Notes: Hello! This is a fanfic idea that popped into my head one day, so I had to try to write it. Here's a few notes before you continue. This fanfic will contain some violence, the death of Pokémon, and some depressing themes. Most of it won't be too detailed or anything, so the rating should be fine to be at Teen. I will change the rating if necessary as the story goes on.
The pairing of this story will be Silver/Lyra, or Soulsilvershipping. The romance will be a bit slow though, so don't expect it right away.
In this chapter specifically, there will be the death of a Pokémon mentioned. This chapter will reference a few things in the games, though I will not follow canon material completely since this is going to take place a few years after Lyra becomes the Champion. Her Pokémon team will be based off of some of the Pokémon I've enjoyed using in the game myself.
I hope you enjoy reading!
Chapter 1: Mourning
It was a peaceful morning in New Bark Town. Bird Pokémon were singing, and the few people who lived there were either still asleep or going about their usual business. Yet, not everyone in the town felt at peace.
Lyra sat quietly in the yard of her house, quiet sobs occasionally escaping from her lips. In front of her was a grave with flowers placed nearby the headstone.
On the headstone, there was a detailed depiction of an Ampharos carved into the stone.
This had been Lyra's Ampharos, one of the members of her main Pokémon team. She had won against Team Rocket, the Elite Four, and the Champion Lance, and became the Champion with him by her side, but now... now he was gone.
The tragic event was something that she didn't want to think about. Yet, Lyra felt like she had failed her Pokémon. After all, he had been an older Mareep back when she caught him, and a few years later as an Ampharos, he was definitely starting to show his age. All she had wanted to do that day was ask Nurse Joy about possible remedies for the elderly Pokémon's aches and pains. She remembered being in the Pokémon Center, the cruel faces of the Pokémon hunters, the blood on the floor...
No, don't focus on that part right now, she thought. My Pokémon wouldn't want me to.
It was something that shocked the Johto region. While the death of Pokémon certainly wasn't unheard of, events like this, especially since it happened to the Champion's Pokemon, caused a major uproar.
Lyra had returned home to escape the attention of the media and to have her Pokémon buried there. Her Pokémon journey had started in this town, which made it an important place to her, so she wanted to have her Pokémon laid to rest there. Her mother would be able to watch over his grave and keep it looking nice when she was busy and unable to stay at the house.
Lyra was going to have to leave soon. She couldn't stay away from her duties as Champion forever, and she knew that. But the memories of that day and the sadness that weighed heavily on her heart made her hesitant to leave this spot.
Her other Pokémon had tried to comfort her and make her feel happier, and she appreciated them for it, but even they couldn't heal the pain or remove the traumatic experience from her memories.
Lyra wiped her eyes and finally stood up, quietly apologizing to her Ampharos again for her failure to protect him. It was hard to leave him, but she knew that she had to. As she turned to go back inside the house, she saw her mother standing by the door with a concerned look on her face.
"Lyra, are you going to be okay?" her mother asked softly.
"Yes, I'll be fine Mom, I promise," Lyra said, putting on a fake smile so that her mother wouldn't worry.
"You know that you can stay here for a few more days if you need to, right?"
Lyra looked at her mother, swallowing a lump in her throat. Her mother was always so caring, and it made her want to cry all over again. She wanted to stay, but she had a job to do. If she waited any longer to return to her role as the Champion, there would be more requests for assistance and challengers demanding to fight her than she could handle.
"I'm sorry Mom. I really can't stay any longer," Lyra said.
Though still worried, her mother nodded in an understanding way. Lyra gave her mother a quick hug before going to her room to pack her things and compose herself a little more.
Just as she was walking out the door, Lyra heard her mother calling out to her, so she turned to see what she wanted.
"Lyra, wait! Ethan and his mother made some cookies and treats for your Pokémon. Make sure to put them in your bag," her mother said, giving her two containers full of the food.
Lyra quickly stuffed the containers into her bag, reminding herself to thank Ethan and his mother properly when she got the chance. Her best friend Ethan had done a lot for her, being there for her while she was mourning. She didn't want him to think that she didn't appreciate him.
"Be safe out there. Remember, you can always come back if something happens, okay?" her mother said softly, giving her a final hug.
"Of course, Mom. I promise I'll return home if something happens," Lyra said, returning the hug.
Her mother smiled, and Lyra managed to give a small smile back. It was nice knowing that she had a place to return to if anything happened. Her mother would make sure that she and her Pokémon were well-cared for.
After a few final goodbyes, Lyra left her house and prepared to leave town, pulling out a Poké Ball to release her Pidgeot. However, before she could, she saw someone familiar out of the corner of her eye. Someone with red hair. He was standing under the shade of a tree with his arms crossed.
Silver? What is he doing here? He's usually out training his Pokémon, Lyra thought, surprised to see the red-haired boy back in New Bark Town.
She thought of Silver as a friend by now, though she wasn't sure if he felt the same way towards her. His attitude certainly didn't help with that. Even though Silver wasn't as harsh and rude towards her as before, he still had moments of annoyance or anger that made Lyra wonder if he even appreciated her friendship at all.
It had been a few months since she'd last seen Silver, her life as a Champion leaving little time for her to battle him. He didn't seem to mind though. It gave him more time to train his team.
Lyra placed the Poké Ball she was holding back in her bag, curious as to what the red-haired boy was doing here.
As she turned her full attention on him, Silver looked up at her. Their eyes met, and for a moment, neither of them said a word. Then, Silver spoke, as if surprised to see her there too.
"Lyra?"
Notes: That's the end of this chapter! I will be explaining the whole incident that happened with Lyra's Ampharos a bit later in the story. Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the story so far, and leave your thoughts, suggestions, and critiques in the comments if you have any! The next chapter will be posted whenever I manage to finish it.
