congealed over the cuts, fading in seconds and stopping the flow of blood. Gwyn mewled again, his pain seemingly lessened. Ethan breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is he okay?" Krystal called from the path, fear creeping into her voice.

Ethan stood up, slinging his backpack on and cradling Gwyn in his arms. "Yeah," he responded hoarsely. His adrenaline was beginning to fade, bringing feeling back to his body. His breath was heavy, not helped by the thick coat of sweat he had accumulated. Even with the sun down, the July heat was oppressive, and the hoodie he had on certainly wasn't helping, but he wouldn't, couldn't, take it off. His heart pounded in his chest, echoing in his ears and throughout his body. He inhaled deeply, working actively to bring his body back to a sense of calm. He exhaled, stroking behind Gwyn's head as the fire-type mewled softly.

"What happened?" Krystal asked. "I couldn't really see it from here."

Ethan trudged back to the path, using big steps to get through the tall grass. He rejoined Krystal, sighing. "Raticate."

Krystal gasped, holding tight to the egg case. Her face twisted in concern, words not seeming to want to form in her mouth. Ethan took the liberty of explaining further.

"Must've been hunting. Gwyn did a bit of damage, but it got him with its claws. I kicked it, and it ran off. Minimal damage, I cleaned him up with a potion." Context, event, aftermath. The report left Ethan's mouth without much thought.

Krystal's eyes widened. "You kicked it?"

Ethan shrugged. "Raticate are pretty nasty, but they prefer easy prey. Had to show it we weren't worth the trouble."

Krystal shook her head in disbelief. "You're crazy."

Ethan frowned. "Do you guys not have Raticate in Goldenrod? I thought you big city folk were used to this."

"How could anybody be used to that? We use our pokemon or call a ranger if there's a problem, but mostly Raticate stick to the sewers. They send Rattata out to scavenge and stuff."

"The Rattata should unionize."

"You're not funny."

"I'm not joking."

"Whatever," Krystal scoffed. "The point is, when we do see Raticate, we don't kick them!"

"Simple problems require simple solutions."

She didn't dignify him with a response. Rolling her eyes, she kept walking, her irritation evident. Ethan didn't really see what he'd done wrong. His pokemon was in danger, so he saved him. He was sure anyone else in his position would do the same, and if a Raticate gets kicked in the jaw, so be it. The wild was tough, so you had to be tougher.

Whatever. Cradling Gwyn close, he followed after Krystal, eager to get back to New Bark Town and get her out of his hair.

"Welcome to New Bark Town," Krystal real aloud. "Where the winds of a new beginning blow."

"Home sweet home," said Ethan.

'What does it even mean?"

"The 'winds of a new beginning' shit? Beats me. I guess we've got a nice breeze with the mountain and the lake and whatnot."

After hours of walking, they had finally arrived at Ethan's hometown. The day had given way to night a while ago, blanketing New Bark Town in a quiet darkness, intermittently interrupted by the soft glow of streetlights. The town was asleep. Ethan took in a deep breath, enjoying the cool night breeze, and turned to Krystal.

"Elm's house is, like, a five minute walk from here. We'll get you set up in the guest room and then get started bright and early tomorrow."

Professor Elm had called Ethan about an hour before to confirm plans. Not wanting a concerned earful over the pokegear, Ethan gracefully skirted around retelling the Raticate story, jumping straight into logistics.

"So you, like… live… with the Professor?" Krystal asked cautiously.

Fuck. Ethan had, on some level, been expecting this question. He could always answer with a simple 'yes' and refuse to elaborate, but he foresaw that cursed mouth twitch and knew she wouldn't rest until she had more information. He sighed. "For two years now."

Her mouth twitched. "Why?"

Arceus, she was relentless. "Uh, my parents died."

"Oh." There it was. Her face fell. "I'm sorry."

Ethan nodded. No one liked hearing his answer, especially if they had asked the question that prompted it. "Not your fault."

"More sorry I asked."

Ethan shrugged. "You didn't know any better."

Krystal was silent for a bit, seemingly lost in thought. Ethan assumed that would be the last of it, until-

"Does that make you a nepo baby?"

"Huh?" Never before had a question caught him so off guard.

"A nepo baby, nepotism baby. You're one of Elm's sponsees, but you're also kinda his kid. Surely that's some kind of… nepotism."

"I wrote the essay and filled out the application, same as anyone else. Did it all on time, mind you." And he resented the accusation.

Krystal's cheeks went red. "I had finals."

Ethan shrugged. "I had dead parents."

Krystal's mouth went agape in horror. "You can't just-"

"I'm kidding, Krystal. I mean, not about my parents, that's true, but in a more general sense I was just fucking with you."

"You're fucked up."

"I'm just an orphan."

Finally, Krystal appreciated the humor in Ethan's snark and let out a laugh. She got a quick 'fuck you' out between giggles. Ethan couldn't help but laugh with her, accidentally disturbing Gwyn, who twisted around in Ethan's arms.

Finally, they approached Professor Elm's house. Ethan felt a surge of relief. He'd been out since morning, and it'd be nice to lay in his bed for the night. He took a deep breath, only then becoming aware of the stench of sweat he had accumulated. Shower first.

He set Gwyn down, much to the Cyndaquil's chagrin. The fire-type huffed, igniting his back flame as he woke up. Ethan turned to Krystal, gesturing to the egg case. She handed it off to him gently.

"Gwyn and I are gonna go put the egg in the incubator in the lab. The stairs on the side lead right up to the living room, you can wait in there if you want," Ethan explained.

Krystal nodded, the exhaustion from the day's travels clearly getting to her. With a quiet 'okay', she made her way upstairs, disappearing into the living room with a click of the door. Ethan sighed in relief. One more task, and he'd be good for the night.

Carefully holding the egg case in one arm, he fumbled through his pockets for his key. He gingerly inserted it into the lock and twisted, successfully opening the door. Gwyn by his side, he walked into the lab and froze.

A stranger stood at one of the desks, his back to Ethan. All Ethan could make out was a shock of red hair. Gwyn growled quietly.

"Who the fuck are you?" Ethan challenged.

The stranger flinched, turning to face Ethan. In the darkness of the lab, Ethan could barely make out his face, but his eyes were bright with panic.

"Shit."

Without another word, the stranger grabbed something off the desk and fled, launching himself out of a window Ethan hadn't even noticed was open. Ethan's eyes fell to the desk the stranger had been at, now with one lone pokeball sitting on it- the motherfucker had taken a pokemon!

Ethan sat the egg case down before running back out the door and circling around the building, just barely catching the red-haired boy disappearing into the woods. Without thinking, he sprinted after him, Gwyn following closely. The stranger had a head start, but Ethan had been running through these woods almost his whole life. With the precision of a Luxray, he bobbed and waved through the trees, never losing sight of his target. With a final burst of energy, he caught up with him, pushing him into a tree.

The stranger groaned, grabbing his left shoulder. His back was now to the tree, and in the thin streams of moonlight that filtered through the trees, Ethan could see his face. The stranger was around Ethan's age, with sharp features and piercing grey eyes. Ethan just barely had time to commit his features to memory before the stranger lashed out, throwing a punch that hit Ethan square in the jaw. The trainer stumbled backwards, just barely catching himself. Gwyn growled, the fire on his back flaring up. The stranger's focus darted between them both, the reflection of Gwyn's flame reflecting a brilliant gold in his eyes.

"Who the fuck are you?" Ethan asked again, rubbing his jaw.

The stranger clenched his jaw. "I'm not scared of you." His voice was deep, almost commanding, but it ran ragged, a deep exhaustion cracking its way through.

"That's not what I asked."

The stranger's scowl deepened. Ethan could feel him watching, inspecting, studying, the same way Krystal had done earlier, but more… methodical. Ethan was being sized up, assessed, measured, analyzed as a potential threat, which he was. Ethan took a second to do the same. Despite his best efforts, the stranger seemed scared, tired, and, judging by the way he continued to cradle his left shoulder, hurt. Ethan narrowed his eyes.

"You're injured."

The stranger scoffed. "You don't know that."

Ethan rolled his eyes. "What happened to your shoulder?"

"Nothing."

Ethan didn't say anything, just raised an eyebrow in disbelief and quickly tapped the stranger's shoulder.

"Motherfucker!" The boy groaned in pain, recoiling. He clenched his teeth, staring daggers into Ethan. "I got shot."

Now they were getting somewhere. "By who?"

"Classified."

"Bullshit."

"Trust me, it's better if you don't know."

Ethan inspected the stranger's face, searching for any hints of a lie, but his steely grey eyes betrayed nothing. Ethan furrowed his brow.

"I'm not asking again. Who are you?" Changing tactics, Ethan slammed the stranger against the tree, holding his arm across the redhead's throat.

The stranger writhed for a moment, protesting the weight held against him, but something shifted when he locked eyes with Ethan. The gold light in his eyes grew more vibrant, shining beyond the reflection of Gwyn's fire. Something surged inside of Ethan, a heavy sensation vibrating within his bones and churning his stomach with the fury of a tempest. His ears popped, the faint roar of wind echoing through his skull. He stumbled back, barely catching himself as gold light seeped into his vision.

"Silver," the stranger groaned, his face contorting in confusion. He shut his eyes forcefully, gritting his teeth.

Ethan rubbed his eyes and regained his footing. "That's your name?"

The stranger, Silver ostensibly, opened his eyes, clearly still disoriented. He took a moment to look at Ethan again, his steely facade all but destroyed. Slowly, he replied, "Yes."

It was a lie. Ethan knew it immediately. Still, a fake name was better than none, and Ethan was too dazed to press further. Too dazed to do anything, really. The initial sensation had died down, but specks of gold still plagued his vision and echoes of winds still blew faintly inside his ears. He had no idea what had just happened, but Silver had clearly felt it too. The red-haired boy breathed heavily, leaning against the tree for support. His eyes were misty, filled with confusion and uncertainty.

Ethan could empathize with his doubt. A million thoughts pound through his mind, swarming around his mind like a swarm of Beedrill. His training, any touch of his father's teachings, vanished, and irrationality took over, strong-arming his psyche with a primal viciousness. He knew what he was thinking was wrong, illegal, dangerous even, but he also knew that every bone in his body was guiding him that way. He was helpless to the daze he was in.

"Go," Ethan said quietly.

It almost snapped Silver out of his daze. His grey eyes focused on Ethan, a sharp surprise piercing through. "What?"

Ethan closed his eyes and nodded. "You're hurt, you're in danger, you're desperate. I know. I don't… Go, before I change my mind."

Silver maintained eye contact for a moment, studying Ethan once more. Ethan could see it more clearly, the primal fear in his eyes, like the cornered Houndour he and Elm had rescued from Route 45 last winter. Silver was terrified. Ethan couldn't let the people looking for him succeed.

Finally, Silver nodded, pushing himself off the tree and stumbling away, slowly breaking into a jog.

"Silver, wait!" Ethan called after him. The red-haired boy slowed, turning to him. Ethan slowly pulled his backpack off, unzipping it. He rummaged through it, fishing out two potions. He extended them to Silver, who cautiously took them.

"It's dangerous at night," Ethan explained. "Be careful."

Silver eyed him suspiciously. "Why are you helping me?"
Ethan shook his head. "I don't… I don't know. A gut feeling, I guess. You felt it."

Silver scoffed, "I don't know what you're talking about," but Ethan saw through him.

"Go," Ethan said one final time, and Silver listened, disappearing into the dark forest. Ethan sighed, looking down at Gwyn. The fire-type titled his head in confusion.

"I don't know either, bud. I just… You have to trust me, okay?"

Gwyn chirped, but he didn't sound too confident. Ethan didn't blame him. Hell, he didn't feel too confident in his own choice. He had let a stranger, a criminal, escape with one of Elm's pokemon. How was he supposed to move on? What would he tell Krystal, who was just robbed of a choice in her starter? What would he tell Professor Elm, who's lab was broken into? What would he tell the police, who would do everything in their power to track Silver down? He was sure the League would get involved, Professor Elm being as influential as he is.

He had no excuse, no justification, no explanation, just the looming threat of consequence and a feeling that he had come across something bigger than himself.

And it all came down to the red-haired stranger, the guarded boy on the run.

It all came down to Silver.

AN: Truly madly deeply meant to upload this sooner. Been very busy with school and work! Will try to update at least twice a month, chapter 3 should (hopefully) come within a week.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter! As you can probably guess, that's not the last we'll be seeing of Silver, and we'll begin to see more of Ethan's backstory and motives as the story unfolds.

As always, please follow, favorite, and review. Always feel free to message me. I appreciate everyone for reading, have a great day !:)