EVERYONE: Wonderful Winter Wishes

[Cresselia92]

In Johto, Hearts-binding is one of the most important holidays, and the time for friends, couples, and families. But for a bitter, feelings-adverse Silver being born on the winter day of love feels more like a curse than a blessing.

This is a tribute to Silver for his birthday, December 24, and set one year before the events of "The Meaning of Power".

⟢ ❆ ❖ ❅ ⟣

Wonderful Winter Wishes

[cover goes here]

Rating: Everyone
Genres: Friendship / Drama
Content Warning: Cartoon violence

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​

Here I am with yet another fanfic!

Wonderful Winter Wishes takes inspiration from various classic Christmas tales, like “A Christmas Carol”, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas?” and “A Wonderful Life”, mixed with heavy Japanese vibes and folktales — like Tanabata, the Star Festival, and its Chinese folk story, “The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl.”

As a Japanese setting, the holidays featured in this story mirror some aspects of their Japanese counterparts. Namely, the Japanese version of Christmas Eve is the equivalent of the western Valentine’s Day, so the custom festival in this universe — Hearts-binding — is a holiday that combines the traits of both western Christmas Eve and Japanese Christmas Eve, and dedicate to both families and lovers.

So yes, knowing that Silver was born in December 24 was too much of an opportunity to pass up!

This story was born from a desire to write a tribute story for Silver at the beginning of the year, but it wasn’t until four months or so ago that I put my efforts into working on the general premise.

Having said so, I hope you’ll enjoy this tale, and I wish you Merry Christmas and Wonderful Winter Wishes~!

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List of Chapters:

1. "Broken Soul"
2. "Flared Spirits"
3. "Mending Ways"
4. "Hearts Bound"​

 

[Cresselia92]

Chapter 1: Broken Soul


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Spoiler: ♪ Theme of Hope ♫

​

It was Hearts-binding, punctual like every other December 24. A major holiday known around the entire globe, preceding the equally important Winter Wishes by a mere day.

While every region had its own traditions, veneered different deities and legends and celebrated the blessed dates in their own unique ways, the twin holidays shared the same core elements in all cultures: one day dedicated to exchanges of tokens of love and gratitude with the closest someones, followed by a day to celebrate renewed hopes, dreams and kinships. No matter what, people and Pokémon alike always shared their joy with their families, soulmates, and friends.

For people wishing to experience a little morsel of every culture, Kogane City

Goldenrod City

in Johto was one of the first picks. Renowned for being the ‘Festive City of Opulent Charm and Luxurious Splendor’ and also for neighboring the forest rumored to be protected by the Legendary Celebi, the cosmopolitan metropolis was the perfect blend of ancient traditions and avant-garde innovations.

To hold true to its name, the citizens turned their home into a constellation of golden, snowflake-shaped lights. Luminous strings embraced every building and tree, from the very top of the Radio Tower to the walls of the underground path. There wasn’t a single corner in the entire city that wasn’t enlivened by at least one tiny spark of gold.

Stalls and shops buzzed with activity to sell their products to the influx of customers and late shoppers looking for the perfect Hearts-binding charms or for the best Winter Wishes gifts for their awaiting children. All the while, merry songs from the Radio Tower and warm scents of freshly-cooked treats permeated the cold air with their delightful presence. Spicy curry served by Galarian stalls, sausages and churros grilled or fried at the moment by Paldean food trucks, a vast assortment of chocolate or cream cakes with heart decorations and snow themes sold by the depachika

underground food stalls

in the Kogane Tunnel

Goldenrod Tunnel

… there was no shortage of options, meaning that even the most demanding customers walked back to their homes with a smile on their faces.

Happiness was the undisputed ruler in everyone’s mind and heart… except for a certain redheaded boy, whose mood was as black as the darkest of coals.

Spoiler: ♪ Pokémon GSC Rival Remix - Crossroads ♫

​

With his hands jammed into his pockets and his gaze pointed low, Silver strode across the snow-layered Main Street, muttering incoherent curses under his cloudy breaths as he made his way through the overexcited crowd.

Hearts-binding, the day of love and joy… Ugh! Such a disgusting recurrence! He hated pretty much every holiday, but Hearts-binding and Winter Wishes were on a whole new level. Everything about those festivities and their oh-so-merry moments got under his skin and right on his nerves.

Really, what compelled people to grin and spend thousands of Poké for the sake of a so-called blessed day? What was the point of it all? It was such an enormous waste of time and resources for two days of an entire year.

But of all places in Johto, he couldn’t have ended in a worse city than Kogane. Sure, there wasn’t escape from the festive mood infesting the entire continent — much to his chagrin — but Kogane was the worst place of them all. As a big city, the inhabitants did everything big.

First, there were those golden flashes; pathetic attempts at recreating stars on earth, or similar nonsense. Of course, the harsh lights weren’t enough, no! The inhabitants in Kogane had to fill the atmosphere with thunderous greetings from the many stands brimming with lovey-dovey trash, mismatched Lucky Eggs, and Paldean Delibird-shaped figures with glowing blue eyes — which, he had to admit, were actually well-made and seemed almost real. Almost.

But if getting his senses overstimulated by the blinding lights, the empowering scents and the annoying winter songs wasn’t enough to test his already limited patience, then the incessant trades of oversized grins and the never-ending lectures about love and happiness did the job just fine. Some passerby strangers even tried dragging his attention to the surrounding vibes by exclaiming useless propaganda like “Happy Hearts-binding!” and “I wish you wonderful Winter Wishes!”, but he only needed a few piercing glares to make those loons back off instantly.

“Hmph! Stupid bleeding hearts with their moronic sentimentalism…” he grumbled for what might have been the hundredth time that day, before pulling his collar over his ears and spreading his hair across his face to shield himself from the infinite crowd and the frigid air.

Why couldn’t people mind their own darn business and enforced happiness on others? He didn’t ask nor wish for any help in ‘fixing’ his current mood to match everyone else’s, especially because he had no reason to be anything but sullen that day.

And yet, having to wear an obligatory mask of happiness — which he vehemently refused to do — wasn’t the worst part about Hearts-binding. Such honor went to the various couples trading posh presents and cards, exchanging ridiculous heart-shaped sweets and trinkets, and declaring their ‘eternal love’ to each other.

Didn’t Palentine Day suffice as a pointless festivity for all those lame lovebirds? Apparently not, because otherwise Hearts-binding wouldn’t be a thing, to begin with!

And now, for the most humiliating detail: that day was also his fourteenth birthday.

Pah! How nauseating! Just thinking about all of that made his bile spike, and it was thanks to that string of unlucky coincidences that he loathed his birthdate.

Why couldn’t he have been born a day earlier, or two days later? There was no pride nor joy in sharing his birthdate with a day about mushy trash and idiotic lovebirds.

Hence, Silver scowled at the obnoxious displays of mawkishness and hastened his pace, only wishing to reach the outskirts of the city and escape the festive madness. It’s not like he had to force himself to endure all that crap, more so if all it did was amplify his already turbulent state of mind. Too many preoccupations to filter through and too many echoes of his wounded spirit.

He never got the chance to get back at that dragon-obsessed Wataru

Lance

.

He failed to defeat that annoying Hibiki

Ethan

again.

And now, after the series of losses at the hands of those deceiving Kimono Girls, his confidence was faltering. There were so many blows his ego could take, and it was on the verge of cracking.

Silver sighed somberly as he thought about those memories, replaying them again and again like a disk on a loop.

“… I don’t get it. How did I lose to them? To those sappy idealistic idiots who yap about love and trust! Love… Just how’s love supposed to help me win battles?”

Silver laughed bitterly and shook his head, his gaze trailing on some cut-out hearts made of golden tin. He flinched in disgust. “That doesn’t make sense! The strong win against the weak in a fight! It’s always been like this!”

Cheerful peals of laughter rang into his ears, making him freeze on the spot. Slowly, he directed his gaze from the floor to those squeals. What he saw was a young boy, probably five or six years old, who was gathering some snow in his tiny gloved hands and compacting it into a white sphere. Then he flung it forward, barely missing a man who looked like a taller version of himself — surely his father. The man cried out in fake surprise, then he shouted some words of encouragement. Something about the boy getting better with his aim and having a bright future as a Pokémon Trainer.

Silver stood there, silent and transfixed. That family having fun, and their joy increased further when they approached a woman holding two steaming cups in her hands… they looked so happy. Almost like…

The redhead took in a shaky breath, clutched the inside of his pockets, and stormed off. As if his scattered mind wasn’t enough, now he had to deal with troublesome feelings, too.

“… Love isn’t power, and they’re idiots for believing otherwise,” he grumbled, pushing his grievances back where they came from. He didn’t want to think about his upbringing. There was no point. Those memories only brought pesky feelings, and feelings were an exploitable weakness. He refused to come across as weak!

If there was a valuable lesson he learned from his twisted grandmother, it was that feelings were a distraction that clouded judgment and that raw power was the key to everything. After all, it wasn’t with ‘love’ that she became Madame Boss, the fearsome and feared leader of an entire organization. It was by using sharp wits and sheer power — something he clearly lacked. Because if he was strong, he wouldn't be having a losing streak. He needed to fix that issue as soon as possible, no matter the cost!

“… I need more power. That’s all I need. But where can I get more?”

Silver pondered that question hard, his body moving in auto-pilot as he submerged himself in a deep, contemplative state. However, he couldn't think of anything else besides intensifying the training of his Pokémon.

But… no, something was missing. He trained his team hard every day, without skipping a single valuable moment. With his strategies and his Pokémon’s skills, they should be powerful and not be losing that much. And yet… they weren’t. Still not strong enough, and that drove him nuts.

Why? What else did he have to do that he hadn’t done already? Why couldn’t he figure that unknown detail out?

Frustrated at being unable to find an answer to his predicament, Silver focused on a more productive task. He checked out his Pokégear to get through his day plan once more. It isn't like he had better things to do.

It was 3 after noon. That meant there was plenty of time to reach Hiwada Town

Azalea Town

and find accommodation there. Somewhere quiet and distant… Oh, yes, that sounded so good. The only obstacle was the Ubame Forest

Ilex Forest

, which took between two to three hours to get through. By the time he reached that other town, whatever festival or similar nonsense they might hold would be over… hopefully.

Spoiler: ♪ What's Wrong With Everyone? ♫

​

“Hey, come back here!”

Silver tore his gaze away from his Pokégear, bewildered by the distant shout, and when he slowed down to pay better attention to the commotion…

“Kwaaaaah!”

… a squawking mass of feathers rammed into his face, flapping its wings in a panic and swinging what seemed to be a stick, which struck him on his head repeatedly and scrambled his hair.

“Agh! What the heck?! Get off! Get off!” shouted the redhead, startled, before his hands flew to his face and caught the flailing critter. He pulled the attacker away from him, growling in indignation as he did so, and his eyes narrowed in confusion when he studied the leek-wielding duck in his grasp. “Huh?! A Kamonegi

Farfetch'd

?”

Another loud “Kwaa!” was the duck’s response, who seemed to have calmed down. Or maybe it found his burning gaze intimidating, which worked just as fine as long as that thing stopped hitting him with its stupid leek.

“Kamo! Oh no, where did he—?”

Soft panting echoed not too far from Silver, causing the Kamonegi to coo happily. The redhead whirled toward the source and zeroed in on a young man with ashen hair and glasses, wearing a long-sleeved dark blue yukata with thick fabric. Silver also noticed a fabric tag with what he believed was the man’s name: Takumi.

If the burnt patches and the soot on the sleeves were any proof, that stranger was someone who worked close to kilns and furnaces. Silver’s theory was only reinforced when the young man lowered the handles of his handcart and revealed a load of pieces of charcoal, dried herbs, and wooden handicraft.

Takumi approached Silver, scratching the back of his head and clearly embarrassed.

“Oh, erm, hello! It seems you’ve found Kamo. Hehehe…” muttered the young man, his gaze moving back and forth between Silver’s unamused glare and his feather-filled and messy red hair. “Hm… Sorry about, well, that! Kamo kinda got spooked by a sudden noise, and—”

Silver cut off Takumi immediately, not wanting to hear any excuses. “Hmph! If you can’t control your bird, then put a leash or something on it, will ya?” he grumbled and tossed Kamo toward the young man. Kamo squawked in surprise at being flung so flippantly and flitted toward his supposed owner, landing in his arms while holding the leek in his beak.

The young man flinched from the redhead’s harsh tone and bowed his head in shame, holding the Kamonegi tightly in his arms. So much for showing some Hearts-binding spirit. “Right… You’re definitely right, kid. I’ll keep a closer eye on him from now on.”

“You’d better,” shot back Silver, dusting off his hair to shake off the feathers before shoving his hands into his pockets. He glanced at the cart and cocked an eyebrow as he studied the load. “Coal and weird plants, huh?”

Takumi straightened his stance and followed the redhead’s gaze, a small smile grazing his features. “Ah, yeah. Those are Charcoals and dried herbs my boss prepared with his kiln in Hiwada. We sell them to the owners of the Kampo Shop in Kogane, who use them to produce herbal medicines like Energy Powder and Cure-all Powder

Heal Powder

.”

Takumi studied the younger boy, who simply stared at the merchandise without saying a single word. The kiln worker placed Kamo on the cart, who began making some wooden bells ding with his leek, and continued his explanation.

“We also carve leftover wood to produce various assortments of handicraft. For example, during Winter Wishes, we sell wooden bells. So, as you can tell, Kamo’s Cut is essential for our job.” The kiln worker chuckled nervously. “Who would have heard my boss if Kamo got lost?”

Silver’s eyes narrowed slightly. So he was right; that man was a kiln worker. And Hiwada… Yeah, everything clicked. The redhead recalled passing by a house with a lot of smoke coming out of its chimney when he explored the town for the first time. That day was when he heard rumors of Team Rocket returning; something that gave him a rush of emotions he couldn’t hold back.

Oh, how much he relished the prospect of kicking those losers’ butts! Heck, he even traveled through the Linking Cave and Route 33 as fast as he could, going as far as avoiding all the Trainers he spotted just to buy valuable minutes. That was something he wouldn’t have done under other circumstances!

Unfortunately, since life always messed with him, when he hit town it was too late… because Hibiki had to steal his thunder, of course! Silver felt his fists quivering unconsciously at the memory, still bitter from missing his chance because of that wimp, but he took a deep breath to calm down. It’s not like getting angry now would have helped.

“Here. Take this.”

Silver snapped back to reality and stared at Takumi, a confused frown on his face. With a swift motion, the kiln worker extended his hand toward the redhead, smiling as he did so. Wondering what was going on, Silver extended his own hand and opened it, just to see a silver-colored jingle bell drop on his palm. Curious about the tiny trinket, Silver brought the metallic sphere close to his face to analyze it, especially the golden leaves tied to its top and the faint carving engraved in the painted wood.

“Hm? What’s this?” asked Silver, glancing again at Takumi.

“That’s a Peace Bell

Soothe Bell

I carved by myself. Wood and Gold Leaves from the Ubame Forest with a thin layer of Metal Coat inside the bell to make it jingle,” said the kiln worker, sounding proud of his handiwork. “It’s a replica of the wooden bells featured in the tale ‘The Greatest Smith, The High Priestess, and The Forest Spirit.’ You know, the one about our guardian and protector, the legendary Celebi.”

“… No, I don’t know,” replied Silver flatly, his expression scrunching but his interest arousing. ‘Legendary Celebi… Hold on. Wasn’t there a shrine dedicated to it somewhere?’

“Hm? You’ve never heard of that?” asked the young man, surprised. Silver shook his head in response. “Oh. Well, it’s one of the most known Winter Wishes legends, at least in Hiwada and Kogane. If you want, I could tell you about it.”

Silver pondered the situation quickly. If Takumi knew something about a legendary Pokémon, then he needed to hear the entire tale. Legendaries are incredibly powerful entities, after all. So, what the kiln worker had to tell was going to be worth the time. Probably. “… I can spare a few minutes. But be concise!”

Takumi and Kamo traded glances, both still perplexed by that kid’s rudeness. That didn’t mean they had to be equally rude, however. Besides, that story might cheer that kid up, too. It was worth a shot, at least.

“Alright, then! Here’s how the legend goes…”

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Spoiler: ♪ The Legend ♫

​

In times long past, there were two nomadic tribes who found a beautiful forest of berry bushes and oak trees. Its plentiful lake quenched their thirst, its abundant fruits and freshwater fish sated their hunger, and its rich lands offered valuable resources for all their needs.

They reached the same conclusion; the forest was their new home. The Tribe of the Golden Sky inhabited the north and the Tribe of the Argentum Earth settled in the south.

Shion, the high priestess of the Golden Sky and most expert floriculturist, had the important duty of giving back to the forest what her people took from it. Lest the forest spirits turn their pastures bare and void the lake and sea of their fish. Aided by her Kimawari

Sunflora

, whose golden petals shone as bright as the sun, she weaved together flowers as gifts for the spirits and sowed seeds of oak trees. With Kimawari’s Grassy Terrain, the vegetation grew flourishing and healthy, offering shelter and food to the inhabitants of the forest.

Katashi, the greatest smith of the Argentum Earth and bravest lumberjack, contributed to his tribe’s well-being by venturing every day into the depths of the forest. Wood, berries, fresh fish, hunts — he brought back anything he could find. There was no tree or other obstacle that his katanas or his partner Sandpan’s sharp claws and quills couldn’t handle. As a ground creature, Sandpan

Sandslash

was an expert at finding underground mushrooms and stones of fire. With the first, they fed the Yadon

Slowpoke

so that they could control the rains, and the stones started flames to combust charcoal and keep the tribe warm.

As days passed, Shion noticed how some trees she had planted turned into mere stumps, cut cleanly by something sharp. Wondering if that was caused by some creature of the forest, the high priestess and her Kimawari grew the vegetation back with their combined effort. They returned at different times, hoping to find the responsible for such acts.

Similar thoughts coursed through Katashi’s mind, who was astonished to see the paths leading to the depths of the forest filled with crawling weeds and trees. No matter how much he and Sandpan cut through the vegetation, the following day the plants were back as if nothing happened. Intrigued by the unusual phenomenon, the greatest smith and his partner alternated the exploration of the forest to the mornings and the dusks. They were hoping to catch the responsible for the overgrowing plants.

More days passed, and one fateful afternoon, their respective questions found their answers, as if brought together by destiny. Shion found the smith and the sand mouse cutting down an oak tree, while Katashi noticed how the priestess and her walking sunflower grew a sprout into an adult plant.

“Why do you keep growing the trees we’re cutting?” the smith demanded, while his Sandpan cried angrily and pointed its claws at the other pair.

“Why do you keep cutting the trees we’re growing?” the priestess inquired back, while her Kimawari’s smile turned to a frown and its petals began charging with solar power.

“The wood is vital for my tribe. With it, we can turn it into charcoal to keep our homes warm and its ashes to fertilize the terrain. Without charcoal, we would succumb to the elements,” the smith explained.

“New plants are essential for my tribe. We give back to the forest what we took from it so that it prospers and grows. Without doing so, there wouldn’t be homes or food for its inhabitants,” the priestess answered.

“However, weeds have been growing stronger and invading the entire forest. If nobody keeps them in check, other plants would be quickly overrun and the lands would grow sterile.”

“But cutting down trees has made it harder for us to find the seeds to grow our fruits. Also, wild creatures can’t find enough shelter, and the subsoil plants won’t survive with too much sunlight.”

Shion and Katashi kept countering the arguments of the opposing human, neither willing to yield, and the creatures gave support to their respective partners. Soon, their debate turned into a battle of attrition, so vicious that the forest itself decided to chime in.

«You are equally right and wrong, Shion of the Golden Sky and Takashi of the Argentum Earth,» said an ethereal presence.

Great was the astonishment of the two humans and the two creatures as they noticed unusual changes around them. The leaves of the trees hummed and glowed with mystical power; the air became heavier while the creatures of the forest slowed down until they froze in place; a soothing aura spread across the area, bringing comfort to their racing minds and hearts.

And then, the forest spirit showed itself. Despite its small size and unassuming aspect, reminiscent of fae and insects, the humans and creatures could instinctively feel its empowering influence. They immediately understood that the unknown creature was responsible for that unnatural phenomenon.

«My regards, young souls. I am Celebi, the spirit of this forest. I’ve been observing you since you entered my domain, and I am now here to give my verdict as its protector.»

Celebi turned to Shion. «I have very much appreciated your handiwork, High Priestess. The floral gifts you bestowed on me have brightened my spirit even on the darkest days. Your compassion toward the inhabitants of this forest is a manifestation of your pure heart.

However, you were overzealous with your wish of regrowing the vegetation at all costs. By restoring the same plants to their original place, they deprived the soil of its nutrients. This caused the newer generations to grow weaker and the infesting plants to take their places. Letting the earth rest for some time will allow it to restore its natural properties, and that will lead to more abundant and continuous harvests in the future.»

Celebi turned to Katashi. «I have also appreciated you removing the most invasive plants and the oldest and decaying trees. With their remains, newer plants will grow stronger and healthier, allowing the forest to prosper. Also, your devotion to keeping your tribe safe and happy by working hard every day is remarkable.

However, you were reckless and took more wood than your tribe needed, leaving bare patches and less shelter for the wild creatures. Each plant and creature has its role and necessities and contributes to the chain of life. If most plants disappeared, then the herbivores would follow. And if the herbivores left, the carnivores won’t sustain themselves. If you learn about them and when and how much vegetation to cut, then you will keep things in control without excesses.»

The two humans and the two creatures contemplated the words of the spirit, finally understanding what would have happened if they persisted with their methods too recklessly.

«Hence, as I had understood each other’s perspective and necessities, I did not intervene until this moment. I sure hope you shall learn from each other and keep your minds open. The forest is vast and generous with everyone — do not impose how to make use of its resources.»

“We shall, Celebi,” replied the humans at the same time.

Satisfied with their response, the forest spirit vanished in a flash of light. The forest returned to its normal state, with no sign of any unusual event occurring.

Touched by the spirit’s words, the two humans and their partners finally understood. Even if they used opposing approaches, they all were driven by the same goal: the survival of their tribes and the well-being of the forest. Also, somehow their differing actions balanced each other out, with the other party taking care of their excesses.

Enlightened with this new knowledge and fascinated by their opposing mindsets, the high priestess and the greatest smith took the spirit’s advice to heart. The humans and their partners spent the following days learning about each other’s culture and ways of living.

The way of the greatest smith, guided by his loyalty, who was always ready to defend and take care of the least privileged. There was no one that had to endure a cold house or an empty belly.

The way of the high priestess, guided by her heart, treated every living creature with respect and kindness. There was no one she treated with any less nicety and grace.

As they observed each other’s qualities, the two humans and creatures learned about their own flaws and compensated for them.

If Katashi and Sandpan cut an excess of plants, they would favor their growth with a widespread Rototiller.

If Shion and Kimawari grew an excess of plants, they would trim them down with some well-aimed Cuts.

Through the understanding and learning of their respective customs and traditions, the humans and creatures earned reciprocal respect and unity. Their differences complemented each other, and their connection grew from acquaintanceship to kinship, and from affection to infatuation to love.

But one cold blizzard struck the forest at full force, thinning its resources and forcing the tribes to venture deeper and deeper toward the center. Shion and Katashi met each other every day, their spirits guided by hope. If they convinced their tribes to combine their respective strengths, then they all could support each other and survive through the frigid weather.

However, the Tribe of the Golden Sky and the Tribe of the Argentum Earth weren’t as understanding as the high priestess and the greatest smith. What they saw in the opposing tribe was a menace who threatened to steal all the remaining resources from the forest. Conflicts arose because of the divergences and greed, with the tribes sabotaging each other and sowing ashes and desolation through a vicious war.

Disconsolate about their tribes’ doing, Shion and Katashi met for what they felt was the last time. In the middle of the forest, they found comfort in their lover’s arms. Kimawari and Sandpan shared their humans’ downheartedness; the golden petals of the walking sunflower turned a dull orange and the silvery claws of the quilled mouse became blunt and dark.

As the sounds of the war drew closer, the two pairs of lovers prayed to the heavens, still feeling the hope for harmony resonate within their souls.

Celebi, moved by their unwavering love, showed itself once more to the distraught humans and creatures. Trees grew restless, time slowed down until the sounds of warfare were no more, and the empathic aura of the spirit soothed their minds and hearts.

Celebi approached the two couples. “Greetings, High Priestess of the Golden Sky and Greatest Smith of the Argentum Earth. My heart aches for you as your pleas resonated with my spirit, and I returned to offer my help during these grave times.”

Relieved to see the forest spirit, the couples if they could help in some way. Celebi smiled, warmed to see how their devotion and harmony had blossomed, and it extended its hands toward each couple.

«With my power, I will restore peace in these woods. All I need from you is faith.»

And that they gave. By combining its power with the auras of the two pairs of lovers and harmed with their faith, Celebi began singing. It was a breathtaking melody about hopes, dreams, love, and peace. The notes traveled far and wide, reaching even the farthest corners of the forest.

The good-natured emotion of Shion flowed through the trees with touchless embraces and raised inexpugnable walls of wood and creeping plants to separate the two armies. No matter how much the warriors hacked away at the plants, they didn’t yield.

The iron-clad will of Katashi shot through the blades and spears, making them rust instantly and melt to the ground. Left with blunt handles, the warriors couldn’t harm the other tribe nor defend themselves against the wild creatures.

Terrified by the supernatural wrath, the two armies fled back to their villages, leaving the enraged forest and their useless weapons behind, and quietness returned to the forest.

Despite the reclaimed calmness, the couples knew the truce won’t last long. As soon as the fear of the forest left the tribes’ minds, they would resume their conflict.

But Celebi, donned with centuries of experience, had thought of a solution already. It sang another melody of the forest, and a chorus of chimes echoed across the clearing, answering its command. Countless rolling spheres emerged from the shrubs, their soothing jingles puzzling the two humans and creatures. Once they held them, the couples saw how the wood encased the metal of the former weapons. A pair of golden leaves hung limply on the surface, as if wrapping the layer of combined wood and steel in a kind embrace. When that silver once clanged and grazed armors and shields, now it sang and soothed the mind and spirit.

«Bring these jingle bells to your tribes, and when everyone is sleeping, hang them outside their houses.» When Celebi saw the confused stares on the two couples’ faces, its smile widened. «You shall understand soon. For now, let the night be their teacher and guidance.»

Still wondering what Celebi had planned, but trusting its judgment, the two couples returned to their tribes to do as asked. By the time night fell, every house hosted a lone, tiny bell. A magical gust blew through the foliage of the forest and across the villages. The bells chimed and intonated a new song, powerful enough to tear through time itself.

Spoiler: ♪ Beyond The Dream ♫

​

Everyone saw it in their dreams: the spirit of the forest, Celebi. A familiar melody poured deep into their souls, its pristine serenity cradling them and ensuring a nice rest.

Then came visions of the past, with humans and creatures alike living in harmony despite their differences. After venturing through infinite wastelands, they finally found a beautiful place to consider their home.

Then came visions of the future, with humans fighting other humans and creatures fighting other creatures. As they persisted with their hubris, their beautiful home would become yet a wasteland.

Then came visions of hope, with humans helping other humans, and creatures helping other creatures. Their tribes would grow bigger and more prosperous, with each of them offering a helping hand to the other tribe whenever needed.

Exchanges of shed Yadon tails for saltwater fish; the Golden Sky tribe using their knowledge of the forest’s layout to find stones of fire; the Argentum Earth tribe giving to the other tribe charcoals and Bonguri juice to stay warm during the winter; their tribes growing bigger and prosperous, and becoming a point of reference for other tribes.

It turns out… that they weren’t any different, after all.

After that night and with cooled spirits, the matters between tribes changed for the better. With Shion and Katashi as their liaisons, the Tribes of the Golden Sky and the Argentum Earth found a compromise and began a truce to endure the cold weather. As they learned from each other, the truce went from season-long to year-long, then it became indefinite.

That was the beginning of a new era, with two different tribes becoming stronger through their reciprocal understanding and by compensating for each other’s weaknesses.

As the conflicts ended and harmony returned to the forest, Shion, Katashi and their partners could finally realize their dream. Together, they built an altar in the middle of the forest, with the wooden sculpture and the golden and silver sphere as the symbols of their union and eternal happiness.

⟢ ❆ ❖ ❅ ⟣​

“… And this is the origin story of the Peace Bells and the Ubame Shrine. Today, they are considered a symbol of hope and union, and the bells are gifted to strengthen the bond between people and Pokémon,” concluded Takumi, smiling with fondness. “That was a lovely story, wasn’t it?”

Kamo looked at the human accompanying him, an awed expression on his face. He might have heard that story countless times, but it never failed to brighten his spirit.

Unfortunately, the heartwarming morale of the tale failed to melt the ice around the redhead’s heart. As soon as the kiln worker finished, Silver let out an unamused sigh, resisting the urge to slap his forehead.

What else should he have expected out of some tale about Hearts-binding, if not yet another stupid story about mushy stuff like hope, peace and… ugh, love? At least the fighting parts were interesting despite getting very little focus, so it wasn’t a total snooze fest. Besides, if legends had a seed of truth, then perhaps that fairytale wasn’t a total hoax.

“It was… something for sure,” mumbled Silver, his tone neutral.

“Oh! There’s also another detail about the Peace Bells! It’s rumored that you can hear Celebi’s peaceful voice through their jingles and that there is nothing more comforting to the spirit and mind than their soothing chime. Nowadays, the Hoennian variant made of metal and ribbons is the most common version because of its lower production costs, but the bell I’ve gifted you is 100% handmade. Crafted by using the original technique.”

Takumi worker rubbed the back of his head in shame. “Consider that Peace Bell my token of gratitude… and an apology. You know, for Kamo messing with your hair and all of that.”

‘… So this is some kinda lucky charm or whatever? I guess something is better than nothing.’ Silver tapped the bell with his other hand. Even with the incessant ruckus and noises, he could hear the admittedly relaxing chime of the bell with such clarity. For a moment, he felt his mind gaining some calmness and quietness. “Huh… thanks for the gift, I suppose.”

“You’re welcome, kid!”

With that matter settled and the conversation pretty much over, Takumi lifted his handcart by the handles and steadied himself to leave. Kamo fluttered to the front of the cart, waving his leek forward as if to command the young man to walk toward the city.

“Well, it’s been a pleasure meeting you. Happy Hearts-binding and Wonderful Winter Wishes!” exclaimed the kiln worker, beaming.

Silver loosened his frown, trying to appear more amicable. “Right. Huh… Likewise.”

The two humans went on their opposite ways, with Takumi pushing his cart toward the center of the city while Silver resumed his journey toward the town. The redhead stared at the bell as he walked through the crowd, deep in thought. Soon, he realized the bell had something engraved on it: the silhouette of an insect-like creature, alongside its name.

“… Celebi.”

Then, he focused on one of the golden leaves, which had some (supposedly inspiring) handwriting: Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.

Something sparked inside of Silver’s mind, his eyes and mouth parting slightly and the realization crashing into him at full speed. Once he put aside that stupid trash about love and all that nonsense, he began piecing his thoughts together in a seamless stream of consciousness.

Celebi was a legendary. A guardian and protector who could control an entire forest and reach faraway minds. A Pokémon with incredible abilities, perhaps even beyond anyone’s imagination. So much raw power, which was precisely what he needed. And it was within reach, hidden somewhere in some old woods. The old woods were close by. Then maybe… what if…

Spoiler: ♪ A Rival Appears ♫

​

Clutching the bell in his hand, Silver redirected his gaze from his hand to the path ahead. Distant treetops started appearing in his line of vision, outlining the entrance of the forest.

A new plan made its foundations into his mind, clouding whatever judgment might have gotten in the way, and his devoid expression twisted into a devious and overconfident smirk. The redhead took another glance at the bell, chuckled with arrogance, and crammed the sphere into his jacket’s pocket.

“Well, it seems getting through Kogane wasn’t a total waste of my time, and I can afford a brief detour…”

Motivated by his new aim, Silver tromped across the snow-cloaked path, uncaring of the howling winds and tuning down the disappearing noises of the city.

“Prepare yourself, Celebi, because I’m coming for you!”

And nothing and nobody was going to get in his way!

 

[Welkamo]

Welcome to "Torchic Finally Reads a Cress Fic". Hello, hi there, Merry Christmas, and howdy.

I finally understand the appeal of Silver now. Granted, I didn't hate him at all, and in fact, I really like him. It's just that, up until now, I couldn't figure out why. But now I understand: his worldview is the antithesis of the thesis of Pokémon: friendship and love are the most powerful things of all. He's constantly searching for power, but he keeps getting defeating by people who spout on and on about the Power of FriendshipTM. And a Silver fic set during PokéChristmas!!! I love!!! And his birthday's on December 24th?????? It can't be a coincidence!

So far, this has been a really cute story. Everyone is happy and excited about the holiday season, except for Silver the Edgehog (endearingly). At the same times, he seems very... lonely, and it's clear he has a... bit of unresolved trauma (I think it's a lot of trauma). This feels very much like a Christmas special and a Pokémon special; you've captured the spirits of both so well.

And your worldbuilding!!! I love it so much!!! I want to eat your worldbuilding skills with a spoon and take in all of its goodness!!! (I am terrible at metaphors, as you can see :sadbees

Some line-by-lines. For the most part, I think your prose read very nicely, but there were a few parts that I flagged as off:

While every region had its own traditions, veneered different deities and legends and celebrated the blessed dates in their own unique ways

I've noticed you don't use Oxford commas, and for the most part, that's okay. However, I got a biiiit confused here. Totally up to you if you wanna change it, though, because a second readthrough read better.

Stalls and shops buzzed with activity to sell their products to the influx of customers and late shoppers looking for the perfect Hearts-binding charms or for the best Winter Wishes gifts for their awaiting children.

This sentence was a bit long. Maybe reword it as "Stalls and shops buzzed with activity, trying to sell their products to any late shoppers looking for the perfect Hearts-binding charms or the best Winter Wishes gifts for their awaiting children."

Happiness was the undisputed ruler in everyone’s mind and heart… except for a certain redheaded boy, whose mood was as black as the darkest of coals.

"Mood was as black as the darkest of coals" is a biiiiit weird? Maybe switch it around to "dark as the blackest of coals".

Why couldn’t people mind their own darn business and enforced happiness on others?

Might be good to split this into two sentences, like: "Why couldn’t people mind their own darn business? Why did they enforce happiness on others?"

Didn’t Palentine Day suffice as a pointless festivity for all those lame lovebirds? Apparently not, because otherwise Hearts-binding wouldn’t be a thing, to begin with!

* puts on my pretentious glasses *

Ackshually, Silver, Palentine Day is for platonic love, and Hearts-binding is for romantic love. (Though Steven and Wallace having that event on Valentine's was kind of very definitely gay, so maybe it isn't. Or maybe they were celebrating Valentine's Day... Though would that mean St. Valentine exists? What is this tangent? It started as a shitpost and veered into rambling oh dear.)

And now, for the most humiliating detail: that day was also his fourteenth birthday.

"That" should maybe be "the"

Also mooooooood, Silver. Being fourteen was the worst.

Cheerful peals of laughter rang into his ears, making him freeze on the spot. Slowly, he directed his gaze from the floor to those squeals. What he saw was a young boy, probably five or six years old, who was gathering some snow in his tiny gloved hands and compacting it into a white sphere. Then he flung it forward, barely missing a man who looked like a taller version of himself — surely his father. The man cried out in fake surprise, then he shouted some words of encouragement. Something about the boy getting better with his aim and having a bright future as a Pokémon Trainer.

awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Silver pondered the situation quickly. If Takumi knew something about a legendary Pokémon, then he needed to hear the entire tale. Legendaries are incredibly powerful entities, after all.

"Are should be "were".

They reached the same conclusion; the forest was their new home.

Semicolon should be a colon.

Shion, the high priestess of the Golden Sky and most expert floriculturist, had the important duty of giving back to the forest what her people took from it. Lest the forest spirits turn their pastures bare and void the lake and sea of their fish.

I think that maybe the period before "Lest" should be a comma, and "Lest" should be decapitalized.

With the first, they fed the Yadon so that they could control the rains, and the stones started flames to combust charcoal and keep the tribe warm.

Maybe reword this as ith "They fed the Yadon the mushrooms so that they could control the rains, and the stones started flames to combust charcoal and keep the tribe warm."

They returned at different times, hoping to find the responsible for such acts.

You'll want a "one" before "responsible".

With it, we can turn it into charcoal to keep our homes warm and its ashes to fertilize the terrain.

I think the "With it" can be removed.

neither unwilling to yield

I think "unwilling" should be "willing".

Relieved to see the forest spirit, the couples if they could help in some way.

You'll want to make "couples" singular and add "asked" after it

By combining its power with the auras of the two pairs of lovers and harmed with their faith,

the couples saw

the two couples returned to their tribes to do as asked.

"Two pairs of lovers", "couples", and "the two couples" should be depluralized to "pair of lovers", "couple", and "the couple", respectively.

When that silver once clanged and grazed armors and shields, now it sang and soothed the mind and spirit.

"When" should be "where"

“… And this is the origin story of the Peace Bells and the Ubame Shrine. Today, they are considered a symbol of hope and union, and the bells are gifted to strengthen the bond between people and Pokémon,” concluded Takumi, smiling with fondness. “That was a lovely story, wasn’t it?”

Silver: No.

At least the fighting parts were interesting despite getting very little focus, so it wasn’t a total snooze fest.

This made me chuckle aloud, oh my goooooood. This is such an "edgy teenage boy" thing and a very Silver thing to say.

 

[System Error]

All right, why not? Hard focusing and my eyes hurt a bit (but tweaking dark reader to defy Xenforo trying to stop it from working helped there) but let's read.

- I see possible character development hasn't stopped Silver from being an edgy edgelord.
- Oh, hm, this is in a weird spot of character development.
- It's a bit confusing that you're mixing English and Japanese Pokemon names together. Like why is Celebi not Serebii, besides not confusing it with sites?
- Well this pear is more regal than I expected. Not necessarily a bad thing though. Also hey, shoutouts to plants eating nutrients in the soil.
- Did I blank out at some point or was them and their Pokemon becoming couples mentioned anywhere
- Good thing they weren't martial arts or mages, or else that weapon melting trick wouldn't have worked.
- Neat use of both "Gold" and "Silver" there.
- Brainwashing, sort of, for the greater good.
- Hm, getting vibes that Silver is polite in some ways, yet also, kind of an ass. So in other words, Paul.
- And how does Mr. Loser intend to capture the super strong Pokemon when he can't even beat a "weak" kid? Heh heh heh.

It'll be interesting to see where this one goes. Definitely going to see an edgelord crash into a brick wall, metaphorically speaking, and possibly learn the value of Love through force if need be. Prose certainly was of the thoughts-sprinkled POV variety or whatever, and interesting idea with the music bits. Scattered thoughts of my own here, sorry. But I like what I see so far.

 

[Daren]

I definitely enjoy the idea of Silver being used for a Christmas story; just seems like the right combination. It could work as a way to add a little to the shift he undergoes in the games.
Of course he's the sort of person that would hear a very old tale about cooperation and think "yes, but I could use the deity from that story to fight for me".

In my experience Celebi is typically portrayed as playful and easygoing like Mew, so a version with a larger focus on it's "forest guardian" aspect is interesting to read! Look forward to seeing their encounter with Silver--if he even gets that far, but since Celebi is a time traveller and Christmas Carol was mentioned.

But wow, I was not expecting to see Madame Boss mentioned; I think I've seen her referenced in an English fic exactly once, and that was back when G/S/C were the latest set.

 

[lisianthus]

A cress fic!!! Even though I hear about Cress' stuff a lot, and even though our subject matter is similar... I guess I haven't read any yet? But now is the time! Even if this hasn't been completed yet, I can still talk about the first part right?

First off I LOVE the Japanese cultural references, that's always something I enjoy a lot in different works. (yay!) As I was reading the legend, I made the connection of Shion and Katashi basically being based off of the Tanabata tale! (also Gold and Silver!) It was nice to see a less bittersweet take on the ending of the tale itself, it made me smile! happy endings yess!

Silver... who hurt you?? I guess the 'edgy 14 year-old' archetype exists for a reason lol. A bit of a confession in that I've never really taken in any Johto content (except some of the anime), so the only Silver I know is yours? But well, I actually thought this was going to be a romance with Kotone at first! This definitely did not disappoint though!!

Aaaaalllll in all, I liked this first chapter! It's a good reminder to me, that not every good work has to be a romance, although many certainly are!! Hopefully we'll be able to see if Celebi will change Silver's heart too..!