Another loss. It was simply one to add on top of the other failures he'd experienced all his life. Usually this was accompanied by anger, however after years of experiencing the feeling, he became used to it.

What he wasn't used to was the new emotions. He felt ashamed, embarrassed. Embarrassed to have lost with such a powerful team. He had ensured he'd only assembled a team of the strongest, so what was missing? It had to be something he clearly couldn't provide. That made him a failure, at the one thing he thought he was good at. The one thing he thought he could do to finally succeed.

This time, though...something was different. It wasn't just the loss of a battle. Silver had been trying to defeat his rival, Ethan, before he could enter the Pokémon League. If he beat him, then maybe he'd finally stop moving forward. Maybe he'd give up his journey...stay where he was. Because as soon as he set foot in that building, Silver would be gone from his thoughts. He had what it took to win, something Silver knew all too well. And once he won...his rival would be forgotten. He'd be forgotten again. Like he'd been so many times before.

"...you've improved." He tried to say something to hopefully conceal his true emotions. He'd done just that again and again. It was just another person leaving his life. He had to adjust to this at some point - it was never going to change, so it was much easier to learn to tolerate it.

"Make sure to heal your Pokémon before you take them on." His tone was bitter, not bitter towards Ethan, moreso towards himself. He couldn't keep up with his training. Somewhere along the way, he'd made a wrong turn. Maybe he was just too weak from the beginning. This was his fault.

The look on Ethan's face clearly showed he knew something was wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He began to say something, but stopped as the red haired boy turned away from him. Clearly it wasn't something he wanted to discuss...maybe it was simply that Ethan had surpassed him in the end. With his goal to be the strongest trainer, surely it must have stung more than a bit to be defeated right in front of the Pokémon League.

"Of course, and same to you! I really noticed an improvement this battle!" He smiled, but when he didn't receive a reaction from Silver, he felt it fade. Guilt started to sink in. Had he gone too far this time?

"Sorry, but...I really do have to get going. You understand, right? You can stick around, we can hang out after!" "I'll pass." Silver's immediate response just made him feel worse. He was so much colder than usual, and Ethan had just been starting to think they did have some kind of a friendship.

"Okay...if you say so."

He's leaving.

"If you change your mind, I'm here of course!"

Don't go. Please don't go. Don't leave.

"I'll see you later, okay?"

No. No.
He's going to forget all about me.
The first person who's actually meant something to me is going to forget. I'm going to be forgotten again, like every other time.
No one stays, no one ever stays, no matter what they say. I've always accepted that before. But now...
I don't want him to go.

Silver didn't even notice he was clutching Ethan's sleeve until his rival turned around. He racked his brain for words to explain, but he didn't have the time to form an explanation before he felt his throat tighten. He tried to blink back the tears he felt forming, but he wasn't quick enough.

"Don't go." was all he managed to choke out before his emotions took over. He felt tears roll down his cheeks and knew at that moment, he couldn't hide his true feelings any longer. This was the one person he couldn't bear to lose. The one person who had always been there for him, even when he pushed him away, he never left. It didn't matter how long Silver denied it to himself, he cared about Ethan. He loved him more than anyone who had ever been in his life before, and that feeling wasn't going away.

He loved him. Something he swore he was incapable of doing. Yet, with Ethan, it came without any effort at all.

His rival was taken aback by the sudden outburst. It was easy to put two and two together. Of course he didn't want him to leave. Surely, Silver cared about him at least a bit...though, he was so closed off that Ethan didn't know exactly how much. The boy was aware of his own feelings, however. He knew Silver was a good person deep down. A good person hidden away by an awful childhood. Ethan had seen so much change in his attitude since he'd met him and Lyra...it was impossible to not fall in love with the true Silver.

Ethan silently pulled him into a hug. It felt odd to see his rival in such a state.

Rival...no, that was no longer the right word.

Friend. Silver was his friend. He had been all along.

"I know what you're worrying about." He ran a hand through his friend's red hair soothingly. "You don't need to worry. I'm never going to leave you. I promise." Silver's crying was near silent, but the fact that he was shaking told Ethan he was still upset. "I'd never forget someone like you, ever. How much you've grown as a person, even after all you've been through...I'm really proud of you, y'know! All of us are! Lyra, Kris…"

He pulled away from the hug to wipe the tears from Silver's cheeks. His shaking had calmed down a bit, leaving Ethan reassured that he felt at least a little better. He grinned at him.

"Besides, how could I ever forget someone…

...that I love so much?"