Chapter Text
It was early autumn, and the start of the new school year brought a heavy weight to the heart of a certain raven-haired boy. His name was Ethan, and he had grown up in the quiet village of New Bark Town. It was the kind of place where everyone knew everyone else, and more importantly, everyone thought the same way. Traditions were strong, and change was a distant, unwelcome idea.
At the heart of the town stood the church, a white-steepled monument visible from every house and every hill. The pastor held the highest respect in the community, even more than the mayor. Ethan loved his home. He had a close circle of friends, was surrounded by nature, and lived a life far removed from the temptations of the wider world.
His mother, a kind but strict single woman, loved New Bark Town just as much. Raising a child on her own was never easy, but in a town like this, she felt safe. Everyone believed in Arceus, and everyone agreed on the path to righteousness. No drugs, no premarital sex, no profanity, and certainly no sodomy. Johto had always been a region slow to modernize, but New Bark Town felt almost frozen in time. It could have been a hundred years ago, if not for the televisions and the Pokegears.
So why was Ethan in such a bad mood?
Because, for the first time, he had to leave his little bubble.
New Bark Town only had a primary school. For secondary education, students were sent to Violet City, a place still steeped in tradition. Its most famous landmark, Sprout Tower, was a haven for monks and spiritual seekers. Even the Pokémon Centers and Marts were painted in darker tones, avoiding anything too flashy that might offend the city’s quiet dignity.
But now, Ethan had to go even further to college in Goldenrod City, the largest metropolis in all of Johto. Goldenrod was everything New Bark Town was not. Its underground passageways buzzed with dangers and Criminal activity, and its game corner drew crowds of gamblers and dreamers. Neon lights replaced candle-lit pews, and temptation lived around every corner. “Ethan, now you listen to me, baby,” his mama said, her voice low but firm, with that familiar Johtonian drawl that wrapped around her words like warm Syrup on a stack of pancakes.
“Don’t you step off that bus till you see Elm Square, y’hear? Not a moment before. And soon as your feet hit the ground, you hightail it straight to that college building. Don’t be lookin’ left, don’t be lookin’ right just go.” She took a breath, pulling his jacket straight and fussing with his collar like it might protect him from all the sin she imagined waiting in the city. “And one more thing. If some fool with hair the color of a sunrise or somethin’ unnatural tries to talk to ya don’t you say a word. Just keep walkin’. City folk got no business messin’ with a boy like you. Goldenrod’s full of temptations and trouble, and I don’t want none of it latchin’ onto my baby.”
She looked him dead in the eyes, her expression a mix of love and fear.“You remember what I told ya about Giratina? That city’s where he does his darkest work. You stay close to Arceus, and don’t you let nothin’ pull you away. Don‘t ya do nothin‘ silly, alright honey?“
"Yeah, Mama," Ethan nodded, takin’ every word she said as gospel. "I hear ya. I’ll do just like ya said."
"Alright, sweetheart," his mama said with a proud little smile, brushing a stray strand of hair outta his eyes. "I’ll be makin’ your favorite tonight for when you get home."
Ethan's eyes lit up like a litten in a berry patch. "Mareep fried steak with mashed taters and gravy?"
"You betcha," she chuckled. "And I’ll even pick up your favorite soda to wash it all down. So don’t go sulkin’ today, ya hear? You just go and do your best." "Yes, ma’am," Ethan said, glancin’ at the time on his old Pokégear. "Shoot, Mama I gotta get goin’. My bus’ll be here any minute now."
They shared a quick hug and kissed each other’s cheeks, their goodbye simple but full of love. Then Ethan turned and walked on down the road toward the bus stop, the wind tugging at his jacket and his heart tugging at home. Ethan stepped onto the bus, the doors shutting behind him with a heavy hiss. He found a seat by the window and settled in, backpack in his lap. As the countryside of New Bark Town began to slip past in a blur of green and gold, his thoughts turned ahead to Goldenrod City. He imagined it as his mother had described it for years burning trash bins in dark alleys, discarded needles, people yelling nonsense in the streets, and danger lurking on every corner.
The image made him shiver. But he couldn’t let that stop him. He had dreams to chase. If he wanted to go to university to study physics or math, Goldenrod was the only path forward. Ethan was an A* student in both subjects, always at the top of his class. His mother always said he had a brain blessed by Arceus Himself, and it would be a waste not to use it.
“Don’t you waste what Arceus gave ya, Ethan,” she’d say with a hand on his shoulder. “You was meant for somethin’ greater.” The memory warmed him. He decided there wasn’t much point in dwelling on fears, not when he had work to do. Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out his Johtonian language textbook. That was their first class of the day, right after the typical greetings and introductions. As the bus rolled on, Ethan turned to the first page and began reading, determined to meet the day head-on no matter what the city had waiting for him.
The bus hissed to a stop at Elm Square, and Ethan gathered his things with a deep breath. Just like Mama told him. He stepped off, boots hitting the concrete, and made a beeline for the college building. No pausing, no gawking. Head down, steady pace.
And miracle of miracles no one with neon hair or piercings tried to talk to him. Not a single one. He felt a flicker of pride in his chest as he slipped through the college doors without incident.
“Praise Arceus,” he muttered under his breath, pushing through the main hall and checking the signs. It didn’t take long to find the room for his first class „Introducing College“.
When he stepped inside, his breath caught slightly.
The room was nearly full. Dozens of students already sat chatting, flipping through books, or tapping on their Pokegears. All the seats in the middle and back rows were taken.
All but the front row.
Ethan’s heart dropped. Every chair up front was taken aswell, except the one right next to a student who made his stomach twist.
His biggest nightmare.
Sitting in the front row, sprawled across his chair like he owned the place, was a boy who didn’t look like he belonged in a classroom at all at least not any classroom Ethan had ever imagined.
His hair was the first thing Ethan noticed. It was long real long hanging past his shoulders in sharp, straight lines like red silk cut with razors. The color wasn’t natural, not by New Bark standards. It was the kind of crimson that made you think of wild fire or spilled blood. Not dyed burned in.
The rest of him was just as jarring. He wore a tattered black denim vest over a tight, faded T-shirt with some band logo Ethan couldn’t read, all jagged letters like lightning bolts. Silver chains hung from his belt loops, clinking when he shifted in his seat. His jeans were shredded at the knees, and his boots thick, black, and scuffed looked like they’d kicked more than a few doors open.
His fingers were adorned with silver rings shaped like skulls and serpent heads, and his eyes cold, sharp, and dismissive scanned the room like he was looking for something to mock.
Ethan swallowed hard.
This boy didn’t just look like trouble. He looked like the kind of trouble Mama had warned him about since he could walk. And now, by Arceus’ cruel sense of humor, the only open seat left was right next to him.
Still, Ethan had been raised right. Mama always said, “Even the worst sinner deserves kindness. You never know when a righteous heart might shine a light into the dark.” So despite everything about this red-haired punk setting off alarm bells in his mind, Ethan squared his shoulders and decided to do the decent thing.
“Good mornin’,” Ethan said warmly, sliding into the seat next to the boy. “Name’s Ethan. Guess we’ll be seat partners for the time bein’.”
He extended his hand, genuine and firm, the same way his mama had taught him to greet someone with dignity.
The boy turned and looked at Ethan’s hand, then at his face. His eyes were calculating at first, guarded but something shifted ever so slightly. There was a softness behind all that metal and edge. Maybe he saw the kindness in Ethan. Maybe he just didn’t feel like crushing something so innocent.
“Hmmm. Name’s Silver,” he said, his voice flat but not unfriendly. “Pleasant to meet you. Where’re you from?”
“Silver?” Ethan raised a brow. “That ain’t a name. What’s your real name?”
Silver smirked slightly, intrigued by the boy’s boldness.
“Answer mine first, Ethan.”
“New Bark Town,” Ethan said proudly, though his accent stretched the vowels out thick as syrup.
Silver rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair. “I saw that coming a mile away. I heard y’all just discovered electricity like, what, twenty years ago?”
“Hey, that’s rude.” Ethan frowned, furrowing his brow and pouting just a little.
Silver stared at him a moment longer before sighing.
“...Sorry,” he said, deciding it wasn’t worth starting a fight. Not with this hick. Not yet.
“So now tell me your real name?” Ethan insisted, not about to let it slide.
“I told you already,” Silver said with a shrug. “I have a legal name. But everyone calls me Silver.”
Ethan squinted suspiciously. “Lemme guess. You’re from Goldenrod?”
“Bingo.” Silver formed his fingers into a mock pistol and made a soft bang sound.
Ethan sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Figures.”
„Why r’ you dress—”
Before Ethan could finish his question, the classroom door swung open with a sharp click.
A short woman strode in, wearing rectangular glasses and a long blue Jacket embroidered with ancient Johtonian script down the sleeves. Her black boots echoed against the tile floor, and she carried a tablet under one arm. Her presence was enough to hush the room in an instant.
Ethan clamped his mouth shut, thankful and maybe a little embarrassed. He’d caught the look Silver had started to give him eyebrows low, jaw tightening. Another second, and he’d have gotten himself a real earful.
Silver leaned back in his chair again, lips twitching into something halfway between a smirk and a sneer, as if to say, “You got lucky, country boy.”
And so Schoollife in the city began for Ethan.