Disclaimer: AshKetchumDarkSide: Yeah, Platina's cool and gorgeous, if I was a guy I'd probably pick her, too. And I'm sorry, I don't do OCs other than my PMD ones, but I'll definitely do the Lucas X Mars one next. Thanks for reviewing!

Question: If you had to choose a character from the anime to date, who would you choose and why?

My Answer: Drew! A thousand times Drew! Because even if he can be an annoying git, I think he'd be a really sweet boyfriend. *Huggles*

Characters: Kotone X Silver, my OTP!

Summary: I did the ferris wheel scene, so guess which other infamous scene I'm ruining? *Does total Harley laugh*

Radio Tower

~Underneath the stars you met me,

Underneath the stars you left me~

With trembling hands, with a trembling heart, she puts on the Rocket uniform. The darkness of the shirt makes her creamy skin look stark in contrast, the crimson R matching the lipstick she has applied. The skirt accentuates her curves, and her legs, sheathed in tights, look longer and more slender than before. She lifts one gloved hand to yank her hair from its pigtails, and it falls in waves around her bloodless face, framing it.

For a moment she stares at her reflection, her fingers gripping the countertop as she steels herself. It feels like blasphemy to be wearing this after witnessing the scene that Celebi showed her, with Silver getting beaten, that horrible letter getting carved into his skin- but Lance needs her help, and he's been so nice, she can't refuse him. Besides, it'll be helping Silver. It'll be bringing Team Rocket down once and for all.

"I'm ready," she says, stepping out from the dressing room. Lance is clad in a uniform similar to hers, and his lips part in astonishment when he sees her, his golden eyes widening. She places the Rocket-style hat atop her head, tugging it down so it shields her eyes. "How about you?"

He takes a minute to respond. "Yes." Then his expression softens. "Kotone, you don't have to do this, you know-"

"Yes, I do." Her voice is hard, but there's a quaver in it. "I do, Lance. I…have to help, somehow. I can't sit back and let Team Rocket continue on any longer." She calls out Amp, her ampharos, and feels her lips stretch in a grim smile as a shower of determined sparks fly from his tail. "They've done enough crap. And they're not getting away with it."

"Well said," he replies, giving her a nod to show that he understands. Then the two exit the underground, and make their way towards the Radio Tower.

000

Kotone and Lance have split up, him going to test back doors and such in case they need to escape, when she steps through the doors of the Radio Tower. Her high-heeled black boots clack against the floor, and she holds her head high, Amp towering behind her.

"Who are you?" snaps a grunt as she tries to ascend the stairs. "We have business going on."

Her head snaps around to face him, all of her anger for them rising to the surface. "Exactly. We have business going on. Are you blind?" she yells, slipping effortlessly into her alter ego. "Or is the bright red R on my shirt too subtle for you?"

"U-uh, s-s-sorry miss," the grunt stammers, backing up with his palms facing outward in an apology. "You must be new. I don't recognize your face."

She feels her lips curl in hatred, and he takes another step back, eyes wide. But no matter how placating he may look, all Kotone sees are them cutting up slowpoke tails, them murdering cubones, them hurting Silver. "Get it right next time," she spits, and moves to put her foot on the next step, determination boiling in her stomach.

A familiar voice stops her in her tracks.

"Team Rocket, stop what you're doing!" he shouts, and images float before her eyes: images of gray eyes that can hold a variety of expressions and skin marked all over with a horrendous past. Her mouth trembles, and she feels herself sag against the wall, praying that if she stayed still he wouldn't notice her. "You pathetic cowards! I can't believe you have the nerve to show your faces here in Johto again."

"Hey, kid," she hears the grunt start, and the crack that signals Silver breaking his nose. Her lips tilt up the tiniest bit with approval before collapsing back into a frown.

"Don't talk to me," he growls. "Pitiful lowlifes- you should all rot in hell for being such pushovers." She hears him take a step, and then the heat of his hand burning through the fabric on her arm. "Hey, you! Turn around and face me."

She feels her shoulders hunch and she turns her face away, not daring to say anything.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" He grabs her with both hands and forces her to face him, his fingers digging in painfully. "You-"

His voice falters as milky brown eyes meet starry silver ones. His pupils spring wide open. The blood empties from his face, leaving his mouth looking pinker than ever before.

"Kotone…" His grip on her goes slack, and she feels the wild impulse to break down into tears as he leans towards her, his expression akin to a kicked growlithe's. "Kotone, is that you?"

"Silver, you don't understand," she whispers, reaching out to him, but he recoils.

"What are you doing here?" he demands, a wild light in his eyes. "Damn it, Kotone, why are you dressed like that?"

"You don't understand," she repeats, her voice growing louder.

"Don't be stupid!" he snarls, his fingers closing tightly around her wrists. He yanks her off the stairs, each movement jerky and furious as he drags her away from the prying eyes of the grunt with the broken nose. "Get out of that clothing!"

"N-" His hand covers her mouth, and he shoves her so that her back smacks against the wall. He comes closer until her entire universe is swallowed up by his flashing gray eyes, and her whole body prickles with awareness, her nerve endings feeling as if they were being zapped by tiny electrical shocks.

"You don't have to dress like them to be strong," he tells her, his voice a deadly calm that makes her shiver. Determinedly, he slides his hands underneath her shirt until they reach the skin of her stomach, and she shivers again, not sure whether she was afraid or something else. "You're already stronger than all of them combined. Don't you know that?"

Her lips part, but she can't speak. Not with him so close.

"I know that I've been cruel to you," he continues, not waiting for a reply. His hands skim her flesh, and before she knows it his arms are circling her waist, the length of his body pressed against hers. "Even when you've been so kind to me, I've done nothing but hurt you. I can understand why you hate me. But don't do this to get back at me. Please don't."

"I don't hate you." It's the barest of breaths, and it stirs the hair that's falling into his eyes. "I've never hated you, Silver."

His eyes search hers, their lashes flicking against each other. "Why not?" His voice is just as quiet as hers now.

"Because…" Because of the way you smiled at me in your sleep when we first met, and how sweet you sounded when you thanked me. Because of the way you keep the blanket I gave you with you at all times. Because of how you saved me from Proton. Because of the way you gradually let me see your better side, the one that you try and hide from people.

She's just about to finish when Lance bursts in through the doors, his dragonite beside him. Silver blinks as if waking from a dream, and he jerks away from her as if he's been tazered, whirling around to face the dragon tamer.

"Not you again," Silver hisses as Lance approaches, and tension hummed between the two.

Lance's eyes narrow. "You have no reason to be here. Get out." He leans around Silver to look at Kotone, his voice gentling as he takes in her wide-eyed expression. "Kotone, are you alright? What did he do to you?"

"Nothing," she says instantly, shaking herself. "Nothing, Lance. My cover's blown, that's all."

"What are the two of you talking about?" Silver asks, looking between the two. "What cover?"

"We're infiltrating this base," Lance says sharply. "None of your business. Now get out before we call the police on you."

"Wait." She steps between the two bristling boys and turns to Lance. "What are you talking about? Why would we call the police on Silver?"

"Don't you know?" Lance's voice is weighed down by bitterness. "This boy is a thief. He's stolen a pokemon from Prof. Elm's lab. Not to mention he's the son of Giovanni." His mouth curls in disgust as he gazes at Silver. "Just like your father, aren't you? A liar, a cheat and a thief."

"Silver is none of those things," she bursts out before she can stop herself, and both boys blink at her in shock. "I know what he is. I know what he's done. But he is nothing like his father."

"Kotone," says Silver quietly, "don't."

"No." She waves him down. "It's true. You're not. You never will be." She looks up at Lance. "He's saved my life countless times, Lance, and he has good reasons for stealing that pokemon. Don't call the police on him, and don't just him because of who he's related to."

He stares her down implacably, and then shakes his head. Her heart sinks. "I'm sorry, Kotone, but do you really believe that? I know that you think he's your friend, but he's just using you-"

"Using her?" Silver cuts in. "Using her? You're the one that's using her! Sending her into the Radio Tower, knowing full well that they'll gun her down if they catch her-"

"She knows the risks!" Lance snaps. Kotone has never seen him so worked up. "She volunteered to accompany me on this mission!"

"Stop talking for me!" Kotone shouts. They both stop and look guilty. "I'm right here! And Lance is right, Silver, I do know the risks. And I'm willing to take them. Team Rocket is going down."

"No," Silver growls. "You aren't going in there. There's no way in hell I'm letting you get hurt like that."

"Letting me? No, Silver, you aren't letting me- but I don't care. I'll knock you out of the way if I have to, Silver. I…I care for you…but you don't own me. I make my own decisions." She shot Lance a firm glance. "That goes for you, too. Don't speak for me."

Lance bows his head, having the grace to look remorseful. "I'm sorry for that, Kotone."

"I know." She shuts her eyes briefly before opening them again, her resolve in check. "Alright, Lance. Let's go."

"You aren't going up there," Silver insists.

"Watch me." She moves to walk past him, but he slides in front of her, barring her path.

"I can't-" Silver begins, but breaks off when Lance throws him against the wall. Kotone flinches as the dragon tamer's arms pin Silver, and watches as Silver struggles, starry eyes burning.

"Kotone, go. I'll keep him here to make sure he doesn't interfere," Lance says, his voice like ice water spilling down her back.

"Kotone, don't do this," Silver calls out, twisting in Lance's grasp. "Kotone, please don't."

Knowing what she has to do, she takes a shaky step back.

"Kotone." The raggedness in Silver's voice causes her heart to break, especially after sharing such an intimate moment with him. "Kotone, please. Please. They're ruthless, and not worth getting killed over-"

"I'm sorry," she croaks, backtracking. "I'm sorry, Silver."

"Kotone-"

She turns tail and flees up the stairs.

000

After fighting her way through the Radio Tower, she finds herself making her way to the basement of the warehouse. She hobbles along, the heels of her shoes having broken. Her lipstick has long since faded, leaving her mouth its usual soft pink. Her gloves are shredded. She has long since returned Amp to his pokeball. Each step is filled with tiredness, and every time she blinks she sees Silver's face behind her eyelids, gazing at her with those wide and accusing eyes.

Can't give up now, she thinks, and trudges forward.

She has just made it through the doors when she hears the clattering of steps behind her. She turns, expecting to see a Rocket grunt, but instead finds herself face-to-face with Silver.

"Silver!" she exclaims. "Wh-"

He forces her against the railing, although all she feels is the solidness of his arms around her. Then, with a swoop of his head, he kisses her.

She stiffens before melting in his arms, her own mindlessly reaching up to twine around his neck and draw him closer. She feels her eyes close, and she kisses back, his lips warm and incredibly soft as they move against hers.

After an immeasurable moment she feels him pull back, and her eyes flutter open. He is breathing hard, blood boiling under his cheeks, his lips swollen and his eyes star-bright.

"It took me quite a bit of effort to fight off your dragon tamer," he says, chest heaving. "And about an hour to find you."

"I'm not sorry," she tells him unsteadily, and it's the truth.

"I know." He is obviously displeased. "I expected that."

"So why are you here, Silver?" Speaking his name did strange things to her body, made her want to lean in close and steal another kiss.

"Coming with you, idiot. I told you- I'm not willing to let you get hurt."

She gazes at him, at his serious expression, at the emotion that so feverishly brightens his eyes. Then, with all that Lance said about him circulating in her mind, she mutely extends a hand to him.

He takes it, and the two brave the warehouse together.

~I wonder if the stars regret me,

At least you'll go of your own free will~