The Silver Conference took place in Silver Town, a small settlement at the base of Mt. Silver which had existed for centuries.

Rather too much silver for Ash's taste, honestly.

Silver accents, silver paint, silver everything. The organizers had taken the theme and run with it. It was about as tacky as Clair's fashion sense, according to Erika.

In the old days it had largely profited as the final stop in Johto before the Indigo Plateau, providing accommodations for the large supply chains needed to run the central operating hub of the Indigo League, but in the age of matter-energy conversion and teleportation, Silver Town existed almost entirely to serve as the site of the Conference.

Mt. Silver and its lesser peaks towered above, swallowing up the sky, and the weight of Articuno's Blizzard hung over Ash like a frigid shadow. He sneered up at it (earning an odd look from his friends) before turning to face earth once more.

"What's your problem?" Gary poked him. Ash grumbled back. "Realized you'll be missing out on all the fun?"

"I'll be having plenty of my own fun soon enough."

Jon wrinkled his nose. "Could you be any more ominous? I swear you do it on purpose!"

"No, his brain is just collapsing under the weight of his own ego," Gary scowled at Ash, who rolled his eyes. As if Gary was one to talk. Although Clair had done an admirable job in humbling him just a tad… "He's just laughing at us because he just gets to play tourist and enjoy his vacation for the next month."

That was a bald faced lie even if Gary couldn't know it. Ash hadn't shared the Ever Grande Challenge with his friends just yet, preferring to savor the looks on their face when they realized the truth.

Ash would spend the next month performing minor tasks for the Indigo League and occasionally assisting with the Silver Conference and whatever miscellaneous jobs needed to be done. It was a far cry from the sort of work he'd done in Hoenn—Lance had outright refused when Ash tried to check in on any of the more serious missions—but it would keep him busy.

All of that was on top of his training, of course. Sam and his team had offered their help in the time before they left Pallet, naturally, and Ash would cycle out several of his friends at the Corral to work with their counterparts throughout the Silver Conference.

Inferno and Infernus were a match made in a nightmare, naturally, and both seemed to take pleasure in showing the others all the little tricks that hadn't managed to cross pollinate in the past. While the Charizard had a great stretch of experience on Infernus, Infernus still managed to tuck away a few surprises.

Otherwise the pairs were as expected: Dazed and Alakazam constantly tested one another, no doubt making up for their absent fight during Ash and Sam's battle, Tauros seemed happy to make the rounds with Ash's entire team, and Arcanine seemed much the same. Tangrowth was eager to make sure there were no hard feelings with Tauros, and the two had spent time hurling increasingly large chunks of earth at one another in their own game of catch.

Plume and Dragonite half-killed each other every time they trained, naturally. She had not taken the end to her winning streak well, and Dragonite seemed to enjoy goading her over it. It was a distinctly Gary move, Ash thought.

Best to keep Oz away from Pikachu, though. Between him and Dragonite, she was still nursing her bruised pride.

Ash let his friends lead the way through the neat rows of the League Village as his mind wandered.

Learning from Sam was…weird. Professor Oak's younger self had drawn great deals of inspiration from Ash and his team, naturally, but Ash hadn't gone into depth about many of their mechanics. He'd given Sam pointers back then, yes, but had tried to focus on helping Sam build up the raw strength and foundation to develop techniques of his own.

For the most part Sam had to reconstruct the Master-level techniques of Ash's team from half-guesses and theories, resulting in techniques which reached a similar end goal while being built from a separate base. It didn't hurt that Sam's own inclinations and personal touch tended to modify them in subtle ways, not to mention Sam's own much better understanding of the actual science behind each and every technique.

But overall it was the technique equivalent of convergent evolution.

That was what made Masters so special, Ash supposed. Every team which achieved that peak was a magnum opus, a unique and beautiful tapestry of experiences and abilities unlike any other. Masters which possessed an identical team would have entirely different strategies, styles, and abilities.

"Earth to Ash!"

Ash's head snapped up. "What?"

"We're here," Amelia said, looking at him oddly. She motioned to the registration center—they'd arrived early, eager to get ahead of the crowds, but there was already a growing line. Necks turned and eyes widened as they caught sight of Ash, although Jon seemed happy to wave and soak up the attention in Ash's stead. One boy with a cheery Rattata gawked at him. Something about that Rattata… "You seem lost in thought, Ash. Want to share something with the rest of the class?"

He hid a smile. "Nah. You all go ahead—I'll meet you later. Just message me once you find out what house you're in, okay?"

"You mean you're going to make us wait in that long line all by ourselves?" Jon whined, faux-glaring at Ash. Charizard nodded fervently in agreement. "Jerk!"

"Trust me, you don't want us sticking around," Ash motioned to himself and Gloam, who was curled happily around his shoulders. Spring hadn't quite set on Silver Town just yet, not with Articuno roosting above, and the nippy air was perfect for his little friend. He sent a nod at the milling crowd, many of whom had already turned to whisper Ash's name. "That line is going to be twice as miserable if Gloam and I stay with you."

"Maybe you're right…" Jon mumbled, only to blink as Gary suddenly hauled Clefable up in his arms and sprinted away, leaping into line moments before a young trainer with bright blue hair could. Maybe she gave Gary flashbacks of Clair. "Hey! What a jerk."

The girl—most likely a rookie based on her youth and overwhelmed expression—didn't take the cut lying down. She snarled at Gary, practically doubling in size, and Ash smirked as Gary got an absolute dressing down from her and the grumbling Typhlosion at her side—Clefable seemed delighted as Gary snapped back scathing words that made the girl's face red with rage, clapping her tiny hands at the free show.

"If you hurry, you might be able to help her knock Gary down a peg," Ash said easily. "Not that I think she needs it. It's about time that Gary got a taste of his own medicine."

Jon wasted no time in rushing off to back the blue-haired rookie up, though with the way she whirled on him it seemed like Jon was one wrong word from getting his head bitten off as well, but Ash could at least relax with the way their shouts and curses were drawing attention away from him.

Perfect.

A finger poked him in the chest, right over the Feather. Amelia winced as she felt the heat radiating off it, no doubt remembering what lay beneath his shirt, but didn't let it stop her for long.

"You're up to something."

Gloam slapped one of his paws to his chest, plastering the most convincing (that was to say, not) look he could onto his face.

"Don't give me that look, Gloam! I can see it in both of your eyes…what are you two up to?"

"Get your registration handled and meet me at the house," Ash said, well-aware of which villa they'd been assigned to already. He steadfastly refused to even acknowledge Amelia's question lest he let something slip. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

Amelia's eyes narrowed but she could tell that Ash was going to be an iron trap. "I know where you sleep, Ash."

"In the Indigo Plateau?" He arched an eyebrow. "Good luck making it to me there. I mean that literally—Koga would probably be ecstatic to recruit you after that."

Excitement flickered in Amelia's eyes at the thought. Ash had put in a good word for Amelia in the past given that he suspected Koga would appreciate her patient, methodical style, but perhaps it was time for him to push a little harder so long as Amelia provided a good showing.

Koga wouldn't be here often due to his responsibilities in Kalos, but he and Bruno shared acting leadership of ACE. No doubt the Poison Master would be stopping by in order to scout out talent for the divisions under his personal command.

"I'll have to join Gary in spreading rumors, I guess," Amelia said, looking disgusted at the mere idea of helping Gary, but it brought a smile to Ash's face. "Do you know how many questions I've been asked about your 'performance enhancements'? No one with half a brain really believes it, but it's annoying either way!"

"At least they're asking you and not me."

"Don't look so excited," Amelia said. "I normally let Jon come up with something."

Ash winced.

"I need to get a few Elite Four things done," Ash blatantly lied, eying Jon, Gary, and the rookie as their argument grew loud enough to attract the ire of the Nurse Joy heading the registration. A very angry Chansey stomped over, shoving her way through the crowd to come snarling down like a hammer upon the suddenly embarrassed nails. "See ya!"

"Wait—!"

Ash didn't give Amelia a chance to finish as he jogged away, Gloam's body wrapping around his neck like a makeshift scarf to help ward off any undue attention. The crowd parted (somewhat helped by Gloam hissing at everyone who didn't get out of their way) and it wasn't long before Ash was well on his way to the League village proper.

He knew exactly what villa his friends would end up at, after all.

Now he just needed to message Clair…

XX

Ash relished the crisp breeze which swept through the neatly organized rows of League housing. He leaned back in a faded white lawn chair that overlooked the main corridor through which the Conference trainers would travel, eying all the bright-eyed humans and pokémon who came wandering down in the shadow of Mt. Silver.

Most of the competitors were anywhere from their mid-teens to late twenties, Ash noted. There were absolutely exceptions, but for the most part trainers tended to either find a permanent position with the League (especially if they were talented) or settle down and find employment elsewhere.

It was difficult for Ash to imagine ever putting down roots and abandoning the road, but it was common as trainers spent years upon years on the move. Plenty never traveled at all, preferring to stick around and hone their skills locally.

No matter what path trainers chose, however, only the best and brightest would ever make it to a Conference. Tens of thousands—if not more—vied for the highest of challenges each regional League offered, eager to test their skills against the others who were worthy.

Only a few hundred managed to earn all the necessary badges necessary to even qualify for the Conference, and those who were forced to substitute a major city's badge for three of their minor equivalents had to fight out the brutal preliminary rounds.

…Gary was one of those this year, thanks to Clair, which Ash (and most definitely Jon and Amelia, who had taken to discussing their shiny Rising Badges at every opportunity when Gary was around) found absolutely hilarious.

Clair was a nightmare of a Gym Leader, long perceived to be just a step below the fearsome Elite Four, and she rarely came at challengers with anything less than her best. Only the absolute cream of the crop—usually able to be counted on one hand—managed to outright defeat her, and usually at least one of those were bitter Masters who came to get their revenge for old insults.

The only badge in Indigo that was more elusive was the Volcano Badge, purely because Blaine was a half-insane drunk old hermit who just barely did his job. At least the whole 'accepting challengers' bit. Blaine was the fiercest defender Cinnabar could ever hope for.

Clair still handed out badges to those who proved themselves. Gary had mentioned Jon and Amelia had defeated her, though Ash had his doubts as to whether or not that was a proper match.

They had certainly earned the Rising Badge, though. Jon and Amelia were both fine trainers. The League would be certain to approach them after their showing in the Silver Conference (and had kept an eye on them for quite a while…Ash had read their dossiers) but Ash planned on nudging things along.

Still, Ash enjoyed the steady flood of trainers and their partners as they meandered through the League village. Some were practically hopping from house to house as they sought out their assigned residence. Others were just tourists milling around and goggling at the sights of various famous trainers who were hot on the circuit.

Ash had tucked himself away behind enough furniture to avoid notice, thankfully.

He was just here for the show.

Acorn approaches.

"Gary's going to kill you if he ever finds out you call him that."

Dazed's eyes curved up into one of her smiles. She stood to Ash's left.

He may try. Alakazam owes me favors.

Ash didn't even want to know how that had happened, so he just nodded. Better not to ask some questions. Instead he just stroked Gloam, who was curled up in Ash's lap like a fluffy Skitty snoozing away. Living in Articuno's frigid shadow was practically a vacation for Gloam after all the months they'd spent in hot, tropical Hoenn.

Gary came stalking down the path in a foul mood, still cradling Clefable in his arms while Umbreon trotted happily at his side. Other trainers steered clear, either already aware of Gary's temper or just deciding the veritable storm clouds hovering about him weren't worth messing with. One trainer's Misdreavus did try to drift along after him, no doubt starving for the emotion bleeding off the boy, before the girl swatted at the spirit.

"Stupid Gramps not getting me my own place!" Gary raged. Ash spotted Daisy trailing a ways behind him, looking utterly embarrassed at her baby brother's behavior. "I have to have roommates? First Clair, now this! I'm going to—YOU!"

"Me," Ash said easily, rising. He was careful not to disturb Gloam too much. Umbreon's tail wagged and Clefable waved both hands at Ash and Dazed. "I wanted to check in. See how the place was treating you, you know?"

Gary's eyes narrowed in suspicion, that big brain of his no doubt working overtime to figure out Ash's angle. "That's awfully nice of you," Gary sneered. "But I don't need you to look out for little ol' me. What're you really—"

"Hey, Ash! You work for the League. Do you know where they keep all the snacks?" Jon's voice called out from inside. Moments later the door swung open and the two rivals paled at the sight of one another. Ash was pretty sure it was pure fury. "YOU!"

Gary's hiss sounded much like an offended Meowth. Clefable drew upon a bit of her psychic energy to levitate her over to Jon, who had little choice but to catch her in his arms—Gary looked apoplectic at that, quivering with rage.

"I knew I smelled trash around here. What are you doing in my house?" Gary jabbed. Then his eyes widened. "No. No! NO!"

"What are you doing in our house?" Jon cried, a little slower on the uptake. Dazed chuckled silently into Ash's mind. The other boy's nose scrunched up. "Wait a second…"

"Could you slow down?" Daisy huffed and puffed as she jogged up. Eevee pranced after her, pausing only to wag his fluffy tail as he came to sit on the porch. "Seriously, Gary, it's not that big of a—oh, Jonathan. What are you doing here?"

Gary puffed up. "That's just what I was asking!" He whirled on Ash. "Get that innocent look off your face, you freaking prick. What are you—"

"Oh look," Ash said cheerfully, pointing past Gary's shoulder. "Is that Clair? I wonder what she's doing here."

A shudder raced down Gary's spine. Ash felt his dear friend's rage as if it were his own, bubbling hot and potent and bone-deep. Gloam hissed out a chuckle, especially as Amelia poked her head out of the door as well.

Clair appeared as she ever did: tall, fierce, and with a shit-eating grin on her face that vanished the moment Daisy turned to face her. Jonathan looked rather nervous all of a sudden, although he spared Clair a furtive wave that she didn't acknowledge. A resplendent Dragonite flanked her, a bit larger than Saph but far less bulky than Dov or the leader of Lance's Dragonite trio.

Ash felt a little bit of pride for Clair. She was belligerently petty to the point that Gary of all people had found an equal in her, but he was glad that she'd broken out of the rut she'd been stuck in for so many years.

"You did this!" Gary jabbed a finger at Clair, nearly frothing from the mouth. If he had Fire then Ash had no doubt steam would be hissing from his ears. He swelled up like a Teddiursa trying to appear larger than it really was. "I should have known. You incestuous dragon-loving freak. My sister has a Champion Lance body pillow that you'll probably be salivating over—"

"GARY!" Daisy squawked, flailing her hands madly as she looked up at Clair with embarrassment scrawled over her face. Clair towered over them all, though even she looked small next to her Dragonite. "Shut up! How can you talk to a Gym Leader that way?"

Daisy ignored the sheer vitriol rolling off Gary in waves and stepped forward.

"It's nice to meet you, Clair. I've heard a lot about you," she said. Clair smiled charmingly as she returned Daisy's handshake, displaying more diplomacy in that one moment than Ash had ever seen from the Blackthorn Gym Leader. "You wouldn't believe the stories my baby brother has come up with!"

Clair shook her head, sending her blue hair bouncing. "This happens sometimes, I'm afraid," she said softly. "I do my utmost to challenge young trainers, you see, and some just aren't used to that. It's not unusual for them to become frustrated with their failures, especially bright young trainers like Gary here. I can't imagine he's used to finding any stumbling blocks!"

Clefable and Dazed had to arrest Gary in a psychic prison before he could rush up to her and spout something terrible. Ash was happy to let Clair take the blame, but he wasn't going to let Gary get himself disqualified for something so stupid.

Ash had no doubt that she would push for it if the opportunity presented itself. This might be Clair at her most charming—and really, Clair and 'charming' were practically an oxymoron together—Ash had no doubt that she would push for it if the opportunity presented itself.

"I hate that it's turned into such a crazy experience," Daisy sighed, never looking away from Clair. The Blackthorn Gym Leader smiled back at her. "He's not usually like this, I swear!"

Ash, Jon, and Amelia all shared disbelieving glances at that. So did Clefable, Dazed, Gloam…basically everyone, actually, including random passersby on the street who'd stopped to watch the whole affair.

Gary had earned quite the reputation in Johto, it seemed.

"It's a terrible shame," Clair agreed. "He's such a promising trainer! But it's a difficult time in his life. All those hormones and new emotions must be so challenging to deal with. Give him a few years and I'm confident he'll grow up a little bit."

Gary raged against his shackles.

Should I release him?

"Nah," Ash said, thinking back to all the trouble Gary had gone to in order to keep him in the media for the past year. Did anyone really believe the lies that Gary had been spouting? No. But every action had an equal and opposite reaction. It was the way of the universe. "He deserves this."

Gary's eyes bulged.

Clefable clapped delightedly.

Daisy tilted her head up to meet Clair's eyes, biting her lower lip. "I appreciate your confidence in him…I know my baby brother can be a bit much. I just wish we could find a way to smooth things over!"

Anyone who'd known Clair for more than a few minutes would have realized that the beatific smile on her face was as foreign to her as sportsmanlike conduct. Sadly, Daisy didn't fall in that category.

"I do dislike how out of control this situation has grown," Clair sighed, leaning a little closer to Daisy. The Oak colored a little. Eevee wretched. "Perhaps we could discuss this further and try to work out a solution together? Over dinner, perhaps?"

Ash saw Fire in Gary's soundless scream at that little move. He shuddered as his Feather caught alight. He'd grown more immersed in the Concepts in recent months, but even as he began to witness their expression in the everyday world this was something fierce.

"See, Gary?" Daisy turned to Gary, endlessly pleased with her 'diplomacy'. Ash and Clair certainly hadn't said anything about this particular outcome, but Ash didn't say a word. Gary was released from his psychic lock instants before Daisy whirled around to beam at him. "I told you that you were just being dramatic! Your big sister will get this all sorted out, alright?"

Daisy didn't get to see Clair flipping Gary off and sticking her tongue out at him the second her back was turned. By the time Daisy turned back to Clair, Gary had been frozen yet again. Ash smiled at him as his dear friend practically frothed at the mouth.

Jon and Amelia shared nervous glances, no doubt worried about Gary's homicidal rage once he was freed. Ash fully planned to teleport back to the Indigo Plateau before that could become his problem.

"Here's my number!" Daisy quickly plucked a little notepad from her pocket and scribbled her information down. Clair smoothly took it from Daisy, smiling radiantly, and Ash had the terrible feeling that this was going to turn into one terrible mess.

Daisy had always harbored a fairly blatant crush on Lance (even to Ash's eyes). She definitely had a type.

"I have to check on a few of my responsibilities as Gym Leader, but I'll reach out to you soon," Clair promised with a bright gleam in her eye. "I'm very much looking forward to our chat, Daisy. I'm certain that together we can work something out…"

"Oh yes, of course!" Daisy stammered, looking rather distracted for a moment. "I, uh. Yes. Dinner. Wonderful! See you soon!"

Dragonite snorted at that before escorting Clair away. Daisy wandered off in a daze—Ash saw her pump her fist when she thought none of them were looking—and at last they allowed Gary to go free.

Ash took just a second to see Gary's red face and the roar on his mouth (Fire stirred again, seeing its reflection in Gary's unyielding rage) before nodding shortly at Dazed, discretely recalling Weavile.

They blinked out of existence a moment later just as the first of Gary's profanity-laden screeches reached them, swearing revenge on essentially everyone but Ash's mother.

Dazed's eyes curved upwards as she polished her pendulum by Ash's side.

Acorn will not forgive you for this. Neither will your friends, I suspect.

A slow grin spread across Ash's face as his plotting finally came to fruition…part of it, anyways.

Gary wasn't done paying his debt. Not yet.

XX

"There's a good crop this year," Koga commented, his dark eyes locked upon the proud ranks of trainers who had made it to the initial rounds of the Silver Conference. Weezing hung over his shoulder with a double grimace, seeming as if he'd rather be anywhere else. Given what Ash knew about Kalos, perhaps the poison-type enjoyed feeding off the corruption wafting off the nobility like fumes. Maybe it just loved feeding off the awful perfume they wore. "Quite a few have been marked for recruitment."

Ash skimmed through the report which Koga had let him read earlier. He ran a highlighter over several names, largely those who had done well enough that he'd heard about them on the circuit.

Several were already familiar. Ash perked up as he spotted one name in particular. "Watch this one, Josh Brooks," he said, pointing the name out to Koga. "He's talented, very clever. I bet he gets at least Top 32."

"As a second-year trainer?" Koga arched a dark eyebrow. "Impressive. Yes, I recognize the name. He participated in the Indigo Conference last year, correct?"

Ash nodded.

"What's this I hear about betting?" Falkner visibly perked up, his blue hair washed out in the stark light of the League box situated high above the ranks of trainers sitting through the Opening Ceremony below. Lance's voice rolled through them all like thunder, inspiring the participants to the greatest of heights, but all the Johto Gym Leaders observing looked bored to tears.

They'd all sat through this for many, many years. It was fresh and new to Ash, who relished the chance to look at the Silver Conference from the other side, but everyone else looked as if they'd rather be anywhere else.

Gym Leaders cycled through, providing security and occasionally looking good for the cameras, but very few preferred the drudgery of working the events compared to managing their own territories.

"Just a figure of speech," Pryce said kindly, though even he looked a touch disappointed. His thin fingers tapped constantly on his leg, occasionally reaching up to scratch his Mamoswine's chin. The enormous pile of fur and muscle just barely fit in Pryce's reserved area. "Though if Ash is so confident in Mr. Brooks, I'd be willing to set up a wager…"

Koga sighed and folded his arms. Weezing drifted closer to Pryce with a belch of smog, no doubt curious as to the terms of this wager. "What am I going to do with you all? We weren't always like this! Bloody Grimsley…"

"Give us a raise?" Whitney interjected hopefully, reclining back against her mighty Miltank. The sleepy creature had drifted off long ago, covered in a neon pink electric blanket that Whitney had brought in with her. "Since the League can't afford to have a bunch of broke Gym Leaders susceptible to bribery and all."

Koga frowned, unimpressed even as Lance kept booming on over the speaker system. "Or I could impose a blanket ban on this ridiculous practice."

Falkner laughed, surprisingly at ease with the Poison Master. Koga had a reputation for mentoring young Gym Leaders, so Ash suspected that they were closer than most would expect. "Good luck taking that up with Lance!"

That earned a frustrated scoff from Koga. "I regret to admit that you have a point."

Koga's comment left Falkner appearing inordinately pleased. The little Spearow perched on Falkner's shoulder puffed out his chest. Ash smiled as the gesture recalled memories of Plume's early days.

"Relax," Pryce chuckled as the Opening Ceremony continued. The Flame of Moltres—Ash could feel its potency from here, resonating deep within his breast—was slowly carried to the great brazier atop the Silver Stadium, a sibling to the one in the Indigo Stadium. "These things come and go. Twenty years ago it was hiding Stun Spore in people's laundry. Now it's gambling. Give it time."

Somehow that didn't help Koga calm down…nor Ash for that matter. Seeker seemed more interested than Ash would have liked, however, briefly raising her head to blink curiously at Pryce.

"Anyways," Ash interrupted, "I'm confident that Brooks will go far. I faced him during the Fortree Challenge—I don't think he's quite ready to face down the others I told you about, but he's close."

"Gary Oak, Amelia Franklin, and Jonathan Lindon," Koga muttered. "Yes, they've made quite the names for themselves. Particularly the Oak."

"All of them positive, I'm sure," Ash scoffed. The crew of Gym Leaders all blatantly laughed at that. Gary might have softened a tad, but he'd become a bit of a legend on the Gym circuit for his stubborn belligerence and acidity…not to mention his rivalry with—

Heavy boots clacked on the tile floor as the room suddenly became very blue.

"What about that brat?" Clair demanded with her hands on her hips. Her eyes blazed with such fury that Ash felt the Feather shudder. "Has he been spreading rumors again?"

Koga outright rolled his eyes, looking as if he'd rather be back in Kalos the moment Clair made her appearance. The other Gym Leaders just grinned.

"I was reading this article on Catching Trouble the other day, you know," Falkner piped up, picking idly at his fingernails. Spearow's beady eyes never left Clair. Ash hadn't known Falkner for long, but he was beginning to suspect that the flying specialist was someone who liked to stir the pot. "Written by this new author. Shigeru Aoi, I think?"

Clair's teeth audibly grinded together.

"It was pretty remarkable!" Falkner said cheerfully. Whitney (who barely hid her grin) emphatically nodded, as did her sleepy Miltank. "Shigeru pieced together over a thousand years of Wataru genealogical records in order to construct a very compelling theory regarding the origin of several notable Wataru traits due to the very limited gene pool available to your ancestors."

Koga didn't bother to hide his chuckle. Perhaps he appreciated the sheer lengths to which Gary—sorry, Shigeru—went. "I suppose our Blackthorn Gym Leader was mentioned at some point?"

"Of course! She's the most famous modern Wataru…well, with one exception—"

"Falkner." Clair's voice was deathly calm. That alone was a huge red flag given how red her face was.

The boy gulped. "Uh, yeah?"

"Do you like your Gym?"

"Yes…?"

"Would you like for your Gym to continue existing?"

"...Yes."

"Then shut up."

Falkner whimpered. "Koga! Clair's threatening me—"

"Just finish your story," Koga groaned.

Was he a little more grey than he had been last year? Ash thought so as Seeker nuzzled closer into his chest, only crushing him beneath her new bulk a tiny bit. Koga had stolen a few looks at her throughout the day, no doubt concerned with her seemingly rapid evolution.

Two months was still exceptionally fast for an evolution, but Seeker seemed to be handling it well so far. Ash would continue to keep a close eye on her, however.

"So Shigeru did a deep dive on Clair's lineage! She's the second most famous Wataru, after all," Falkner dared, trusting in Weezing to keep Clair from strangling him. "It's remarkably well researched. Apparently he interviewed an expert on the Wataru family tree—"

Ash hid a cough, paling as he realized just why Gary had sent him so many questions about the Wataru a few months ago. Gary masked them well enough, wrapping the probes in enough misdirection so that Ash wouldn't realize the angle that he was going for, but that wouldn't keep Clair from exploding.

A massive vein was already throbbing in her head.

"Oh, did you know that your grandparents were first cousins?" Falkner adopted the tone of a fascinated pupil. "Brilliant stuff! I learned so much, all thanks to—"

Clair snarled like the dragons she trained and Falkner promptly shut up.

"I'm going to kill him," she said flatly, though she didn't sound nearly as furious as Ash had expected. Then again, Daisy had seemed rather happy after the dinner she and Clair had shared the previous night. Apparently their discussion had been rather productive.

She spared a brief nod to Ash and Koga before spinning on her heel to stomp out of the room.

"Is anyone going to address that?" Whitney piped up. "She seems a little unhinged. Oh, Ash! Did you hear what she tried to do before the Silver Conference?"

Normally such gossip would be swiftly put down by Koga, but the poor Poison Master looked utterly fed up with all the shenanigans these highly respected trainers had apparently decided to get stuck on. He just ignored them, instead poised to observe all the trainers that Ash had highlighted for him.

"What happened?"

Falkner and his Spearow outright giggled. "Okay! So you didn't hear this from me—" Ash thought that was a strange proposition to make in front of every other Johto Gym Leader, "—but a week before the Conference, Clair tried taking advantage of this weird loophole to temporarily step down as Gym Leader."

"It's an archaic exception built into the Blackthorn Gym Leader position. One of the benefits of their legacy," Pryce explained, rapping his cane lightly across his knees. "The old dragon lords used to grow weary of their mantle and seek adventures for a time, only to reclaim it months later with no penalty so long as their territories remained in good hands."

Ash's brow furrowed as Seeker shifted in his lap. "And Clair wanted to step down?" He frowned, then realization struck. "No."

"That's right!" Whitney giggled, leaning forward conspiratorially. "Clair was minutes away from dropping her Gym Leader responsibilities, sweeping the Silver Gym circuit, and entering the Silver Conference! Can you imagine?"

"I really can't…"

Clair was likely Master-level. If she would have entered the Conference then the odds of her losing were essentially nil. Elite trainers on the level of Michael or Grey could challenge her, but Ash knew full well just how vast the gulf between Conference Finalist and Master was.

Falkner cackled. "Yeah! But the second Lance heard about it, he flew off on Dragonite and hit Blackthorn within the hour! Apparently he nearly blasted a hole into the Gym's ceiling and came down like a hurricane, then dismissed every challenger and Gym Trainer—half of Blackthorn heard him yelling! They said Clair looked like old Agatha had just given her a spook by the time he was done."

Ash winced at that, as did Pryce and Morty (who had been content to just listen in so far), but Falkner said it adoringly enough that it didn't bother him too much. Agatha would've probably gotten a kick out of it, honestly.

"Leader Clair was suitably chastised for her attempted misuse of the rules," Koga said evenly. "The lesson will not need to be repeated, and the incident needn't be discussed, Leader Falkner."

Falkner bowed his head at Koga's use of his title and fell silent, sensing that the game was over.

"Champion Lance flew back and immediately used his authority as Champion to correct those old regulations," Koga said. Ash blinked—Lance tended to use his power sparingly, largely entrusting the day-to-day operations to the ironclad institutions of the League.

'The Indigo League has persisted for a millennium," Lance had once told Ash. "We've tweaked it here and there, but the role of the Champion is to defend these ancient principles. I find interfering unnecessarily tends to get…messy. Chinatsu is an ornery old killer, but she's done a fine job of keeping Indigo on the straight and narrow. Best to save it for when it really matters.'

Lance was an avid defender of the League, a reassuring guiding hand and boisterous voice who rose morale with every word, but the practical omnipotence of the Champion's mantle was something he was wary of. He spent most of his efforts rooting out potential corruption, ensuring the League's stability persisted, and preparing

In other words, Lance must have been pissed at Clair.

"So we shouldn't worry about Whitney going on a power trip and steamrolling the competition?" Ash asked drily. Whitney perked up at that, beaming. "Sorry, Whitney. It sounds like that ship's sailed."

"Aw shucks!" She whined. "And there was my chance to abuse my power!"

"There will be no abuse of power," Koga said sternly, wagging his finger at Whitney like a disappointed father. "In fact—"

They all went silent as the Flame of Moltres roared to life in its great brazier. The Feather burned on Ash's chest like a beacon, attracting all their eyes as the golden fires flickered to life, and they all turned with eager looks as the aurelian cinders swirled up into the mimicry of the great Bird once more.

Moltres lived in the hearts of Indigo for a single instant, spreading its fiery wings out from the brazier and shrieking only to fall away a few seconds later, dissolving back into the mundane flames.

The other League officials smiled and cheered alongside their teammates, grateful for the symbol of divine protection, but Seeker chattered up at Ash worriedly as he froze.

Fire fell away the Feather, slowly replaced by encroaching Ice.

A frigid gale swept down from Mt. Silver, sending shivers down every onlooker's sign.

Ash felt the blizzard atop the great mount's peak swirl ever fiercer, yet there was a softness to it…as if Articuno was embracing something.

Whatever warmth he felt at Moltres' brief return fell away in a matter of seconds, replaced by a looming dread.

Winter had reared its bitter white head.

XX

"The green trainer is the famous Gary Oak of Pallet Town! Regarded highly for his impressive performance in the previous Indigo Conference—matching Champion Lance's own initial placement!—Gary was stopped by none other than Elite Four Ash Ketchum in a thrilling battle!"

Ash colored as the announcer continued, somehow making Gary's introduction more about Ash than the Oak himself. Ugh, Gary wasn't going to let him hear the end of this, was he?

This seems to be a trend, Friend-Trainer.

"The announcer seems to be enjoying himself," Karen sniggered from Ash's left. Her eyes were locked on the battlefield below, eager to enjoy one of the first battles of the Silver Conference. Gary had been selected early. "Did you put him up to this or is he just a member of your fan club?"

"I'd better not have a fan club," Ash groused, resting a hand on Lotus' keystone. The Spiritomb was largely dormant, but every now and then a burning green eye would peek out, spy all the people around, and quickly retreat back into its home.

Will leaned over, tapping his temple. "You do! Several, in fact. I run the official League-sponsored one! It is a very enjoyable reprieve from my ordinary duties. The Sisters and I had…disagreements on how to best handle the responsibilities."

"By that, Will means they wanted to merchandise the hell out of you," Karen said drily. "Will pulled rank, although there's only so much he can do. There's a reason a good fifty percent of rookies this year have an official copy of your hat."

Ash made a face at that. It still stung that after all the work he'd had to put into his hat that everyone else could just by one. That had taken months of painstaking effort! s

He just put the whole affair out of his mind. At least he could be grateful that the Sisters hadn't tried to set him up for any interviews with the tabloids they had good relationships with. He was not going to get dressed up like Gary or gel his hair up, thank you very much.

Flannery would never let him hear the end of it, not to mention his team's reaction. Infernus might just try to set him on fire for the fun of it…it's not like a little bit of incineration would actually hurt Ash anymore.

Ash shook those thoughts off. "I didn't put the announcer up to this, but I wouldn't be surprised if someone else did."

Karen's smirk grew. She gently stroked her Weavile, who was curled up around her shoulders in the same way that Gloam enjoyed. "A certain blue-haired Dragon Master, perhaps?"

"Perhaps," Ash hedged, though he blinked at Karen's description. "You mean she really—"

"Indeed!" Will chirped, clapping his white-gloved hands together with a shower of purple sparks that drew annoyed glances from Morty and Whitney as they watched from a short distance away. Most of Johto's Gym Leaders had already left, but these two were on duty for the next few days. "Oh, if only you could feel the joy radiating off of Clair! I'm so pleased for her. Her disposition is brighter than ever!"

The Kindly Harlequin concerns me sometimes.

"Your buddy down there kicked her into gear," Karen noted, half-listening as the announcer sang on the praises of Gary's opponent, a young girl from Goldenrod. Whitney immediately perked up at that and paid closer attention, though Miltank seemed content to snooze away under her electric blanket. "Clair's held herself back as long as I've known her, always so hung up on beating Lance that she crippled her own team. It's nice to see her unshackled, although—what the hell is she doing down there?"

Ash grinned, squeezing Lotus' keystone tight. "Oh?"

"Oh, that is Clair!" Will clapped again, waggling his fingers down at the crowd. "How delightful! She's so invested in young Gary's journey that she volunteered to be the referee for his first match. It brings a tear to my eye."

Ash never could tell if Will was full of shit or not. There was a tear in Will's eye, though. He just wasn't certain if it was from laughter or delight.

"That can't be legal," Karen murmured, intrigued by the sight of Clair donning the black-and-white referee uniform. The Blackthorn Gym Leader sent Gary the ugliest smile that Ash had ever seen, practically salivating at the rage which blossomed in Gary's eyes. "It's so…ugh, it's so Clair. I'm going to have a talk with her."

"I think it's wonderful that Clair has become so motivated! We should offer her young rival a commemorative plaque."

"I agree with all of that," Ash said drily, "but it is legal. I looked it up."

Karen blinked. Weavile perked up from around her neck. Then it struck her. "You little shit!" Karen howled, looking down at him with as much pride as he'd ever seen from her. He only had a second to sputter as she gave him a noogie. "Look at you plotting like a pro! Well done!"

Ash flung her arm off, scowling at her, and fixed his hat. "It's just for the first match—you know how the Silver Conference is seeded. If he can't beat someone who didn't earn a single major badge then he deserves to lose. Who knows? It might make him even more dangerous."

The battle began below. Blastoise was absolutely demolishing the other trainer's Dewgong, hurling it around the arena with slams of his shell, and based on the feral stream of commands and curses loosing from Gary's lips his opponent wouldn't last long.

But even as the battle progressed, Gary grew more steady. Calm. Purposefully ignorant to Clair's curled lip and the way she watched him like a Staraptor.

Gary could be an obnoxious little snot, sure, but Ash was glad his friend was growing. His face was red, his blood pressure was sky high, and his stress levels had blown past 'reasonable' a long time ago, but Gary didn't let Clair get to him that much.

Good.

This was a bit meanspirited, sure, but Clair had been chomping at the bit once Ash raised the idea. She'd started to view him as something of a partner-in-crime, apparently, although Ash really hoped she knew that Ash wouldn't help her forever.

Ash had really only planned for Gary to live with Jon and Amelia (he was just glad the house was still standing two days in), for Clair to temporarily assume the Viridian Gym Leader spot when Gary was planning to take a vacation from challenging Blackthorn, and arranging his dear friend's worst enemy to referee his first match in a regional competition.

Dazed blinked at him.

Are you certain that you are friends?

"Mostly. Do I even have to start listing off what he's done?"

Karen looked at him strangely, though Will nodded along sagely as if he'd listened in on every word that Dazed had said.

Maybe he had.

It wasn't long before Gary clobbered the other trainer. Ash felt a little bad for her—the girl was talented and had particularly strong fundamentals, but was a brown-haired rookie who just hadn't had time to refine her craft.

Give her a year or two and she'd likely make it further. Reaching the Silver Conference at all was an achievement worthy of recognition. He made a note to keep an eye on her.

Still…

"I'd best head down to the staging area," Ash said, grinning as he watched Clair stomp off. "I'm sure Gary will have words for me."

"Better you than me," Karen flicked her hand lazily, dismissing him. "Go on, boy wonder. Record for me, won't you? We've had our eye on the Oak boy for a long time now, but his attitude seems like more trouble than it's worth."

"Isn't that the truth?" Ash muttered, waving a goodbye to all the other League officials as he stepped towards the exit. "Dazed, would it be too much to ask that you commit every second of this to memory?"

Dazed polished her jeweled pendulum as her eyes curved upward in a rather sinister manner.

Not at all, Friend-Trainer. Not at all.

XX

"I…what in the world?"

"That's what I'm wondering," Lance agreed grimly as a young rookie with a backwards hat (a copy of Ash's, which left him scowling) raised a red-and-white Pokéball high to the sky. He was brash, cocky, and gleeful as anyone Ash had ever seen.

Not many trainers in this competition were eager to face Jonathan Lindon, but this one was. Jon's enormous Rhyperior smashed her club-like fists against the broad orange plates on her chest, booming like thunder.

Jon so owed Ash for getting him access to a Protector. The League had plenty, and it was easy enough to requisition one for temporary use. No one even blinked an eye since they weren't consumed after use like some evolutionary catalysts.

The composition of a Rhydon's stone hide gradually changed as they aged, accumulating higher concentrations of certain minerals which eventually induced the release of specific hormones which caused the Rhydon to evolve.

A Protector had to be worn for several days, but over time it was designed to stimulate production of those evolutionary hormones without the middleman of time. It was a clever bit of technology.

So now Jon's mighty Rhyperior roared to the delight of the crowd—she'd singlehandedly swept a team in a practice round which was televised before the Silver Conference proper, earning her a startlingly passionate fanbase—and kicked at the dirt as the other trainer (Joey, Ash thought his name was) released his own fighter.

A Rattata.

Ash firmly believed that any pokémon could rise to the top, particularly in this age of advanced medicine and TMs. Champion Uther's legendary Raticate had been a menace, just as feared as his Tauros and Snorlax for its ability to pierce any defense. In the grainy footage of his Champion match against Sam, it had managed to bite clean through Blastoise's shell.

But Rattata looked so tiny as it chirped up at Rhyperior, who blinked dully at the normal-type. She looked back to Jon for a bit of support, but the boy seemed just as dumbfounded as the rest of them. The cheers had silenced…except from a small section of fans who roared all the louder, raising banners with the Rattata's whiskered face plastered across.

Its eyes were baby blue, its purple fur was tinged with pink, but it was just a Rattata.

Ash stood at the edge of the box. His nose was practically smushed up against the glass. His team did much the same—Dazed had to lock Lairon in a psychic shell just so that he didn't accidentally move forward too far and shatter the window.

"Shouldn't someone stop them?" Ash prodded. All of the Johto Gym Leaders present—Whitney, Bugsy, Chuck, and Jasmine—all sat stone faced. "One wrong move and—"

"Just watch," Lance said, strangely intent upon the scene. "And see."

"Why would we ever stop them?" Chuck grunted, a sour look on his face. "That Rattata single handedly earned that boy the Rising Badge."

Ash laughed.

No one laughed with him.

He shared a glance with Bruiser, who seemed just as perturbed. "Seriously?"

"Seriously," Lance said flatly. "I thought one of the Porygon2 were playing jokes again when I first saw the footage. 6-0, Clair's loss. Six fighters, six attacks. I classified the footage so that we wouldn't have to deal with the whole world asking the same questions we are—Clair refused to host another challenger for a week. It's like nothing I've ever seen."

"Literally!" Jasmine chimed in. "I barely blinked and my poor baby Steelix was knocked out with a giant dent in his head!"

"Poliwrath can back that up," Chuck said. "She doesn't even remember getting hit."

Bugsy nodded commiseratingly, silently pointing at Scizor who let out a metallic groan.

"...Nobody tried asking how?" Ash said frankly. The battle was about to begin, the crowd roared—and Rattata vanished in a blink, smashed into Rhyperior as the sound barrier shattered like a fragile pane of glass, and sent Rhyperior skipping across the arena like a stone. Rhyperior smashed through the psychic barriers, fell to the earth, and didn't rise. Jon was pale as a ghost. "That shouldn't be physically possible."

The arena was utterly silent with one single exception: the dedicated section which screamed loud enough that Ash could hear from within the League box, joined by trumpets of Donphan and roars of a very excited Persian.

Ash stared at Rattata dumbly. How? Had it even used a technique, or was that just pure physicality?

Something about it was familiar, something in the playful glint of its eyes as it trotted proudly back to its adoring trainer, who pumped his fist and danced madly in the trainer's box. His chest itched.

"I told you my Rattata was raring to go, just like always!" Joey roared. Jon was utterly speechless. "See? I told you my Rattata is different from regular Rattata, but you didn't believe me! It's like my Rattata is in the top percentage of all Rattata!"

Jon gaped as he recalled Rhyperior, utterly shaken.

"See?" Lance leaned closer to Ash, eyes locked upon the Rattata as if it was the most fascinating creature in the world. So was Ash…and his entire team. "We've talked to his family, but they have no clue. Every time we try to get close to Joey to see what the hell's going on with that thing, he vanishes."

"Vanishes?"

"Reappears on the other end of the region the next day. We've been tracking him for almost a year now. No new teammates, not many connections, just random appearances before vanishing again. The only logical explanation is teleportation, but you know…Rattata."

Ash scowled as Jon released Charizard, who snorted disdainfully at the cheerful Rattata before Jon's frantic warnings had Charizard looking at the diminutive creature in a new light. Rattata scratched at the ground, more concerned with digging a hole than with the giant fire-type glaring daggers at it.

"So what happens when that thing sweeps the entire Conference?" Ash glanced over at his team. "Gloam might be fast enough to keep up with it, but it's moving faster than a Ninjask. I can barely track it. And that power…it's unreal!"

"We won't let that happen," Lance said. "We allowed Joey entry to try and establish contact. He'll be disqualified. There's no way this thing is natural. There's a team waiting for him when he finishes—Karen's there to lock him down just in case ."

"That's one way to put it," Ash said, still staring at Joey's Rattata. He reached out to see the Truth of the world, to abandon physical senses in exchange for unbridled reality, and felt a cold fire spark to life behind his eyes.

He inhaled deeply, focusing, and felt something achingly, painfully familiar—

"What. The. Hell."

Ash's words were overlaid with another power, one which had all the Gym Leaders and Lance himself leaping to their feet before that same power wiped the moment from their minds. Lance blinked, stunned for a brief moment, but thought nothing of the strange slip after a moment.

"What is it?" Lance's voice was eager, desperate to solve this mystery. "This has been bothering me for months! If there weren't so many other things on our plate I would've tried to hunt this Joey down myself. Rocket experiment? Legendary agent?"

"It's Mew," Ash said dumbly, the truth of the Guardian of Life unfolding before his eyes like fractals, fractals, fractals. "Rattata is Mew."

A sapling of a much greater tree

The First

Growing, changing, adapting, evolving

Fickle, bored, change, change, change!

Nudge just right

Preserve

Prune

Reseed

Enjoy every second amongst its steward-children, fill the eons with fun!

Ash gasped, his head spinning with even that shallow glimpse, and Rattata briefly turned mid-leap (and by that, Ash meant that it shot over two hundred feet in the air to crash into Charizard's gut like a rocket) to wink at him.

"Mew?" Lance's brow furrowed. Realization struck him. Horror. "You mean…"

Rattata landed deftly, happily licking its paws as Charizard crashed down right next to it, and Ash and Mewtwo felt the exact same disbelief coursing through them. Its body shifted for an instant—Ash saw a long flexible tail which waggled at him (and Mewtwo by proxy), baby blue eyes, and a tiny frame not much larger than Rattata's—before it appeared as Rattata again.

First Suicune, now Mew, Ash thought dumbly. Jon just couldn't catch a break…

THIS is what my progenitor has occupied itself with? I spend my days locked away on New Island, peering endlessly into the mysteries of the universe—

If the 'mysteries of the universe' was Ash's head, then that was accurate.

Mewtwo snapped back with far less dignity than he usually maintained.

Shut up! Mew's spent the last year as a pet? The Guardian of Life has been carted around in a mundane capture device?

Ash doubted Mew stayed in that device except for when it suited the Legend's purposes, but he doubted that was any consolation.

Mewtwo's telepathic snarl cut off as Rattata vanished from the battlefield. Ash, Lance, and the Gym Leaders stared wordlessly, utterly stunned, as Rattata popped into existence, clung to the glass like a Kecleon, and seemed to smile at them.

For a moment a tiny sliver of the Legend's nature was revealed, striking them truly speechless. Ash remained standing (as did his team) but the rest collapsed. Only Lance stood with them, though he wavered on his feet as the Feather burned brilliantly upon his wrist.

One tiny paw came out and flicked Ash on the nose, though the Rattata chattered eagerly as Tangrowth reached out with several vines to curiously pick it up and squeeze it in a tight hug. Those two would get on marvelously, Ash thought dumbly.

It wasn't truly in Mew's nature to use something so mundane as words. The creature was ancient, older than the first bundle of catalytic RNA molecules which had grown into life proper, but it was well-trained in communicating with mortals.

Meanings unfolded in Ash's mind, base concepts connected more elegantly than simple words could ever manage, and his vision swam. His head did not ache as it once did when Mew and Mewtwo had spoken into his mind.

You're big now. You have more names than when we last met! As for you—

Ash felt a mental prod at the icy presence in his head.

I've been living! You should try it sometime.

And with that, Rattata-Mew vanished with a giggle. Joey popped away moments later, plucked from reality by some unseen hand as the crowd went wild with confusion.

"What just happened?" Lance groaned, massaging his temples. "Where's Mew? I'm even more confused now."

We'll play soon, Storm-Tamer. It'll be fun!

Ash and his team shuddered as information flooded into their brains.

"You aren't the only ones."

At least they didn't have to try to explain to the crowd where a Silver Conference competitor had just disappeared to. Small mercies.

Ash did not envy Lance right now.

XX

The week progressed in the blink of an eye: battles were fought, victories were claimed by Gary, Amelia, and Jon (although he was convinced the battle with Rattata and Joey had been the result of someone drugging him) until they were each in the Top 64, and Ash worked himself and his team to the bone.

Sidney and his punchable face were just around the corner. And beyond him greater challenges still.

Ash spent plenty of time working with his friends from Pallet, coaching them through recordings of their matches and meticulously (but not harshly, except with Gary and occasionally Jon) picking their performance to shreds.

There wasn't that much to critique, to be honest. They'd all come a long way in mastering their fundamentals. Their actual skill levels were exceptional. Ash wouldn't be surprised to see any one of the trio claim the Silver Cup this year.

Gary had the edge overall, though Jon and Amelia had made great strides. Reducing the number of fighters that Gary needed to manage had done him wonders, allowing him to hone his core team to near-perfection, and he'd begun the advancement of several techniques under Ash's guidance which might one day provide him the foundation to grow into a Master.

Jon and Amelia had pleasantly surprised Ash, however, and his probing questions had essentially confirmed the hypothesis he'd been certain of since he'd met them back in Pallet: the two had been trained by Clair.

They had the potential to attract Master mentors regardless. Ash just suspected that Clair's intentions were rather less noble.

Amelia held her cards close to her chest throughout the Silver Conference, but she'd barely broken a sweat against her challengers so far. Her team had always held their poisoned knives behind their backs; now they wore a pair of brass knuckles..while still keeping that knife ready to plunge into an unwary target's throat.

There was a ferocity to her now which belied her clever mind. It contrasted Jon quite well, though he'd learned to use that softer touch which Ash had noticed as well.

They'd been excellent clay, but Ash wouldn't deny that Clair had done a fine job molding them.

Now it was his turn. Ash demanded the best from his friends; one of them would win the Silver Conference. There were plenty of other fierce competitors that Ash had taken note of, naturally, but he'd be damned if he didn't do everything in his power to prepare his friends for the top.

Three had caught his attention in particular: another Jon (perish the thought) who came in as one of the favorites to reach the Finals, a powerful trainer named Harrison who hailed from Littleroot Town, and that blue-haired girl that Gary had practically gotten into a brawl with during registration.

Marina Kris was a rookie from New Bark Town, apparently a favorite of Professor Elm, and had done commendably during the circuit. The League hadn't made any sort of formal contact yet, but Ash knew that they'd marked her with the same sort of potential as Jon, Amelia, and Gary. She hadn't managed to obtain the Rising Badge, but every leader save Clair had given her their highest recommendations.

She wasn't at their level yet, naturally, but she'd beaten the League's projections of Top 128 and made it to the Top 64, though it had been deathly close at the end. Ash had taken the time to watch her Top 128 match.

Talents like Kris were exceptionally rare. There was a reason that the Pallet Four had become so famous. No one was assured to become a Master, but Ash thought she had a fair shot if she kept this up and never stopped growing.

Many trainers tended to peak early, sadly. It was work to grow. Time and effort would bring anyone up to a decent baseline should they apply themselves and work with their team, but to advance past the five badge level was difficult (not to mention expensive).

Perhaps dozens of rookies each year had the potential to become a Master. Less than a handful had the grit to follow that lonely road to its end.

Maybe it was worth meeting her at least once…

As for Ash, the entire Indigo Elite Four had combined to sharpen his team to their limits. Several members of his team continued to rotate in and out of Pallet Town to work with Sam's fighters while the rest spent several hours with Ash and whichever Elite Four member was available that day.

The Silver Conference kept them all (including Ash) incredibly busy…but this was something worth carving time out for. This Ever Grande Challenge had stoked every bit of competitive spirit in Ash and it seemed the Indigo Elite Four had been caught alight as well—friendly competition, of course, but competition nonetheless.

…Mostly.

"Picture Sidney's smug, smirking, punchable face," Karen hissed during their last lesson, crouching to meet Ash's eyes while Gloam practiced Dispel and Rend against her own teammates, shredding through their techniques like a black whirlwind. Occasionally a gut-wrenching Mind Breaker tore through the arena and left them all stumbling. "His stupid tuft of ugly hair. You will destroy that wannabe punk, got it?"

Ash's feral grin would have made Infernus proud. Ash could have sworn there was a tear of pride in Karen's eye.

Karen's vitriol had surprised him a bit (not too much, given that it was Sidney they were talking about) but it all made sense when he got the story from Lance later.

Of Sidney's extensive list of offenses Ash would only need to name a few: having Zoroark paint illusions of false doors to trick Karen into walking straight into walls, using Zoroark's abilities to make it appear as if he and Karen had switched hairstyles, and snide comments (and unwanted tips) about Karen's fashion sense. One time he'd had Zoroark follow her around and make her look like she was wearing Clair's outfit all day.

Really, the list went on and on. It was like Sidney wanted Karen to slit his throat in his sleep one day.

Needless to say, Karen and the rest of the Indigo Elite Four had stepped up to hone Ash into a weapon. The rapid growth of his team had surprised them, but it had been a long time since he'd properly battled or demonstrated his family's talents for the Indigo Elite Four. It wasn't too hard to mask things with them.

Koga had been rather impressed with the success Nidoking and Seeker had in working poison into their other techniques. He was off showing Seeker a few tricks now.

With Lance…well, it was more difficult. Lance had always kept a close eye on his progress. Ash's positive change in mood had no doubt been noticeable to the man in his recent visits to Indigo Plateau post-Celebi adventure but Lance never said a word.

Lance probably didn't want to add any extra pressure to Ash. Why poke the sleeping Ursaring? Ash appreciated that. But it was impossible to hide his growth from Lance in those rare spars that the Champion could afford to offer him.

Techniques leapt past Steven's 'recent' reports back from Hoenn. Battle-sense was honed and sharpened to a razor's edge.

Time was what they needed and time was what they'd gotten.

Somehow 'vitamins' and 'we trained really hard the other day' didn't mollify Lance, although at least Ash could truthfully say that Professor Oak had been a huge help. Lance looked at Ash as if he'd grown a second head when he'd accidentally called Professor Oak 'Sam' once.

Each of his team had made massive strides, perhaps Torrent most of all. The training facility beneath the Indigo Plateau rattled with power as Torrent faced down a devastating mix: a whirring Magneton, a devilish Weavile, a Kingdra whom perfectly matched Torrent in appearance (if not ability), a massive Feraligatr, and a noble Gallade.

His foes were fast and relentless, each more than worthy of competing in the Silver Conference themselves, but Torrent was unrivaled.

The pool of water Torrent was immersed in only made the inequality worse.

Mist hung about the barren arena, suspended through water manipulation and offering Torrent instant feedback on the movements of his foes, and also offered a way to immediately attack anything which pressured him. Occasionally whips of water surged for to slash and box Feraligatr and Weavile in, controlling space effortlessly and ruining any attempts at collaboration despite Gallade's best efforts.

Torrent was the sea's wrath incarnate—Feraligatr's Hydro Pump bent around him as he erupted from the water, swept around, and fired straight into Weavile before the dark-type's wicked claws could clang against his armor.

Gallade's psychic abilities temporarily captured Torrent in a psychic prison—leaving him open to a Thunder from Magneton which lit up the battlefield—but a flare of draconic power harnessed from the atmosphere obliterated the working and set Torrent free.

A single comet of draconic fury manifested before Torrent's snout. More certain than a month ago, flickering green before burning gold. Glorious gold! Still relatively unstable (as the massive streaks of turquoise energy bleeding off the makeshift Draco Meteor revealed) but working.

Feraligatr yelped as the Draco Meteor exploded in his chest, sending the massive creature flipping nearly ten feet backwards before Torrent focused his energies elsewhere.

The Draco Meteor was a good bit weaker than what Torrent would ordinarily manifest, but it was free. None of Torrent's precious stamina burned, none of his power consumed. It required a great deal of focus, but that became easier by the day as Torrent slowly mastered the technique.

Lance didn't know yet. Ash didn't want to reveal this particular trump card until it was mastered. He couldn't wait to see Lance's face!

But for now his attention fell on his opponent…er, training partner. Nidoking folded his arms at Ash's side, grunting softly as he committed every detail of the fight to memory.

Silver stomped over to him, face red as Torrent steadfastly dismantled his team. "Are you enjoying this?"

"Yeah," Ash said, blinking. It was a fight, wasn't it? "Aren't you?"

"Yes, I love seeing my team get destroyed by one dumb Kingdra," Silver hissed, sweeping his red bangs out of his eyes. They were getting a little long. Ash made a note to see about getting Silver a haircut.

There was the hint of something soft in his eyes, though. Something concerned.

Something that Ash wanted to kindle.

"Torrent? He's not dumb at all. Quite smart, really. Dazed says he tells good jokes."

Silver looked at Ash as if he couldn't tell if his half-brother was screwing with him or not. Ash just smiled pleasantly at him until Silver scoffed.

"You didn't have to call me down here to gloat. I know you're stronger than me—believe me, that's been made abundantly clear," Silver said flatly. "I can't walk around the Plateau without hearing your name, let alone watch TV without some new piece on you."

Ash shrugged, idly wondering what kind of shows Silver was trying to watch. "And I keep hearing about this grumpy ghost haunting the Plateau. I wonder if he's the same one as the 'nice, kindhearted boy with a heart of gold hidden beneath a rough exterior' that Will keeps going on about?"

Silver brightened just a tad at the mention of Will, although he hid it a moment later beneath a scowl. They both winced as Torrent hammered Weavile down into the ground, fully dousing him with water which Torrent froze with an expression of Ice. Articuno's presence above made it easier to reach than ever.

Silver's Absol moaned piteously in a distant corner, no doubt fighting off a horrific migraine and earning a concerned glance from Silver. Between Ash, Articuno, and the recent appearance of Mew the poor dark-type was overloaded.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Silver mumbled. Ash didn't call him on the lie. Silver was allowed back to Indigo (and even got to go out on his own a bit) but was still monitored and restricted. The best place for him was the Plateau.

There were no people that Ash trusted more to watch over the boy. Karen hadn't made much more than token efforts after dealing with Silver's sandpaper attitude, but Will and Koga had both managed to thaw him a tad.

They were incredibly busy, though. So it turned to Ash to try to hunt Silver down in the recesses of the Plateau (at least when Ash wasn't busy digging obsessively through the League annals). And who wouldn't want to get a good battle under their belt to pass the time?

"Why did you bring me down here?" Silver said at last. "If you just wanted to show off you could do it for your adoring fans up there." He jabbed his finger upwards. "They'd eat it all up. Me? I just want my peace and quiet."

"...I thought it would be fun," Ash admitted. "I always loved it when Lance would spar with me. He's busy most of the time, but it's a blast when he can make it! That's how I've grown."

Silver snorted. "Comparing yourself to the Champion? How humble of you. I guess those articles are true after all."

Ash fought back the urge to roll his eyes. Would it kill Silver to not see every word Ash said in the worst light possible? "That's not what I meant and you know it. I just…I wanted to make sure you were alright, I guess?"

That earned a frown from Silver. "I don't need your charity."

Based on how Ash had found Silver a few months ago, the redhead did need Ash's charity. But even Ash was socially savvy enough to know how that conversation would go over. "It's not charity. I'm just worried about you being cooped up here all by yourself."

Something flickered in Silver's steely gaze. Nidoking grunted softly.

"I'm not by myself," Silver looked pointedly at his team. Weavile was frozen fully solid, Feraligatr was passed out with his legs lifted up into the air, and Magneton's component parts were scattered halfway across the arena while Gallade and Ditto tried to hold off Torrent's unrelenting assault.

Torrent seemed particularly vitriolic towards the mirror version of himself. Ash couldn't imagine why.

"Indigo Plateau is safe, after all," Silver said, half-spitting the word. "Don't worry about me. But let me ask you something. Do they know who you really are?"

Ash said nothing, though he flinched. That told Silver enough. He just tossed Silver a first-aid box to start cleaning his team up with as Torrent finished them off, though every move offered the surviving members a chance to counterattack or to pick apart some touch that Torrent put into his techniques.

This was supposed to have been an educational experience for Silver's team. Ash just hoped the boy had managed to glean something from it.

Silver seemed to consider their time together over—Ash's heart warmed a touch upon seeing Silver gingerly bandaging up Feraligatr's injuries—but Ash left him with one last remark.

"The Silver Conference is starting to get good. If you ever want to watch a few matches from a good seat…"

Silver didn't acknowledge him beyond the tiniest of nods.

It was enough.

XX

"See? She's set this up from the beginning," Ash said as Venusaur remotely detonated little pods of Stun Spore and Sleep Powder, spitting them high up into the sky. They didn't actually attempt to capture her opponent's Noctowl mid-dive, but it created a blanket above the battlefield which forced the Noctowl to remain low and vulnerable. It just barely swerved away from Venusaur's vine whips. "Amelia's always thinking two steps ahead."

Koga was silent, picking apart every one of her strategies and actions with his normal precision. Ash had no doubt that the Poison Master filed each and every imperfection away, noting every vulnerability and every misstep.

"She has potential," Koga acknowledged, lightly patting Seviper as the great serpent coiled around him. Seviper kept inching closer and closer to Ash, attracted by the heat pouring off from the Feather. Lotus kept one green eye on the creature and had frozen him in place whenever Seviper got too close…usually long enough for Lairon to try to lick him. "I've reviewed footage from her last performance in the Indigo Conference. She's come far."

"She has," Ash said, hiding just how eager he was. Would she defeat George Grey now? It was impossible to say, but Ash thought that she would at least stand a good chance in a regulated battle. "I've worked with her a bit, but for the most part she just needed to be given the right direction. Nowadays she has the full package: power, precision, and the right eye for strategy. She's ready for the next steps."

Koga hummed, stroking Seviper's forehead scales. The poison-type luxuriated in the touch, nuzzling against his trainer. "Perhaps. Though from what I've heard, Clair has been guiding her."

And no doubt Koga didn't want to infringe upon Clair's student.

Clair herself was just a short distance away, watching the match with surprising intensity (well, perhaps not so surprising since Clair was intense about literally everything). She might have taught Jon and Amelia largely as a way to sabotage Gary, but perhaps she'd come to have some sort of affection for them after all.

Or at least interest in their success.

"Amelia's a strong trainer," Clair said, proving she'd been eavesdropping. Her Salamence looked up briefly at Amelia's name, though it wasn't long before he went back from lapping at his oversized water bowl…it was large enough to be a kiddy pool and adorned with little stylized Bagon. "Cunning. Ruthless when needed. I've taken her as far as I can—she needs a proper teacher, one who can amplify her strengths rather than shore up her weaknesses."

Ash nodded gratefully at Clair, who lightly dipped her head back before she went back to focusing on Amelia's Top 32 battle. Perhaps this working relationship Clair had some potential. She'd already been in unusually good spirits since her outing with Daisy—apparently they were spending quite a lot of time collaborating on how to cool Gary's head a little bit.

Not that Ash thought those two canoodling was doing anything to soften Gary's temper. No doubt Clair was quite aware as well.

Koga's expression was unreadable, but Ash could feel the interest bleeding off the man as if it were his own. Lairon looked up pleadingly at Koga with baby blue eyes, whimpering softly, and Salamence joined in.

"I will watch her progress," Koga said after a moment, then rolled his eyes at Lairon and Salamence. "And stop begging! You're both Masters, for goodness sake."

"That's all I ask," Ash said eagerly. "I've seen the competition. Now that Joey and his 'Rattata' are out, I'd put money on Amelia making it to Top 8 at the minimum. Top 4, actually."

Koga's cool eyes briefly scanned the room. Seviper lightly tapped the flat of his bladed tail to the Poison Master as a signal. When Koga seemed certain that no one (not even Clair) was listening, he leaned in close.

"How much are you talking?"

Ash grinned.

XX

What had led Ash here?

His conversation with Wallace, for one. The way that the Ever Grande Champion had accepted Ash's parentage with nary a second thought.

But it was really Silver's words. They'd cut deeper than Ash had let on…though he expected Silver knew that quite well. He was canny like that, even if he was annoying sometimes.

Do they know what you really are?

Lance was everything: Ash's childhood hero, the man who had guided him along the road to Master, the stalwart Indigo Champion who had steered the League through its most difficult times, and someone that Ash loved as deeply as his own team.

The Dragon Master had always been the greatest peak, the giant that Ash looked up to from the time he was a toddler, but coming to know him in real life as a mentor had only made him loom larger in Ash's eyes.

Champion Lance was Indigo's beating heart, the sun which led them and which they all centered around. He was the unstoppable force.

But Lance.

Lance was perfectly imperfect. He made mistakes as any man did, but he never stopped. Never gave up. Never offered the world and those he cared about anything less than his absolute best.

He was everything Ash hoped to become.

Ash's teacher and confidante. Ash's example. Ash's hero on the battlefield and off.

But Ash had never had the guts to tell him the truth: that Ash was Giovanni's son, the man whose creation had nearly unmade everything that Lance loved. There had been that time in Hoenn when Lance had inquired about Silver when Ash almost told Lance the full story, but Ash had been too weak.

Not now.

Nidoking and Bruiser flanked Ash, perfectly at home in the stone halls of Indigo Plateau. The guards nodded and smiled at them all as they'd plodded through the halls, but Ash had just barely managed to return them as the tempest raged inside his head.

The icy fire was silent, but Ash felt Mewtwo watching through his eyes.

His hand trembled as he approached the massive wooden doors which led to the Champion's office. Lance knew he was coming—Ash had given Lance warning so that the Champion would know Ash needed to talk…and also to ensure that Ash couldn't wimp out.

Bruiser and Nidoking both brushed Ash. Nidoking's psychic touch whispered impressions of confidence, of Ash's battles and the fortitude they had shown, while Bruiser's peace filled him.

Ash knocked.

Every rap against the door sounded like a dirge to him.

"Come in!"

Bruiser gently tapped the door, swinging it open in a motion that would've taken all Ash's strength, and he silently stepped in. Lance looked weary as he sat behind his desk, no doubt exhausted by a long day of paperwork, and Ash dearly wished he wasn't springing this on his mentor at the end of the day.

But Lance was a busy man. Ash had to make do with the time he was given.

"Ash!" Lance grew visibly lighter at the sight of him, making Ash feel all the guiltier. He rose, his cape rippling behind him with the movement, and his small army of dragons cheered as Ash, Nidoking, and Bruiser stepped into the spacious office. Lance's mouth twisted into a frown as he read Ash like a book. "Is something wrong? Come sit down!"

Lance hurried over to Ash and walked him over, his hand warm as hot coals against Ash's skin. It burned in contrast to Articuno's presence which seeped through the Plateau like creeping frost.

Ash hated to spring more on Lance. The job of the Indigo Champion was a brutal one at the best of times, let alone when one was asked to juggle two back-to-back regional tournaments on top of each other.

Let alone when Mew of all things decided to crash the party.

The icy fire reared up to scoff at that before diving deeper into the waters of Ash's thoughts.

"What is it?" Lance gently guided Ash to the chair, crouching in front of him with blatant worry etched across his pointed features. "Is it…"

"It's not what happened in Hoenn," Ash said quickly, though that just made him feel worse. How long had Lance expected Ash to return to his office like this? He'd raged and ranted to the man a few times before about the whole situation, the rawness of it all, but that was all before his jaunt back in time.

Lance nodded tersely. He looked a tad relieved, but not too relieved. Not when he had no idea what problem Ash would bring to his attention next.

Ash would be the first to admit that he brought the absolute biggest problems to the table. It came part and parcel with dealing firsthand with the Legends, Ash supposed.

Somehow this was worse. But Nidoking and Bruiser raised his spirit, filled it with steel, and reassured him that he could do anything.

Even if Ash would rather swallow the Red Orb than have this conversation. What was a little lava? Infernus made it look easy.

"I have to tell you something."

More worry. "You can tell me anything," Lance assured him, meeting his eyes with the same intensity as ever. Authentic compassion blazed there, bright enough to assure Ash that Lance would never forsake him. "I'm always here for you. You know that, right?"

"I do," Ash exhaled. Nidoking laid a clawed hand upon his other shoulder, grunting softly in encouragement. Ash made the leap, breaking eye contact with Lance at the last moment. He couldn't bear it if there was even a hint of disgust there. "I—Lance, Giovanni is my father. Sperm donor, more like it."

Lance was silent. Ash didn't dare look at him, though he felt the fingers clasped around his shoulder tighten in a squeeze, but Nidoking telepathically transmitted a few vestiges from Lance straight to Ash's thoughts—the Champion was stunned, quizzical, but there wasn't a drop of the hatred which Ash had feared.

"That's…that makes so much sense," Lance breathed, not rising from where he knelt before Ash. Dragonite came plodding over, smiling at Ash, and the rest of Lance's teams followed to surround them. "I had all the pieces, didn't I? Why Mewtwo spared you back in Viridian, why you're so invested in Silver." He inhaled sharply, then slowly exhaled through his nose. "I even wondered at times—I knew your mother had been involved with a black mark on Giovanni's record. I knew I'd heard the name Delia Ketchum somewhere before. If I'd just dug a little deeper…"

"I didn't know!" Ash babbled. "Not until it was all over. Not until after New Island—"

"Shh," Lance hummed, raising a hand to shush him. He was still reeling, but he looked pleased. As if the world made sense. "We're not our blood, are we? We Wataru would know! Some of my ancestors used to feed their brothers and sisters to Gyarados. Besides, even if we were…I've met your mother, Ash. She's a fine woman. A good woman. At worst, you're breaking even on the genetics front, don't you think? I'd say she more than makes up for that piece of human garbage."

That actually earned a watery laugh from Ash. His mother would make up for Giovanni's evil a thousand times over.

Mewtwo remained silent.

"This changes nothing," Lance swore. "You're Ash Ketchum, my apprentice, one of my Elite Four. You're the boy who stood in front of a monster to save my life when I failed the hardest. You're the one who's held the world in his hands and saved it thrice over. You're the one who has seen the darkest pits and still bear that light with you. You're a hero."

Lance's eyes burned a hole into Ash's. Ash swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Giovanni was a rotten man who did so many terrible things…but if he helped to bring you into this world, I can forgive them all. Do you understand me?"

Ash silently nodded, frozen.

Something else slipped into Lance's fierce expression then, compromising the raw force of personality that Lance carried with him everywhere he went. To be honest, the anxious look on Lance's face reminded Ash more of Steven than anyone.

Lance rose, stumbled off, pulled out an unlabeled turquoise glass bottle, and quickly poured himself a drink. There were no theatrics, none of the usual care that Lance put into his little mixology rituals (which seemed meditative for the Indigo Champion most of the time), just the simple desire for alcohol.

Ash wrinkled his nose…Oh, that smelled worse than Blaine's disgusting vodka!

Dov licked his chops. Saph looked like she was about to sneeze.

Lance gulped down a mouthful, then passed the glass over to Ash. "Take a small drink if you want," he said grimly. "You might be wishing for it in a few minutes. And don't tell your mother! It wouldn't look good for Indigo if they found me murdered in my office. Drake doesn't hold back with his brew."

Ash chanced a tiny sip and nearly wretched, gasping as it seared his esophagus. It tasted like he'd just chugged battery acid! That was disgusting! Why did Lance drink this for fun? Bruiser grunted disapprovingly, eying Lance with a frown as all four of his massive grey arms folded.

A little levity slipped into Lance's next words. "You'll understand when you're older," Lance chuckled. "It can be fun if you do it right. Just don't pull a Steven…anyways, there are some things I have to tell you. Things about Giovanni. It's only right that you know."

Ash scowled. "Like what?"

"That he's alive, for one," Lance said flatly.

Ash leapt from his chair. "What?"

I killed him! I flattened the land for miles! I know I did!

Icy fire ran through his veins. His eyes felt as if they'd burst into azure flames. His powerful tail swished behind him like a whip—

Nidoking clenched down on Ash's shoulder, a touch of shadow sparking from his claws, and the impressions fell away like a desert mirage. Adrenaline pounded in his veins nonetheless, burning, demanding Ash rise and howl and demand a thousand answers, but Lance raised a single hand.

Dragonite grunted softly at Ash, imploring him to calm, and Saph did the same.

"Alive might be stretching it," Lance said, calm and steady as a glassy lake. "That explosion I told you about way back after you helped calm Zapdos at the power plant with Surge and Brock…he survived. Just barely—he's in a coma we can't bring him out of, although we've been able to plumb his shattered mind for some information, but he's persisting."

"Why?" Ash's voice was tight. He could feel Mewtwo raging in the back of his mind, could feel the great storm rippling throughout the planet as a Legend's power reared up like a spitting Arbok. Worst of all, Ash couldn't even blame him. "Why keep him alive?"

Lance's smile was a tad cruel, the smile of a Drake rather than the Indigo Champion. It was perhaps the darkest expression Ash had ever seen him bear.

"He's hidden away in a secret facility in the Roost, buried beneath a few stable portals that Chinatsu maintains to allow a steady stream of ghosts to shroud it. Cheaper than Dusk Stones, that's for sure," Lance said. "Tell me, Ash…you knew him, if only for a time. What did Giovanni crave above all else?"

It would be easy to say cruelty or corruption or any number of things. But Ash knew the truth.

Why else would anyone create something like Mewtwo?

"Power."

"Yes," Lance said, satisfied with Ash's response. He slammed his fist down upon the polished wood of his desk, rattling his glass and a few old relics he kept there. "Power. I knew that even before Giovanni revealed his true colors. He pursued excellence, craved position. He was ambitious, and there's nothing wrong with that. But he prized strength above all else. So long as he did his duties…well, we know how that turned out."

Lance finished his words bitterly.

"He sacrificed himself on the altar of power in the end, destroyed by his own creation. Giovanni might not be dead, Ash…but let me tell you, I knew the man. At least a part of him."

The temperature around Lance spiked as his Feather burned.

"If you see him you'll understand. Weak, powerless, trapped in the shell of his ruined body. Death can be a kindness, Ash. One that I don't think Giovanni deserves. I didn't let them pull the plug on him. Not after all he's done. I've justified it saying that he might still be useful…but to tell you the truth, I just hate him," Lance admitted. "I will never give Giovanni mercy. But it's not my decision anymore."

Ash's smile was cold. Articuno's bitterness was fine nourishment for a moment such as this. Nidoking was snarling behind him, his tail ready to smash and break, while Bruiser was stone faced.

"Show me."

Lance seemed to peer into Ash's soul for a moment, carving the moment into memory as if trying to decipher whether Ash truly meant it, and finally nodded.

The Indigo Champion outstretched his hand, offering it to Ash.

"Come," Lance said at last. "His fate is in your hands."

Justice at last. Justice that should have been delivered long ago.

Ash took Lance's hand.

A/N: I apologize for this cliffhanger! On the bright side, next chapter should be out before too much longer :) I know this is on the shorter end at less than 15,000 words (and a bit lighter than most of my chapters), but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless! I had a ton of fun writing it. I've really had fun exploring the cast of characters we got to see this chapter…and hey, Koga even got to appear for more than two sentences! That's a plus.

I'd love to hear what you think!

I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays and that your 2025 is off to a fantastic start!

I mentioned on another site that I have my own New Year's resolution: at least one chapter of Traveler per month throughout 25. With my wrists not holding me back anymore…well, sky's the limit, right?

We're on the cusp of some really fun stuff and I'm eager to explore more of the world with you all!