Gold's Team (Age 17)
Typhlosion Pichu Swablu Tyranitar Lapras Slowking
Sliver's team (Age 17)
Feraligatr Sneasel Crobat Electabuzz Gligar Houndoom
WARNING contains blood and gore.
...
Silver paced in his small room. he was, as of the moment, a caged animal. His father was holding him prisoner, trying to convince him to reconsider his choice to leave Team Rocket.
He wasn't going to. He made up his mind a long time ago, and he had someone there for him, who helped guide him to be a better person. If he left Gold for his father, then he would be that sour little child who hated everything again. He couldn't go back to that, it wasn't him anymore. Gold had helped him form into a better person, he couldn't abandon that
Without his pokemon, though, he had no way out.
He needed a plan.
The door was old and would break under enough stress. He had tried breaking it himself, but he wasn't strong enough. They hadn't fed him in a while, and he was barely functioning.
There was a crash, the window breaking. Silver spun around quickly to face the window. To his surprise, his Sneasel was standing in the middle of the broken shards of the pane, holding the belt with his other pokemon. Silver smiled the best he could manage and fell to his knees beside it. It looked at him with concern, he tried to reassure the pokemon that he was fine, but the creature didn't buy it. Sneasel rubbed against Silver, something it did now that Silver was affectionate with his pokemon. A sign of their growing bond.
"Sneasel, do you think you can break that door?" Silver asked.
The small pokemon nodded and walked over to the door. It scratched the door a few times to test the wood. It smiled and gave the door a flurry of attacks. The door was quickly dispatched. Silver pat Sneasel on the head and walked out into the balcony overlooking the first floor. He looked around the area, noting there weren't very many guards. He could take them out with ease, but the grunts were like cockroaches, kill one and there are plenty more. He couldn't be seen leaving, he would never get out. Sneasel tugged on the hem of Silver's shirt and pointed up toward a skylight, it was one of the ones Silver had shattered in his rage when he was first brought here, the broken glass had been removed and in it's place was a thin sheet of plastic.
Silver smiled, it was the perfect way out. In the darkening evening, no light came in through the skylight and no one would notice a teenager trying to get out. He recalled Sneasel and let out Crobat. Silver felt a pang in his heart at the sight of the pokemon. Crobat was the one pokemon who Gold directly helped Silver with. It was Gold who finally got Golbat to evolve into Crobat. Silver pointed up to the skylight and Crobat latched onto his back. It lifted him up off the balcony and toward the skylight. Silver scanned the floor for anyone who could pose a problem for him escaping.
He didn't see anyone, but that didn't mean someone wasn't watching him. Crobat got Silver close to the plastic film so he could cut it open. As he pulled out his pocketknife, which he had managed to switch from his jacket to his jeans just before he was stripped of his jacket, the film tore. His eyes went wide, and he knew that he hadn't been thorough in his review of the mansion floors.
If he fled, he would be hunted. If he stayed and fought, the grunts were endless, and he would fail from exhaustion long before he would have a chance.
"Tut tut, Silver. You can't get out that simply," The voice belonged to Proton. Proton knew Silver's situation.
Silver growled, "Since when have you cared if I got away. As I recall, you were the one who turned a blind eye to me when I was running away six years ago."
Proton shrugged, "Hey kid, I'm just following orders. I wasn't told to hold you in back then."
Grunts were beginning to line up along the edges of the balconies. If Silver couldn't get away soon, he wouldn't be able to.
Silver grit his teeth. How did he let this happen? He knew all of this was just a test by his father to see if he was worthy of being an executive of Team Rocket. What if he couldn't pass though? He shuddered a little at the thought. His life would probably go back to before he managed to get away the first time.
"Proton, I'm as much a Rocket as you are. I'm going to leave now. I'm going to get some things to help my father. If any grunts come after me or I am impeded by any Rocket member, I'll have your head."
Proton swallowed hard, his eyes wide and sweat glistening on his forehead. He was a pathetically easy target, "L-let him g-go."
Silver smiled and motioned for Crobat to take him out the window. The bat lifted him out the window and high above the mansion. Silver's hair whipped around him in a freezing breeze. Silver shivered, without his fleece jacket the winter chill easily bit him. Crobat started to fly out toward Johto. Silver knew that Gold should be there, but could he go to Gold? Where would Gold even be in Johto? What if he wasn't where Silver thought he was? Where would Silver go if Gold didn't even want to see him? Silver shook his head, he just needed to get away from that wretched mansion right now.
He looked over at Mt. Silver as they flew by. He looked up at the peak where Gold had told him Red resided. He wondered for a moment what it would be like to live up there, completely secluded, so cut off from the rest of the world, able to do whatever you wanted. He wondered how Red liked being all alone. He knew that Red grew up with only two other people in his generation and only one of them counted as his friend. He was probably used to being alone
Silver shook his head, now was not the time to think about Red, and quickly scanned the mountain for Gold. It was late but he may have just been leaving. It was unlikely, as Gold hadn't been up the mountain to see Red in five years. He was twelve and had visited Red for the third time, it ended in a loss and Gold never went back. Silver was rather surprised, as Gold was not the type to step down from a challenge.
However, Silver was not surprised that Gold had lost. Red was a legendary trainer, after all. Acclaimed as the most powerful trainer there was. Silver could probably learn from Red, he may have been a great trainer but he couldn't even beat half of Red's team.
Silver motioned for Crobat to put him down in Cherrygrove then returned the bat pokemon. He looked out the eastern exit of town. It was where he and Gold had their first battle and it led back to Gold's home, Newbark. Maybe Gold was spending time at home. The air there looked odd though. There seemed to be smoke and Silver couldn't see any of the windmills or the lab. Silver just thought that the trees had grown since he had last been here, so they obscured the view to Newbark. The smoke could just be from a bonfire or something similar, Gold had once brought him to a bonfire in Newbark, it wasn't exactly what Silver had expected, but it wasn't bad. He still made a mental note to stop by tomorrow. He then turned to the Pokemon Center and walked inside. He reserved a room for the night and thought for a moment of giving the nurse his pokemon, but decided against it. He would have to move quickly in the morning if Gold wasn't home but his mother knew where he was. Gold never lost his sense of travel, something Silver greatly admired.
Silver looked around the lobby, no one was there, but knowing some of the younger trainers, someone could come in at any moment. That someone may be able to help Silver find Gold. So Silver sat in one of the lobby chairs with a book, crossed his legs in the seat and put on his reading glasses.
Silver had just closed his book and was about to go to the room he rented, when a girl came rushing through the Center doors. She quickly put her pokeballs on the counter and shot nervous glances at the door behind her. Silver recognized her, with the puffy, marshmallow like hat, she was hard to forget, "Lyra." Silver stood up and took off his glasses, "Lyra, what's wrong?" He took a few steps toward her.
Her eyes landed on Silver, "You!" she yelled, lunging at Silver, "This is your fault!" She hit him. One of her hands was holding tightly onto a red jacket, the zipper of which, hit Silver just above his right eye.
"Wh-what?" Silver asked, holding his eye.
"Team Rocket attacked Newbark. This is your fault! How could you let them attack us?!" Lyra kept hitting him on the chest.
Silver tried to back away, "How?! I don't control them! I just got away from them not too long ago! I have nothing to do with those weaklings!"
"They were looking for you! Why did you let them attack us?! Kris' house almost burned down and the lab needs major repair!" She slapped him hard across the face.
Silver's eyes were wide, he lowered his hand from his eye to his cheek and stared at the floor.
Lyra's voice cracked, "They have Gold."
Silver's breath hitched. That couldn't be true. Gold was a fighter, he was so much stronger than any Team Rocket grunt or executive. Silver noticed that the jacket that Lyra had hit him with was Gold's, he gently pried it from Lyra's hands and held it to his chest, "I didn't mean for this..." Silver shook his head, "I owe Gold everything. I have to find him. I will find him," Silver straightened up and looked Lyra in the eyes, "Which way did they take him?"
"It would be dangerous to follow them now. It's the dead of the winter and there's a storm brewing in the mountains," Kris walked over to the two, "Good to see you again, Silver," Kris put a hand on Silver's shoulder, "I'm not even certain that we should be the ones to go after him. Team Rocket seemed extra violent. They may hurt even you Silver."
"If they do hurt me, they won't kill me or disable me. My father finds me valuable," Silver said.
"You have run away from them, Silver," Kris argued.
"I ran away back when I first started my pokemon journey. I also stole things too. Giovanni doesn't care what I do, he just wants me to be his heir," Silver explained.
"Still, maybe we should get the police involved," Kris said.
"Gold doesn't trust the cops. Besides, we're powerful trainers and Team Rocket is weak. We can take them!" Silver said.
Lyra nodded, "He's right. We all worked together and beat them before!"
Kris sighed, "If I find that either one of you is gone in the morning... Ugh, I don't even know what I'll do."
Silver smirked and walked up to the room he rented. He looked down at the jacket he was holding. Gold's jacket. He clutched it a little tighter, "I'll find you Gold. I promise I will."
He set the jacket on the bed and stripped off his clothes to take a shower. He wrapped a towel around his waist, feeling uncomfortable completely naked, even in the empty room. He turned on the hot water in the shower and waited until it started steaming before he dropped the towel and stepped inside. He let the water pound against his back and shoulders, allowing himself to relax. He watched the water drip from his long hair and down to the tiled floor. He tried to think of a plan to find Gold. Which bases were undiscovered? Where would they even take him? Which way did they take him? They would probably keep him in Johto. Johto had quite a few cities and towns to it though. It could take a while before He even got a clue to where Gold was.
He washed out his hair and then turned off the shower. He stood in the shower stall for a moment, allowing the cool air to slowly seep to him. He grabbed a towel and began to dry off. He looked in the mirror and saw the haunted look in his eyes. Had the loss of Gold really done that to him? It could have been, Gold was his best and first friend. Of course Team Rocket hadn't been kind to him during his stay at the mansion. He shook his head and walked back into the bedroom. He glanced out the eastern window. Silver could now see what was left of Newbark. Lyra was right, the lab was pretty heavily damaged and Kris' house was almost completely gone. Even though he had nothing to do with the attack, he felt guilty for it. Team Rocket was looking for him even though he had just escaped. He remembered his threat to Proton and told himself to remember to go through with it if it was in fact Proton who ordered the grunts to attack Newbark
He looked higher and saw Mt. Silver in the distance. At that moment, he kind of wanted to live the life Red did. Alone on the mountain, his father probably wouldn't be able to get him there. No one would ever be able to get him except for a choice few. He could understand Red wanting to be alone. Being followed and exploited must have been hard for him. He was so young when it happened. Red was probably scared when all those people came up to him, crowded around and suffocated him. Silver shuddered, he many have done something violent if people did that to him. And he didn't have anyone to fall back on like Red had Green. Sure Gold was Silver's friend but could they have the bond Red and Green had?
Silver picked up his clothes and put them back on, along with Gold's jacket. Silver sat down on the bed and picked at the sleeves of Gold's jacket. They were a little short on him but they, and the torso of the jacket, hung loose around him. The thought that Gold may be pudgy made Silver smile, then the thought of Gold being simply muscular made him blush and wonder why he would even think of that.
A muffled cry came from the hood of the jacket and pulled Silver from his embarrassing thoughts. He knew that cry. It was a Pichu! Silver reached back to the hood and untangled it. Something latched onto his hand. He pulled his hand back and saw the small yellow mouse holding tight and shivering. Silver gently pat it's head with his other hand. It squeaked with surprise and fear. "Hey, it's okay, Pichu. I'm going to help you. I'm going to find Gold." Pichu looked up at Silver with excitement, "I need a plan before we go and some rest. If I'm falling asleep on my feet, I won't be much use to Gold," the Pichu chatted excited, almost like it was trying to give him a plan, or just convince him to go.
Silver fell over to rest on the bed comfortably, "I really do need my sleep. Team Rocket has deprived me of it," Pichu settled down next to Silver's head and fell asleep faster than the teen did. The teen in question, stared at the ceiling. A plan. What would he do when he found Gold? How would he even find Gold? The same questions kept buzzing through his head. It couldn't shake them. Even if he could run away like Red, they would still be on his mind. Red probably has his own things on his mind though. His mother and the few friends he has.
Silver gently shook his head, so he wouldn't disturb Pichu. He needed a plan, he couldn't just wing this. Well, maybe he could. The members of Team Rocket were becoming more and more submissive to him at he demonstrated his power. He may just be able to get Gold and get out. Even if he did hate controlling the little freaks, it could come in handy.
Silver woke up before dawn. He sat up on the bed and picked up the still sleeping Pichu. He thought back to all the hideouts he had overheard the grunts talking of while he was still in the mansion. There was one in Cianwood and another on the caves of Mt. Mortar near Ecruteak. Neither was more likely than the other. Silver stood up and stretched, rousing the Pichu in the process, "Do you trust me Pichu?"
The Pichu nodded.
"Will you let me command you?"
The Pichu hesitated for a moment then nodded slowly. Silver smiled and gave the Pichu a light hug. He blushed and stopped quickly. Why was he suddenly being affectionate? Silver rolled his eyes at his behavior and left the room. He went downstairs and gave the room key back to the on duty nurse. He looked over his team and picked out his Electabuzz to switch out with Pichu. He put the Electabuzz in the PC and pat the Pichu on the head, "I know Kris told Lyra and me not to leave but I'm the only one who knows the two places he's likely to be."
Silver walked out the doors of the Pokemon Center and checked for Lyra or Kris. He saw neither and quickly slipped out the northern entrance to town. He placed Pichu on his shoulder, and it crawled into the hood, then raced down Route 30, he had to stop by Goldenrod. Some of the Rocket grunts were still there in the underground. They never left, as Team Rocket felt the need to either completely bury their tracks, which they couldn't do with Gold, Kris, and Lyra around, or never leave their secrets. One of those Rocket members was bound to know where Gold was.
"Silver!" Someone yelled. It sounded like Kris.
Silver turned around quickly around to see that Kris and Lyra were only a few feet away, "What?"
"I told you and Lyra not to leave! And you left!" Kris yelled.
"I'm the one who knows where he's most likely to be. I don't need you two with me. I can get in on my own," Silver said.
"You don't even know which way they flew off with him!" Lyra exclaimed, "I saw which way they went. I doubt it would be a quick trip on foot."
"They either went west to Cianwood or north west to Mt. Mortar," Silver stated.
"North west," Lyra answered, "How did you know?" she frowned.
"I was trapped in a mansion with Team Rocket members of all ranks for about two and a half months. I know quite a few things I was never meant to," Silver muttered.
"Mt. Mortar is kind of far to walk, don't you think? Especially for a guy with a Crobat who can fly him around," Kris said, skepticism heavy in her tone.
"Maybe I'm not going there first. Can't I have other things to do? Prepare myself with what I'll need to know about base? Learn of any others that he may have been taken too after we all went to sleep?" Silver questioned.
"If you aren't going right after Gold, then where are you going, and why bother with Gold if he isn't top priority?" Kris began to circle around Silver.
"Gold is my top priority. I, unlike you two, don't rush into danger head first. I plan out and learn what I need to know," Silver stiffened up.
"Where are you going to learn what you need?" Kris pressured.
SIlver grit his teeth, he didn't need the girls following him. If he lied to Kris about where he was going, she would call him out for walking there, "I'm going to Goldenrod," He finally said in a low voice.
"Why not fly there? You have to go through Violet city then to Goldenrod. Either way you go, it's kind of a far walk," Kris' word were slowly picking apart Silver's defences.
"Maybe I need to do something in Violet City," Silver quirked his eyebrows, trying to confused Kris.
She sighed, "Silver, I'm just gonna cut to what I really want to know, why do you care about Gold so much?"
Silver swallowed hard. Why would she want to know such a thing? "He's my best friend, my first friend. He showed me how to be nice to people and taught me to love my pokemon."
"There's more than that. I can see the fear of it slipping out in your eyes," Kris and Lyra moved in close to Silver.
"She's got a point. Gold may have helped you a lot but Red helped Green coup with what his grandfather said to him before leaving for Mt. Silver. Red hasn't come off that mountain since, and he never talks to anyone or shows any interest in what you have to say," Lyra added.
Silver grasped for words. Why did they have to find him?
Kris clutched his chin and forced him to look her in the eyes, "What is it that drives you so much?"
"I-I. I don't have to answer to you!" Silver yelled and broke from her grip, stumbling away.
"You clearly didn't take your lessons on being nicer to people seriously," Kris stated, brushing dirt from her shorts.
Silver bit his lip, "I honestly can't tell you."
Lyra pushed by Kris, "I'm sorry, Silver. Gold being gone is hurting you as badly as it is us. I guess we were just suspicious of you because of who you are and how we haven't seen you in so long. And, Kris, I know you want to know the answers what you're asking, but Silver really doesn't want to talk about it. I don't think that's the fear of him slipping up and saying something he doesn't want to. I think it's fear of what we'll think of what he has to say. A quiet guy like Silver is probably afraid of the reactions of people."
Silver was shocked. There was no other way to put it. Lyra has never, before then, been so sympathetic of him, nor had she ever defended him.
"If he wants to do his part of finding Gold alone, that's okay. He already told us place he's most likely gonna be," Lyra added.
Kris nodded and turned her back to Silver, "Let's go to Mt. Mortar then."
"Be careful." Silver whispered.
Lyra smiled at him and nodded. Pichu crawled out from the hood of Gold's jacket and called after them, "Piiiichu! Pi pi chuu!"
Kris looked back at Silver and Pichu, "You'd better not lose that Pichu, Silver."
Silver nodded and headed toward Violet City, going quickly in case the girls were lying when they said that they were to Mt. Mortar. He passed right through Violet City, out the northern entrance, the National Park and into Goldenrod. He didn't notice until he was in Goldenrod, that he hadn't passed a single person once he got onto Route 36, and there wasn't a single person wandering the city streets now. The buildings didn't have any lights on either.
There was yelling but it wasn't the yelling of any citizens, it sounded more like-
"Archer!" Silver snarled and took off toward the yelling.
When Silver come to a stop in the mouth of the alley Archer was in, the Team Rocket Executive looked at him.
"So glad you came to join me Silver," Archer smiled, "I thought you were done with us though."
"I am done with you," Silver spat, "Now, where's Gold?"
"Why are you here, little Silver?" Archer was toying with him.
"Where is Gold?!" Silver asked again, yelling.
Archer laughed coldly, "Trying so hard to be something you're not."
"Where the hell is Gold?!" Silver yelled. Sneasel came out of its pokeball and stepped towards Archer, "Sneasel's claws are very sharp, if you don't tell me, it will end badly for you."
Archer just laughed again. Silver snarled and his Sneasel jumped onto Archer's back. It ripped open his shirt and dragged it's claws down his bare flesh, exposing the back of his ribs and allowing blood to pour out.
"Tell what I want to know," Silver said, his voice getting cold and calm.
Archer groaned in pain, "Th-the boy you're looking for..." he drifted off, wobbling from blood loss, "was in Mt. Mortar until his recent relocation."
Silver growled, "Dammit!"
Sneasel jumped off Archer and returned to Silver's side, licking the blood from it's claws and ensuring that they were sharp.
"Tut tut, Silver, why happened to you? You used to be such an innocent boy. Disturbed, but innocent. Where did you go wrong?" Ariana cooed.
"You," Silver spat, "You bastards took Gold. He was my best friend, I care about him! I will get him back from you, no matter what it takes."
"Ah, so you've gone soft and you're hiding it with violence," Ariana said in a sweet, poisoned voice.
"I'm not soft!" Silver snarled, "To be soft is to be weak. I am not weak like you and the pathetic members of Team Rocket! I. Am not. Weak!" Sneasel stalked over to Ariana.
She laughed and attempted to brush Sneasel aside. The pokemon clung to her, digging its claws into the meat of her thigh. Ariana screamed and kicked her leg violently, trying to detach Sneasel. It only worked to make Sneasel's claws tear open more of her flesh, allowing her blood to gush forth from her leg.
"Who would know where Gold is? Who moved him from Mt. Mortar?" Silver asked.
"Get this wretched monster off me!" Ariana screeched, sinking to the ground.
"Tell me what I want to know," Silver said, keeping a calm tone.
"I d-don't know!" She sobbed, trying to push Sneasel off.
"Come now Ariana, I know you're lying," Silver stepped closer and smirked at her, "Lying will only make Sneasel more mad."
She tried to get up again, but fell against the wall, "Petrel," she took a deep breath and shuddered, "Petrel was the one who relocated the boy. You won't find Petrel away from the boy. If you can even find him," She closed her eyes and paused, "He's in a base not even you would know of. No one at the mansion was to speak of it, in case you were listening."
"Fuck," Silver muttered. "Sneasel, come on, she's useless to us now," the pokemon nodded and released Ariana's leg, blood began to gush more from the now completely open gashes. Sneasel happily rejoined its master, cleaning its blood drenched claws along the way.
Silver looked around at the faces of the grunts who had just stood by and watched, "Have none of you stepped forward to challenge me? Are none of you going to now and help your executives? You're all pathetic!" Silver yelled. Still no grunts moved. "Completely pathetic!" Silver turned and started to walk away.
A rustling caught his attention. Silver turned back around, no grunt had appeared to move. A Swablu poked up out of the trash. Silver slowly walked toward it, it didn't flinch and seemed rather happy to see Silver.
"Are you Gold's pokemon?" Silver whispered, kneeling near the Swablu.
It fluttered up excitedly and sat on Silver's head.
Silver frowned and pulled out Pichu, "Any idea how many of Gold's pokemon are free? Or where they may be."
Pichu chatted up to Swablu then shrugged at Silver. The teen frowned and looked around at the grunts, Archer, and Ariana, "If I find another one of Gold's pokemon. I won't call Sneasel off your dying, bloodied bodies," Silver placed Pichu back on his shoulder and left Goldenrod to meet up with the girls in Mt. Mortar, to tell them what's happened to Gold. And get his best friend back.
Chapter End