Late night update! Why? I've delayed on posting this chapter for three days now due to internet and offline difficulties, so I just have to do it now while I can. XD
There's something I have in mind to ask you, readers. It's sort of strange of me to say, but bear with it. I'm considering changing/replacing Amber, Marina's Plusle, into a Pichu. With the announcement of HeartGold and SoulSilver in May, I've had the urge to at least acknowledge the games in some shape or form in TST. So as some could figure, the Pichu would be the Spiky-Ear Pichu. (Funny coincidence though; the Spiky-Ear Pichu is obtained via event in Ilex Forest, which is the same place Marina obtains the egg containing her Plusle.) The change will just be in the Pokémon; personality and nickname will remain.
I'm perfectly willing to go either way, but I'm sort of stuck. So! I want your opinions on the matter instead. It's just an idea. Whether you agree or disagree, please tell me, and I'll announce my decision in the next chapter.
Enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 53
Return to the Ruins
It was very quiet as Marina received no reply. Keeping up her playful front, she continued.
"How are you?" she asked.
The silence ensued, perhaps a little too pristine. There was still a connection; in fact, her PokéGear showed all possible bars for a good reception. Unless her phone was lying to her, Silver should still hear her.
Or maybe he's ignoring me, she thought, taking the idea with a bit of amusement and bitterness.
"I'm surprised, this is my first time calling you," Marina went on, rambling aimlessly. "Since you know, I just figured that you'd hang up as soon as you saw that it was me. But it's been a couple weeks and I thought, 'Why not try?', so here we are!"
Silence.
Marina sighed and relaxed her posture a little. "Okay, stop giving me the cold shoulder. This is Silver, isn't it?"
For whatever the reason, this prompted a response.
"Yes," arrived the flat, uninterested reply—definitely resembling that of her red-haired rival, who was so resistant in trading phone numbers with her in the first place.
The girl smiled in victory. "Good! So, where are you right now—?"
"Why the hell are you even calling me? It's almost midnight; some people try to sleep at his hour," Silver suddenly interjected, not in the least delighted.
"Geez. Excuse me for interrupting your beauty sleep, Silver."
"Humph, I'm wide awake. So what do you want?"
"I just wanted to know where you were and how you were doing," Marina replied, keeping an official matter-of-fact tone. "I want to keep tabs on my rival, no matter how far ahead of me he is."
"Okay, then where are you at this moment?" he asked, almost mocking her.
"I'm just at the Pokémon Center in Ecruteak City. It's way too boring in Mahogany Town to wait around for the Gym to open back up. How about you?"
"What's it to you?"
"Come on," Marina griped. "That's not fair!"
"Humph. I don't care."
"But I told you where I was! It's your turn!"
"Leave it up to your imagination. I don't want you following me around, in the dead of night no less. I have things I want to do," Silver returned, steadily growing more impatient.
"I'm not going to follow you. But where are you? You can tell me that at least, can't you, Silver?" The girl's begging eyes were transfixed with the PokéGear, and her voice did very well to match the expression. "Please? Pretty please? Pretty, pretty please with—?"
"Okay, alright!" he snapped. "If it'll shut you up, I'm at the Ruins of Alph."
Even though it was Marina's turn to respond, which she would gladly take the opportunity to keep chatting, she was quiet.
"Happy now?" Silver again spoke. A tame anger prowled in his voice.
Marina grinned again and sat upright. "Stay there, okay?"
"What?" He quickly took on suspicion. "Why?"
"I have something I wanna show you, and it's in those ruins! I promise it's interesting!"
"What is it?"
"I'll let it be a surprise until we meet up," Marina replied vaguely. As she said this, she had slipped on her sneakers and donned her winter jacket, not the least bit perturbed at Silver's lack of a reply. With a clip of the belt around her waist, she also put on her backpack after a careful moment's consideration.
"So!" she began loudly, "How are you—?"
"Shut up! ...I don't have all night," Silver murmured the last part before abruptly hanging up.
This left Marina with a dial tone to keep her company. She quickly walked out of her room, wearing a little smile on her face while doing so.
I can't believe he actually agreed to that, she thought with a giggle.
Silver sighed.
"I can't believe I actually agreed to that," he grumbled, glaring downward at his PokéGear.
The phone was frostbitten from the wind, as was his exposed fingers that gripped it tight. His distaste grew in his inability to decide whether to stick around in wait for the girl or to ditch her. He sighed, plainly seeing his frosty breath. That night was bitterly cold and windy. If he left before Marina arrived, how long would she look for him? He had recently found out how stubborn she could be, and as much as he found her annoying, he at least wasn't heartless enough to betray her after giving his word that he would stay.
Silver shoved the PokéGear in his jacket pocket and rested back on one of the Ruins of Alph's crumbling walls, his eyes set on the sky.
Marina had caught him off-guard, and for two reasons. First was the fact she called in the first place; actually, Silver expected her to have called her well before now, simply because she seemed to enjoy bothering him. As for the second—that reason wasn't as important. Marina sounded far happier. She had been holding herself back for a while, and it was easy to tell for a girl like her who was so energetic and open with her feelings. But the boy hadn't heard her talk so annoyingly in months; she snapped his patience as if it were a twig between her fingers. Thinking back on the matter, this relief of her childish energy through November and most of December should have been wonderful. Yet all she did was run away, even during their battle.
Silver allowed his hand to slip out of his pocket, smacking his palm on his forehead. "I don't know what's worse; when she's depressed or when she's way-too-freaking hyper. She finds a way to be irritating in any situation."
To pass the time faster after growing bored of stargazing, he scrutinized the neglected buildings around him. They, along with the ancient brick roads, were entirely void of life and taken over by the night's shadows. On a very rare occasion, a lone howl or chatter of a wild Pokémon echoed in the distance.
At one point, human-like movement caught his eye. They were far off from where he was, forcing him to squint, but he could just make out their matching black attire in the moonlight.
In a puzzled look of disgust, he slowly sat up from where he was. "What would they be doing in a dump like this?"
The instance he dug out a Poké Ball and clenched it tightly—.
"Silver!"
The red-haired boy froze and raised his sight to the sky, where a Trainer hung onto her Fearow as they descended upon him. The pigtailed girl was waving at him with a merry smile. Before she landed, Silver glanced back at the ruins furthest from him. They seemed empty as they had been before, so he turned back to her with a usual scowl.
Marina returned Kenya after giving the Pokémon a pat on the head. She turned to him, innocently holding her hands behind her. On the collar of her jacket, six badges glimmered in the moonlight. "Thanks for waiting!"
"Yeah, yeah," Silver put away his Poké Ball and focused his impatience on her, "What's this 'surprise' that you wanted to show me? It better be good."
"It is, trust me!" she reassured him.
Silver crossed his arms. "Then where is it?"
A blank expression wiped her overbearing glee away, and she scanned everything within her scope of vision. At first she looked confused, and then doubtful, but those too melted away as she gazed into Lake Alph for a few moments.
"There!" She pointed, her index finger guiding across the lake and at the solitary ruin separated from the others. "All the way over there!"
"Over there?" If she was going to pick a chamber at random, why couldn't she have chosen one that was close by? Regardless, Silver followed Marina toward the water.
Marina nodded, her decision set. "Yup! We'll have to use Surf to get over there, though."
"Not an issue. For me," he added the last bit with a sharp edge.
Before the girl could reply, he had released his Feraligatr, who had once been a Croconaw—and a Totodile before that. It resembled its smaller forms, but was far taller and wielded an even larger set of jaws. Marina was frozen in surprise as her eyes were glued to the gator that stood over her by a few good feet. Just the sight of her astonished face made Silver crack a smirk, but it was short lived as soon as she talked.
"Wow, Wani-Wani! You grew," was all she managed to say.
The Feraligatr looked at her, giving a curious glance at its current Trainer.
"Don't call it that," Silver snapped as he led his Pokémon toward the lake. He hopped on its back, and then glanced at Marina, who stood uncomfortably at the lake's bank. "What's wrong? Scared of a little water?"
"Um," she giggled, "Silver, can I ride with you?"
"No." The boy didn't spend even a second contemplating.
"Oh, but...!"
"I've already done you the favor of waiting for you to come here. You're going to have to swim if you didn't even come prepared," he said, a little smug.
Marina delivered him a frown, an angry one not fitting to her usually innocent face. Silver remained steadfast, glaring back at her. But she conceded a sigh and took out her azure Poké Ball.
"Alright, then. I give," she said before throwing it. She watched in strained anticipation as her Lapras materialized on the water. Marina made a half-grin and was cautious as she climbed onto the Transport Pokémon's shell.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Silver asked incredulously. "You have a Pokémon perfect for crossing water, and you're asking to ride with me?"
Deciding to be stubborn and pay no mind to him, Marina made herself comfortable and crossed her legs. She met with the awaiting eyes of Lapras, who expected an order. The look Lapras gave her bordered on sincerity, but Marina failed to yield her guard. Her instincts still warned her of the discomfort she felt around the Pokémon.
"Lapras, Surf across the lake to that ruin over there," she ordered softly, though it was with an unfamiliar and rather unsuitable coldness to her voice.
"Ra," Lapras murmured back with a curt nod and thrust further into Lake Alph. They passed Silver, who eyed them oddly before motioning Feraligatr to follow.
The ride across dragged on in dull silence at first. However, Marina attempted at conversation; her previous frustration had given into to a rising nervousness the further they went into the lake. She monitored her Lapras's every move, calm as they were, and skimmed her surroundings often. In effort to drive away the anxiety, Marina spoke up often.
"So, um, Silver? Why are you here in the Ruins of Alph anyways?"
Silver kept his gaze ahead, acting as if he had never heard her. Though he noticed Marina's strange behavior from the start, he asked nothing of it. He didn't care too much about the change, honestly.
"Um..." She fiddled with her backpack strap, not at all calmed by her Lapras's present tame demeanor. "Did–Did you hear about how the Azalea Gym Leader? You know, Bugsy? They say he's having a hard time remembering anything from the past few months. Like amnesia. But some people think that an imposter had taken his place."
"Humph. Of course it was an imposter," Silver muttered.
"What? Oh, s-so you could tell?" Marina asked, unable to help her temporarily awkward way of speaking.
"Duh. His eyes were a different color. Not just that, but he acted obviously out of place."
"H...How do you even notice something like eye color? You aren't friends with the real Bugsy, are you?"
The boy shook his head, perhaps to roll his eyes. "Of course not. I would never be friends with a weakling like him. It's just a little thing called being observant. You should try it sometime; maybe it'll make you less stupid."
"Hey!" Despite the worked-up reply, Marina failed to elaborate and allowed another bout of quiet traveling.
Being observant...I can see why, but that's ridiculous. You can't know everything that way. She sighed, forcing herself to relax her shoulders. I know Silver would never be able to figure out that Bugsy was actually Latios, unless Latios revealed it like he did for me... I actually knew Latios, though I don't remember at all, but I could never figure out something so...unexpected.
Speaking of which...
"Um...Silver?"
"Yeah, what?" Silver grumbled.
"You know...When I first met you, I got the feeling we've met before. But after that whole thing with Wani-Wani, and even now, I can't figure out just where I've seen you," she attempted to explain.
For the first time, Silver glanced over his shoulder at her. "What does that mean? Before we battled, I had to get my Totodile back before in order to use it. So of course you've seen me before, but it wasn't for very long."
"Oh, yeah, I know that," she replied and locked eyes with him. "I remember that, but I mean even before that. I swear I must've met you before. You seem so...familiar!"
"Familiar?"
"Yeah. At first it was just the hair, but... it's different now. Now I really do think I've seen you, but I just can't put my finger on where." Marina tilted her head, raising an eyebrow as she pondered. "What do you think? Do you think you've met me before too?"
They were approaching the other side of the bank fast. Silver stared at her normally at first, and then narrowed his eyes halfway. "No. If I met you, I'd remember how much you specialized in annoying me."
"Hey, I'm not that annoying," she giggled half-heartedly.
Upon sliding onto the bank, Marina and Silver slipped off their aquatic Pokémon. Marina made a relieved smile at the uneventful ride. She thanked Lapras, though too apprehensive to pet her, and recalled her.
I'm glad Lapras was calm. She didn't seem to care at all where we were. What a relief.
Silver, on the other hand, returned his still-curious Feraligatr without a sound. As he started walking away, Marina tailed him harmlessly.
"You know," she started, a little perkier now that her worries were gone. "You should at least say 'thank you' to your Pokémon. You need to appreciate them more; they do so much for you, after all."
He stopped, and so did she. But he cast a glare that was on the verge of snapping in anger. "Would you just shut up for five damn seconds?"
Marina just blinked, quiet for only a few moments. "Okay! There's your five seconds."
"Son of a—. You know that 'being annoying' thing? You're doing it now."
"But I did what you asked, geez." Even as she said this, she smiled playfully. "I can never make you happy."
Sliver just rolled his eyes again, deciding not to bother wasting his breath any further.
The lone ruin stood firm on its own before the two investigating Trainers. Its roof still held strong, though this only made the inside extremely dark. To counter it, Silver sent out a Magnemite. It skittishly emitted a bright light from its two magnets, and their surroundings became instantly relieved of darkness
The chamber itself reminded Marina of the one she had entered with Bugsy. Unown code streamed along the walls, and a puzzle sat incomplete on a pedestal. The only exception that caught her eye was the narrow hallway in the back, which trailed off into the shadows.
"Nothing weird or interesting in here," Silver glanced at her, "So what did you want to do again? You never said what it was yet."
Marina made her way over to the slanted slab, feeling a nostalgic shiver as she gripped one of the available brick cubes. "You'll see. It's a...theory of mine."
"Theory?" He approached her from behind with his Pokémon leading the way like a timid lantern.
"Yeah," she began putting the pieces of the puzzle together, "It's an experiment. And if I'm right, something interesting will happen."
Though hopefully I won't fall in a hole again. She glanced at the sturdy floor below, suspiciously tapping it with her foot before continuing her work. That really hurt. Why would a puzzle trigger an ancient trapdoor?
"Experiment? You're putting a puzzle together," Silver retorted sarcastically, "When you solve it, you'll see a picture of a stupid, badly-drawn Pokémon. Whoopee."
Marina giggled, and did so for a while longer before she replied. "You're so funny, Silver. But there's something special about this puzzle. I want to complete it by myself, so just wait a little."
He glared. "You know how much I hate waiting."
"Then why did you wait for me to come here at all?" she asked, grinning as she looked over her shoulder and at him. "Were you curious, or did you want to see me?"
"As if."
Marina still smiled as she finished the border and began working on the actual picture of the puzzle. Eventually, she straightened her posture, holding the final brick with both her hands. "There, almost done."
"It's an Aerodactyl," Silver pointed out as he eyed the puzzle.
She blinked, but did the same. The etched Pokémon's wingspan spread behind it as it cracked its razor sharp jaws open, and she tilted her head. "Oh," she said, "I thought it was a Charizard."
"There's no flame on its tail. Besides, it looks like an Aerodactyl."
"I never said it didn't," Marina said in light protest. "It just didn't cross my mind."
Silver rolled his eyes openly. "Just finish it."
"Okay! I'll do it, I'll do it." With a definitive step forward toward the pedestal, the blue-haired girl peered down at the ancient block. She clutched it in hesitation.
Alright, let's do this, she repeated to build up her confidence.
Marina slid the final cube in. The completed Aerodactyl puzzle sat frozen in its place. Anxious moments crawled on past, drenched and shivering in apprehension. Nothing happened. It was only until Silver severed the tense atmosphere that Marina snapped out of her alert trance.
"This is the experiment, to see if you could complete some stupid puzzle? What a waste of time," he grumbled. "You need to learn to quit getting in my way."
Thank goodness, no surprises this time. Marina sighed. I guess... it was just a coincidence after all.
But at that thought, the ground shook violently underneath her. She jolted and froze in panic, a move that proved unfortunate. She failed to retreat fast enough in time, and the wind rushed through her as gravity took its course.
Her head smacked hard against the edge of the hole created by the trapdoor, and the impact forced her into submission that was as dark as the greedy shadows below.
In a very old Gold & Silver Walkthrough book of mine (it's literally in tatters from years of constant use), it mistakenly identified the Aerodactyl puzzle in the Ruins of Alph as a Charizard. Just a tidbit of pointless trivia for you!
Until next time, my dear readers, when we flee from a swarm of buzzing Symbol Pokémon. Be sure to bring plenty of "Repel"lent.
