(A/N I honestly have no excuse for uploading this so late… so I'm not going to come up with one! Read on faithful readers!)

Chapter 37 .:. One's Quest for Power

I wound up heading to Azalea Town, which was actually much further from Olivine than I had expected. It was the only other place I could think of, and I knew that Sparrow was there. Grad was there too, and I figured it was about time for me to get over my fear of him.

I broke out of Ilex Forest, exhausted from getting lost and fighting off grass Pokémon the whole way. Arcanine seemed to enjoy cooking them though. I was riding out of the forest on my fire type Pokémon upon my arrival. I quickly put him back in his Pokeball and headed to the Pokémon Center to heal my Pokémon. I asked for directions to the Slowpoke Well, but was warned by the nurse there that Team Rocket had taken over the place and were hacking off Slowpoke tails for money.

So that was what Grad had meant by Slowpoke hunting. I wrinkled up my nose at the thought unable to see the value in chopping off tails, "Ew, why?"

"Some rich folk think they're some kind of a delicacy. They're willing to pay lots of money for them, since it's illegal to hunt them. If you walk around the well though, those Team Rocket grunts should leave you alone."

"Right, thanks for the advice." I put my Pokéballs back on my belt and headed out of the Pokémon Center. I began wondering if visiting Sparrow was such a good idea. I was wishing I hadn't let Grison's comment get to me, so I could have gone to Mahogany to visit Javelin. I wasn't even that close to Sparrow, what would I do? Pop in and say hi?

I walked outside of the Pokémon Center and stared in the direction of the Slowpoke Well, debating whether to head over there or not. I honestly didn't want to see the other Rockets at work, chopping off Slowpoke tails. Besides the fear of running into Grad highly outweighed whatever entertainment Sparrow could provide me with. I probably shouldn't have wasted my time coming here.

I sighed and pulled away from the door when I saw a blur of black and crimson rush by me as someone ran past me. My first thought, "Shit, that person can run fast."

My second, "Shit, that person was a redhead."

"Silver!" I called and ran after the blur. Perhaps this visit hadn't been such a waste of time after all. The person stopped at the entrance to Ilex forest and turned to bore gray eyes into me. I stopped in front of him and exclaimed, "I can't believe it's actually you."

Silver had gotten taller, but also skinnier. His hair had gotten longer. His clothes were too small. In fact, I recognized the jacket he was wearing. He looked so different and yet he still looked like Silver. I wondered if that's what I would look like to people who knew me before I left home.

He gave me a narrowed look, almost like he was disgusted, "How the hell did you find me?" he demanded. I noticed three Pokeballs attached to his jeans.

Instead of answering his question I exclaimed, "You have your own Pokémon!" I pulled off Larvitar's Pokeball from my belt and handed it to him. "Your father asked me to give you this, last time I saw him."

Silver's disgusted look didn't change. He let out a scoff and smacked the Pokeball out of my hand causing it to roll to the ground. I dove for it, looking down at the poor Larvitar inside. He seemed a little disoriented at being rolled around, but was otherwise fine. I got back to my feet and was about to demand an explanation when he gave one to me, "I don't need my father, or his pathetic Pokémon or his pathetic underlings to take care of me. I can take care of myself on my own."

I didn't enjoy being called pathetic. I glared at Silver angrily, calling him out, "You lied to me Silver. You told me he abandoned you. He wanted you. He wanted you to train with him. And you denied him."

"He was weak. I wouldn't train with anyone like him. Why should I? I could become stronger on my own. And I have. You were wrong about how to raise Pokémon. I'll be stronger than you and every other pathetic Rocket grunt. I'll be stronger than my father. I'll be stronger than the boy who beat my dad and anyone else who challenges me!" he pointed an accusing finger at me, "I don't need you to baby me! I don't need him to lie to me! And I don't need Gold to shove his know it all head into my business!" He put a hand to his mouth, obviously he blurted out something he hadn't meant to say. I raised a curious eyebrow at this comment.

"Gold?" I asked.

"I didn't say Gold." Silver blinked, trying to convince himself the name hadn't slipped out of his mouth. Now I had to hear this. I completely forgot about lecturing the boy for a moment. I abandoned that to interrogate him about this Gold person.

"Who's Gold?" I prodded.

"I didn't say Gold!" he insisted. A fire burned in his eyes again, an almost hatred focused on me. No, I thought. He couldn't hate me. I was the one who watched him when even his own father didn't have time to. I was the one who went out of my way to entertain him out of the goodness of my own heart. I was there to comfort him, not once, but twice. What had two years on his own twisted those memories into if he could glare at me so angrily? "Now if you've got nothing better to do than bother me, I suggest you leave." He commanded me sharply, his silver eyes cutting into me worse than any insult.

"Silver. Please come home. I care about you. Look at you." I let out a sharp sigh. "I've been through all of this already Silver. It hurts to see it happen to you." I thought about the nights on the streets where I would go to sleep hungry, or the thefts where I was afraid I would get caught or the guilt I felt as I sold what had come to my hand in order to feed and shelter myself. I put Silver in my shoes and quadrupled the amount of time. It hurt. He was so little. He shouldn't have had to go through any of that. "Please, Silver." I didn't mean to, but I realized I was beginning to plead.

"Make me care." He spat, venom still dancing in his eyes.

I grabbed his shoulders and bent down so I could look the boy in the eyes, "You know me Silver. You know I'm not lying to you. I kept every promise I made to you. I mean it when I say that I want you safe. You don't have to go home, if there's someone else you trust, then you can go there. If you can't find somewhere," I immediately thought of Javelin's uncle and his willingness to take me in off of the streets and how lonely his house must have been now, "I know someone who could take care of you. I don't want you running around by yourself."
"I'm eleven." He spat at me as he shoved me away. "That's old enough to be out on my own. Most kids go out and become trainers when they're ten. It's the best age to go out on your own."

"Not according to me."

"Why? Because I'm not good enough?"

"No because they have homes they can go to and parents who can come support them. You're completely and utterly alone!"

"So are you! What, I'm less than other kids my age? I'm less than you?" He growled at me, as if that were the ultimate insult. He spat, "You're not my mother! You can't decide what I do with my life!"

"Like you'd listen to your mother if she were here anyway!" I frowned as I added in a murmur, "Not that she seems too bothered by your running away."

Silver's hate faded to a look of astonishment. "You saw my mom?" Did he miss her? Could I use that as leverage to bring him back home?

"I'm pretty sure." I thought back to Ariana. She had his same flaming red hair and their faces were similar. When she mentioned her mission in the Sevii Islands the connection had clicked in my mind. "She led my mission in Sinnoh."

He looked at the ground, upset. I bent lower, trying to get a look at his eyes. Was he contemplating what his mother must have been going through in his absence?

Was he starting to see that I was right and that he should go back to Viridian?

The redhead suddenly pulled off one of the Pokeballs from his belt and tossed out a Croconaw. It let out a growl in his face before turning to me and doing the same to me. I blinked, since his Pokémon's large jaw was inches away from my face, showing me all of its teeth.

Or maybe he was thinking about the best way to try and get rid of me.

I watched the Croconaw toss an irritated look to Silver before baring its fangs at me again and I pointed out, "He doesn't like you very much."

"I don't care if it likes me!" he yelled at me, "I just care if it's strong and if it does what I say! Just like every Pokémon should! Just like you and everyone beneath me should."

I blinked, horrified as I remembered the day we'd met. How we had discussed Pokémon having their own feelings and being more than tools. How had he made his way back to square one? Lower, if he thought everyone else was beneath him too. "You changed Silver. And not for the good. You know what? Someone will put you back in your place. It's not going to be me. Maybe it'll be your father. Maybe some complete stranger. Maybe this Gold you won't tell me about. But it won't be me. I care too much about you to hurt you like that." I sighed, "You've hurt yourself enough, forcing yourself to live alone like this. Secluding yourself from people that want you in their lives. You'll see I'm right, but if that's how you want to keep living, I won't stop you."

"I thought I told you I don't need you! I especially don't need your stupid lectures!" he jabbed a finger forward ready to command his Croconaw to attack when I released Larvitar from the Pokeball in my hand. The Pokémon meant for Silver glared at Croconaw. Silver commanded his Pokémon to attack mine. It clamped its jaw onto my Pokémon's rock hard head and I saw a broken tooth fall from its jaw as the water type leapt away, Larvitar's head too hard to chomp through. At least Croconaw grew their teeth back quickly.

"You still haven't learned." I shook my head, those battles between us and what I'd taught him had clearly been a waste as I saw the disgrace of a trainer standing before me. He would never grow strong, not if he would throw his Pokémon into fights without even thinking first and relying on only brute strength.

"I'm still going to be here Silver, when you're ready." I tried to give him the most understanding look I could as I stared at him. I wasn't angry with him, I wasn't upset with him, and it wasn't my place to be disappointed with him. I just needed him to know that I cared about him.

"Good, because I said it before and I'll say it again: I don't need you!" Silver barked at me. He recalled his Pokémon, which was whining and holding its sore jaw. "I know what I'm doing. I can, and I will, become strong without you or anyone else."

I walked into the gate to the forest and muttered, "You keep telling yourself that." I made sure Larvitar was behind me and ran into the forest. Once I was sure I was a safe distance from anyone with nosy ears, I hid behind a tree and dropped to the ground, wiping tears away from my eyes.

(A/N Oh hey, Silver came back! 'Bout time!)