Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, or Pokémon Special/Adventures. Seriously. SpecialShipping would have zero hints if I did, and GrantedShipping would be law.

In Hiding

Yellow looked up at the trees, the light dappling through the leaves and branches. It gave everything sort of surreal look, only being able to see the small slivers of sky, and even then only every once in a while.

How she loved the way everything looked. It was like the world was so tiny and connected, like anything could happen at any time. Almost like she could find anything in at a moment's notice…

Or anyone…

He'd disappeared so long ago. She knew he'd helped Silver, trained him, and made him a better trainer, a better battler. But, while she knew he'd been there, she hadn't seen him, and when she'd looked for him after they'd defeated that horrible man, who'd proven himself to only love to much, he'd been long gone.

The cave Silver had told her to look had been empty, every single time she'd searched it. Every single time, for two years, until she'd finally been forced to give up. She hadn't been happy to give up, she'd cried and mourned for months, but searching every day, then every week, and then every month, had just been too much. It had proved to be impossible to deal with all those heartaches.

Why didn't he want to be found, she wondered to herself. Why couldn't he just let her see him, just once more, so she could tell him how she truly felt? Yes, they'd faced each other as enemies. Yes, they'd both said some cruel words, and yes, she'd felt obliged to defeat him, to prevent his dreams from coming true, because his dreams had been a bit more than a little insane.

But, she knew more than anyone that facing a trainer in a battle helped you understand that trainer better. And, facing him, she'd felt the pain he'd felt, the sorrow, and his reasons. She'd felt how broken he'd become over the years. And… Somehow, someway, she'd felt a connection to him, to that insane man who'd wanted nothing more, or less, than to destroy her, and everyone she loved.

"Lance, I want to see you again. I want to speak to you again. And I want to tell you, that… Lance, I think I just might like you… Maybe like you more than a little, Lance…" She whispered to herself, looking up at the sky and hoping that one day they'd find each other, even without her searching. Someday she'd feel connected to him again.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't feel the presence standing only a mere foot away, on the other side of the tree. The presence hiding from her, staying silent as he too watched the dappling of the light. And when that presence left, she didn't think anything of the rustling of the grass as he walked through, before breaking into a sprint. She didn't feel his heart breaking into pieces as he listened to her speaking, thinking to himself that they could never be together.

But he felt it all, along with one certainty in his heart. He felt the need to always stay near her, always remain by her side, never straying too far, but never letting her know that he was there.

For he knew that he might just like her as well, more than a little bit. He felt that he might have fallen in love with the short blond girl who hid herself under a hat, and who was born in the same place where he'd been born. He knew that, but he'd never let her know.

He felt certain that their love must remain unrequited, else it tear both of them apart. They were two different, like fire and ice. They could never, ever be together. No matter how much either of them wanted it.

And how he wanted it.

_A/N: This little fic has been sitting in my computer since last year, completely forgotten, until I found it as I saved a new fic. The new fic still needs some work and editing, but I decided that, even though this one isn't completely editied, might as well finally let it see the light of day. Enjoy~