A/N: This is the final point-of-view character for this story. I didn't want to overwhelm anyone with having too many characters narrating, so I settled on only four. They are all integral to the plot in some way, shape, or form, so please don't discredit any of them. Though, I am curious to know who is the most interesting to read. Lance, I know, did not have much action in his chapter. He was unfortunately stuck with the exposition, but, next chapter, I can assure you there will be something major…
The start of this chapter takes place at about the same time, maybe a little before the end of the last chapter.
To anon: Since you are a guest, this is truly the only way I can answer your question/concern. This story is part adventure and part mystery. Meaning, things will be left up in the air until they are revealed gradually as the story progresses. I could explain to you when or where Red and Leaf would appear but that would be spoiling. This is all I can truly say. If you would like to discuss more, I would be happy to talk through PM, you would just have to create an account, which is fairly simple.
Without further ado, I present the next chaper.
Totodile was a useless pokémon.
Silver glared at the ridiculous creature in front of him, beyond irritated with its performance. He had half a mind to kick it, really. But, that would be counterintuitive at most. He needed the stupid thing, whether he liked it or not. How else was he going to catch stronger pokémon? Or get to Goldenrod unscathed? He needed something to protect him on his travels. If his pokémon hated him, there would be no way it would listen to him. And Silver did not want to have to deal with that.
Even still, Silver found his new pokémon to be incredibly and terribly weak. It only knew two moves: leer and scratch. Not even fucking water gun. The thing was useless.
I should have gone for the chikorita or the cyndaquil, he thought.
Around him, the citizens of Cherrygrove City were hustling and bustling despite the setting sun on the horizon. Perhaps they cared not for the time of day. The gradually darkening sky was alive with various shades of orange, painted in indigo, streaked with yellow. There was a flurry of activity that almost seemed unnatural, especially for the evening. Merchants and vendors and other scum littered the streets, hollering something that was undiscernible to Silver. Men and women on their daily market spree crowded around the various stalls, examining what the sellers had to offer.
Silver's stomach growled as he looked on. He was hungry, seeing as though he had not had a proper meal in quite some time. His mouth began to water.
Turning to his totodile, he sneered, and asked, "Will you be able to manage this simple task?"
Totodile nodded quickly, its eyes locked up on its new master, eager to attend to his wishes.
"Good," Silver said. Pointing over at an older woman selling bread and other baked goods, he added, "See that old bitch? I want you to create a diversion somewhere near her, to draw her away. I do not care what you do, use scratch or leer or something. It does not matter. I just need something to distract her while I get us some food. Do you understand?"
Totodile nodded again, gazing out at the baker woman its master was indicating to.
"What the fuck are you waiting for?" Silver snapped, after Totodile did not move. "Go!"
On his word, the totodile scampered off, crawling under stalls and avoiding as many people it could manage. Silver watched his pokémon for a while before marching forward himself. Keeping a casual demeanor, he glanced over at some of what the vendors were putting forth, attempting to appear interested. He kept his hand on his pocket, as if to look like he had money at his disposal.
From the corner of his eye, Silver saw Totodile nearing the baker woman. He grinned, moving closer to his destination as well. When he finally reached the old bitch's stall, he inhaled deeply, the smell causing him to begin salivating again.
The woman regarded him, as he was just standing there. A lone thirteen-year old boy. Least to say, he must have looked suspicious.
"Whatcha doin', boy?" she drawled with a heavy Johto intonation.
Silver sneered in disgust as her Johto accent scarped against his eardrums like small daggers cutting into skin. It was true that Cherrygrove City was the second town to be encountered if taking the road out of Kanto, but with that in mind, one would believe their accents would be as muted as the one found in New Bark Town. There, they had a blended form of the two regions. It was not the most pleasant thing to listen to, but it was tolerable. But here, in Cherrygrove City, the common cadence was arguably the worst thing Silver had ever heard. Granted, he was only speaking to plain folk, but still. There was yet another thing Silver had to hate about Johto.
"I am merely looking," he said.
"Where're yer parents, boy?"
"Not here."
"You shouldn't be out 'ere then," she said. "It's dangerous fer little boys to be out by themselves, 'specially after dark."
Silver bristled at her words. He was not a little boy. He may be small, but he was not a little boy.
In the corner of Silver's eyes, he noticed his totodile was watching an old frail man lead a tauros-drawn cart forward. The old man and the tauros where steadily approaching, through the crowd, near the stall and the baker woman. They did not seem to see Totodile, and Silver smirked, knowing exactly what it was about to do.
Smoothing his features, he leaned toward the fat woman, pressing his palm down on a loaf of bread. She took notice of the action, and scowled, unsure of what to make of it.
"I am looking to buy some bread, you old bitch," he said, curling his fingers around the loaf. It was not warm, but it would do. "If you cannot provide that for me, then I will be on my way."
The woman's eyebrows skyrocketed, and she lunged forward, hoping to seize Silver by the collar of his tunic. But, just as she did, a loud bellow was heard, and suddenly, people were crying out in surprise.
Something had startled the tauros, who was now bucking, trying to shake off the cart that was tied to it. The frail old man was attempting to soothe his pokémon, but it was a fruitless effort. Once a tauros became frightened, it would be on an inconsolable rampage until it tired out, or until it was returned. The latter did not seem like it would happen, as the old man would have to first detach the cart from his pokémon to return it to its pokéball.
The men and women around the bovine pokémon were backing away, steering clear of the tauros in fear of being struck. It was kicking its hooves into the air, bellowing and grunting loudly.
The baker woman had turned her attention to see what was happening, giving Silver an opportunity to slip away. He swiped the loaf of bread off of the stall counter, and stuffed it under his tunic, breaking out into a run. He was an agile and quick boy. Slipping in and out, weaving back and forth, it was easy for him to make his way as far from the old crone as possible. Before long, he was on the other side of the marketplace, far from the baker's stall. It looked like he would be making a clean getaway.
That was until he heard a loud and thunderous voice echo throughout the market, forcing him to skid to an abrupt stop.
"Whose totodile is this?"
"Fuck," he muttered.
Silver turned his head back to where he saw a man with a protruding belly holding Totodile up in the air for all to see. His fingers were pinched around the nape of Totodile's neck, and he was eyeing the crowd with a stern expression, daring someone to step up and claim their pokémon.
Silver had half a mind to abandon the water-type. It looked pathetic up there, dangling from the man's fingers, not even trying to fight back.
Scowling, Silver tried to make eye contact with his totodile. If it struggled loose, he would not have to cause a scene in trying to retrieve it. Otherwise, he would be forced to take action.
Even still, Silver seriously considered turning around and leaving. He had his bread, and he had a diversion. If he left now, no one would be after him. Sure, his work in acquiring Totodile would have been in vain; breaking into that skinny farmer's house was not particularly difficult, but spending much of the day hiding out and waiting for the perfect opportunity to snag one of his pokémon had been lengthy, and dull.
He would just have to find another pokémon. It wouldn't even be hard. The people of Johto were bumbling idiots. Peasants, farmers, yokels. Silver knew for a fact he was the most intelligent person in the entirety of Cherrygrove City. All he would have to do would be to seek out a pokémon worth snagging, and he would be golden. Breaking in, taking the pokémon, he did not have to worry much about that. Locks were easy to pick. Windows were easy to break through.
Stealing another pokémon would be so simple.
Only, Silver knew that if he did go forth in stealing a new pokémon, he would be set back even further than he already was. He already had Roketto-Dan agents on his ass, chasing him down to the ends of the earth. The reason why was beyond Silver, but he figured it had something to do with his father. That's all it ever was. His father.
If he hung around any longer than absolutely necessary, searching for a new pokémon, the distance he had hoped to create between him and the Rockets would close. They would find him instantaneously.
He could not afford to lose any more time.
Silver exhaled heavily through his nostrils, and slipped his way back into the mass of people surrounding Totodile and the man with the protruding belly.
"Whose totodile is this?" the man asked again, shaking the water-type once to emphasize his point.
Totodile was completely submissive in the man's grasp. Its eyes were downcast, and it showed no hint of irritation in being held so roughly. Silver grinded his teeth together, thoroughly annoyed. For about the millionth time, he regretted his decision in choosing the water-type over the other two. Of course he ended up stealing the weak, submissive pokémon. Of course he did.
Glancing about the crowd, Silver searched for a possible distraction. He needed to figure out a way to retrieve his pokémon without attracting too much attention. He could not pull the same trick twice. The frail old man's tauros had since calmed down, and was being lead from the market. There would no longer be any rampaging pokémon to garner the crowd's attention.
Silver swept his dark eyes around him, scanning for an opening. He could go for a more direct approach, and snatch Totodile out of the man's hand. He would have to hightail it, but Silver was positive he could outrun the yokel if he so much as tried to chase after him.
"Hey!"
A large hand clamped down on Silver's shoulder, spinning him sharply. Immediately, he went on the defensive. With a sneer on his face, teeth bared, and fists balled up, ready to strike, Silver prepared himself for a fight. He did not like being touched. And, he did not like physical contact, especially of belligerent nature. A fight was about to break out if whoever had grabbed Silver did not let go.
"You didn't pay fer that!"
It was the baker woman.
Fuck, Silver thought.
He tried to shake the bitch off, but her grip was tight, iron-like. Her fingers dug into his shoulder, and he winced slightly, wondering where all of that strength came from. Her nails felt like daggers. Small, tiny daggers. Silver squirmed in her grasp.
The baker woman noticed Silver was cradling something under his tunic, and shoved her hand up, fingers reaching for the stolen loaf of bread.
"Don't fucking touch me!" Silver shouted. "Let go of me, bitch!"
The baker woman stilled her motions, and stared down at him, a dark look on her face. Around them, people began to gawk and whisper.
It was an incriminating sight. The old woman had her hand up a young boy's shirt, and he was screaming for her to stop touching him. Small wonder the townspeople began eyeing the scene before them with suspicion and disgust.
"What's going on over 'ere?" the man with the protruding belly asked as he approached. His hand was still clenched around Totodile, whose eyes lit up at the sight of its master. "What're you doing, Osmati?"
"This boy's a thief," Osmati said as she yanked the loaf of bread from out underneath Silver's tunic. "He was tryin' to steal from me."
The man with the protruding belly eyed the loaf for a second, and then he turned his stern expression on Silver. "A thief, huh?"
Silver glared up at the man looming in front of him. He would not back down. He would not relent. Whoever the man was, or thought he was, Silver was not going to bow down to him. He would not admit to anything.
Sliding his eyes over to where Totodile hung, Silver made sure to keep his facial expression neutral. He was not going to allow any hint of recognition slip onto his face. He was already in a tight spot. He did not need to pin himself down even further by giving indication that he knew the totodile who had caused such a large commotion only minutes prior.
The man with the protruding belly leaned close to Silver, so that their eyes were level, and asked, "You know what happens when you're caught stealing, don't cha?"
Silver continued to glare at the man, and then struggled a bit under Osmati's iron grip. She had not let go of his shoulder, and her talon-like nails were digging even deeper into his skin.
"He asked you a question, boy," Osmati growled, jerking Silver slightly.
"No," he spat. "I don't know."
The man raised one of his eyebrows, but looked otherwise unimpressed. "Flagellation," he said. "Do you know what that means?"
Silver internally rolled his eyes. If the man was meaning to scare him, he had to try a lot harder. He already knew what happened to petty thieves. His entire existence up until three years ago had revolved around theft, and other illicit activities. His father had attempted to groom him into that lifestyle, despite Silver's severe disinterest, and general discontentment with the whole business. But, even as he had complained, and actively sought to reject the ideals of his father and the Roketto-Dan, Silver learned much about what went on in the underworld of Kanto-Johto. He also was familiar with what happened to those in the Roketto-Dan who were caught. Flagellation was not the worst of punishments. There were much more unpleasant things than being flogged in the middle of a town's square.
Even still, Silver had no desire to be beaten senseless.
Eyeing Totodile, the water-type's neck still clutched tightly in the man's hand, and then becoming aware of the pokéball clipped to his belt, Silver slowly crept his fingers towards it, and said, "No."
"It means yer gonna be whipped," Osmati told him. "Thieves get whipped. And, yer gonna―!"
Silver pulled his elbow back sharply and slammed it into the baker woman's belly with as much force as he could muster, causing her to grunt in pain. She relinquished her grip on his shoulder in favor of clutching her stomach, giving Silver the opportunity to move freely. With his hand around his pokéball, he recalled Totodile, and offered the man with the protruding belly a smirk before ripping the loaf of bread out of Osmati's hands and dashing off.
As he ran, slipping in between the townsfolk, Silver could hear shouts rising somewhere behind him. He did not need to turn around to see that he was being chased.
Through the mass of people, Silver moved as quickly and as agilely as possible. He had not meant to cause a commotion. The whole ordeal was supposed to be a grab-and-go. Totodile was supposed to divert the baker woman's attention, and he was supposed to snatch some bread. Getting caught, that had not been a part of the plan. Silver made a note for next time to go in with a bit more caution. He had not foreseen any complications arising from his plan initially. However, he had failed to factor in Totodile, and the possibility of it being discovered and caught.
The distance Silver made from him and the angry mob approaching from behind was relatively substantial. Though, he knew if he continued through the marketplace, he would eventually be met with a dead end, or the Cherrygrove City watch. It was very likely the fat man alerted them, and, therefore, Silver knew he could not continue that way. As he hurried along, he caught sight of a skinny alleyway. It was partially blocked off by a stall, but Silver found it as the only viable option for his escape.
Turning, Silver rushed over to the alleyway's entrance, and squeezed past the stall. The vendor was busy attending to a customer, so there were no looks of confusion thrown his way.
As he stepped into the alley, Silver had to turn his body sideways to slip through. It was a tight fit, but he was thin enough. Shimmying through the two closely-set buildings took time, but Silver had the patience. His pursuers would not think to follow him through here. He was in the clear.
Once he emerged through the other side, Silver gazed around him, checking to see if anyone was near. For the most part, the cobblestoned streets were empty. There were a few people here and there, milling about, but, aside from them, Silver was alone.
He breathed a sigh of relief, and straightened his clothes out before continuing.
Stuffing Totodile's pokéball into his pocket, Silver yawned, and then brought the loaf of bread he had stolen up to his face for assessment. If it was not warm before, it was now. The loaf had been gripped tight in his hand as he fled from the market. No doubt it was also partially damp from the clamminess of his palm. But, he could hardly complain. The entire loaf was still intact, and in relatively good shape. For stolen food, the bread was better than anything Silver could have asked for.
Silver tore a sizable portion of the bread off, and stuffed it into his pocket. He then began nibbling on the remaining piece, hoping it would be enough to satisfy his hunger for the time being.
The sun was lower in the sky now, and the darkness of the night was slowly beginning to stretch over the city. Despite it being summer, Silver tugged his haori closer to his body for warmth. There was a slight breeze in the air, but it felt much colder than that to Silver.
Walking along, he eventually found himself at a harbor. As he stepped onto the dock, he saw that there were a few boats tied down to the pier. Waves were rolling in from the west, crashing onto the shore and splashing water onto the marina.
Silver gazed out, watching as the sun began to dip on the horizon. The lanterns that lined the streets, and hung from the surrounding buildings, were shining brightly now as the daylight faded.
"Do these boats go out to Goldenrod?" he wondered.
"Not normally."
Silver startled, and whipped around to see a man was staring back at him. He wore a wide smile, despite his lack of front teeth, and had a tanned face. In his hands, he held a bucket. Silver could not see what was inside of it, but he could only guess it had something to do with fishing. The toothless man looked to be a fisherman. Perhaps the bucket held bait.
"Not normally," Silver repeated. "What does that mean?"
The toothless man shrugged. "It means what it means," he said. "These boats are fer fishing. We don't normally go out too far. Only to about the waters near Azalea. And, even then, we don't get too close to there. They ain't got a dock."
"You said they don't normally go out to Goldenrod," Silver pointed out. "Are you suggesting that they might?"
The fisherman shrugged again, and said, "Depends. What fer?"
"I am trying to head over there as quickly as possible," Silver explained.
"The road outta Cherrygrove City leads to Violet," the fisherman said. "From there, if you go west, and then south, you can find yer way to Goldenrod."
"I know that," Silver snapped. He then paused, thinking better of his tone, and said, in a much gentler voice, "I just don't want to have to walk all that way. It would be most ideal to travel by sea, if it can be helped."
And, the Rockets wouldn't think to look for me out at sea, he thought.
"Where're you from, boy?" the fisherman asked, his eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion. "You don't sound like yer from around 'ere."
Bristling, Silver worked to contain himself. He was not about to willingly lend out information as to who he was or where he was from. However, Silver knew that if he remained standoffish toward the fisherman, any chances he had in being granted passage onto his boat would be gone. The man seemed mildly interested in what Silver was saying. The words 'not normally' offered him a beacon of hope. 'Not normally' meant the fisherman was at least considering the idea of boating over to Goldenrod. And, Silver needed to get to Goldenrod. He needed to.
"Kanto," Silver told him. "I'm from Kanto."
"Kanto?" the fisherman asked, mildly surprised. He then nodded, and said, "Yep, I can definitely hear some Kanto in you."
Silver was almost certain the man was not complimenting him, but he thanked him anyway. He was not used to being polite, but, if he learned anything from his father, it was to at least be kind to people. Just, not in the normal sense.
Kindness was a weapon to be wielded. A tool much like everything else.
Kindness lowered people's defenses. It buttered them up. It made them less suspicious and more trusting. It was through being nice and kind and heartfelt that a person could draw out favors from others.
His father knew of the ways a person could be easily manipulated. Telling them what they wanted to hear, offering them compliments and praise, but only enough so that they're hooked, it was the one thing Silver could admit he listened to him about.
And, it was about to be put to work.
"So," Silver began. "Do you know of anyone who would be willing to boat out to Goldenrod?"
The fisherman laughed suddenly, and it was the most irritating of things. With his mouth wide open, and his toothless grin out for display, the fisherman's laughter rang out from the harbor, echoing through the empty streets. Silver, along with being slightly miffed, was also confused. He did not find what he had asked to be remotely funny. Even so, he offered the man a polite, thin-lipped smile as he waited for him to stop.
"Do I?" the fisherman asked, still chuckling. "'Course not. No one in their right mind would boat out that far. At least not from Cherrygrove City."
Silver narrowed his eyes, thoroughly fed up with the conversation, and turned on his heel to leave.
"Wait a moment, Kanto!" the fisherman called.
Silver threw the man a look over his shoulder, and gazed back at him. "What?"
"No one in their right mind would boat out to Goldenrod," he said again. "That's too far a journey fer anyone. However, boatin' over to Azalea, that's somethin' I can do. At least fer you."
"Azalea?" Silver asked, turning to face the man again. "I thought you said they don't have a port over there."
"They don't, but I could get close to the shore. The city-state's a little ways inland," the fisherman told him. "You'd have to walk quite a bit, but it shouldn't be a problem."
Silver considered the man's offer for a moment. It was not the most ideal thing, heading over to Azalea, but it was better than nothing. He did not want to have to walk all the way to Goldenrod. He had been traveling on foot since he left Viridian about a few weeks ago. The Rockets have been chasing him ever since. If taking a boat over to Azalea was the only option available, then Silver would gladly accept the fisherman's offer. Losing the Rockets to the sea, that would put less strain on him.
"Yeah, okay," Silver said.
"Really?" the fisherman sounded surprised.
Silver nodded. "It's better than nothing."
"All right, then," he said. "I won't bother askin' you 'bout why you need to get over to Goldenrod, but, if you're serious 'bout comin' along, I'm boatin' out tomorrow mornin'."
"I'll be here."
"Bright and early," the fisherman said with a smile. "I'll see you then, Kanto."
"My name's not Kanto," Silver said, frowning.
"I know," the fisherman said, mirth shining in his eyes. "I never asked you fer yer name."
There was no moonlight shining in from the hole in the roof, so Silver found himself sitting cross-legged in complete darkness.
As his eyes worked to adjust, Silver sighed heavily, a shaky breath escaping his chapped lips. They had found him, the townsfolk. After he had left the harbor, he had prowled through the streets as quietly and as inconspicuously as possible. He did not think the people from the market would still be out looking for him, but, when he had turned a corner―a wrong one at that―he was spotted, and then pursued. He got away, obviously, but it was not as easy to lose his chasers as it was the first time. There had been hardly any people out, and so Silver could not have used their bodies as blockades or obstacles in his escape.
He had had to climb up onto a rooftop to evade them, which had not been particularly difficult; he was used to scaling roofs and buildings, but doing it in the dark, where he could not see, proved to be easier said than done.
Now, Silver found sanctuary in the attic of a house that fortunately had a hole in its roof. The hole was not gapingly large, but, with enough shimmying and squeezing, Silver had slipped in as lithely as a persian.
When his eyes finally adjusted to the pitch blackness of the attic, Silver reached for the pokéball clipped to his belt, and released it.
Emerging in a white ray of light, Totodile began clamoring in gratitude and excitement over being released.
Silver pocketed the pokéball, and scowled at the water-type, hoping it could see his facial expression in the dark. It was a predator, so he did not think it would have any trouble in seeing him.
"Shut up," he hissed, his voice low. "There are people sleeping down there. You have to be quiet."
Totodile stopped the little dance it was doing before Silver, and gazed up at him subserviently.
Silver rolled his eyes, and said, "I don't know why you are so happy. I nearly got fucking whipped today because of you."
The totodile stared down at its feet in shame, causing Silver to roll his eyes again. The pokémon was so submissive that it was actually getting beyond pathetic.
"Next time," he began, sharply. "I'm going to leave you there. You had one fucking job. One. And, you fucked it up."
The bipedal water-type's eyes still remained fixed on its feet as it let its master's words wash over it.
As Silver continued to glare at his pokémon, he noticed that its small body was shaking and trembling, wracked with sobs. Silver begrudgingly realized that Totodile was crying.
Groaning, Silver lied down on his back against the dusty floorboards, and put his arm over his eyes. He did not want to see it cry. If he watched it any further, he knew his temper would get the better of him, and he would end up doing something he would later regret, like yell at it, which would, again, be counterintuitive. Not only would it probably cause Totodile to start crying more, but it would also alert the occupants of the house to go up to the attic to see what was making all that racket.
"Crying is for the weak, Silver," his father had told him after he had been caught sobbing once. "Swallow your tears unless you wish to be perceived as feeble. Only cowards weep, for they have much to be shameful about."
Despite what he had said, Silver had continued to cry, resulting in his father's disapproving look, and abrupt departure from his side. Furthermore, Silver was left to his own devices for the next two weeks; his father refused to speak to him, to engage him in any form of contact or conversation. It was not until Silver learned he had been wrong to weep that he was granted some attention from his father.
It was a tough lesson to learn, but he got it all the same.
Silver had only been seven.
"Crying is for the weak," he heard himself say.
Totodile was not sobbing loudly, but even from where Silver was lying, he could hear it was whimpering. The sound alone was forlorn enough for Silver to think better of disciplining his pokémon. Yes, it had made a mistake. It had gotten caught. But, at the moment, Silver was fine. He did not have deep lashes cut into his back, or he was not locked in the stocks. Granted, it had been through his cunning that he had managed to get himself out of the predicament in the first place. However, in the end, he did have the bread. And, that was all because of what Totodile had done initially when it had frightened that tauros.
Sighing heavily, Silver dug his free hand into his pocket, and brought out the portion of bread he had stowed away earlier. Then, he sat up and offered it to his pokémon.
"Take this," he said.
Totodile gazed up at its master for a moment, unsure of what to make of his sudden change of tone. When Silver shook the bread once in his hand impatiently, however, the water-type inched its way forward, taking the piece into its hands.
Silver lowered himself back to the floor, and turned on his back, so he was facing away from his totodile.
As Silver stared off at the wall, the sound of soft chewing reaching his ears from behind him, his mind began to wander, and he moved his hand toward the inner pocket of his haori. There, he dipped his fingers inside until he found what he was looking for. A folded up piece of parchment. A letter.
Tugging the letter out, Silver did not unfold it. Rather, he held it tight in his hand, and pulled it close to his chest, closing his eyes.
He did not need to open the letter to know what it said. He knew exactly what it said. He knew exactly what the handwriting looked like. Who it was written by. Who it was addressed to. He had spent the last few weeks looking it over and over and over again. Reading and rereading it. He memorized every line. Not because he had to, but because he wanted to.
Silver hugged the letter, thinking of what waited for him in Goldenrod.
His mother.
The woman who had given him up. Not because she did not want him, but because she could no longer care for him.
She had raised him by herself, with partial help from her ailing father. But, according to the words written on the piece of parchment that was clutched to Silver's chest, his mother could not care for them both. She had a duty to her father. And, Silver still had Giovanni. So, she had sent him back to Viridian to be raised.
For much of his life, Silver had wondered who his mother was. He did not remember his mother, but, if he thought hard enough, he could vaguely recall feeling some sort of comfort, some sort of belonging in the earlier months of his existence. When he pictured his mother, he imagined her with a bright, kind smile. A pretty face and gentle eyes.
After his father fled three years ago, Silver knew he could also no longer remain in Viridian Castle. The imperial court had order the city watch to search and seize any and all personnel found inside. Silver had fled from his home, too. On his way out, he had happened to run into Lord Samejima.
"Father!" he had shouted. "You're running away? You said you were the strongest in the whole world! And now, you're just going to give up?"
"It's over," his father had growled. "I've lost. It is only a matter of time before the imperial court finds me."
"So, you're just going to abandon the Rockets?" Silver had demanded. "You're going to abandon those people? All of those people who pledged their loyalty to you?"
"You cannot move forward if you are unable to accept defeat," Lord Giovanni had told him. "I know when I am beaten. The future of the Roketto-Dan, it is nonexistent for the time being. The imperial court will arrest and hang every Rocket they find. It is an inevitability. And, I can do nothing but save myself."
"You preached about loyalty and strength in numbers!" Silver had shouted. "What changed?"
"It is true I said those things," his father had agreed. "In time, those ideals will come to pass. However, I must be alone now in order for me to create an even stronger organization."
"That does not even make any sense!" Silver had cried.
"Gathering a large number of people to work together will create a great source of strength," his father had explained. "The imperial court is cracking down on any and all Roketto-Dan personnel. All bases, all hideouts are being infiltrated even as we speak."
"You're letting them die!"
"The weak will die," Lord Giovanni had corrected. "They will be weeded out. They will be the ones who give in to their torturers. The strong, the intelligent, they will be the ones who escape. They will be the ones who will survive. The revived Roketto-Dan will be stronger for it."
"I don't understand!" Silver had cried. "I don't understand what you're saying!"
"One day you will."
"I don't want to understand!" Silver had shouted. "I don't want to be anything like you! You think you're all high and mighty but you're weak! You're a coward! I will never be like you!"
That was the last time he ever saw his father.
From then on, Silver had lived his life on the run. He hung around Kanto for a long while, moving from city-state to city-state when it suited him. Then, a few weeks ago, Silver had decided to return to Viridian, to see if the castle was still abandoned.
He had snuck inside, and found the place as empty as it had been when he left. Furniture had been overturned, but, for the most part, everything was unchanged.
That was when he found the letter.
Silver figured the city watch, and those who had been sent by the imperial court, had scoured the entirety of the castle for anything that may lead them to Lord Giovanni. Only, Silver was positive they found nothing. His father had a secret room, accessible through the library of all places. The room had been left untouched, surprisingly, and so Silver had no problem entering through the secret passageway. His father's hidden room contained only one thing: a desk. But, it had been in this desk that Silver found the letter his mother had sent to his father.
And, that was how he ended up where he was today. Entering into Johto, trying to get to Goldenrod, running from the Rockets who had somehow managed to spot him while he had been in Viridian Castle.
Silver had been running for weeks, but he knew in the end, it would all be worth it.
His mother did not know he was coming. She did not even know he knew she existed. But, he knew, he just knew that once she saw him, she was be overjoyed. She would be happy. So happy to see her son. Silver was older now. He could care for himself. She would not have to worry.
Soon, Silver felt himself beginning to drift off. The letter in his hand was still clutched tightly to his chest, as the thoughts and promises of seeing his mother began to overtake him.
His mother.
She was waiting for him in Goldenrod.
"Soon," he whispered. "I will find you soon."
Silver woke up just before the dawn.
His back was aching, and there was a thin layer of dust that clung to the back of his clothes. Sleeping on the floor was not the most ideal of places, but it was better than nothing. He had a roof over his head. Literally.
As Silver stood, and stretched his neck and back, a cacophony of sharp pops coming from his joints assaulted his ears.
Over by the wall, Silver spotted his totodile still sleeping. It was curled up in a small ball, its tail wound tight around itself. He did not bother to wake it up, and, instead, returned it to its pokéball. It could continue to sleep in there. And, Totodile would be more useful tucked away than out in the open. Silver could conjure up about a million different ways the bipedal pokémon could potentially screw up his morning plans.
Stepping up onto a small ledge, and then hoisting his body upwards, Silver worked to pull himself out through the hole in the roof. His arms were thin, and he knew he looked scrawny, but he had some strength. He could hoist himself up.
Now on the roof, Silver stood and watched over the entirety of Cherrygrove City. From where he was, positioned above it all, Silver strangely felt powerful. It was as if he was looking over a kingdom. His kingdom. All those who were traversing the streets so early this morning were like his subjects. Up on the roof, where no one could touch him, he felt limitless.
Silver gazed at the sun as it started to slowly rise in the east. Then, he turned his attention on the harbor. It was not too far from where he was. The walk over to the shore would be short. Shorter if he ran.
The toothless fisherman had told him to come bright and early. And, it was rather early. Silver hoped the man was up already. Otherwise, if he made his way over to the docks, and found he was not there waiting for him, he would be forced to stand out in the open for all to see. Standing in one place for too long, all vulnerable, was not something Silver liked to do. It gave anyone who was pursuing him the opportunity to close in. Not only was he trying to evade the Roketto-Dan, but he was also trying to avoid being spotted by the townsfolk. No doubt the Cherrygrove City watch was looking for him.
Silver worried more about the townspeople finding him than he did for the Rockets.
At least for the Roketto-Dan, he would be able to see them coming. Most of their traveling was done by air-balloon. If they appeared anywhere in the sky, Silver would at least know to run.
The townsfolk, on the other hand, could come out from anywhere.
Silver decided he would stick to the rooftops for as long as he could.
Swiftly, Silver broke into a run, his eyes locked on the house nearest to him. As he neared the edge of the roof he was currently on, he threw his body forward, leaping through the air, and landing as softly as he could muster on the neighboring house's roof.
The sound his feet made when he hit the roof tiles was loud, but not so much that it would cause anyone to turn and look in his direction.
He sighed, and then started off for the next roof.
Agilely and lithely, Silver leapt from rooftop to rooftop. For the most part, Cherrygrove City was still dead. There were people milling about in the cobblestoned streets below, but not enough for Silver to worry about. Chances were those people were just vendors heading off to the market to set up their stalls.
Soon enough, Silver was close to the harbor.
The fresh smell of the sea and salt was oddly satisfying to Silver. There was a reminiscent aroma that wafted through the air, carried by the early summer morning breeze. Silver had not spent much time in Johto, and, he had not ever really gone to see the sea, but, he could only assume what he was being reminded of was the smell of the ocean near Goldenrod. It had to be.
Carefully, Silver lowered himself down from the rooftop he was currently standing on. He would have to walk the rest of the way to the harbor, as there were no buildings close enough to the docks for him to jump up on to.
As he made his way forward, Silver heard the distinct sound of a pokémon barking somewhere in the distance. It made him frown, for there was a familiarity to the barking he could not quite place. Even still, he continued walking toward the harbor.
As he did, however, he noticed that the barking seemed to be getting louder and more near. He froze suddenly.
It's a growlithe, he thought.
It had to be.
In his experience with the many city watches he had encountered in his lifetime, Silver knew that they at least owned one or two growlithe. Sometimes even an arcanine.
If the barking he heard belonged to a growlithe, he would have to get away as soon as possible.
Silver turned on his heel, only to be met with the image of a houndour. It was barking away like there was no tomorrow, and Silver narrowed his eyes, unsure of what to make of it. It was not a growlithe. But, even still, his guard was raised.
And, it had every right to be.
Just then, three people started running toward him. Of the three, Silver recognized two of them. The girl and one of the boys.
It's those fuckers from the woods, he thought.
Silver thought about running, but the houndour before him had its teeth bared, and he feared he would be bitten if he so much as attempted to run. Instead, Silver braced himself for their arrival, his hand at his belt, fingers curled around Totodile's pokéball.
A boy, one he did not recognize, came to a stop in front of him first. He was quicker than the other two, and Silver wondered if he should even refer to him as a boy. He looked to be a young man, and much of his face was shielded by one of those stupid rice farmer's hats.
Behind him, the girl and the boy from the woods outside of New Bark Town appeared. They were more out of breath than the older boy.
"Sundance," the girl said, gasping. "Heel."
Instantly, the houndour obeyed. Sundance, as Silver figured it was called, backed away slowly from Silver, but still kept a watchful eye over him, in case he did something it did not like, like try to flee.
Silver glared at the three youths in front of him, his whole body rigid and on edge as he readied himself for an attack.
The girl turned then to the boy from the woods, and said, "Ethan, it's him."
Ethan nodded, and said, "I know." Then, addressing Silver, he said, "We know you were the one who stole Elm's totodile. We're here to get it back, so, if you would, hand us the pokéball."
"Yeah, no," Silver said. "That's not going to happen."
Ethan eyed his companions, as if looking for some sort of confirmation. "Fine," he told him. "We'll battle for it. If I win, you give me Totodile's pokéball. If I lose, then you can go free. Sounds fair enough, right?"
"Ethan!" the girl cried. "What are you doing?"
"Relax, Kris," he assured her. "I got this."
Silver narrowed his eyes. The boy obviously did not know what he was getting himself into. Though, there was something oddly confident in the way Ethan spoke that Silver did not like. If the kid thought he was strong, he had another thing coming. Similarly, Silver wondered if the boy thought he would not dare to accept the challenge.
"No, you don't," Kris said, frowning. "Ethan, I don't think it's a good idea to battle for Totodile."
"But, it is," Ethan argued. "Pokémon battles are how all disputes are settled."
Kris shook her head. "You might be right about that," she began. "But, this is not one of those times. Let Raiden get it."
Raiden, the boy with the rice hat, looked on with mild interest. His eyes drifted back and forth between his two companions, until he finally said, "It's Ethan's fight. It's his quest. If he wants to battle, then let him battle."
"You're not helping," Kris told Raiden, her voice sharp.
Silver rolled his eyes, and then unclipped the pokéball from his belt. He tossed it up into the air once and caught it, making sure the three youths were watching him closely.
"I accept your battle," Silver finally said. "But, you're not going to stand a chance against me."
Silver released Totodile, sending the water-type out before him, and pocketed the pokéball.
Ethan gritted his teeth, but, other than that, he did not seem too fazed by Silver's insult. The black-haired youth reached into his pack and pulled out a pokéball of his own. Then, he flung it forward.
"Cyndaquil!" he shouted as the small fire-type landed in front of him.
In the corner of his eye, Silver saw Kris and Raiden step back so they were out of the way. The houndour of theirs too inched backwards to give both Silver and Ethan room.
Smirking, Silver turned his attention to Ethan and his cyndaquil. "Got that from Elm, huh?" he asked. "That pokémon's too good for a wimp like you."
Ethan ignored him again. "We fight until one of the pokémon faint," he said. "Or, until one of us concedes."
Silver waved him off, and said, "Enough talk." He focused his eyes on Totodile, and said, "Quick, use scratch!"
On Silver's word, Totodile sprinted forward toward Cyndaquil with its arm drawn back and its claws out. In one swift move, Silver's totodile swiped at the cyndaquil, knocking the fire-type to the ground.
Cyndaquil took the hit directly, but managed to scramble back to its feet, seemingly unscathed.
"Cyndaquil," Ethan called. "Are you all right?"
Cyndaquil nodded once, and took its battle stance once more.
"Okay," he said. "Hurry, use tackle!"
"Leer!" Silver shouted.
As Ethan's cyndaquil came running forward, ready to tackle the bipedal water-type to the ground, Silver's totodile spread its arms out wide, growling lowly and fiercely. Cyndaquil skidded to a sudden halt, gazing up at Totodile, its tiny eyes widening in fear.
"Use scratch again, Totodile," Silver said.
Totodile leapt into the air toward Cyndaquil, its claws out once more, and slashed the fiery rodent across the face.
Cyndaquil tumbled backwards, eliciting a shout of concern and displeasure from its black-haired master.
Silver smirked. His pokémon had yet to take a hit. There was no way he would lose this battle.
"Ethan!" Kris cried from the sidelines. "What are you doing? You're going to lose Totodile!"
Ethan swiveled his head in the blue-haired girl's direction, his grey eyes full of worry. "I don't know," he admitted. "I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know what to do."
"You could concede," Silver suggested, smugly.
Ethan frowned deeply, and said, "No. I am not going to let you keep Totodile. You stole it. It doesn't belong to you."
Silver narrowed his eyes, and flicked his wrist dismissively. "Totodile, use scratch one more time on that cyndaquil. It's time to finish this."
"Cyndaquil, get out of the way!" Ethan cried.
As the bipedal water-type came rushing forward will full force, Ethan's cyndaquil scrambled out of the way just in the nick of time.
Totodile, even though its attack had missed, did not look any bit frustrated. Silver, on the other hand, was not as nonchalant about it. With a deep scowl cut into his face, Silver grinded his teeth together. The battle had gone on for far too long. He needed to end it right here, right now. The fisherman had told him to meet him bright and early. He was wasting precious time battling this farmer boy from New Bark Town.
"Ethan," Raiden said, harshly. "You need to be quicker when giving Cyndaquil an order."
"I'm sorry," the black-haired boy said, dishearteningly.
"Don't be sorry," Raiden said, scowling. "Focus on the battle."
"Totodile, use scratch again!" Silver ordered.
Totodile, as compliant as ever, darted once more toward Cyndaquil. The fire-type was a slow pokémon, and Silver knew that if he continued to bombard it with attack after attack, it would soon fall.
"Ethan!" Kris cried. "Do something!"
Ethan looked like he was panicking, like he was overwhelmed. His grey eyes were wide in fear as he gazed at his helpless pokémon, unable to form a command to save it.
He's weak, Silver thought. He knows nothing about pokémon. This battle was a waste of time.
Totodile was closing in on Cyndaquil, and Silver dug into his pocket for its pokéball, ready to return it once it knocked Ethan's pokémon out for good.
"Tell Cyndaquil to use tackle," Raiden said, quickly, his voice loud and firm. "Now."
"What?" Ethan asked.
"Do it, now," the older boy nearly shouted.
"Cyndaquil, use tackle!" Ethan said.
Right as Totodile appeared in front of Cyndaquil, its arm raised for another scratch attack, the bipedal fire-type pokémon slammed its small body forward with as much force as it could muster and tackled its attacker to the ground.
Silver snapped his head in the direction of Ethan's companions, his eyes flashing in irritation.
"What the fuck was that?" he shouted. "You can't help him!"
Raiden ignored him, much to Silver's annoyance. Instead, he was staring intensely at Ethan and his cyndaquil.
"Your pokémon is relaxed in nature," he explained. "It's high in defense, so it can take a hit. But, it's not very fast. Don't bother telling it to dodge when you can order it to attack; that'll waste too much time."
Ethan nodded.
"How do you know what type of nature Cyndaquil is?" Kris asked.
Raiden folded his arm over his chest, and said, "It's obvious from watching it battle. Low on speed, but high in defense. Those are the characteristics of a pokémon with a relaxed nature."
Silver rolled his eyes. Who the fuck was this guy telling people about a pokémon's nature?
"Totodile, use leer," Silver said.
"Leer lowers a pokémon's defense," Raiden explained, spontaneously.
"What should I do?" Ethan asked.
"Use tackle again," Raiden said. "But, this time, don't have Cyndaquil look directly into Totodile's eyes. Otherwise, it will be frozen in place again."
"Hear that Cyndaquil?" Ethan asked his pokémon. "Use tackle, but don't look at Totodile."
While Silver's totodile positioned itself to administer another leer attack, Cyndaquil barreled forward, its small eyes squeezed tight. Then, it made direct contact with Totodile, knocking it back a few paces.
"Use tac―" Raiden began.
Only, he was cut off when Ethan said, "Tackle, again."
Without giving Silver another second to react, Cyndaquil had slammed into his pokémon with unexpected strength.
This time, Totodile landed on its behind, and started clamoring for Silver to do something. Silver grinded his teeth together, and growled lowly.
"Enough of this child's play," he sneered. "Totodile, use scratch."
"Tackle, once more!" Ethan said, just as quick. "And, this time, give it all you got!"
The two pokémon rushed at each other, their respective attacks ready to be unleashed on the other. When they clashed, Silver noticed Ethan physically cringe. It was a painful sight, as their pokémon had collided into each other head on, but Silver knew that was something to be expected when battling pokémon. They got hurt. It was an inevitability.
Both of the pokémon had taken the other's hit, but it was now a question of which one suffered the most damage. With bated breath, Silver watched closely for the result of the collision. Either his pokémon was going to emerge unscathed, or Ethan's. There was no doubt about it. The battle was over.
Just then, Totodile staggered backwards from Cyndaquil, whose head was spinning in a daze.
Silver smirked at the sight. He won. He beat Ethan.
But, just as Silver was about to erupt in joy over his victory, Totodile teetered on its feet for a few seconds before crashing to the ground in a heavy heap.
"Fuck," he muttered.
Over on the other side of the street, Ethan's face was alive in shock and disbelief. His mouth hung open like a magikarp, and he was frozen in place, his eyes blinking again and again as if he could not believe what he was seeing.
Kris, on the other hand, was not as flabbergasted. She was jumping for joy, sprinting toward Ethan and tackling him into a hug. Sundance the houndour followed closely behind its master, and started barking, seemingly happy itself.
Raiden took his time coming over to congratulate Ethan, who attempted to gather the older boy into a hug once he saw him. The gesture did not seem to bode well with Raiden, who stepped away from Ethan before he could so much as put his arms around him.
It was here that Silver recalled Totodile, clutching its pokéball tightly in his hand.
Ethan turned then to face him, coughing to steady his voice and to regain his composure. He returned his cyndaquil, and then held out his hand toward Silver expectantly.
"I'll be taking Totodile now," he said.
Silver frowned, and gave the boy a saddened expression, as if departing from the stolen pokémon pained him. He, too, stretched it arm forward, offering Ethan Totodile's pokéball.
"You beat me," he said, dejectedly. "Are you happy you won?"
Ethan started forward toward him, his arm still outstretched for the pokéball. The black-haired boy shrugged, and said, "It was a good battle."
He came to a stop in front of Silver, eyeing Totodile's pokéball fixedly. Silver then made to drop it into the boy's hand. Only, right as he did, he curled his fingers around the ball quickly, turning his hand into a fist, and swung upward, punching Ethan square in the chin.
The boy staggered backwards, hissing in pain, and startled gasps escaped the mouths of the two youths behind him. Silver sneered, and shoved Totodile's pokéball into his pocket before taking off in the direction of the harbor. He was so close. He just needed to get there quick. That houndour would be after him in no time.
Silver sprinted ahead, the sound of impending barks reaching his ears. He scanned the docks quickly for the fisherman, hoping to find him before he was mauled to death by the dark-type pokémon.
He spotted the toothless man barely casting out on his boat at the far end of the dock.
"Kanto!" he shouted, waving when he saw him.
The barks behind him were getting closer and closer, and Silver could practically feel Sundance's teeth gnawing on his ankles. Even so, Silver pushed forward, running as fast as his legs could carry him. He would have to jump. The toothless fisherman's boat was drifting further and further away. Silver would have to leap for it.
He prepared himself just as he approached the end of the dock. The fisherman, with his tanned face, had his eyes wide in shock, as if he did not believe Silver was actually considering jumping for it.
Well, he was, and he did.
Slamming his foot down as close as he could to the end of the dock, Silver flung his body through the air, leaning forward to lengthen the distance of his jump until he crash landed in the toothless fisherman's boat.
Feeling safe, Silver pushed himself to his feet. It was here that he saw Sundance leaping off of the dock after him. A brave pokémon. But, it was unfortunately very stupid.
When it got close, Silver, with his hand clenched in a fist, struck the beast in the snout, knocking it into the sea, where it began yapping and howling, its paws splashing around it as it treaded water in an attempt to stay afloat.
Back on the harbor, Silver saw Ethan and his companions running up. Kris cried out in displeasure, calling for Sundance to come back, and to get out of the water.
"You're going to have to go in and get it, Kris," Silver heard Raiden say. "It's part fire-type. It does not like the water. It barely knows how to swim."
"Stop!" Ethan called, addressing the fisherman. "Mister, you have to stop!"
The toothless fisherman was watching all of this unfold, confusion clear on his face. "What's he goin' on 'bout? Those friends of yers, Kanto?" he asked.
Silver turned his back to the harbor and settled down on one of the boat's benches. Ethan was still shouting for the man to stop, but it was clear that the fisherman had no intention of doing so. At least without a valid reason to.
"No," he said. "We need to get as far away from them as possible."
"Why's that?"
"They're bullies and thieves," Silver explained, pulling out Totodile's pokéball and showing it to the man. "They stole my pokémon."
"Did they?" the fisherman sounded astonished.
Silver nodded, and threw a glance over his shoulder at Ethan and his friends. He was further away from them and the dock at Cherrygrove City now. The boat was drifting off, carried by the waves westward.
"I only managed to get it back, but they've been chasing me for it," he said. "Them and that houndour."
The fisherman gazed back at the marina, eyeing the three youths still standing on the dock, waving and calling for him to stop.
"Is that why you wanna get over to Goldenrod as soon as possible?" he asked.
"Yes," Silver lied. "I'm trying to lose them."
The toothless fisherman nodded, and turned his attention back to steering his boat.
"I didn't think you were gonna show this mornin', Kanto," he said. "But, it's good to see you here. Prepare yerself, we gotta long journey ahead of us."
Silver nodded once in agreement, and then turned around to face the dock that was slowly shrinking in the distance. He could still pick out three distinct figures standing there, still waving. Their shouts were soon lost to the sea.
Softly to himself, Silver smirked.