White clutches at the Light Stone, wrapping her arms as tight as she can against the cool smooth rock. She's slumped in the corner of the room, missing out on the raging party right next to her.
It's a whole dexholder reunion out there, full with way too many seniors, and well, even juniors. White has juniors. She had hoped to find business contacts here, and technically she had. She had passed out cards to someone merely titled "the Lady," and the duo of stooges that followed the Lady's every step. "Ruby - the Contest Star Extraordinaire," had snatched not one, but three business cards from her grasp, as soon as he had heard the word "stars."
But not everyone was so enthusiastic - his girlfriend, "Sapphire - just Sapphire, not like that weirdo," had denied any cards. "I'm just not into such contest-y stuff," she had explained, gesturing with her hands.
White plastered on her "Customer Service" smile. "But this isn't a contest-"
Sapphire pointed at a picture of Bubu the tepig, decked out in ribbons on the cover.
"Not being impolite, I just think that stuff really takes away a pokemon's natural beauty."
White just gave her a cheerful smile. "Thanks for your opinion, Senior Sapphire."
She gave a respectful bow. "Perhaps I can keep it in mind!"
Sapphire chuckled. "Well, ya welcome!"
But White had already gone out in search of a new potential customer. Thinking back on it now, White cursed her business instincts. If she hadn't moved on so quickly, she might have not overheard -
"Hey, Blue…" Red asks, very close to a beautiful girl with brown hair. "Do your parents know about the, uhhh" he scratches the back of his head apologetically.
"Know about the - what?" The girl - Blue's voice is steely. Blue has a bright smile though, and her fake smile puts White's to shame.
White's not one for gossip, especially since it comes from her seniors, but - ahh, who is she kidding, she's gotta hear this!
"Do they know about when you turned into a stone statue?" Red's words all come out in a rush, and White's heart falls.
They say that when you eavesdrop, you never hear anything good. White stumbles away, her seniors oblivious.
And that's how she finds herself crumpled into the corner, crying softly. It's been two years, but the anguish still feels the same.
She fumbles with the clasp of her handbag, pulling out the Light Stone. She always keeps it close to her these days, she can't bear to just leave it. Because what if she finds the thing that will free Black? What if she finds the person who knows what to do? What if -
What if she could save him?
She pulls her head closer to her knees and lose it, sobbing. It's stupid, how just two words, "stone statues," are making her remember everything, making her cry, right here in the midst of a party. Cheery music is blaring all around her, but she just sniffles harder.
She hopes that no one will find her in this state, but just like with most hopes, it doesn't come true.
Shuffling footsteps surround her, and she looks up.
It's one of her seniors. Gold, she thinks. He's holding a glass carelessly, and it sends a stab of fear through her. She backs up against the wall, though it's futile, considering how the wall is so close.
"Relax girl, I'm not going to hurt you." He peers down at her concernedly, no trace of drunkenness in his eyes.
"O-Ok." She sniffs out. "Sorry." She must look like a mess she thinks, snot dribbling out of her nose, tear tracks running down her cheeks. She rubs furiously at her face, trying to conceal the evidence.
"Are- Are you okay?" He sits down next to her, sprawling his legs out without a care.
"Yes." she says, brushing her fingers along her eyes. "I. Am. Fine."
She's saying it carefully, hoping he gets the message. Honestly, she's also hoping she gets the message. The words are as much for him as for her.
"Don't lie to me, White"
"Huh? You remember my name?" White barely remembered his, and she had been looking for customers.
"I remember any pretty girl's face." He laughs, and White manages a small chuckle.
"But seriously-" He draws his face closer to hers. "What happened?" His mouth is set in a grim line, far from the laughing mouth she had seen earlier.
Something tells her he won't take no for an answer about this, that he's determined, for whatever reason, to find out what's wrong. It reminds her painfully of Black, and she chokes out a sob.
"What'd I do?" She hears him mutter, but she's not fully concentrating on him now. More on the flood of memories of Black, of how stubborn he was, how determined, how many times he had declared to her that he'd defeat the Pokémon League.
And how he never got to.
Because of her.
Another sob, she just can't help herself now.
"Hey, hey." Gold tilts her head up. "Is it because you're lonely in the party?" He grins. "Got no one to dance with? You're not my type, but hey, you can dance with me."
White gives a bitter laugh. She is lonely, she realizes. Without Black, she has no real friends, no one besides employees and business contacts. Bianca and Cheren are there, sure, but they've always been more of Black's friends than hers, and she can't bear to face them.
It's been a lonely two years, and god's she misses him - him and his smiles, and his expressions - and - and -
She misses him.
"So, no dancing?"
She shakes her head.
"Did anyone hurt you?" He asks bluntly. "I'll beat them up for you" There's a gleam in his eye.
"Thanks, but no thanks." she says, folding into herself.
He sighs. "I'm not leaving till you answer me." He stares at her stubbornly, and she gives a small sigh.
"My boy-" She fumbles and corrects herself hurriedly, "Well, my friend got trapped in a stone." She grabs the stone, a familiar weight in her hands, and lifts it up for him to see.
"Here"
"Wooaah," he stares at the rock for a few moments, before returning his gaze to her.
"Well, White, I sorta know how that feels."
"You know how having a loved one turned into stone feel likes…" she stares at him.
She's not trying to be rude, she really isn't. But really? She's pretty sure it's a very … unique feeling.
"Well, not to brag or anything, but I also have a loved - friend - just friend" he corrects, his face going pink, hands waving frantically.
White raises her eyebrows in suspicion
"Who got turned into stone," he finishes. "So I can relate, ok?"
"What happened?"
Gold sighs. "Long story. Short version - friends got stoned without me. After a little more than two months and the power of Jirachi, I saved them."
Two months. Two months. Two months.
It's been TWO YEARS.
"Also some water dude with magic armor showed up, and we saved the world." He grins at her. "What's your story?"
Her story is that she was there, that she saw her "friend," get stoned right in front of her, that it was her fault, that it's been two whole years and she still hasn't freed him -
"He - he saved me. Pushed me out of the way." Her voice cracks a bit, but she goes on, stubbornly.
"You had it easy you know-" she looks him dead in the eye.
"I was THERE. He was protecting ME - I-I" she's blinking away tears now, but she can't stop. "He's in a stone BECAUSE of ME"
She collapses into herself, her hands falling by her side, hitting the stone cold floor.
Gold is silent.
"If I hadn't asked him -" If she hadn't asked him to advertise - "If I hadn't been there to protect-"
She's full on wailing now, and her words turn into mumbled mashed nonsense.
"Oh gosh- why COULDN'T I have gone into the stone - it's, it's been two years, Gold" she looks at him helplessly.
"Senior Gold I mean." She corrects herself.
"I- I don't know if he's ever going to come back." She sobs harder, but manages to keep on looking at Gold through blurry vision.
He stares back at her, and she knows her face is portraying the full anguish of two years slammed down at once.
"I…" He opens his mouth, closes it. Opens it again. "I've felt like that, ok, maybe I didn't say it right the first time."
Whether or not he said it right doesn't deny the facts.
He takes a deep breath.
"I know kiddo, I know. It sucks. It really, really sucks. And honestly, it's worse NOT to be there, just - just hear me out. Ok?" He holds his hands out in a surrender gesture.
She stares at him; she can't understand-
He takes that as a yes.
"Picture this," he waves one hand, "It's some sunny afternoon in Johto, and Professor Oak calls me up, saying I need to come quickly. Of course I complain, but there's something about his voice - and I just go - ok?"
His eyes bore into hers, and she nods.
"And he shows me these statues. Cool looking statues of all my seniors. And I was like," he takes a break to laugh.
"I was like, old man, where's MY statue?" Another laugh, but smaller.
White feels a growing sense of dread.
"I. Knew. Nothing" His tone is solemn now.
"And Oak just shakes his head, and suddenly I get it." Gold looks down at his hands, but continues.
"He starts explaining - but I don't hear a word he says. I'm just staring - staring at Silver."
Gold takes a deep breath.
"My friend, my comrade, my-my rival. And he's stone, and he's dead."
"He's dead." Gold repeats.
"And I have no idea if he's coming back." He looks up now, and White meets his gaze.
That's how White felt, exactly, when the Light Stone flew from her hands. She didn't know anything then, if he would come back - the stone had just disappeared into thin air.
She remembered thinking he was dead, or gone, beyond reach.
Thank god she found him, but still - he still wasn't alive.
Gold holds a hand up, not done with his story. White nods in understanding. Stories like hers aren't done in a few sentences.
"Oak explained it all, how they had all did something or whatever in Kanto, saved the world, you know how it is, right?"
She does know how it is. She spares a glance around the party room. Everyone in here has saved the world at one time at each other. It's what it means to be a dexholder she thinks. Not the starter Pokémon, not even the pokedex itself, but the world saving. The adventure.
But everyone else had a happy ending.
She turns her attention back to Gold, a bit eager to hear someone else's misery.
"But I wasn't THERE," Gold pronounces, a distant look in his eyes. "I was always SUPPOSED to be there for Silver, you know?"
"Once upon a time, I said 'Whatever it is, he shouldn't be facing it alone.'" Gold gazes off into the distance, before his eyes snap back to hers.
His piercing gaze doesn't allow her look away.
"And you know what- I had left him alone. And now he was a rock - and now he was dead."
"And now I might never be able to hear him call me 'idiot' again." He finishes slowly.
She can relate. No one has called her "Prez," ever since Black has gone. It's just a nickname, but she misses it all the same. His excited voice calling, "Prez-Prez, look!"
She misses that voice in her ear, tugging her along to the nearest gym, or pointing out items.
Asking, "The debt, did I... pay it all off?"
He never got to hear her answer.
That he had paid it off, and more. That he hadn't just repaid her with money, or business, but with the subtler, yet more important things. Like holding her hands, and taking her places, and teaching her about Pokemon battling.
She should have done something, anything. She had been his boss, he had been her employee, her responsibility. She should have pushed him out of the way, should have shielded him, should have done something - anything.
Anything that could have saved him. She - she should have saved him, maybe if she had been fast enough.
"So I get what you mean." Gold's voice interrupts her internal monologue. His attitude has shifted somewhat, from serious to almost forced carelessness.
"It sucks. You were there, and well, maybe you're right." He shrugs.
"Maybe he did become a stone because you were there."
Those words are pronounced too casually, as if they don't mean anything at all, when really, they mean everything.
All she can do is gasp, and look at him. She didn't think he'd say it like that - she thought he'd understand - tears bead at the corner of her eyes, and she finds herself once again, struggling at the edge of a breakdown.
She tilts her head down, she can't bear to look him in the eye anymore, but he forcefully tilts her head up.
"But he could also become a stone because you're NOT there!"
His namesake gold eyes are staring at her with an intensity, and she finally she understands the point he's trying to make. It's as if the weight of the world has been lifted off her shoulders, and she gasps again.
"I've thought way too much, about what had happened had I been there, about how I could saved him - or all of them, or maybe I'd sacrifice myself in his stead."
He's speaking to her directly, and each word resonates within her heart.
"I would have done that you know - For Silver, I would have." His eyes flash with a sort of determination.
She believes him. She would have sacrificed herself for Black too.
"But Ghetsis, Sird, they're all horrible, horrible people. You need to understand that."
"No matter what could have happened, Black and Silver got stoned. Get past it. It won't help anything, ok?"
She believes him. His message is sinking in, it's not her fault.
"You-" he pauses, "You need to stop beating yourself up over it."
"Ok?"
"O - Okay." She says. And she means it this time.
He sends her a broad grin, and she returns with a small grateful smile of her own.
"So, - how about that dance?" He wiggles his eyebrows at her, and she laughs.
"Sure, Gold." He offers her a strong warm hand, that she takes. "But know that I'm taken, ok?" She glances at the Light Stone.
"Well, little miss, so am I." He winks at her, before pulling her onto the dance floor.
The dance is a fast funky one, with a lot of moves. She's not very good at it, but Gold guides her well, and his friendly jokes, instead of making her feel embarrassed, just make her feel more secure.
It's in the middle of the next dance, which is more like Gold solo-dancing while White just looks on in amusement, that Gold pauses.
"White - let me tell you something crucial."
"What is it?"
"Wait, wait-" He holds up a finger. "Is the stone here?"
White almost laughs at the way his almost comically loud voice has turned into whispers, but his serious face stops her short.
"No, I left Black back with my purse. Why?"
"So it can't hear." Gold scans side-to-side, as if the Light Stone was about to jump out at any moment.
White wishes it would.
"Don't say ANYTHING embarrassing in front of the stone, ok?"
White squints at him.
"Just-" And here Gold blushes for the second time. "Just trust me on this"
She's a little suspicious now.
"Did it happen to you?"
Gold laughs awkwardly, and rubs at his nose. "Nah, no I didn't. I didn't get lonely and go-" He cuts himself off. "Nah." He says, nodding. "Nothing happened."
She arches one eyebrow in doubt. Liar
He sees her expression, and turns to denial.
"I didn't!" He crosses his arms huffily. "And I'm helping you here, missy. For all you know, Black's awake and listening to EVERYTHING! Silver was!"
He gives her wide eyes, and his absolutely vindicated expression sends her into storms of laughter. She muffled it with her hands, but it's clear what she's doing.
He glares at her.
Someone sidled up to Gold, a tall lanky redhead. Silver, it must be. There's no other redhead dexholder that exists.
"Gold's lying." Silver states with a smirk. "There were some very … interesting things he said."
Gold's reaction is immediate, and he shoves his fellow Johto dexholder aside. Silver only smiles lazily at White.
Gold just pushes harder, before giving up and grabbing Silver's hand, dragging him off someplace. Still, Gold manages to shout one last message over his shoulder.
"THIS is WHY you don't talk to the stone!" He points with his free hand at Silver.
"Because the stone sees and hears ALL!"