Unconditional Love
Family isn't always blood. It's the people in your life who want you in theirs. The ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what. – Unknown
In a secluded area by the side of the Viridian Forest, there was a house surrounded by lots of pokemon. Lots of them would roam around the lush field surrounding it throughout the day and some would keep watch at night. Inside the house was a young woman, 18 years of age, who was known by many as Marie. Marie was the younger sister of Red, the famous Pokemon League Champion from Kanto and a hero for many. She's had many troubles on her hand for that, when people would sometimes come by and ask her if she knew where Red is and when the press would suddenly flock the door until Pidgeot, Arcanine, Ninetales and the others chased them away. An incident in which Green, the Gym Leader of Viridian City, saw the press blocking the entrance to Marie's house and almost blown them all in a literal sense despite having worked on reducing the number of paparazzi, made the few remaining even more determined to know Marie's connection to all these famous people in Kanto. Marie hadn't stepped out much too often afterwards, only when the Pidgeys said it is safe to do so.
"Can you get the door for me, Lu?" Riolu yipped happily and jumped off of the kitchen counter toward the door while Ninetales coolly went after the little one. Lucario had taken one look from the kitchen entrance and walked back towards Marie to help her organise the table for breakfast.
"We have guests?" Marie asked when Lucario took out four plates and started arranging the table accordingly. When the aura pokemon grunted affirmative, Marie turned towards the food she's making and wondered if she should make more.
"Marie?" Hearing Green's voice, Marie quickly replied on reflex that she's in the kitchen making breakfast and if the young man had eaten or not. Hearing another's voice seemingly replying what Green had said piqued her interest and she turned over to her Lucario to see the pokemon gesturing that it'll put the food out on the table while she greets their guests.
"Did you bring someone with you, Green?" Marie said, taking off the apron she was wearing and hung it next to the kitchen entrance. She blinked when she saw a familiar redhead from Johto standing awkwardly next to Green who seemed rather amused by the boy's reaction.
"… Silver!" It has been quite a long time since she had met the boy, who had now grown into a young man himself. She might have caught glimpses of him around Viridian when Deoxys happened and she had been worried sick for her brother and Green, but she had never really talked to him much except from the times Blue would tell her about her pseudo younger brother.
"H-Hello, Miss Marie." The so-called 'Miss' had smiled amusedly at the embarrassed boy before looking at Green, returning the fond gaze with one of her own. Green and her had grown close, despite their brief introduction in Johto when they were very young and a sudden re-introduction after Red has gone missing after being challenged by Kanto's Elite Four. Marie then took the snuggling Riolu into her arms for a smooch and let the little one scramble back towards the awaiting adult aura pokemon.
"So what is it now? I thought you told me Silver has agreed to help you decode the book Giovanni has written." Marie then ushered the shy Silver in towards the kitchen when Green shrugged and mentioned that Silver had refused to have breakfast when they ventured towards her house. With a bit of force, Marie had scooped extra portion into Silver's plate while Green snickered and got himself an extra of his own as she eats her own peacefully. Few of the pokemon (read: Arca and Riolu) had tried to sneak in a taste but Lucario and Ninetales were more than adept to keep them out of trouble while Pidgeot cackles from outside the window.
"Thank you… it was delicious." Silver said, letting a Chansey picked up his plate together with the others' to wash. As Marie began helping Chansey with the dirty dishes, she asked if Silver and Green wouldn't mind waiting for her outside while she finishes up in the kitchen. Silver then offered to help because he had bothered her in the first place and Marie gave him a fond smile, making Silver blush.
"That's very sweet of you to offer, Silver. I really appreciate it, but thank you, I can manage."
"Marie doesn't like people going into her kitchen, not even Red." Green said, making Silver's face flush even more. Marie gave Green the disapproving eye and the Viridian Gym Leader then excused himself and Silver out to the field to check on her pokemon.
"Can you keep Arca and Pidgeot busy, Green? They've been wanting to battle for quite a while now." Green grunted an affirmative before finally disappearing from the house to the field with Silver. Marie then looked outside from the window over the sink and smiled when she saw Green showing Silver her slumbering Arcanine.
"What do you think of inviting Silver around more, Lucario? Don't you think the boy deserves some well earned downtime for all he'd seen?" The said pokemon grunted something about letting Marie do whatever she wants as long as the boy isn't bothering anybody unlike Blue while Riolu yipped in excitement.
"Are you excited to meet a new person, Lu? Why don't you go and say hi to him with Lucario? Be nice now." Marie warned, wagging her finger at Riolu who tried to catch and nibble on it. Taking the excited pokemon out per his trainer's suggestion, Lucario placed Riolu on his shoulder while the smaller one throw its arms up high.
"Looks like Marie decided she trusts you to meet her little one personally." Green said when he saw Lucario walking out from the house with an excited Riolu blabbing on his shoulder. Silver turned his head away from the still slumbering Arcanine in front of him towards the two pokemon when Green started talking. Silver felt a jolt in him and was wondering what had he done to gain such a quick trust from the young woman inside the house. Silver knew how much Riolu meant to Marie, the woman had thought of it like a son, just like how all pokemon roaming around this field is her family. It was different, yet not unwelcoming.
"… Me?" Silvered whispered, disbelieving while Green shrugged, his eyes going towards the kitchen window where he could catch a glimpse of Marie's hair.
"Marie trusts a lot of people, like Red. But you can tell that if she allows Lucario to bring Riolu out to meet someone, it means she trusts that person immensely. She thought you deserve that trust, don't ruin it." Or I'll ruin you, the words were absent from Green's mouth, but Silver could hear it as clear as a chime. Silver watches as Lucario steps towards him him, cautious in every single way. His had released his pokemon out from their pokeball as Green had instructed and now they're all scampering around the field with the exception of the Sneazel standing next to him, looking up at him worriedly.
"Do you it's okay for me to do this, Sneazel?" The pokemon had looked up into his eyes and then towards Lucario. The pokemon seemed to have grunted something, which made Sneazel smiled up at him and Silver wondered what might have passed between the two pokemon. Silver heard the Arcanine behind him shifting, growling, clearly not wanting to be disturbed from its nap before something barrelled against his legs and Silver looked down to meet Riolu's big sparkling eyes staring up at him. Lucario had grunted something akin to laughter while Green chuckles, patting Arcanine's back prompting the bigger pokemon to take another nap.
Silver turned towards Green to silently ask what he should be doing because Riolu won't stop staring at him with his big round eyes and his Sneazel wasn't helping at all by laughing.
"He likes being picked up, so do as he says before he started whining and Lucario deemed that he can't trust you anymore. Marie is one thing, but if Lucario doesn't like you, you don't have a chance." Silver looked down towards the still excited Riolu, whose tail might be wagging in anticipation and slowly picked the small pokemon up in his arms. Riolu yipped happily and hugged Silver's neck, making him go rigid while Sneazel climb up to its trainer's shoulder to poke Riolu on the nose. Lucario grunted, seemingly satisfied with how Silver was holding onto Riolu and turned towards Green in anticipation.
"I guess you wanted a battle too then?" Lucario grunted and Pidgeot screech excitedly from the sky, waking Arcanine up as the four-legged pokemon stretched out and stood up, yawning.
"Come on now, sleepyhead. You've been telling me you wanted a battle, don't you go napping again on me now." Marie said, stepping out from the house to pat Lucario on its forearm and flopped herself on top of her Arcanine. Riolu then jumped out of Silver's arm after bopping Sneazel's nose with its paw and followed Marie to jump unto the shaking Arcanine.
Green caught Marie when she slipped down from Arcanine's back and Arcanine started running around with Riolu on its back howling towards the sky. Marie placed her hands on her hips and sighed despite her smile before turning towards Silver.
"Enjoying your time, Silver? How are Gold and Crystal doing?" Silver lowered his head and thought about his two friends in Johto.
"I haven't heard from them, but Gold was doing errands for the pokemon daycare. Crystal was helping Professor Oak with his research, and teaching children." Marie nodded understandingly and placed a comforting hand on Silver's shoulder, even though the young male was taller than her.
"Blue's worried. She's been hoping she can introduce you to her parents, you're always welcome here in Kanto."
Silver didn't lift his head up and Marie let out a sigh before turning towards Green who shrugged. Marie then cupped Silver's face with both of her hands and turned his head upwards so he could look into her eyes.
"You are not at fault, never. Remember that. Blue thought of you as her dearest younger brother, you have Gold as your best friend and Crystal worries for both of you. You might be Giovanni's son, you might be the son of the evil organisation who made be unable to breathe at times, but you are not one of them." Silver clenched his eyes shut and felt tears brimming. Silver's Sneazel had dropped off of his shoulder and stood by his side, looking in worry while Lucario growled comfortingly.
"You are loved, dear Silver. You have friends in Johto and in Kanto, no matter what you have done in your past. If Green and Blue trust you, so do I. Riolu and Lucario are the proof of that." Tears slid down Silver's face as the boy began to cry, Green watches Marie gently pulling the boy's head to rest on her shoulder with warm eyes. Hearing Riolu whining and Arcanine's growls, Green lifted the smaller pokemon into his arms to comfort it.
"Don't worry, the boy's just seen and experienced a lot, that's all. Marie'll take care of him, whether he likes it or not."
Silver felt loved, he had never said anything to Blue because he doesn't want to look weak. What Marie told him stung him right in the heart, maybe it's because she -unlike her brother- doesn't have the strength to do what she wanted to do and in the end had to be left behind. Does he felt left behind as well? He might be, in the back of his mind, left behind by Gold and Crystal who have their own hopes and dreams to fulfill.
"Oh Silver… you're hurting a lot, aren't you?" Marie brushed the tears away from Silver's eyes using the handkerchief Sneazel had offered and patted his cheeks softly.
"You know you're welcomed here anytime, yes? Come and visit, and perhaps we can visit Blue together." Silver gave Marie a teary smile, even though it is small, and thanked her for her comfort. After a few moments of Silver gathering himself together as he got his pokemon out to the field, Green cleared his throat.
"Well then. Because Arcanine and a few other of Marie's pokemon are insisting on a battle, why don't you battle them, Silver?" The boy turned towards Marie who mumbled something about Green forcing the request supposedly for him to someone else and nodded. In the end, he had his pokemon battle against Marie's Arcanine, Pidgeot, Lucario and Ninetales. Despite Marie not being an experienced battler, her pokemon are strong enough on their own (even if Green does give out an order or two, only to be either followed or ignored) that Silver had had quite a hard time weathering them out. The post-battle homemade snack afterwards were worth the exhaustion, and Silver will never say anything about it even if he dies no matter how smug Green looks at that exact moment.
"Thank you for putting up with Green. I have extra cookies, why don't you take them when you leave?" When Green glared at Marie that he didn't get an offer, Marie poked the Viridian Gym Leader on the cheek saying that he comes over too often to deserve an offer of snacks because he always gets one whenever he visits. Hearing that, Silver decided he'll maybe tease his temporary mentor for a bit.
"You're acting as if you're married but living separately because of work." Sipping his lukewarm tea, Silver lifted his eyes from the cup to see Marie's face flushed red and suddenly thought that maybe he should know something. Green turned towards Marie who was fiddling with her hand before smirking at Silver.
"… Should I know something?" Green then took Marie's hands and kissed the back of it like a gentleman would as Silver watch with mouth agape. Silver turned his head back and forth, abandoning his cool personality, between the young woman he was starting to be fond of and his temporary mentor. Silver's mind was whirling with possibility before he remembered that the young woman has a very powerful older brother.
"Does Red know of this…?" Green's smirk widened and Marie's expression turned conflicted. Sneazel was watching with interest while nibbling on a cookie while Riolu relayed whatever it was relaying over to it. Silver sits and waits patiently until the two people in front of him gave him an explanation.
"… We made a promise, not too long ago, that whatever happens we'd stay together. I worry a lot, because of my condition, and because both Red and Green are suicidal in their own ways." Green had protested at that, but Marie just smiled and continue. Green was never one of words, either was her brother, so she was the one filling them in.
"Anything could happen in this world, Silver. You might have something one day, and it could be gone the day after. There's no stopping evil because there is a source of evil in everyone's heart, the only difference is whether you feed it or not. I almost lost myself a few months ago, I didn't realise I had all my anger and worry pent up I lashed towards my own brother and Green." Green squeezed Marie's shoulder as his own eyes lowered to her hand. The scar on Marie's hand was a reminder, Silver thought, of what Team Rocket (No ordinary poacher would go as far as hurting a child just for interfering) had done. Of what his father had done. Silver doesn't doubt that his father loves him, but seeing Marie right in front of him, a survivor of a Team Rocket ambush at a young age made him feel guilty.
"Lift you head up, Silver, I told you it was never your fault that I'm like this. Giovanni might not even know that it was his Team Rocket that made me this way." Silver guiltily avoided Marie's eyes and froze when Lucario placed a paw on his head and moved it so he's looking at Marie in the eyes. Marie's eyes weren't showing contempt; in fact, Marie's eyes were looking at him with fondness like Blue would.
"I was angry at both Red and Green for making me worry, I was so angry I couldn't do anything but cry. I remember Red panicking while Green stood there doing nothing, waiting for me to stop. It was silly, but at least it made me feel better. Then Green decided he'd drop the bomb on both Red and I and promises he'd be with me as long as I'd have him." Marie looked at Green with a wistful smile while the latter chuckled.
"… I expected Red to be angry then." Marie laughed; it was bright and happy and tinkles throughout the house Silver was surprised at the sound, Sneazel was too.
"Oh he was, he really was. You should have seen his face turn as red as his jacket! I was too shocked to say anything aside from answering Green's promise and keeping to myself the whole day!"
"The battle afterwards was worth it. At least Red hasn't slacked off staying on top of that mountain." Marie shook her head and offered more cookies, of which Silver gratefully accepts, so does his pokemon.
"So it was like that. Green's sudden promise that ends up with an intense battle they had to clean the field afterwards." Silver chuckled at the last part and saw Marie elbowing Green who started slouching. The atmosphere between them were light, it was the warmest Silver had ever felt next to when he had seen Gold's house.
"Is… Is it alright if I come back to visit…?" Marie's eyes widened in surprise, but then she blinked and smiled. Marie's smile reminded him of Yellow's when she is playing with her pokemon, her family, it was a smile reserved for important people, and Silver is happy he is deserving of one.
"Of course, Silver. You're always welcome here."