All That Glitters (A Tale from the Johto Region)

[YellowHat's Revenge]

I began writing this years ago as the premise for a face-off, but now I've decided to pick it back up again and make it into a full-fledged fanfic.

The story takes place roughly 30 years after the events of Gold/Silver/Crystal/HG/SS, when Gold took down Team Rocket's attempt at a revival.

I'll waste no time jumping into the story. The prologue is a bit short, but most of the chapters are between 1,000-2,000 words. I'll post links to each chapter as they're completed.

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Chapter List:
Prologue ~ Over a Silver Sea
Chapter 1 ~ New Bark Blues
Chapter 2 ~ Startup Kids
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~Prologue~

Over a Silver Sea

Dawn was breaking over the West Sea of Johto, and a silvery glimmer shone on the water's wind-chopped surface. A small silhoutette could be seen just over the horizon, and a man with flaming red, should-length hair had spotted it and was staring intently. He knew the shape of the thing, and had grown tense all of a sudden.

"Haven't seen you in a while..." he muttered. Minutes later, a Delibird was recognizable, flying easily with a seemingly empty pouch. It landed lightly next to the man, who was standing on a cliff overlooking the sea. A modest house sat upon this cliff, which is where the man made his home just a few miles North of the quiet seaside village of Cianwood. The man addressed the Delibird.

"Hello, old friend. It's been years since I last saw you..." The man seemed troubled by the reunion. The Delibird, who had been rather peppy moments before, grew suddenly serious. It delved into its sack-like tail and pulled out an envelope. Without a sound, it extended its arm to the man and stared at him rather intently, not moving a muscle.

The man stared at the envelope for a bit. It was very plain and white, with no marking other than two brief words written eloquently on the front: "To Silver." Sighing, he took it from the Delibird and opened it. The letter read as follows:

"Dearest brother,

Though I know you don't consider me family, we do, in fact, share a father, and you know I care deeply for you. But you absolutely refuse me any sort of partnership, which makes me so very sad! You're the only person I have left in this world, you know, and I do wish you'd come visit. If Delibird does not bring me a reply, I will understand your meaning, though I will be awfully disappointed. Consider this my final offer- Your last chance. After this, it's over. Our alliance will be no more. I certainly don't want that. Do you?

With love,
Sis"

Silver furrowed his brow as he read, as though deep in thought. He turned and stared out at the sea once more. The Delibird shuffled its feet and clenched its tail nervously, eyeing Silver's movements carefully.

"She insists on following in his footsteps..." he muttered. Then, very calmly, he returned the letter to its envelope, tore it up, and tossed the shreds over the cliff. As thousands of bits of paper rode the cool morning breeze into the sea like falling snow, the Delibird nodded in understanding. It trotted to the edge of the cliff. Looking over its shoulder, it gave Silver a sad smile, then took flight. Silver followed its flight until it was just a speck once more.

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~Chapter 1~

New Bark Blues

Far across the sea, in the small town of Newbark, excitement is in the air.

"Today's the day!" screeched a rather small girl in a high chair. "Today's the day, today's the day, today's the day!" With each repetition of the syllable "day," she smashed her cereal into tinier and tinier bits with her bunched up fists. The reason for this madness was something her brother Sven had shouted to no one in particular as he rushed through the kitchen looking for a light breakfast.

"Today's the day!" is what he'd said to his sister Kate, and the day he was referring to was his coming of age. He had officially turned thirteen, a truly lucky number, as that was the minimum legal age for a Pokemon trainer's license in the Johto Region.

"Geez, man, did you have to get her started?" an older boy asked as he attempted to clean up the mess of crumbs that Kate was creating. This boy, Nate, was Sven's next-door neighbor, and was the only non-family member that 2-year-old Kate would cooperate with. Kate adored Nate, an experienced trainer who no longer traveled. She mostly loved his Pokemon, but was also thrilled by the fact that their names rhymed.

"Haha, sorry dude. Now where's that form?" Sven scanned the kitchen for the document he needed in order to get his Trainer Card.

"Hanging from the fridge," said Nate, pointing at piece of paper with a note attached that read "Happy birthday! Please fill this out, hun. Mom." Sven grabbed a pen and scribbled his name on the first line. Nate hoisted Kate up out of her chair and placed her on his shoulders. "So what Pokemon are you going to pick, Sven?"

"Well..."

"I don't really have a preference, of course," Nate interuppted. "Back when I lived in Viridian City, I had three totally different starters to choose from." Nate owned an impressive bull Charizard that Sven had always been intimidated by. It was surprisingly gentle around Kate, however, and the young girl loved it to death.

"Yeah, yeah, I've heard all your trainer stories before," Sven said, finishing the form.

Nate grinned. "You'll have some of your own before you know it, dude."

Sven exited his home, form in hand, and headed off down the street to the nearby Elm Pokemon Research Facility, which is where his mother worked as a field researcher. His grandfather, Professor Elm, was the founder of the building, and to Sven he was not the most interesting man in the world. The professor spent most of his time indoors, staring at computer screens, going over data, and studying Pokemon anatomy and evolution. Sven much preferred to be out with his mother, observing Pokemon in their natural habitat. His mother had once traveled the entire Johto region doing just that, but eventually had to settle down and raise her children. Now she spent more time studying local species.

As Sven neared the lab, he spotted his mother's Azumarill out in the garden behind the building, cheerfully watering the plants. Sven approached the door, intending to enter, but was surprised to find it locked.

"Weird..." he said. He went around back. "Azumarill, where's my mother?"

"Zu!" The Pokemon shrugged and went back to work.

"Ah... Thanks, anyway. Guess I'll just wait for someone to come back, then." As he walked to go wait on the front step, Sven heard a soft crash of metal. Startled, he jogged to the small alley on the opposite side of the lab where the noise had come from. Rustling through the garbage cans was a dark blue Pokemon with large ears that Sven had never seen before. It perked up when it heard him approaching, and its fur began to shimmer.

"Nrrrr..." The Pokemon bared its fangs at Sven and growled. The thing was obviously not happy with his intrusion.

"Oh crap..." Sven had no Pokemon with which to defend himself. He made a split-second decision and took off down the street. Looking back, he saw the Pokemon was in pursuit, picking up speed as it chased him. White sparks of electricity crackled behind it with each step.

"Gah! HELP!" Sven called out. He ducked behind a house, hoping the thing hadn't seen. He wasn't so fortunate.

"Nrrrrrr... Shing!" The Pokemon barked at him viciously, backing him up against the side of the house. Sven didn't make any sudden movements, not wanting to provoke it any further. But his efforts were in vain, and the Pokemon reared to pounce.

"HEY!" A yell came from above. Startled, the Pokemon recoiled and searched for the source of the noise. Suddenly a Pokeball hit the ground, releasing a Snubbull in a flash of light.

"Snubbull, get that thing!" shouted the same voice. Snubbull reared back and butted its head at the attacking Pokemon. Obviously weaker than the trained Snubbull, the blue Pokemon grew nervous, then ran off. Sven looked towards a second-story window and saw his savior.

"Dammit, Sven, what's wrong with you?" The voice was female, and belonged to none other than his longtime friend...

"Ariana!" Sven gasped. "Crap, thanks, I thought I was gonna get mauled!"

"What did you do to peeve that thing off?" Ariana asked, leaping from the window, and hitting the ground in a graceful somersault and sticking the landing with not a scratch on her.

"You're nuts..." Sven commented on her acrobatics. "And anyway, I didn't do a thing!"
"Pff, right. You know as well as I that Pokemon don't just freak out and attack like that unless provoked."

"You wanna bet?! I just walked around the corner and there it was in the trash. Before I knew it, it was chasing after me."

"Weird..." Ariana looked thoughtful for a moment. "Hey, what kind of Pokemon was that, even?"

"Beats me, Sven said. "I've never seen anything like it, and I thought I'd seen every species that lived around here."

"Let's go ask your mom, then." Ariana began to walk back in the direction of the lab.

"She wasn't there a little bit ago. I was all set to have my grandpa register me this morning." Sven suddenly turned to study Ariana's Snubbull. "HEY! Wait a mo! Today's your birthday, too, how'd you already get a Pokemon?! I thought I was up early!"

Ariana laughed. "It was a gift from my dad, silly. I told him I wished I didn't have to choose from the same old starters that every other kid from Johto's ever picked from. So he mailed me a Pokeball from Olivine. He caught it himself!"

"Huh. Congrats, then." Sven wasn't surprised by this strive for individuality. He had known Ariana for most of his life, and she was always trying to break away from the crowd. She was loud, outgoing, and didn't really seem to care that others saw her as a bit weird for it. Or perhaps she didn't notice. Sven was a little more reserved, but he supposed that's why they got along so well. There was a balance struck between their personalities.

Ariana beamed. "Thanks so much! Now c'mon, let's go find your mom!"

[Xadium]

Sounds pretty interesting, especially since I love Johto. Carry on!

[YellowHat's Revenge]

Thanks! (:

~Chapter 2~

Startup Kids

When the pair returned to the lab, it was unlocked and occupied.

"I'm so sorry, sweetie," Sven's mother said. "I was here earlier, but your grandfather got word of a huge swarm of foreign Pokemon from the north." She held out a photograph to show to Sven and Ariana.

Sven suddenly became animated. "Whoa, hey! That's the same thing that attacked me this morning!"

His mother frowned. "Attacked? You weren't out in the woods, were you?"

Sven related his recent adventure.

"That doesn't seem right... Shinx usually stay within their pride, and they certainly don't attack humans. I'll have to contact my friend Dawn and see what she can tell me. Shinx are native to her region. In the meantime, your grandfather is upstairs with a surprise for you."

"Ha, I bet I know what it is. C'mon!" Sven motioned excitedly for Ariana to follow him, and the two raced to the upper level of the building.

"Hey! You two are finally here!" the Professor said when they arrived. "Sorry I wasn't here a bit ago. I was recording your mother's findings in the Pokedex. Which brings me to the surprise I had for you..." He brought out a tiny, pocket-sized device. "How'd you like to be the next Dex-holder?"

Sven grinned. "You kidding? You already know what I'm gonna say!"

Prof. Elm said. "Not that we've discovered any new species in years, but it would be handy for a young trainer who's never left a small town. Much of the data on the latest model is the same that your mother recorded when she was your age. Man, in those days we let kids register at the age of 10. But laws have changed, of course. Got your forms?"

Sven pulled the crumpled pages from his pocket. Ariana presented her neatly folded forms. "I won't be needing a Pokemon, Mr. Elm," she said. "Daddy caught me one."

"Ah, did he?" Prof. Elm gave her a soft smile. "How is your father?"

"Oh, well, he's away a lot..." Ariana said. "But he sends me letters all the time. He trains so hard. It's tough being in the competitive battle circuit."

"It is a difficult life, yes. But he's been doing what he does for a long time. I've never met a human being that enjoyed his Pokemon more than Ethan Gold."

Sven had always looked up to Ariana's father. He was often in league battles on television, and he and Ariana would stay up late to watch them.

"Now, Prof. Elm turned to Sven. "The only thing left for you to do is choose your starter. I'm sure I don't need to tell you what your choices are."

Sven grinned. "No, sir." He'd thought long and hard about his choice, and he'd decided that the coolest Pokemon he'd ever seen on TV had been the Typhlosion owned by Ariana's father. "I want Cyndaquil!"

After creating a trainer card for each of them, Prof. Elm walked over to a machine full of Pokeballs. He pressed a red button, which opened a drawer containing just one. He removed the ball and handed it over to Sven. "Give it a try. Just press the center button."

Sven held the ball firmly in his hand for a moment. His entire life, he'd actually never touched one. It was roughly the size of a golf ball, and surprisingly light. Finally, he touched the center button, and out shot a beam of faintly glowing pinkish-white light. With a quick flash, a small creature suddenly stood on the floor before them.

"Ohmigosh! Sven, it's adorable!" Ariana jumped in the air. Standing at about a foot-and-a-half tall, the small, blue and white Cyndaquil squinted up at the three humans through two small slits of eye.

"Cyn... da... QUIL!" The Pokemon sneezed, shooting a jet of hot flames from its back.

"Whoa!" Prof. Elm said, putting out the small fire that had caught on his labcoat. "It may be best to take Cyndaquil out of the lab, so as not to destroy anything important." He looked at Sven. "You should take this opportunity to try out your Pokedex."

"Ah, alright." Sven opened up his Dex and aimed it at the Cyndaquil.

"Cyndaquil, the Fire Mouse Pokemon. Type: Fire. Level: 5. Moves: Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen. A timid Pokemon, it usually remains hunched over, shooting flames from its back when surprised. These flames burn hotter when it is angered, but sputter and die when it becomes tired.

"It's pretty handy for whenever you capture a new Pokemon," Prof. Elm commented. "I do hope you find it useful." He extended his hand towards Sven. "Congratulations, grandson."

Sven took Elm's hand and shook firmly. "Thanks a bunch, Grandpa," Sven said.

"Yes, thank you for everything!" Ariana gushed, hugging the professor tightly. The old man struggled for breath.

"You kids... *gasp* Should say good... *gasp* Bye to your parents, if you intend on leaving today," he wheezed.

"Right," Sven said. "C'mon, Ariana." The girl released Prof. Elm, who fell back into his chair panting for breath.

"Sven Elm, and Ariana Gold... Best of luck to you both."

Sven's mother was hardly able to keep her composure as she wept, hugging the two new trainers tightly. "Oh, I'm not sad... I know you'll be back someday, sweetie. Gosh, I remember when I first went off on my own... I was terrified! I'm so glad you intend to travel together."

"Of course!" said Ariana, nudging Sven in the arm. "I don't trust this kid by himself!"

Sven ignored his friend. "Thanks for everything, mom. I'll call you whenever I catch some new Pokemon!"

As the two trainers exited the town they'd both spent most of their young lives in, they were unaware of a shadowy figure of a woman sitting in a tree, watching them as they took their first steps onto Route 29. A Ledyba flew up and joined her.

"So there's the offspring of Johto's best-known trainer," the figure purred as she stroked the Ledyba's head. "And the grandson of its greatest mind. They could be more than useful, don't you think, dearie?"

"Buhbuh!" the Pokemon responded, blissfully unaware of the sinister undertones its trainer carried in her voice.