Hello! Been some time; I had other things that needed doing.

Chapter 10: Kirk, Double Agent

Gold's mom smiled as she watched Lyra and Whitney at play. The two had become great friends in seven days and were quite inseparable. She turned to Mike. "What was Whitney's dad like?"

Mike rubbed his chin in remembrance. "Rather resourceful. He didn't rule with an iron fist, simply because he didn't need to. The sheer amount of people and things in Goldenrod City allowed him to pretty much do anything. He gave Whitney everything she wanted. When he died so young, it was very surprising. Especially because it wasn't from assassination."

Gold's mother looked down on the two little girls again. "Despite hardships, children always seem to manage to pull through."

Mike looked up. "Speaking of, have you heard from Gold?"

Gold's mom frowned. "That whirlwind child of mine… I'll call right now."

Gold woke to the ringing of her phone. It was a nice change from waking to Star. She coughed, then answered. "Yeah?"

It was her mom. "Hey, Gold. How are you, sweetie? We haven't talked in awhile."

Gold winced. "I'm not so good right now. I'm sick."

"What? You're sick? What's wrong?"

Gold sighed. "It's just a small cold, mom. I've got some friends to help me out. I should be better in a few days."

Her mom paused. "Who are these friends of yours?"

Gold gave a short laugh. "Silver and Alice. They've been travelling with me. Don't worry. Alice has a hard time keeping focused and Silver is unable to express himself, but they're good people. I think."

Alice entered through the door carrying a bag. "Gold?"

Gold looked over. "Alright, mom. I'll talk to you later. Love you."

"I love you too. Hope you feel better, sweetie."

Alice sat down on the end of Gold's bed. "So how are you?"

Gold grunted. "Better… I think."

Alice smiled. "Well, it's been three days since we came to Cianwood City. I would hope you're feeling better. I bought some medicine at the pharmacy that should help." She handed Gold a bottle.

Gold stared at it. "What's in this?"

Alice shrugged. "Vitamin D, Vitamin C, a few oils and extracts. All natural, I think."

Gold read the label. "'Take a teaspoon three times daily.' I hope this helps."

Silver woke up. "Eh…? What are you guys doing?"

Gold took the medicine, swallowing it despite the bitter taste. "Not much."

Silver looked at Star, who was sleeping next to Gold's other Pokémon. "How come I got to sleep in? Why didn't he wake me up?"

Gold looked over. "I think he's getting better at this morning thing. Or it could be because you woke up an hour earlier than you normally do."

Silver checked the clock. "So I did." He got up and started his exercises.

Alice checked her plants. "Hmm… another Revive seed is growing. It normally takes a long while to grow all the way. The ones I bred with Kasib berries seem to be a weaker strain and are unable to create seeds of their own… so no more of them. Ooh! More Pecha berries! Delicious."

Gold smiled and nodded, although she wasn't sure what Pecha berries were. "So… Silver? You checked out the Gym yesterday?"

Silver nodded. "I did."

"And?"

Silver looked up. "The Gym Leader's right out in front, although you'll have a hard time getting his attention."

Gold frowned. "What do you mean?"

Silver had a worried look on his face. Gold thought it looked weird, considering she had never seen Silver worried before. "You know what I think about strength? Well… this guy… he's standing underneath a waterfall! He's so strong that the pressure is nothing to him. If I were you, I'd have second thoughts about challenging him."

Gold sighed. Physical strength? That's what it takes for him to be impressed?"Silver, you think he's strong because he's standing underneath a waterfall?"

Silver shook his head. "No, I think he's strong because he has the willpower to meditate without moving underneath hundreds of pounds of water per second! It's not his muscles that are special; it's his drive, his focus. I think that drive might be even stronger than yours, Gold."

Gold blinked. Did Silver just compliment me? "Uh… okay. I have to fight him anyways, though. He's a Gym Leader. It's what I do."

Silver grumbled. "Let's just hope that 'what you do' doesn't kill you."

Alice watched as Gold's aura slowly brightened. He's lucky. The sickness could've been much worse. In fact, I think it should've been. His vitality, though... it's remarkable. He should be up and at 'em tomorrow.

She excused herself and walked outside the building. After checking for other people, she slipped around the building to the back and released her Hypno. "Sorry about all the cloak-and-dagger stuff. It's just… there's not really a good place. They can hear me through the bathroom door…"

Hypno assured her that it was just fine. "Oh, that's good. I need… I need someone to talk to. Really talk to, that is. I… I just… I'm not sure that Gold can keep winning. I'm worried that one of these Gym Leaders will be too much, and it'll all go down the drain. He has a destiny, sure, but… afterward… he's angered some rather powerful people. Can I… protect him? I'm just not sure…"

Gold called Crystal. "Hey, Crys! How you holding up?"

Crystal's voice sounded exhausted. "I'm… holding up, I guess. Any particular reason you called?"

"I just… I wanted to talk to you. That's all."

"Gold… I'm in a bit of a tight spot right now. I'm trying to sneak up on… well, it's a bit difficult to do when someone calls me. Sorry, I just can't talk right now… okay?"

Gold frowned. What was Crystal doing? Taking down Giovanni… but why couldn't she talk right now? "Okay. When can we talk?"

"I'll call you as soon as I can. Talk to you later, Gold." Crystal hung up.

Gold looked at her Pokégear. "What was that all about?"

Alice entered into the room right as Gold said that. "What was what all about?"

Gold looked up. "Oh, my friend Crystal… she's been my friend forever… she said she was busy and hung up unexpectedly. I'm just wondering what she's doing."

Alice blinked. Friend forever? Then is this Crystal… the one with the history with Gold? The childhood friend? How odd. How is it that Crystal knows Gold longest… but Silver is more deeply connected? That doesn't make any sense! Especially with what I know of Silver! I hate foresight!

Silver observed Alice's twitching face carefully from his bed. There's something about her… is she jealous of this Crystal's friendship with Gold? No, I know what jealousy looks like. It's like she's… trying to figure something out. And annoyed.

Silver wasn't one to be expressive, except when it suited his purposes. He knew how feelings shown on the face could be used against someone. However, that didn't mean he did not recognize others' expressions. In fact, he was probably better at it than most. She's always so… secretive. Unlike Gold, who always shows what he's feeling, Alice is trying very hard to hide her true self. Oh, well. It's not that problematic, and it's not like I care that much anyways. I just hope this secret of hers doesn't get us killed.

Silver looked down towards his feet, contemplating his thoughts. Us… I'm thinking of the three of us as a group. I have to be careful… dependence is weakness. It's perfectly okay to travel with them… just don't make it so that I rely on them.

Gold looked back and forth between her two companions. Alice looked agitated and Silver looked contemplative. It's suddenly quiet. Was it something I said?

Black Belt Yoshi sighed as he stared at the Cianwood Gym Leader, his master. "Lao, we need his attention."

Black Belt Lao nodded. "Yep."

Yoshi turned. "We need to tell him about Gold."

Lao nodded again. "Yep."

Yoshi gritted his teeth. "And yet, he's occupied. And he's told us not to stop the waterfall for anything."

"Yep."

Yoshi pounded his powerful fist against the wall. "Gold is coming. If Chuck doesn't want us to wake him up, I say that Gold be the one to get his attention."

"Yep."

Silver paced endlessly back and forth until he could take it no more. "Screw this."

Gold looked over to see him putting on his shoes. "What are you doing?"

Silver gestured at the window. "I'm going out. Don't worry. I'll be back soon. I just need some air."

Alice frowned. "What's with him?"

Gold looked at her. "Uh… as calm as Silver is, it's been three days. I think he's getting restless."

Morty turned from the first member of his new gang. It had taken awhile, but he had managed to possess someone with his ghosts. "And you will…?"

The young man looked at him with empty eyes. "Oppose Falkner, break rules, not get caught."

Morty nodded. "Of course. That was perfect. Now go out there and do it."

The man turned and left. Soon, several others would be joining him in servitude.

Morty sat down, eyes shifting gray as he delved into the shadowy realm of portent. Something happened to Gold that prevents him from fighting Chuck right now. Some kind of illness or injury? But that will be over soon. I need to pay attention to Team Rocket. There's something going on with them. I hope Pryce knows what he's doing.

Silver halted in front of a house. What is this?

The house looked nearly the same as the other houses: wood and stone with solar panels on the roof. But inside, there was a crashing noise.

Silver snuck forwards slowly, holding his breath as he opened the well-oiled door.

Inside, a man with blonde hair was on the ground, being held in place by two Machoke. A man in a martial arts uniform stood over him, as well as a man in a snappy suit, who had a baseball bat.

The man with the bat growled. "Double agent traitor. Chuck and Pryce ain't always on the best of terms, but they both still agree on this: double agents are bad."

Silver pulled out his Croconaw. Two men of both groups: Chuck and Pryce. Beating the stuffing out of some guy who tried to play both? Then they fear him for what he could do. If two men fear one man who is unable to fight, then they are weaker. Conclusion: they are completely pathetic and must be taken out.

Silver stopped walking forwards as the man with the bat pulled out a small device. "This is called a ball-bomb. It is an incendiary explosive that fits into a Pokéball with a Pokémon or is attached to a flat surface. Depending how you make it, it can explode based on motion, a timer, or several other things… and then it's burn, baby, burn. Machoke, tie him up."

This is bad. Really bad. I need to defeat them now, while I can let that man escape. "Croconaw, Water Gun!"

The man with the black belt stumbled backwards, flailing around in an oddly inelegant manner, considering he was a 'Black Belt.' He ran into a Machoke, who effortlessly broke his spine in annoyance.

The other man turned around quickly. "Who are you?"

Silver made no sound and showed no expression. He had gone cold.

The man smiled and raised the ball-bomb. "Fine then." He pressed a button and prepared to throw it.

He certainly would've succeeded in doing so if Croconaw hadn't used Ice Fang.

Instead, he dropped it next to the injured man. The Machoke tried to close in on Silver, but his Magnemite paralyzed them with a Thunder Wave.

Silver walked to the blonde man. "Are you okay?"

The man shook his head. "No time… the bomb is on a timer."

Silver glanced at it. It stated that there were twenty seconds left. "So there is. Let's get you out."

The blonde man shook his head. "My legs are broken from the bat. I'd slow you down. You need to get out."

Silver calculated that this man had no chance. He couldn't pull him out in time. "I'm sorry," he stated with little actual feeling.

The man pulled out a Pokéball. "Just get my Pokémon out."

Silver blinked, then grabbed the ball. "What's your name?" The worst fate Silver could think of was dying without anyone knowing your name.

"Kirk. Go!"

Silver left, and the house was engulfed in flames a few seconds later. Apparently a ball-bomb has a similar effect to a Molotov Cocktail, his mind reported to him.

He looked down at the Pokéball, troubled. Why would he go to the trouble to save his Pokémon? It's not like they're special…

He sent it out. It was a Sneasel, which reconfirmed that this was no special Pokémon. Why would he care so much that this was his dying wish?

He started walking back to the house Gold and Alice were at, disturbed by the idea he could not grasp.

Alice flinched as she felt another aura get extinguished. Gold sat up slightly. "Uh… are you alright, Alice?"

Alice shook her head, but offered no explanation.

Minutes later, Silver walked in, wearing a troubled expression. He reshaped his expression until it was his default one, but Gold and Alice had both seen already.

Gold hesitated. "Silver? Are you okay?"

Alice held up a finger. "Leave him alone, Gold."

Silver paused, then turned to the blue-haired girl. Does she know? How could she? She was nowhere near. The people who were looked away, refusing to be witnesses.

Gold paused and turned as well. "What? What's going on?"

Alice gave Gold a small look, then Silver.

Silver blinked in surprise. She gave Gold a look so he wouldn't think anything of the look she gave me. Her look clearly said she knew something bad happened. She's so secretive… I don't know how she saw, but I want to know. This might get us killed.

Alice examined Silver's aura. He's having a crisis of a sort; something shook him to his foundations. And the other auras… it's connected. I must keep watching him. He's changing, and I'm not sure in what way.

Gold shrugged. "Fine then. I trust the two of you. If you don't want me to know… I won't push."

Silver and Alice looked at her, back at each other, and then turned away.

Poor Kirk. Always wondered why Silver stole his Sneasel in the games…

Not a long chapter. Oh well.