And your slowly shaking fingertips show that you're scared like me;
I'm not sure how many minutes have passed by while I've been training here in the Dragon's Den. I suppose I could find my POKeGEAR that's hiding somewhere deep within my bag… But I don't really feel like it. Besides, Feraligatr deserves my attention more.
"Alright, Feraligatr, you can take a break now. Great job." I watch my big jaw Pokemon sink slowly down to the wood floor of the Shrine and close its eyes. This cave has become like a stable home to me since I've first started this journey. Looking around at all the ledges, I realize that it must be late since all of the other trainers have gone home. I turn back to my exhausted Pokemon,
"Come on, Feraligatr, we'll go through the exercise one more time, and then we can go to Goldenrod and get some Lemonade for you! Would you like that?" I smile at Feraligatr who is jumping up and down now.
"Wow. You've got some pretty special training going on here, Silver." A painfully familiar voice shouts over the waves crashing against the Shrine. There's only one person I know who would actually tease me. And, as I turn around, I see that I'm right; It's Kotone. Kotone who is still wearing her hair in pigtails despite actually winning fourteen gym badges and the Pokemon League.
"…What? Did you come here to make fun of my training?" I yell back, trying to ignore the smile trying to make an appearance on my face. She shakes her head, smiling.
"Ampharos, why don't you go say hi to Feraligatr?" Kotone steps aside to let her Pokemon walk over to mine. "No, I came here to see the Master, he wants to see how Dragonair is doing." She closes her mouth abruptly. I look at her face a little bit harder to see that she's blushing.
"Humph! I took my time coming all the way here, but the Master won't tell me anything, and he's making a big deal out of it… So I decided to train my Pokemon here instead." Looking at her, I stop fighting against myself and give Kotone an actual smile. I haven't done this since she defeated me at Victory Road, but I can't help myself. She's the only person I make a point to run into every now and then, the only person who doesn't shy away from me, the only person who makes me feel human.
"That's great, Silver. You're on the right road." She grins again, and suddenly I've lost all my confidence. I gulp, feeling my throat go dry. The air around us feels with a tension that hasn't been there since the first time we met each other. We're both uncomfortable and neither of us knows how to break it. "Well, I'm going to go inside…" Kotone is biting her lip now.
"Hi Kotone!" An arrogant voice shouts to her. Kotone and I both snap our heads in the direction of the whirlpool to see that it's that Lance guy riding his Pokemon towards us at the Shrine. I can feel my face transform into a scowl. Kotone notices, and sends me an elbow to my ribs. But even that can't erase my expression now, because he's walking to us with his stupid cape flapping around him. Kotone comes to stand near me, while both of our Pokemon get the message to stand up.
"And… You. We met at the Team Rocket hideout." Lance reminds me-as if I could forget-and doesn't smile. I can't hold my anger in anymore.
"You! Where have you been all this time?" I fume, feeling the urge to go punch him overwhelm me. I start to take a step towards him… Except a small hand grabs mine in a desperate attempt to calm me down,
"Silver!" She hisses in a whisper. I stand still, focusing on only her hand in mine. I still can't let my anger go.
"Prepare to lose to me this time! I challenge you!" I yell in a manner that would make Feraligatr proud. Kotone grips my hand tighter, and I finally focus my eyes to see what would make her tighten her grip. Sometime during my rampage, Clair, the eighth gym leader, had suddenly appeared next to Lance. Oh crap. I can feel my hand lightly shaking, and since I know that I'm not that scared about battling both of them, I look down to see Kotone's fingers slowly shaking. She's scared?
So let's pretend like we're alone;
"Calm down." I snap my attention back onto Lance. Did he seriously just tell me to calm down? I tightened my grip to match Kotone's. "I was in a bit of a hurry then. Sorry for that. But… I always welcome challengers! Hey! How about a Double Battle?" Lance offers, looking way too energetic about his suggestion. This is what Kotone must be worrying about right now.
"Humph! You can't beat me one-on-one, can you?" I ask, trying to make a distraction to leave Kotone out of this. Kotone, on the other hand, has been dead silent since Lance came onto the Shrine's deck, except for saying my name. Looking at her now, I wonder why the girl who has accomplished so much, is so afraid of one more battle.
"Come on, a Double Battle is really not that bad." Lance rationalizes. I roll my eyes at him. "Kotone! You'll be on my side!" In a state of horror, I look at Lance and then at Kotone.
"Uh, sure, Lance…" Kotone whispers, starting to let go of my hand. No, no, no!
"Well then, you over there! Will you battle with me?" Clair asks me politely, but I can't let Kotone just go battle with Lance without a fight.
"You must be kidding me! That embarrassing one in the weird costume for me! No way can I battle with her!" I improvise, trying to dissuade Clair from actually wanting to be my partner for this battle. To my delight, Clair has taken a few steps away from me in shock. I feel a little bad, but I just want to be alongside Kotone. I turn to face my old rival,
"Kotone!" I whisper with the intensity of a scream. On an impulse, I take both of my hands and delicately put them on either side of her face. "Come to my side. We'll beat Lance together!" To my relief, Kotone's eyes are starting to twinkle once more with hope. She nods to me… But I've known her for so long now, that I can see that she's still terrified to battle two of the toughest trainers she's ever known.
"Can I talk to Kotone before we start the battle, please?" I turn my attention onto Lance, losing all traces of my attitude. He nods to me, and starts to talk to Clair. "Just pretend we're alone." I whisper to Kotone.
And I know you may be scared, and I know we're unprepared. But I don't care;
"Silver! What are we going to do? I mean-" I put my hand over her mouth. Kotone looks startled that I've actually cut her off during one of her ramblings. Kotone is supposed to be in the Hall of Fame, she's supposed to be someone who has earned fourteen badges without a sweat… But all I can see right now is the brave, but nervous, little girl who stood up to me the very first time we met. Kotone is trying to shake my hand off, but she needs to calm down.
"Kotone." She still refuses to stand still. "Kotone." She looks up at me, and finally gets the memo to calm down. "You can do this. You're strong, your Pokemon are strong, you can do this in your sleep! I can't point out how many trainers you've crushed without even a second thought." Kotone still doesn't look like she actually believes what I'm saying.
"So many people believe in you, Kotone. You're kids' idol, their role model, their hero."
"I know." She mumbles, turning her gaze away from me.
"I believe in you." I finally tell her. Kotone snaps her attention back to me.
"Really, Silver?"
"Really. Now I know you may be scared, and I know we're unprepared… But I don't care. We can do this." I give Kotone one more smile before I step away from her.
"I'm in." Kotone grins, and motions for her Ampharos to come forward. Feraligatr automatically follows, already sensing that there will be a battle.
Tell me, tell me, what makes you think that you are invincible;
"Did you see that, Clair?" Lance says after a long moment of silence. He must be in shock that we won, I decide. It's a nice feeling, to not be on the losing side of Kotone's Pokemon for once. Our Pokemon, her Typhlosion and my Crobat are leaning up against the side of the Shrine, exhausted.
"Oh, I see…" Clair looks in shock as well. This is pure gold for me.
"Just as I expected, you two make quite a team…" Lance praises us. I happen to look over at Kotone, and she's blushing a deep pink. I wonder how that could make her blush, but then my brain kicks in, and I can feel myself start to blush as well. It's not like I haven't thought about asking Kotone out myself before, but I always imagined that it would be me to even bring it up.
"Thank you." We both say in tandem.
"Going solo is certainly one way to aim for the top… But that's not all there is to Pokemon battle. Although I don't feel it's necessary to remind you guys." Lance muses to himself more than Kotone and I. I'm starting to wonder what his point is to this mini-lecture. "See you, Kotone, another time." He gives her a private smile that makes me want to punch him. But before I can, he turns and sprints away. His stupid cape makes a whooshing sound as he leaves the Shrine; It makes me wonder why all important guys around this region wears capes.
"I must excuse myself… It was a fun battle, Kotone." Clair gives Kotone a small smile.
"Definitely. I'll see you later, Clair." Kotone smiles back. She now is officially flabbergasting me; She thought that was fun? What happened to the girl who was shaking in her boots?
"That goes for you too, wise guy." Clair smirks at me and then takes off after Lance. Now I'm left alone with Kotone, and I'm not sure how to feel. Kotone averts her gaze from me onto our Pokemon. She kneels down next to them, pulling her hat off in the process, and starts to take out Full Restores from her bag.
"You don't have to do that. I could just run them over to the Pokemon Center." I offer, struggling to stay calm with her.
"It's fine. I over prepared for the League the first time… They just collect dust in my bag, Silver." She whispers, pulling Crobat over to her first.
"Okay. I've got to ask, Kotone." She looks up to me. "What made you say that the battle was fun?" I wait for her answer, she doesn't reply. "I mean, what makes you think that you were so invincible?"
I can see it in your eyes that you're so sure;
She stands up. "Nothing."
"Nothing? Nothing at all? Then why did you agree with Clair that the battle was fun?" I ask, keeping my voice polite. I don't want to yell at her. Well, I do, but I don't want to hurt her. Kotone just meets my eyes with no answer.
"Okay… I'm going to go now." I pull Crobat's poke-ball out from my belt and recall him. I turn away from Kotone, and start to walk away.
She grabs my wrist before I can jump into the water. "Everyone expects me to be so powerful… So sure of myself and my Pokemon… And I can't be that person all the time, Silver. But I have to act like it, or someone will take advantage of me." She lets go of my wrist. "Just go. Just leave me alone." Kotone sinks down to the deck and tucks her face into her knees.
"Come here." I sit down besides her, tugging her into my arms. She complies, and latches onto me with a strength I didn't know she had. "You know… Not everyone expects you to be perfect." I tell Kotone gently.
"I think they do." She replies in a serious tone. I want to change her mind, but I can see that she actually believes this.
Please don't tell me that I am the only one who's vulnerable. Impossible;
"Kotone…" I whisper. I have no idea how to tell her how wrong she is. I have no clue how to make her feel better.
"Silver, I get it." She finally looks up from my shoulder. "You're the only one here who can be vulnerable." She starts to detach herself from me.
"What? Have you lost your mind, Kotone?" I ask, finally losing patience with her. The frown is already on my face. "You are allowed to have feelings of vulnerability; You are a person."
"…I just don't know what to do, Silver." Kotone's voice breaks, and finally lets her tears out.
"You don't need to know." I feel my heart breaking. So I pull her close to me once more. I close my eyes and let my chin rest on top of her head.
I've lost track of how many minutes have passed us by now. They've all been filled with sobs, though, I know that much. Our Pokemon have fallen asleep next to us.
"Kotone?" I ask, afraid she'll burst into tears again. But she doesn't.
"I'm fine." She murmurs. "I'm fine." I don't know what to do now. So I'll take my chance now,
"Will you go out with me?" This grabs her attention. I swear I can see happiness light her eyes now when she looks at me.
"What?"
"…Will you go out with me, Kotone?" I ask once more, starting to feel a little unsure.
"Yes, yes, yes!" She squeals and throws her arms around my neck. I laugh at her enthusiasm, and return her hug.
Okay... If you couldn't tell, this was my first fanfic for the Pokemon world:p I like parts of it, but the others, not so much. ((I know, I know, crappy ending. . Don't shoot me!)) But, uhm, let me know what you all think? You'd be amazing! :]