Chapter Two: This is Lyra Soul. Can You Hear Me?
"Good afternoon, Silver. It's good to see you again." I walk up to the motionless boy and his frozen Typhlosion with a smile, my Meganium trailing behind me with a frown. Unlike the Pokémon of an NPC, a Pokémon owned by a Playable Character is alive, just as their owner is. They can think, feel, see and hear their surroundings, just like partners. And just like my mentor Lance, Meganium doesn't approve of my daily chats with the redhead.
They don't see him like I do.
He doesn't move, as usual. He just stands there, staring off into space in front of him and more tense than a tree. Occasionally he will blink, just to show that his unseeing eyes still require moisture so they don't dry out. However, this is all he ever does on a Saturday.
I stop beside him and cock my head, my eyes staring intently into his namesake eyes with a hungry energy. I can see the slight warmth in them, despite the fact that Silver is still a NPC. Out of all of the NPCs in this world, Silver is by far the closest to being a Playable Character. He has a personality; harsh at first, but later on softening into a kind heart as he tries to become a better person. He can think during our battles; he'll change strategy in the blink of an eye to respond to my own changes in Pokémon. Surely he must be thinking in his mind, somewhere.
I don't believe for a single second that those burning eyes belong to just a robotic body, not even a bit of it.
"So," I slowly reach out my right hand and hold his cold fingers in my hand, silently enjoying the contact. "Still training, right?"
He does nothing, just continues to stare in front of him.
"You know, you did very well in our battle on Monday. You had me cornered there until Glaceon dodged your Aqua Tail." I smile as I recall the triumphant smirk that flashed across his face as my Glaceon struggled to stay on his feet. It would be an understatement to say that I longed to be the one to receive that smile with my whole being. "If it weren't for my evasion bonus in his hailstorm, I wouldn't have made it that time."
Silver blinks, closing his eyes quickly twice before letting them return to their normal width. I try to ignore the pain in my chest as I move his frozen fingers to my own and stroke them gently with my thumb, trying to coax them to move and curl around my own.
"Gani." I feel a light shove in my side as Meganium nudges me, trying to steal my attention away from the boy next to me. I let him pester me for a few minutes before turning around with a frown.
"What is it, Meganium? Is something wrong, boy?"
It is then that I notice the sun's recession from the cavern, the once vibrant light now dying into a deep orange as the signs of evening start to crawl out of the shadows. I draw in a sharp breath, hold it for a few moments and then let it out as a whistle of defeat.
"Drat. It's getting late." I reluctantly release Silver's icy fingers and took a small step towards him. I then lift my gaze to his face and gave him a small smile, trying to keep myself from crying again. "I'd better be getting back home for the night."
Slowly, I bring my face towards his own and give him a small kiss on his pale cheek, ignoring the bolts of ice that now course through my lips in the few heartbeats of contact. I slowly take a step back as my eyes begin to sting.
"Goodnight Silver. Sleep tight, redhead."
I then turn towards my starter, give him a small nod and head for the exit. The tears silently slip down my cheeks as I walk down the docks, silently hoping that he will finally respond to me tomorrow, just as I do every time I leave the Dragon's Den.
Author's Note: As you can tell, this is a bit more dramatic than my usual writings—wait, a lot of my writings are kinda dramatic in one way or another. In case you were wondering, Lyra has been in this cycle with Silver for over a year. In other words, she has some amazing patience...