All at once the memories rushed to the surface. All the memories that Kris shared with Silver, starting with the day she met the fiery-haired boy.
xXx
Kris was on her way to Professor Elm's lab when she saw him. A strange boy was peering into the large side window of the laboratory, his presence hidden from sight from most of the town as he stood in the shadow of the building. In fact, the only reason she noticed him in the first place was because of his hair, which was a deep shade of crimson and fell to his shoulders.
She hadn't realised she had been staring at him until he moved, shifting his weight onto one foot as he continued to stare into the window. Kris snapped out of her trance, shaking her head. She shouldn't just stand there, staring. If she was that interested in him, she should just go over and talk to him.
For some reason, the thought made her extremely nervous. He didn't look too friendly, and besides, she didn't know anything about him. Still, she summoned all her courage and, planting a smile on her face, began walking towards the boy.
As she began to near him, he didn't seem to notice her. Kris was about to call a greeting when she heard him speak.
"… So this is the famous Elm Pokémon Lab…" he muttered to himself quietly, his gaze still fixed intently on the lab. He realised she was there, then, and turned towards her suddenly, a scowl on his face.
Kris swallowed nervously, but maintained her smile. She wanted to say something, but she couldn't get the words out. All she could do was stare at him. At his pale face, framed by that fiery hair, and his black eyes that were so deep she felt as though she were being sucked into them.
By the time she found her voice, he was already speaking again.
"...What are you staring at?" he snapped, and before she could react he'd reached out and shoved her away roughly, causing her to almost lose her balance. She caught herself just in time, though, and put her hands on her hips, glaring at him.
"Hey, what was that for?!" she shouted, but he'd turned back to the window and was now ignoring her. She grumbled. "Fine," she muttered angrily, turning and stalking toward the lab doors. She didn't know who he was or why he was there, but she didn't care any more. And with that thought, it hit her.
For the first time since she had seen him, it occurred to her to wonder why he was looking through that window in the first place. She thought for a moment, then dismissed it with a shake of her head that sent her azure -blue hair flying. She didn't care, she told herself firmly, then pulled open the door to Elm's lab.
xXx
Later that day, after receiving an urgent call from Professor Elm about the stolen Pokémon, somehow the strange redhead from earlier didn't cross her mind. Even when he was standing right in front of her on the path leading from Cherrygrove City to New Bark Town, she didn't think for one moment that he might be responsible for the Pokémon theft back at the lab.
When he saw her, they just looked at each other for a moment before he spoke. "… You got a Pokémon at the Lab," he stated simply, before continuing. "What a waste. That's a Pokémon that's too good for a wimp like you."
For a moment, Kris's mind didn't register what he had said. She was too surprised that he had actually talked to her. Then, when she realised what he'd told her, her anger flared up.
"I'm not a wimp!" she shouted, shooting him a glare. "What's your problem, anyway?!"
He just stood there, taking in her folded arms and furious expression with that cold, unreadable look of his.
"… Don't you get what I'm saying?"
Kris's angry scowl changed to a look of confusion.
"Huh?"
"Well, I too have a good Pokémon." No...that couldn't mean…? Seeming to read her mind, he spoke again.
"I'll show you what I mean!" He raised a single Poké Ball and released a Pokémon. Kris gasped as she identified it as the stolen Pokémon from the lab. She had to battle him and get that Pokémon back!
"Okay, then," she said firmly, looking him in the eye. "Let's battle."
xXx
After the battle, the boy was the one who was glaring.
"…Humph! Are you happy you won?" he asked harshly, his expression bitter. Kris faced him squarely.
"Give me back the Pokémon you stole from Professor Elm," she told him, ignoring his question. "You shouldn't steal Pokémon…"
He stayed silent for a moment, just staring at her. After a long pause, he spoke up. He didn't bother to answer her question, either.
"...My name's Silver. I'm going to be the world's greatest Pokémon trainer."
With that, he pushed past her, leaving her to stare after him blankly as he walked away.
xXx
From that day onward, she and Silver were rivals. She saw him often, and each time he would challenge her to a battle. He always lost, though. His Pokémon were powerful, but they lacked the love of their Trainer - instead he was always cruelly pushing them to become stronger instead of working together with them. He just didn't realise that what makes a Trainer truly strong is not how powerful his or her Pokémon are, but the bond that they share together.
And so, each time they battled, Silver lost to her. But that meant that he would come back to challenge her again. And though his cruel and obnoxious attitude angered her, she welcomed his challenges. They were a chance to see him again, and that made her happy. Not that she understood why.
Eventually, as their journeys continued onward, Silver came closer and closer to understanding how to be a strong Trainer. By the end they'd been through a lot together, and finally it seemed like her words had reached him. He began to change, little by little. He started treating his Pokémon better, although his attitude toward her remained the same. And that's what led to that day.
All these memories flooded through her mind as she watched the very same boy walk away into the night, just as he had that day in Cherrygrove City - the day she'd first met the strange boy who had, despite herself, become so important in her life.
They'd battled again...and he'd lost again, of course. But even though he was slowly but surely becoming a better Trainer, and a better person, he was still the same to her as always. Always so cold and uncaring. And it hurt, a lot.
That's what he'd been like that day, too. All he'd cared about was the battle. After that was over and done with, he'd stated his intentions of defeating her and becoming the Champion as usual before turning away and leaving. Was that all she was to him? Not a friend, as he was to her, but merely a tool used to improve his battling techniques?
It made her sad and angry to think about it. Though he didn't know it, Silver had become so important to her. She didn't know how or why it had happened, but she couldn't imagine life without him. And to think that she didn't mean anything to him...she just couldn't stand it!
So that was why, as Kris stared intently after Silver's retreating figure, she found herself calling after him.
"Wait! Silver!" Her voice was pained, but it had an edge of anger to it. Silver stopped, then turned around slowly to face her as she ran to catch up to him. His expression was unreadable.
"What?" He studied her carefully, one brow raised.
Before, she would have been too nervous under that intense gaze of his to say what she wanted to. Now, though, she was too emotional to care.
"I don't understand…" She took a few steps, closing the distance between them. "We've been through so much together...and you've changed so much…" She looked him in the eye. "Why are you still so cold to me?" Her gaze dropped to the ground, her hair falling in front of her face. "I thought...we were friends."
Silence. Then….
"...You consider me your friend?" Kris was too shocked at this point to be upset any more.
"Of course I do! Why wouldn't I?" She looked up at him again, searching his face. She still couldn't make sense of his expression. She gasped when he suddenly grasped her shoulders roughly, staring into her eyes with that intense gaze of his. She swallowed nervously.
"Well, it doesn't matter how you see me. You're not my friend." Her eyes widened in surprise.
"What…?" She was too stunned at the harshness of his words to be able to form a coherent sentence. She tensed in his firm grip and tried to break free from it, but he wouldn't let her.
"You mean a lot more to me than that." Before she knew it she was in his arms, her face pressed into his chest. After overcoming her initial shock she relaxed against him, and if he weren't holding her so firmly she would have wrapped her own arms around him.
She was still shocked, though. She didn't think she meant much, if anything, to him….and then he said that.
The thought warmed her heart as his body warmed hers. She hadn't expected him to say something like that! And she certainly hadn't expected his sudden act of affection. She didn't mind, though. She'd been wanting him to hold her this way for a long time - she realised that now.
As though in response to her thoughts, he loosened his grip slightly and moved back a little so that her face was no longer hidden by his chest. He looked at her again, and his dark eyes had a look in them that she had never seen before.
"I love you, Kris," Silver whispered, before lowering his lips to hers.
If Kris had been shocked before, then she didn't have a word to describe what she felt now. He was kissing her. He was really, truly, actually kissing her. Silver, her rival, who, only minutes ago, she had thought didn't care for her at all. Silver, the cold-hearted boy with the fiery hair who always seemed so distant and incapable of affection. Silver, the one who, as she realised in that moment of passion, she was in love with.
Now that her arms were free she wrapped them around him, holding him closer as she closed her eyes, melting into his kiss. His lips were soft and cool and there was a certain forcefulness to the way he kissed her, but that didn't bother her. She couldn't get enough of the feeling, and she was kissing him with the same amount of passion.
They broke apart minutes later. Kris was panting for breath and she could hear Silver's deep breaths beside her. Her lips tingled from the kiss, and her mind was reeling.
"I'll be back for a rematch," Silver said simply, his voice having regained its usual tone. By the time Kris realised what he'd said he was already gone, and she was alone. She took a deep breath and stared into the darkness in the direction he had gone and closed her eyes.
"Silver…" she whispered, feeling more confused and overwhelmingly happy than she ever had in her life. "I love you, too."
Staring up into the night sky, Kris felt so lucky to have met Silver that day.
Well, this is the first time I've written for a game-based pairing. I'd like to get some opinions on this, so please review if you liked it!