Crobat landed on the outskirts of New Bark town, and Silver immediately returned the tired Pokemon to its ball before heading in the direction of Gold's house. He passed by Professor Elm's lab and paused only for a moment, staring on at the door and trying to prepare himself for what he was going to do, once he returned Gold's pokegear. He'd made a lot of difficult decisions in his life, but this decision was among the hardest. Prying his feet up from the ground, he glanced up at the sun, just barely peeking up over the horizon, before continuing on.
He made it to Gold's door and knocked five times. He heard footsteps approaching and reached into his pocket to retrieve the pokegear. The door opened, and a person he didn't expect to see was staring back at him. She was short, no more than 5'2", and had the same yellow eyes as Gold. The second thing he noticed about her was the red scarf on her head, covering up what was obviously baldness. Her body was thin, and her skin withered, which told him all that he needed to know.
She smiled warmly at him, something he was not used to, before saying, "Hello. What can I do for you, dear?"
He snapped back to attention and fished the pokegear out of his pocket. "H-Hi. Sorry to bother you, ma'am, but Gold dropped this. I was just bringing it back."
She smiled again. "Oh, you're not bothering me. It was kind of you to bring it back. Would you like to-"
"Silver?"
Gold's voice yanked Silver's attention away from the woman in front of him, and he peered past her. Gold stood a few feet behind her, his hair damp and a beige towel hanging around his neck. He wore a pair of baggy black pants and a blue t-shirt, obviously sleeping clothes.
The woman turned to Gold and said, "Gold, honey. One of your friends stopped by to return your Pokegear. Apparently you dropped it."
Gold approached the door, and gently nudged past her before saying, "Thanks, Mom. I got it. You go sit down."
The woman smiled again, waved at Silver, and moved away from the door. Gold then stepped through it, into the chilly evening air, and closed it behind him. Silver took the opportunity to hold out the Pokegear to him, which Gold promptly took.
Gold slid the object in his pants pocket and said, "Thanks, but you seriously flew all the way out to New Bark Town just to bring this back?"
Silver scoffed and crossed his arms, "Don't flatter yourself. I was coming here anyway, so I figured I'd just give it back."
He saw the look of confusion on Gold's face. The younger man was obviously thinking, "The Silver I know never would have done this." As annoyed as the thought made Silver, he couldn't blame Gold for that reaction. Silver's reputation was his own doing, after all.
A silence followed Silver's statement, so he decided to break it by inquiring, "Cancer?"
Gold shoved his hands in his pocket and his shoulders tensed. He was obviously not expecting the question, but still, he answered, "Yeah. Brain tumor."
Silver felt the change in his expression before he was able to stop it. He hadn't wanted Gold to know he was pitying him. His pity was probably the last thing Gold wanted, but it was too late now. So he simply responded, "I'm sorry."
The same confused expression flashed across Gold's features, and it made Silver's chest sting. A few years ago it wouldn't have, but Silver was now in the precarious situation of regretting his past actions, which was why that confused look bothered him so much. He wasn't about to burden Gold by telling him, though, so he remained silent.
Gold turned back toward the door and said, "Yeah, whatever. I'm heading back inside. I'll see you around."
It was obvious by Gold's tone that he was just trying to be polite. He didn't actually have any desire to see Silver around, so Silver simply nodded and said, "Sure. See ya."
Once the door clicked closed behind Gold, Silver turned and his eyes fell, once again, on the door to Professor Elm's lab. His hand reached down to one of the Pokeballs on his belt and he made himself take the first steps, dreading carrying out the decision he'd made, but knowing it was necessary.
Gold leaned his back against the door in time for his mother to ask, "Who was that, honey?"
She was sitting in her recliner, right next to the living room window, playing one of the many games on her laptop. Gold peeled his back off of the door and sat to her right on the couch. He leaned his head back to stare at the ceiling and answered, "Silver. We've...met a few times."
That was the kindest way he could think of to tell his mother about his and Silver's acquaintanceship. The last thing he wanted was to be burdening her with the details about the year-long vendetta Silver had against him, or the dozens of battles they'd gotten into as a result.
His mother looked away from her laptop and said, "Oh yeah. You called him "Silver" when you came to the door. Is he the same one who...?"
He knew what she was referring to and answered, "Stole the Totodile from Professor Elm? Yeah. He-"
His words were halted when he looked past his mother and out of the living room window. He saw the very subject of their conversation heading in the direction of Professor Elm's lab. His mind jumped immediately to the worst case scenario, and every hair on his body stood on end as he lept up from the couch and bolted toward the door. His mother called after him, but he decided he would explain everything when he came back home.
By the time Gold opened the front door and stepped outside, Silver was out of sight, meaning he'd either already gone inside or he was sneaking around back like he had last time. Keeping as quiet as possible, Gold moved to the back of Professor Elm's lab and toward the window Silver had crawled in through when he'd taken the Totodile. To his surprise, he saw nothing, which meant Silver had gone in the front door. Now that was weird. What reason could Silver have for visiting Professor Elm?
"Professor Elm?" came a familiar voice from beyond the open window.
Silver? He really was inside. Though Gold knew eavesdropping was wrong, he was far too curious now. He had to know what Silver was doing there, so he kept his head down and listened.
"Yes?" Professor Elm answered, "How may I-"
His voice cut off abruptly, and Gold could only guess it was because he recognized Silver as the boy who'd taken his Totodile. Gold's heart pounded a little faster as he waited for Professor Elm to threaten to call the police if Silver didn't leave. He didn't hear that, however. Instead he heard Silver say, "I came to give this back."
There was a pause after that, and during that pause, Gold's eyes widened. "Give this back?" Was Silver talking about the Pokemon he'd stolen? Did he really come to New Bark Town with the intention of giving back what he'd taken?
Professor Elm's voice finally echoed through the room, "Young man, is that the Pokemon you took six years ago?"
Silver gave no verbal reply, but Gold assumed he nodded or gave some other affirmative gesture as Professor Elm said, "Show it to me, if you wouldn't mind."
Gold heard the familiar sound of a pokeball opening and after a couple of seconds, he heard the familiar growl and cry of Silver's Feraligatr. At that point, Gold's curiosity got the better of him, and he dared to finally poke his head up just far enough so he could see in with one of his eyes.
The Feraligatr stood before Professor Elm and the old man crossed his arms before asking, "Feraligatr? Do you remember me?
The large Pokemon stared on at Professor Elm for several seconds, but Gold saw the eventual recognition come over its face. It released a soft cry and smiled happily before nudging its head against the side of Professor Elm's. The Professor responded by gently patting Feraligatr's head right before the Pokemon pulled away and stood beside Silver.
Professor Elm slid his hands into his coat pockets and asked, "So, Feraligatr, would you like to come back here and live with me?"
Gold saw the horror fall instantly over the Pokemon's face. It turned its head back and forth frantically between Professor Elm and Silver before its worried gaze rested on its trainer. Silver looked back at Feraligatr and said, "You know I stole you, Feraligatr. You've always known that. It's why you hated me at first, and I don't blame you."
Gold's chest stung when he saw tears begin to form in the eyes of the hugely powerful Pokemon, the one he'd fought against more times than he could count. Never had he seen the creature appear so fragile and afraid, even when it was only a baby. It shook its head and repeated the action it had made toward Professor Elm, nudging its head against Silver's. Only this time, it released a low pitched, pitiful whine that cut through Gold like a knife.
Gold had known Silver for years, and as long as he'd known him, the redhead had treated his Pokemon poorly, forcing them to battle, all the while berating them for not being strong enough. Yet Feraligatr, the Pokemon that had dealt with Silver's coldness the longest, truly did not want to leave him. In fact, the very thought was reducing the poor Pokemon to anxiety-induced tears.
Silver raised his hand and ran it gently down Feraligatr's neck, and Gold was then doubly shocked to see red patches painting Silver's cheeks and a misty glaze appear over his eyes. Gold's heart pounded harder and his fists clenched tightly. What had happened to Silver over the past five years? He looked almost the same, had the same snarky attitude, but apart from that, he was nothing like the man Gold had come to know. The man Gold remembered would never have shed tears at the prospect of one of his Pokemon leaving him, and yet here he was, doing that very thing.
The silence that followed was deafening, but, thankfully, Professor Elm broke it by saying, "Young man, it shows great character that you came back to return Feraligatr to me. However, it is obvious to me that you have treated it well, and-"
"No," Silver interrupted before his eyes fell, dejected, to the floor, "I haven't. Not always."
Professor Elm paused briefly before he took a few steps closer and turned to look at Feraligatr, "Well, then Feraligatr's reaction proves that you learned from that mistake. It does not want to leave you, and I would never dream of taking a Pokemon away from the trainer it loves and who loves it back. Continue to treat Feraligatr with the same kindness and I will consider the debt paid."
Professor Elm's reaction did not surprise Gold in the slightest. As long as he'd known the Professor, the old man had always shown an unrivaled compassion toward Pokemon and their trainers. Silver's reaction, though, did surprise him. The redhead actually smiled, something Gold had never seen him do before, and he turned to Feraligatr. The Pokemon's eyes lit up and it threw its massive arms around Silver, pulling the much smaller man into a bear hug.
It was at that point that Gold decided he'd intruded into Silver's business more than enough, so he ducked away from the window and moved silently back toward his house. When he walked inside, he found his mother sitting in her recliner with an annoyed look on her face and her arms crossed.
Before she was able to scold him, he said, "Sorry, mom. I had to check on something."
Her eyebrows ran slightly together, "You thought that young man was off to steal another Pokemon, didn't you?"
He wasn't going to bother to deny it because there was no point. He'd never been a good liar, and even if he was, he knew his mother would see through it with no trouble. So he simply nodded and took a seat on the couch.
She gave him a stern look and said, "I know I didn't raise you to be judgemental, young man."
He felt his cheeks heat up at her words and his eyes hit the floor. "You're right, Mom. I'm sorry."
She turned her attention back to her laptop before saying, "I'm not the one who needs an apology, Gold."
The heat in his cheeks grew more intense and his shoulders tensed. Of course he knew she was right. He was going to have to apologize to Silver for eavesdropping, but right then, another fact was far more prominent in his mind.
He leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees before saying, "He's completely different than I remember him. Hell, I barely recognize him now."
His mother grinned and didn't take her eyes off of her laptop screen when she answered, "Did it never occur to you that something might have changed over the past five years? People do change, dear."
It hadn't occurred to him, and the thought left a bad taste in his mouth. He remembered his own words, probably just as well as Silver did.
You're not as bad as you think you are.
He'd been the one to tell Silver that, but his first instinct when he saw Silver again was to assume the worst of him. How hypocritical of him to not only conveniently forget his own words, but also disregard their message completely. He made the decision in that moment that he would apologize to Silver the next time he saw him. If the redhead was truly changed for the better, he owed him that much.
A loud booming sound echoing through the night air pulled Gold out of whatever dream he'd been having. He glanced over at the clock. 3:00 am. After helping his mother up the stairs to her room, he'd stayed awake watching re-runs of his favorite TV shows and he knew he'd fallen asleep around midnight.
What could possibly be going on so late at night to be causing such a ruckus? He sat up and listened, wondering if he was going to hear the sound again. It took several seconds, but he heard it again, only this time, it sent a chill through his body. He knew that sound. He'd heard it several times when dealing with Team Rocket. It was a gunshot.
He lept out of his bed and bolted to the hallway, where he found his mother standing at her bedroom door. Their eyes met, and she said, "Did you hear that?"
He nodded. "I'm gonna go see what's going on."
She followed close behind him, "All right."
Moving as quietly as he could, he approached the living room window and peeked out, searching for any signs of movement. At first, he saw nothing, but then he heard what sounded like a pained grunt. He followed the sound and had to stifle a gasp when he saw Silver struggling against three men who were attempting to drag him toward an old warehouse that had been sitting, unused, in the town for decades. It was dark, but he could just barely make out red Rs on the sleeves of the men dragging Silver.
His teeth ground together and he immediately dove toward the couch, reaching under it for what he knew was there. His mother had since come down the stairs and was standing only a few feet away. Gold wrapped his fingers around the cool handle of a shotgun and pulled it out from under the couch. He opened it to make sure it was loaded, and dashed to the kitchen to dig an ammo box out of one of the cabinets.
"Gold!?" his mother said, "What's going on!? What are you doing!?"
He placed several shells in the pockets of his pants and answered, "Stay here and call the police, Mom. I just saw three Rockets drag Silver off into that old warehouse. I have to help him."
He could see from the look in her eyes that she wanted to argue with him, but she also knew it was pointless. So she placed a hand on his, and said, "Please be careful, dear."
He threw her a quick grin before rushing out of the front door, making sure to lock it behind him. Risking his life to save Silver. This was not how he'd pictured his night going.
Well, Silver was in one hell of a mess now.
When the Rockets had first stopped him outside of his hotel room, he knew there was going to be trouble. He'd hoped by grabbing one of their guns that he could turn the tides, but he only managed to get off two shots into the ground before they wrestled him to the ground and took the gun right back. Now here he was, being dragged, handcuffed, into a warehouse.
Once inside, two of the Rockets brought him over to a metal hook hanging from the ceiling. They raised his arms and placed the chain of the handcuffs inside the hook, preventing him from moving very far. As a secondary measure, however, they bound his feet together at the ankles with a short length of rope. Once they seemed to be satisfied, the two of them backed off, and the third Rocket approached.
He grinned and Silver recognized his blue eyes and dark hair right before he said, "I told you we'd be the last friendly Rockets you saw. You should have listened."
Silver was in no mood to deal with the obnoxious man, so he smirked right before spitting directly into the man's left eye. The man flinched and released an angry snarl. He covered his left eye with one hand while he used the other one to throw a punch into Silver's cheek. Silver made no sound, not wanting to give the man the satisfaction.
While the man was clearing out his eye, he sneered, "You stupid brat! Do you have absolutely no comprehension of the situation you're in!?"
Silver rolled his eyes. "Of course I do. Besides me, the only person who has the information you want is my dad, and if you were able to get your slimy hands on him, you wouldn't have bothered with me. That means I'm your only hope, which also means that you can't kill me."
The rocket's eyebrows ran together, and Silver couldn't help but be amused at the man's expense. The three thugs had clearly underestimated their target. Typical arrogance, the same arrogance that led to his father's downfall. The rocket turned his back and held his hand out to one of his associates. The largest of the three men reached into a pack he had hanging from his shoulder and drew out something that made Silver's eyes widen: a black blowtorch.
The blue-eyed rocket signaled to the other two and said, "Cut his shirt off."