Hey, everybody! Akira here once again! Decided to whip out another chapter this weekend, since this next week is gonna be busy. Hopefully, I can work on the next chapter soon, that's where some of the real action gets geared up. Yay!
*throws confetti* Guys, we broke thirty reviews with the last chapter! You guys are awesome, and I love ya for it. ^^
Speaking of reviews, thanks are in order! Doggiefan, Sparks101, .xX, AikoAkahana, and Rakahn: you guys are awesome and thanks for your encouragement! Nothing encourages me more than a simple review. And also, Fang appreciates the donates cream puffs and the blueberry scones! He loves his baked goods. ;D
I do NOT own the characters of HG and SS. Derp.
Again, as always, read, enjoy, and review!
(~)
"Phew, it's nice to be on level ground again," Lyra sighed, stretching her back. The trip towards Blackthorn had been mostly uphill, with ledges to scale, no less. But aside from the occasional slip, the rest of the journey had gone without incident. And there was considerably less amounts of tension between the sixteen-year-old girl and her redheaded companion.
Not that it meant that Silver wasn't tense. Quite the opposite, actually. He still kept thinking about the strange encounter with Absol. It only became more ominous when he heard the mechanical voice of Lyra's Pokedex when he asked her about it later.
"Hey, it looks like Blackthorn is just ahead, Silver!" Lyra exclaimed, throwing one arm out dramatically to point at a few rooftops visible in a small valley up ahead.
"Good. Let's keep moving," he said with a sigh. Over the past few hours since their rest stop, he'd been surreptitiously, but warily, keeping watch. His eyes had been drawn like a magnet towards anything that had moved while they had trekked up the route. He had almost jumped when he nearly convinced himself he saw something, but it turned out to be a Spearow perched in one of the sparse trees.
"You doing alright, Silver? You don't look so good," Lyra observed, her voice instantly dropping its cheerfulness and instead adopting concern. "Are you feeling okay?"
He shifted uneasily in his stance as his heart seemed to jump. He couldn't maintain eye contact with her, for reasons he failed to comprehend. Why did she sound so worried about him? It should be the other way around. Didn't she know her future was stacked against her right now? Didn't she realize that her existence was in a precarious situation?
No, of course not. He was the only one who knew. Well, maybe Falkner had a shred of an idea, but he, Silver, really knew.
Lyra had no idea of the danger she was in. So she emanated concern for everyone else's wellbeing but her own. And maybe… his just a bit more than everyone else's.
What am I thinking? This is Lyra. Lyra. She would be concerned if a total stranger complained of a pain in their leg. And why should I care if she is concerned about me, anyways?
"Hn. Just tired. Nothing a night of sleep won't cure," he managed to lie, with a shrug. But he still avoided her eyes.
Because he knew that he wouldn't be able to get this out of his mind, even if it was possible for him to sleep tonight.
Lyra bought his excuse, but she still looked at him with some worry. He cleared his throat, trying to get rid of the tint of pink on his face. Luckily, she didn't notice.
"If we keep going at a Slugma's pace like this, it'll be sunset before we get there," he said, managing to sound impatient.
Lyra smiled in response at the return of his normal behavior. "Yeah, I suppose so. Let's get going, then."
They continued on their way, growing closer to the city that was nestled up cozily against the edge of the mountain range that separated Johto from Kanto. The range that cradled the Indigo Plateau and hid it from the rest of the world.
As they descended the rocky hill that overlooked the quiet City of Dragons, Silver swept the area, taking in as much as he could. Just visible behind the distant gym was a glint of bright blue. The pond that separated Dragon's Den from the rest of Blackthorn. Hm. Dragon's Den. It was a Tuesday. A day he normally spent training in the damp cave. Perhaps he could visit there and get some training in before they would move on.
Maybe Lyra would want to come, too.
He almost paused in mid-step when the thought surfaced. What had brought about that? He shook his head. What did it matter if she came with him or not?
Finally, they finished their descent into the rather modest city that held so much prestige. Not many cities could boast to be the source of an Elite Four member, let alone one who eventually became champion. And the strongest Gym Leader in the Johto League as well. Yet, the city didn't stand out with glitz and eye-catching displays.
"I love Blackthorn, don't you, Silver?"
"Is there a city you don't absolutely love, Lyra?" Silver asked, ignoring her question. He wasn't in the mood to feel as cheerful as she was right now.
"Well, Mahogany Town wasn't really for me. Didn't leave much of an impression, but I guess Team Rocket was to blame for that. Goldenrod is nice, but enormous cities aren't for me so much. There were so many skyscrapers that it made me kind of dizzy when I looked up."
"I meant that to be a rhetorical question, you know," he said flatly. Lyra only chuckled sheepishly.
"Come on, then. The sun is going to set soon, and the sooner I can get this day behind me, the better," he muttered.
They had made their way to the Pokémon Center and requested a place to stay the night.
"I'm sorry," the Nurse Joy said, bowing her head apologetically. "We don't have that many rooms here in Blackthorn since so few people can get here through the Ice Path. Would it be too much to ask for you to both take a room? There are two beds in each."
"Oh, no not at all," Lyra said, shaking her head. "Well, as long as you're okay with it, Silver."
He merely shrugged. He was of two minds right now. On one hand, he knew he would have to feign sleep so that Lyra wouldn't wake up. On the other hand, after what had happened today, he would appreciate being able to stay close to where she was to keep an eye on things.
"Thanks much!" Lyra chirped to the Nurse, who handed her a key with the number two on it. And with that, she led the way down the hallway, which was notably shorter than the Centers in Azalea and Violet.
Lyra stopped at the second door and inserted the key into the lock. As she opened the door, Silver couldn't help but be a little impressed.
Yes, evidently, the Pokémon Center didn't need to have nearly as many rooms as its predecessors in Johto, since so few trainers made it this far. But it was rather obvious that while the Center lacked quantity, it made up for it in quality. He supposed that the funds brought in by both the most powerful Gym Leader in the region and Ex-Champion Lance allowed the Center to have much larger rooms.
Heck, two of Azalea's small rooms could have fit in this one, probably. A navy spiral rug swathed most of the dark, hardwood floor. The walls, instead of the standard, bland white, were painted a rich reddish-brown, almost a mahogany color. Two twin sized beds with frames made of cherry wood stood on either side of the room. A painting of the shrine within Dragon's Den, guarded by the twisting form of an elegant Dragonair was perched on one of the walls. A large map of Johto and Kanto was placed on the opposite wall. On the far side of one wall, a door to what must be a bathroom was placed. On the far side of the room, a large window was placed, framed by navy drapes. Situated before it was a modest coffee table and two wooden chairs, all made of cherry.
The room itself was luxurious, but not in a ritzy way. Rather, it was luxurious in a way that was warm, inviting, and homey. Lyra immediately headed over to the bed on the right and sat back in it, sighing with apparent relief. Silver placed his bag on the floor as Lyra slipped off her shoes and socks, and placed her white hat on one of the bed posts.
"I'm going to go take a shower. That alright with you?" she glanced over at him, as he sat in one of the chairs near the coffee table. He nodded, and she smiled as she grabbed some stuff from her bag and went into the bathroom. A few minutes later brought the sound of the squeak of a spigot and the torrential spray of a showerhead.
Silver sighed and looked aimlessly out the large window. He could see the river they crossed only about half an hour ago to reach the small city. He got up and pulled the navy drapes closed before changing into his bed clothes. He detached the pokeballs from his belt and placed them on the table. He picked up one of them, and looked at it, rolling it around between his fingers. He fingered the release button on the capsule, and a flash of light emerged from the open halves.
It became the form of a thick, purple ghost with a feline grin and spikes running down his back. Silver frowned as he felt the temperature of the room plummet ten degrees.
"Gengar," the Pokémon chuckled, smiling widely.
"I'm letting you loose for a while tonight," Silver explained. "I want you to watch out for anything suspicious. Wake me if you see anything."
Gengar nodded, his smile now looking even more mischievous. Silver noticed and his mercury eyes narrowed.
"And for God's sake, don't go pulling pranks on Nurse Joy while we're here. You're to stay out of sight, understand me?"
Gengar rolled his eyes, muttering his name in a way that suspiciously sounded like 'spoilsport'. But the ghost reluctantly nodded and faded into the floor. Silver glared at the spot where he disappeared for a moment or two, but his scolding gaze came to an end when he heard the spray of water in the bathroom come to a sudden stop. He ran a hand through his red hair, still thinking over things in his mind.
He heard the unlatching of the door, and Lyra came out, running a brush through her towel-dried hair. She was wearing a matching set of loose pajamas, light blue in color. The pants were long, and the shirt was short-sleeved and button-up. Both were patterned with clouds, yellow stars and crescent moons. She left her hair down and dragged her fingers through it to get rid of the rest of the snarls.
She swept past the coffee table, and Silver thought he caught a waft of something that smelled like vanilla. She practically jumped onto her bed, flopping back on it and stretching, before allowing herself to sink into the mattress. She groaned appreciatively, snuggling her head into the soft, down-filled pillow.
Silver turned his head away, feeling pink in the face. Damn, why was that happening more often now? He pretended to be totally engrossed in examining the Dragon Shrine painting on the wall.
"Ugh, after poking around in a cave, walking uphill and climbing those ledges, it feels great to be able lie down," Lyra sighed in contentment. She glanced at her silent rival. "So what's the game plan? I think it's only fair for you to choose where to go train next, since I flubbed this one."
Silver winced and finally looked back at her.
"I did apologize for being a total jerk, right?" Silver questioned, slightly apprehensive.
"Yeah, you apologized. But it's okay, Silver. Your reaction was pretty justified. So you should be able to choose the next spot," she said, looking at him with her bright cinnamon eyes.
"Well, if you say so. I think that we should just keep going the way we were going. Let's head into Ice Path. I want to work with Meganium and Crobat on getting their resistance up against the cold," he explained.
"So that Fang's Ice Beam won't be as much of a threat?" Lyra suggested with a knowing smile.
Silver rolled his eyes. Of course that was precisely his thinking. Lyra's Feraligatr was destructive against his team enough as it was, even without the option of super-effective moves.
"You saw right through me. Am I that predictable?"
"Nah. I just know you too well," she responded cheerfully with a smile. Silver found that he once again needed to look away from her and began meticulously examining the painting again. That flip in his stomach was starting to get on his nerves.
"Um… Hey, Silver?"
"What?" He stated the word instead of asking it.
"Could we stay in Blackthorn one more day before heading out? There's… well…
The peculiar tone in her voice made him drag his eyes back onto her once more. She sounded like she was trying to cover up a bit of unease. She was fiddling with a lock of her loose hair, not looking him the eyes. He immediately felt worried.
"Why, what's wrong?" Silver instantly felt awkward when he noticed how much urgent concern was in his voice. Lyra noticed it too, and locked gazes with him again, slight confusion in her eyes.
Dang. I'm getting too paranoid.
"Nothing's wrong," she started slowly. It didn't sound the most convincing, but Silver was too preoccupied to notice. "I just have a few things I want to do before we head off, and it might take some time. And that way, you can get in some training at Dragon's Den while I'm out, if you'd like."
"Hn. Fine," he said, now sounding more tired than anything else.
o0O0o0O0o
Silver sat quietly in his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, fingers laced together behind his head.
He couldn't sleep.
Major plot twist.
He'd managed to snatch about two hours or so of restless sleep, but it had been sporadic, and he'd been jolted out of his light doze by the mere rustle of the wind or the sound of the nurse quietly padding down the hall. It was obvious that he would continue to be plagued.
He ran a hand through his hair in aggravation. Even the night before this one, in Violet City, he'd had trouble sleeping. This made three nights in a row.
He knew if he continued the streak, he wouldn't have the stamina to go through Ice Path the day after tomorrow. Wait, no. Scratch that. The clock read 1:57. Tomorrow.
Ugh, this was frustrating. And he couldn't risk tossing around on his bed to find a more comfortable position without the risk of waking Lyra from her sleep. She'd zonked out in her bed not too long after they had switched off the lights.
Why was his mind depriving him of sleep? It wouldn't help him in the slightest. He wouldn't get any closer to figuring things out by making himself exhausted. After all that had been going on the past few days, he felt like he should be entitled to at least one night of sound sleep. But no, he felt more aware than ever.
With an inaudible sigh of frustration, he sat up and dangled his legs off the side of his bed. He listened to the steady, soft sound of Lyra's repetitive breathing to make sure she hadn't been alerted by his movement.
"Gengar," he whispered almost soundlessly.
After a few moments of silence, the shadow of the coffee table shifted, and Gengar rose silently from it.
Silver was used to the sudden chill in temperature that his Pokémon brought, so he thought nothing of it.
"I can't sleep, so I'm going for a walk," he half-whispered, half-mouthed. "Please do me a favor and keep an eye on Lyra while I'm gone."
Gengar, though puzzled by this request, saluted his trainer cheekily, continuing to give him his wide, toothy grin.
Silver slipped on his jacket over his black night shirt, and grabbed his bag out of precautionary habit. He was about to head out the door, but he paused to turn his gaze on his rival across the room. He winced when he saw that the drop in temperature had been enough to cause her to curl up into a tight ball. The comforter lay scrunched near her feet and wasn't covering her at all at the moment. His jaw clenched, disliking the side effect that the mere presence of his Gengar brought on.
Then, he found himself moving back towards her. Before he could register what he was doing, he had grabbed the wrinkled edge of the comforter and gently pulled it back over her, so she was covered. He noticed her tensed shoulders relax when the warm, dark blue blanket was replaced.
Then… for a brief moment… He felt protective…
However, the feeling left as swiftly as it came, and he ducked his head away, suddenly feeling self-conscious of his deed. He saw Gengar staring at him with wide red eyes, grin gone and mouth slightly agape due to the surprise of his trainer's actions.
"Not a word," Silver mouthed with a glare. Gengar merely blinked before his master slipped stealthily out the door.
Silver slunk quietly out of the darkened Pokémon Center, and breathed in deeply when he was hit with the crisp, cool air of the clear night. He could just barely see the vapor of his breath. It wasn't extremely cold out, but he knew that the chill was more pronounced here because of the Ice Path nearby.
His legs moved automatically. He needed a spot to gather his thoughts. It just so happened that Blackthorn had just the place for him, where he could go in the middle of the night without worrying about disturbing anyone.
(~)
Ah hah! Tossed in a bit more fluff for those of you who wanted romance. Granted, it's not much right now, but I don't like rushing into stuff like that. Then it seems more hormone-influenced than anything else, really. :P
Planned on making this chapter longer, but I decided to stop it here for the sake of my insomnia-suffering self. I kinda know how Silver feels with all that sleep deprivation. Blarg.
Hurr, in other news, I pre-ordered Black Version. For the sake of getting Reshiram. But I'll need to trade someone in order to get my beloved Braviary. Also, my scanner is being a jerk. *kicks*
SoulSilver Recommendations, we haven't had those for a while, have we? Well here they are:
Longshots~
"Infiltrate" by Sparks101 (This one has only just started not long ago.)
"Stockholm" by Liz Hollow (More action and twists in this one. Liz Hollow's awesome!)
"If I Lost on Purpose, Would You Stop Following Me?" by MarlinMarlen (Wackiest. SS fic. In all of creation. You won't stop laughing. Ever.)
One-Shots~
"Garbage" by The Finesseful X (Sweet and nicely written, loved it.)
"Withering Pink" by Zenny-DoLL (Emotional, not really romance, but still a good read.)
Anyways, that's all for now. Fang wants you to review. He also is partial to white chocolate. Rawr.
See ya! ~Meta-Akira