A pair of bored silver eyes stared blankly outside of the large living room window of a small house in New Bark Town, waiting for even the slightest hint of movement in front of the building. It's been like six hours, it's getting dark and she's still not back yet! The red-haired boy let out a sigh as he walked over to the lonely red couch and flung himself into the soft embrace of the furniture.
I didn't ask for this! Silver lifted his head up slowly, still facing the open window. I just came over for a battle and what does she do?! She blows me off to go shopping for some idiotic berries for a salad her mother isn't planning to make for another week! He growled as he remembered her wide smile as she had slipped her bright yellow bag over her shoulder.
"Oh, it'll be fine, Silver." He mocked the girl's cheery disposition as she had walked out the door. "I'll be back before noon, Silver!" He voice was rising into a scream and it was getting angry fast. "Just wait here for me because I have to run all the way to stinkin' Goldenrod, all for some stupid, worthless, plant!" He found himself slamming his fist into the oak coffee table, startling his resting team of Pokémon.
His loyal Feraligatr lifted his head, worry shining through his eyes. "Silver...Is everything alright?"
The teen stared at the Big Jaw Pokémon with a look of slight disbelief before quickly reverting his face into a glare, sitting upright casually with his arms folded over his chest. "Tch, why wouldn't it be? She's just some dumb weakling! Like I care that she's been gone for half the day!" He quickly snatched up the television remote and clicked the power, signalling the black flat screen to amuse the obviously worried teen.
The screen slowly resumed it's playing of the previously watched channel, The Johto Eye. The young newswoman shuffled her papers before letting a small box behind her show the title of the next news story.
Silver's eyes grew wide in horror. You've gotta be kidding me!
The blonde woman cleared her throat before starting to retell the tale. "For those of you who have just tuned in, a masked madman has killed a young woman with only one shot of his Houndoom's Hyper Beam. The victim was a young woman, possibly in her mid to late teens or in her early twenties. She was walking down Pidgy's Lane when eyewitnesses claim a man in his late thirties wearing a tan trench coat and cargo pants leaped out from the alleyway and grabbed the woman. She then attempted to reach a belt on her waist when a Houndoom dashed out from behind the man and blasted the woman's chest with a Hyper Beam. She fell to the ground while the man quickly stripped her of her bag and fled towards the Day Care Center. Eyewitnesses also claim the woman was carrying a potted plant with her at the time, most likely a small berry tree. If you have any information about this man, viewers are strongly encouraged to—"
Silver frantically turned off the screen, his face dripping with sweat as he found himself struggling to breathe. No...No no no no no no! That's not Kotone, it couldn't possibly be her! She's stronger and smarter than some madman! ...Right?! He found his hands shaking as he tried to remain calm.
"Silver?" He spun around to see his Weavile looking up at him with a concerned expression. "What's wrong?"
"N-Nothing's wrong, you twit! G-Go somewhere else!" Silver shooed the Sharp Claw Pokémon with a quivering voice, unable to sound completely unfazed by the newswoman's report.
"You can't possibly be thinking that we're just going to just stand around and let you have a nervous breakdown!" The smug Pokémon went on, folding his arms. "We all can see that what that woman on the strange 'television' that you humans waste your precious life in watching has obviously rattled you!"
Feraligatr lumbered over, trying to comfort his trainer. "You think that the woman was talking about Kotone, don't you?" He nuzzled the anxious teen's chest as Silver struggled to keep an enraged face at the two Pokémon.
"N-NO! I'm just fine and get the heck away from me, you obnoxious pests! Go stare at the sun for a while, will ya'?!" He broke away from the duo and started speed-walking into the kitchen, only to be intercepted by his Honchkrow.
The Big Boss Pokémon hid his face in his outstretched left wing as it laughed. "You're scared for your mate~! You should just be honest with us, Silver! We can smell the fear all over you!"
Silver's face burst into an all-consuming red as he found himself thinking of Kotone in ways no boy who wanted to ever free himself of a girl's grasp ever should. He shook his head violently, trying to rid himself of the dangerous ideas. "S-Sh-She is not m-my m-m-mate and you ne-need to back off right now!" He shoved his way into the kitchen and found himself searching frantically for a certain device on the marble countertop.
A sudden burst of purple mass startled the teen as it materialized into his Gengar, who sat snickering on the counter's edge. "Ooo~! Silver's got a dirty little mind~!"
The now furious and thoroughly embarrassed teen swatted the Shadow Pokémon, his angry hiss coming out as a puff of white smoke from the Ghost Type's natural abilities of reducing air temperatures. "Get y-your smug rear off these counters! Go fly somewhere else!"
The Pokémon went on, ignoring his trainer's hand slashing through his spectral form. "I can see your thoughts, you know~! There's no point in denying your feelings—and might I add candid imagination—of the girl~!"
If it was even possible, all of Silver's skin would have matched his hair, blushing from the shame of being caught red-handed and the embarrassment of letting himself think about her that way in the first place. "GO. AWAY!" His right hand suddenly clamped around a small device, making the limb retreat back towards its owner with a violent jerk. He dashed off back into the living room, looking one last time out of the window.
I can't believe I'm doing this! You pathetic weakling, worrying about a girl of all things?! WORRY IS FOR THE WEAK, SILVER! DITCH THE GIRL WHILE SHE'S GONE, YA' SISSY! He opened his shaking fist to reveal a sleek, red and black Pokégear, the device being the latest model—and a gift from the Champion, Kotone Soul. He flipped open the device, hesitation gripping him as he stared at the list of only three numbers registered in his phone. Pizza delivery, Ethan Gold—why do I even have his number?! ... His thumb hovered above the girl's name, his heart dropping into his stomach. He slammed his eyes shut, took a deep breath and stabbed the name quickly with his thumb, feeling half of his dignity fly out the wide window behind him.
The other end was silent for what seemed hours before it let out a low tone, the first ring of her phone. Come on...come on! Pick up your stinking phone, Pigtails! The device rang again...and again...and a few more times before the familiar, song-like tone met his ears.
"Hey there~! This is Kotone Soul, speaking!" Relief flooded him as he felt his chest relaxing.
"Kotone! Where are you—?!" The voice interrupted him, continuing to sing out it's words.
"I'm so sorry I can't come to the phone right now, I might be in a battle with another challenger or I might be at home and away from my Pokégear for the moment." He felt like someone had slammed into his gut, forcing out all of his lungs' precious store of air.
That wasn't Kotone Soul speaking...it was her voice mail. His hands shook as he felt his heart slamming against his ribcage. No no no no no no no! WHY ISN'T SHE ANSWERING HER PHONE?! SHE ALWAYS ANSWERS, EVEN WHEN IT'S THAT WEAKLING JOEY WHO DOES NOTHING BUT TALK ABOUT HIS RATTATA THAT EVOLVED AROUND A YEAR AGO!
"Please leave me a message and I'll be sure to get back to you~! May you have a wonderful day~!" The phone gave him a sharp tone, signalling that now was the time he was supposed to speak. He opened his mouth to scream at the girl, to tell her how furious he was that he couldn't get ahold of her when it really mattered...but his throat had closed up, leaving him unable to utter a sound. He hung up the phone as he sank to his knees, tears rushing out of his eyes.
"Silver?!" Weavile rushed over, quickly followed by a distraught starter as they both embraced their sobbing trainer. "What happened?!"
The teen sputtered through his tears, embarrassed and disgusted in the back of his mind that he was crying in front of them like this. That he was crying to begin with. "K-Kotone won't answer her phone! There's a killer out there and she won't pick up and the victim was holding a berry tree and was around her age and it was even in Goldenrod and she won't pick up her phone!"
His two most trusted team members remained silent as the remaining teammates slipped quietly into the room, his Arcanine and Magnezone bringing up the rear as the loyal Pokemon embraced their trainer as they tried to comfort him. Mangnezone looked on with loving eyes, the Magnet Area Pokemon disappointed that he couldn't hold his trainer without electrocuting him with his magnet arms.
Just then, a low creak was head coming from the door. Silver bolted his head above the mass of nuzzling Pokemon, trying to figure out if the killer had tracked him down to kill him next. He quickly stood up, violently rubbing the tears away as he tried to make sure his eyes weren't trying to play mind games with him. He felt a most likely insane smile appear on his face as he dashed towards the door, picked the figure up by her overall straps and violently crashed his lips to hers.
The girl let out a muffled shriek, surprised by the usually cold-natured boy's sudden and passionate display of affection. After around a minute, she broke away, panting for her breath as she gave a few weak giggles. He slowly lowered her back to the ground, his eyes examining every inch of her, searching for even the smallest of wounds or injuries.
She looked up at his face, her hazel eyes warm with love. She was still panting, half for breath and the other half out of pleasant shock. "May...Maybe I should...should stay out longer more often! Maybe then I could get you to show this side more often, Silvy!"
His eyes widened for a moment before grabbing her and clinging to her in a tight embrace, desperate to keep her close as well as hiding the growing blush on his face—and the signs of his earlier crying.
"Don't you ever do that again! There's a stinking killer running around out there and you won't even so much as pick up your phone?! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!" His voice was loud, but the only thing his words contained were genuine worry and a slight dash of hurt.
The girl rolled her eyes before lifting her head out of his chest. "Oh, that guy. I'm fine, I swear—!"
"What do you mean 'that guy'?! The man kills a girl your age and you just shrug it off like it's nothing?! It could have been you!"
The girl stood there for a few moments, silent as she processed his words. She felt a grin come across her lips as she slipped the last piece into place.
"I left it on the news, didn't I?" Silver closed his arms around tighter in confirmation of her question. "Oh Silver, I'm sorry I worried you like this! You honestly shouldn't listen to Rebecca Dunst so intently; she has a nack for only taking the most dramatic witnesses into account!"
Kotone started to squirm as she tried to free herself from his grip. Silver quickly released her, scratching the back of his neck in nervous habit. She slowly walked over to the television, stopping to pat each of the redhead's Pokémon on the head as she passed them. Weavile raised his eyebrows at the teen when she passed, making the boy's blush return. She gently picked up the remote and looked back at him with a smirk as she powered on the cause of the trouble.
This time, a young man with smooth black hair was sitting at the desk, ready with the evening report. He shuffled the papers for a second before looking up at the camera and nodding. "For those of you just joining us, a masked madman is now in custidy after attacking a young woman in her early twenties the Goldenrod area. A man in his late thirties, wearing a tan trench coat and cargo pants jumped out of an alley and attacked the woman with a Hyper Beam from his Houndoor." The screen showed the man's mugshot, revealing his scarred and sagging face, his dirty brown hair limp and greasy. "He stole her bag as he fled from the scene on Pidgy's Lane, running towards the Day Care Center..." The screen switched to a map of Goldenrod City's streets before switching to one of Kotone Soul's smiling face. "Just then, Champion Kotone Soul apprehended the man with her Typhlosion, Blitz. They engaged in a short battle, ending after one hit from the Typhlosion's forepaw." The screen then showed a video clip of a bored Blitz slapping the snarling and rabid Houndoom across the face, knocking it out with ease. "The Champion then used her Togekiss Joy's Psychic to hold the man and his Pokémon in place until the authorities arrived on the scene." The video then switched to another clip of Joy smiling as the man flailed helplessly in midair, waving his arms and twirling feet over head again and again as the Jubilee Pokémon undoubtedly laughed.
Silver felt his cheeks grow hotter as he realized he had jumped to conclusions far too soon. The still smirking Champion remained silent as the report went on, "Our reporter on the scene tried to interview the Champion, but only received a few short words."
The video then switched to a recording of Kotone Soul trying to walk past a mob of news crews with microphones outstretched. "Miss Soul!" A young man's voice called out her name as she desperately tried to get past the reporters. "Do you have anything to say about this incident?"
"Look, I'm terribly sorry but I have to get home! Silver's waiting for me and I'm already hours late!" The boy's face returned to the shade of a plum as he found himself embarrassed to his very soul at Kotone's insistence on seeing him. ...She...she was trying to get here... AND SHE SAID MY NAME ON PUBLIC TELEVISION! DARN IT, KOTONE! CAN'T I JUST BE A SECRET BOYFRIEND?! NOW EVERY GOSSIP MAGAZINE AND WHO KNOWS WHO ELSE WILL HUNT ME DOWN LIKE A MADMAN!
Kotone managed to escape the crew by grabbing hold of Joy's feet as she lifted her into the air. "I'm so sorry! I have to go! I'm happy the woman's alright, though!" Her Typhlosion recalled himself into his Pokéball as the girl was lifted higher into the sky. The Pokémon then swung the trainer over it's head quite a few feet before the girl landed straight on her feet in a showy display, taking off on the flying Pokemon's back with her arms outstretched to feel the wind rush past her.
The video snapped back to the man, who was now accompanied by the long-haired blonde Rebecca Dunst. He turned to her with a grin as she laughed. "Oh, young love's surely something, huh Chad?" The man nodded as he let out a laugh. Kotone slowly placed the remote down on the couch and walked over towards the flustered and speechless teen, a smirk still on her face.
"It certainly is, Bec! Although, you have to wonder who this 'Silver' boy is! He must be quite the trainer to have won the heart of the Champion!" Kotone was now standing in front of him, wrapping her arms around him for a hug. She slowly lifted her head and stood upon her toes, giving him a gentle kiss on his cheek and restoring the fading red back to his face.
"They're right, you know~" Her voice was barely a murmur as she rested her head on his chest.
The teen stood there, rigid in her arms as he struggled to find his voice. His Pokémon gave him teasing gestures from across the room as they tried to encourage him to do something other than just stand there.
Finally, he let his tense muscles relax as he accepted the gentle grip of her arms around him. "You idiot...That's the last time I call you, got it?" He let out a chuckle under his breath as she slowly looked up at him.
"Why's that?"
His voice lowered into a tease as she gave him a sweet smile. "Because next time, I'm running straight out that door after your butt, got it? I can't have you taking down all the weaklings who dare to show their faces out of the holes in the earth they crawl out of~"
She just chuckled as she gave him another peck on the cheek, watching with a smile as his face turned red again.
ConflictShipping
One hour. That's how long she said she'd be gone...tops. Green Oak glared at his clock, angry that the brunette girl had been gone for so long. "Maybe this clocks just around...oh, I don't know...eight hours fast!" He shoved himself out of the wooden chair in the dining room as he stormed over to the window, cupping his hands around his face to better look out into the dark Kanto night.
"Maybe she's just running late." Green looked over his shoulder to see his trusted friend Eevee sitting on top of his Arcanine's head. The Evolution Pokémon was giving his obviously worried trainer a small smile, hoping to sooth his nerves.
"Oh yeah, she just happens to be running late by eight hours when she just ran to Vermillion City to..." His voice dropped off as he suddenly remembered the horrible day so many years ago he had lost his friends; Leaf had caught a boat for Hoenn and left him and Red behind on the docks arguing. By the time they had stopped, she was out in open ocean. Then he had to make things worse by blaming it on his best friend, who then ran off in tears. Guilt smacked him hard in the gut, making him hold it gingerly with a grimace.
"I'm not going to let her run away again!" He quickly bolted upright and whipped out his Pokégear from his left jacket pocket. He then pushed the first button; thankful that he had her first on his speed dial. The phone rang for eons before the small voice met his ears.
"Hello?"
The Gym Leader paced the room, anxiously listening for the sounds of Wingull and other ocean-dwelling Pokémon. "Leaf! Where are you?! It's kinda hard to make dinner when you're off somewhere doing who knows what—!"
"I'm sorry, I can't come to the phone right now. Please leave a message after the tone." The high frequency killed the ears of all three in the room, but mostly shattered the man's heart.
"LEAF! You idiot! Get your butt back here right now! You'd better not be leaving again or I swear you'll have to face me before getting on that stupid S.S Maria, cause I'm not gonna let you run off on me again!" Green hung up angrily as he hissed, his team members backing away to give him space.
"That's it!" He suddenly grabbed his long-unused bag and mounted his Arcanine's back.
"Green...What are you doing?" The Legendary Pokémon looked over his shoulder questioningly as his trainer grumbled.
"You are going to use ExtremeSpeed and get me to Vermillion City before the boat leaves the docks in around half an hour!" Green quickly snatched his Eevee and shoved him roughly down his jacket, making the Pokémon squeak in surprise.
"But I—"
"Go, Arcanine! That's an order!" The man pointed angrily at the door, making his Pokémon sigh with submission.
"Fine. But you'll have to open the door first, genius. No hands, remember?" The Gym Leader blushed slightly as he stormed over to the door, letting his Pokémon saunter out proudly into the crisp Viridian City air. He walked out behind him, slammed the door shut and remounted the awaiting Pokémon.
"Now use ExtremeSpeed so we can catch Leaf." Green slammed his palm into his forehead as his Arcanine laughed at him.
"Right away, Green!" The man was jerked backwards as the sudden burst of speed whipped his head back. He grabbed onto the thick mane of his racing Pokémon, now leaning forwards to brace himself against the harsh winds. The surrounding city was nothing but a blur as the man raced after his girlfriend, praying that she hadn't already caught the afternoon ship.
When they had raced past Celurcian City, Green felt his jacket vibrating. "Wee!" His Eevee purred in delight as the vibration continued.
"Quit that, Eevee!" His green eyes squinted as they neared Saffron City.
"It's not me!" The Pokémon giggled as the sensation continued. "I swear! It's coming from your pocket!"
The man quickly shoved his right hand in his pocket and fished out his phone. Sure enough, it was ringing. His heart leaped with delight as he read Leaf's name on his caller I.D. He quickly flipped it open with a flick of his wrist and held it up to his ear. "LEAF! Don't you dare get on that ship! I'm coming to get you right now!"
A frantic voice came from the other end as his Arcanine struggled to retain his speed through the still-thick city crowds. "Green!? What are you talking about?!"
"The last time you ran off, you got on that boat and left us behind! Then I had to yell at Red and make me lose both of my friends! I'm not going to lose you a second time, do you hear me?!" He was panicking now; the ship was due to leave in only five minutes.
The other end was silent for a moment before Leaf spoke in a very annoyed tone. "Green, would you just stop for a moment and listen to me?!"
"No!" Arcanine managed to burst through the crowd as he dashed on for Vermillion City's docks. "I'm not going to let you leave, you pesky woman! You're not going to ditch me for that tropical deathtrap again!"
The woman let out a sigh just as they reached the docks. "Honestly Green, just look..." Her voice was cut off by the roaring sound of a Wingull's cry. "You'll never learn, will you?" And with that, she hung up.
"Leaf?! Leaf!?" Green started to panic as he hopped off of Arcanine's back and raced for the S.S. Maria, but to his horror found the ship already in open water. He slowly sank to his knees as he felt the guilt smash into him, tears already forming in his eyes. I failed...again...now she's probably gone for good...and it's all my fault...
"Uh...Green?" His Arcanine walked slowly over to his side, nudging him with his nose.
Green sniffed as he glared at the Pokémon. "Not now, Arcanine. Can't you see I'm drowning in my own tears right now?"
"But—!"
"I said, not now! Just leave me alone for a while, alright!? Go frolic in the tall grass or something!"
"Oh, Green...overdramatic as usual." He whipped his head around to see Leaf standing there with two bags on each arm and her Charizard's neck carrying two more to go with the one in each of his hands. "Honestly, couldn't you listen to me for two minutes of your—!" She was cut off by a violent kiss, Green grabbing her by her shoulders.
Charizard let out a puff of smoke, warning the man not to go too far or else taste the wrath of his flames. They broke apart as Green glared at her. "Why didn't you tell me you weren't on the ship?! You scared me to death, Leafy!" He lowered his voice as he put his hands behind his head and looked away. "I thought I was going to lose you again."
Her cheeks grew scarlet as her eyes grew wide. She shook her head violently and smiled. "Like I would leave my boyfriend for a region with an active volcano!"
He gave her a quick smirk before reverting back to a glare. "Leaf...Why are there so many bags?! I thought you said you were only buying some sea-salt!"
She blinked at him for a while before laughing at his sudden outburst. "I told you I was going to stock up on our groceries, then see if they had any sea-salt! Weren't you listening to me?"
Green's face glowed as both his Eevee and his Arcanine burst into laughter, Charizard snorting in amusement at the strange behavior of human pairs.
TwinleafShipping
"Kari! Answer your Pokégear, woman!" Jun Pearl's left eye twitch as he held the phone up to his ear, begging his girlfriend to answer him. He was sitting down at the fancy new café in Hearthome City, waiting for the Champion of Sinnoh—and his childhood friend—to arrive. I told her to be here before noon! Now all of the tables are filling up and we'll end up getting cold food in the lunch rush!
"Hello, this is the phone of Hikari Berlitz." A calm voice stated over the line, Jun nearly leaped out of his seat.
"Hikari Kari, get your butt over here right now! We're going to end up getting slow service and cold food because this place will be packed with people!"
"Please leave a message for me after the tone." Sure enough, Jun's eardrums were blasted by a sharp tone, making him growl at the noise.
"Kari, get!" He pushed the button to leave another message. "Your butt!" He slammed the button again. "Over here!" Once again, he pressed the button. "RIGHT NOW!" By this time, he was boiling with frustration. WHY WON'T SHE ANSWER ME!?
"Jun Pearl, stop leaving me messages!" He turned with a smile to see the navy-blue haired teen rushing over to him.
"Hikari! You came back~!" He stood up to embrace her, but she held him back with one hand.
"I was gone for five minutes, Jun!" She narrowed her eyes as he slowly put his arms to his sides.
"But! Our table! We can't have nasty cold lunch! That's gross!"
"I was in the bathroom! I told you that, remember?! I said, Jun Pearl, I'm going to go use the ladies room and you nodded at me and I left!" Jun felt the blood rush to his cheeks as he realized he had been too busy talking to hear his own girlfriend.
"S-Sorry..." He looked down at his shoes with a sigh, guilty as a child caught stealing a cookie.
Hikari slowly smiled before giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "I forgive you~" She laughed as his face turned bright red and continued. "Now, how about we order lunch?"
SequelShipping
"Mei! The device is on attached to your skinny little arm, I know you're there!" Hyu glared at his Xtransceiver as it the screen remained black. "Don't you ignore me, woman!" He let out a roar as thought of his spunky rival with cinnamon bun-like swirls in her hair. "Answer my darn call!"
His Samurott let out a sigh as his hot-blooded trainer continued to fume. "She said she was going to visit that new PokeHospital in Nimbasa City today. She probably just turned off her phone to be respectful..."
"Or," The boy spun around, his navy-blue hair becoming even more spiky as his anger increased. "The new PokeHospital is nothing but a ploy by Team Plasma to steal people's Pokémon!" His starter's eye twitched as the teen started to jog in place. "MEI! I'M GOING TO UNLEASH MY RAGE FOR YOU!" He then dashed off, leaving his Pokémon behind in a cloud of dust.
"Curtis!" Mei's cheeks grew pink as she let out another giggle, holding her Casteliacone in her hands as she walked beside the newscaster. "That's so sweet of you!"
"Honestly, it was nothing." The older teen shrugged and gave his strawberry cone another lick. "It's the least I can do for the poor Pikachu. I still can't believe he didn't have a tail..."
"Huh?" The two suddenly looked up as a dark-brown cloud rose on the horizon. "What's that?"
"...ra...geeeee!..." Strains of shouting could be heard as the dust became larger. A navy-blue speck appeared at the head of the cloud. "Ra...aaaag...eeeee!"
Curtis scratched the back of his neck and grimaced as the semi-familiar yelling became louder. "Um...Is that...?"
Mei let out a sigh and bent over her ice cream cone. "...Yes, that's Hyu all right."
"MEEEEIIII!" Mei let out a scream as her rival suddenly pounced on her, knocking her cone to the ground as he let out a rabid growl at the newscaster. "BACK OFF PLASMA SCUM! SHE'S WITH ME YA' GOT IT!?"
"Hyu! That's my Casteliacone you just wasted!" The girl squirmed as the older teen watched, sweat rolling down his cheek.
"Um...Hyu? Could you chill for a minute...?"
"LEEEEAAAAVVVVVEEEE CCUUUURRRRTTTTIIIISSSSS!" The younger teen snarled and snapped as his Samurott slowly lumbered to his trainer, slipped his large horn up the back of his jacket and hoisted the furious boy off the ground.
"I've got him...again." The Water Type sighed as Mei lifted herself off the ground.
Mei slammed her palm into her face and groaned. "That's the last time I go to any charity events; you go insane if I turn off my Xtransceiver for ten seconds!"