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Chapter 10
Silver

"Hey, you!"

Marina whipped around, facing a boy that stormed over to her. His long crimson hair flicked in haste until he stopped not too far away from her, staring her down with his familiar cold expression.

"You're—!" Marina gasped and paused, but blurted out, "You're the boy that stole my Totodile!"

"That's horrible for you to say; you don't even know me," he snapped and narrowed his eyes. "That Totodile was mine all along."

"Mine all along"? Then he really did steal my Pokémon from me!

"What? No it wasn't! Give Wani-Wani back!"

"You expect me to just hand it over? After the trouble I went through to snatch it back from you? Of course I won't!"

"Then why are you here now...? What do you want?" Marina replied, intimidated by his angry tone. Her eyes darted around with her fists clenched. Aside from the boy, no one was around. She was frozen in place. Her heart was wrenched between her initial dash to Professor Elm's laboratory and confronting the thief that had stolen her starter Pokémon.

"I want to battle you," the red-haired Trainer said. "You're probably a weakling too, but I want to check what little competition I have."

"Competition?" Marina shook her head and stood her ground. "I'm not a weakling, and I'll prove it! Sure, let's battle right now!"

I'm sorry, Professor, she apologized in her mind, But you'll have to wait a little longer for both me and the egg.

"Good, at least you're not a coward. The battle will be one-on-one," he now murmured coolly, retrieving a Poké Ball from his jacket pocket.

"Fine with me," responded the girl with a serious frown. She too held her Poké Ball, tightly in anticipation and whatever rushing worries that passed her thoughts.

A small smirk snaked onto his face. "Prepare to lose."

The Trainers then backed away from one another to make room for their Pokémon.

Arriving in New Bark, Kenta headed for Professor Elm's laboratory in a rush. As he approached, the door opened and a man in a blue uniform exited. A golden badge was pinned to his belt, and the common police hat was worn on his head—the sight familiar to Kenta. Watching with concern, the boy continued a little faster as he neared the man.

"Excuse me, what happened?" he asked.

The police officer turned to him and raised his eyebrows. "Oh, Kenta. It isn't good news; Professor Elm was robbed of a few Pokémon. I was just getting some information from him."

"Robbed?! Who did it?"

The man glanced at the notepad he held in his hand. "Apparently, it was a person with long, red hair...That's all I can say for now. Sorry, but I have to leave to report this and see what we can do about chasing them down. Goodbye."

When the policeman walked away, Kenta held himself back from stopping him. He turned to the large building. "Could it be the same guy...?"

The lab was very, very quiet as he entered, causing him to hesitate at the door. He didn't see any sign of Elm's assistant, but he spotted Jackson in the distance and his footsteps echoed as he walked further inside.

"Did you just get here?" Kenta asked. His friend, who seemed to be in deep thought, turned in his direction.

"Yeah, I did. Have you seen Marina?"

"No, not since we split up at the Poké Mart."

"Kenta!" Professor Elm exclaimed gratefully as he walked over to them. "I-I'm so glad both you boys have made it safely."

Kenta turned to him with a hint of grave relief. "Are you alright, Professor?"

"I'm still quite shaken up, but I'll be fine..."

"What happened?" he demanded. Jackson, watching the two, had a somewhat grave expression as he listened to the story he had already heard.

"My assistant and I were working when we heard a loud noise outside," Elm explained, "And when we had our backs turned to go check, a person wearing all black broke through the window with a Murkrow and a Gloom." He pointed to the shattered glass of the window in the miniature library. "The person—I couldn't tell if he was a man or a woman, maybe a woman—used his Pokémon to stop us as he began to steal any Poké Balls we had lying out.

"However, my assistant came in with his own Pokémon and chased them off. He isn't here right now; he's getting treated for the injuries he also got from fighting them off, the brave man."

"...And you're okay?" Kenta asked again slowly.

"Yes, I wasn't hurt." Professor Elm sighed. "Where's Marina? I contacted her soon after I called the both of you."

"Not here yet," responded Jackson soon after. "But I'm sure she's on her way."

"Alone?"

"Um, yeah."

"Besides her Pokémon. Why?" Kenta added.

"Oh no," the stressed man murmured and walked over to the other side of the building. He sat himself down at one of the chairs on the table and the boys followed him with a confused concern.

"What's the matter?" Jackson inquired with a frown.

"She must be... Right now, she might be battling that person," Professor Elm admitted. "The one that stole the Pokémon here."

"What?! Why would she be after Marina?"

"Remember the person that you told me you battled in Cherrygrove City? I'd heard about an elusive red-haired Trainer, a thief who stole Pokémon from vulnerable Trainers... Yet no one knows exactly what he or she looked like and witnesses were unable to specify him or her," Elm explained.

"Wait, but didn't you tell us that he was a rumor?" Kenta doubtfully responded.

"Apparently, he wasn't just a rumor. But taking from what Jackson's told me about the red-haired Trainer you two battled," with a sigh, Elm theorized, "I believe that he's the same person as the woman who broke into my laboratory...This is awful…I shouldn't have…"

"That..." Jackson began, but the sentence shriveled away.

"Professor Elm, that makes no sense," Kenta objected, "I'm sorry Professor, but I think that they're different people."

"Go King!" Marina called out, throwing her Poké Ball to release her Cyndaquil. He popped out of the sphere in an explosion of sparkles, the flames on his back tinting orange as they went ablaze.

"Hino!"

"Why would you give a nickname to a Pokémon?" the boy grumbled the question.

"Because I like to name them," Marina answered.

After a few moments of observing the rare Pokémon, he commented, "If you have feelings for your Pokémon, they only get in the way of a battle. Your Pokémon get weak and hold themselves back because of it. I'll show you how. Totodile!"

"Wani-Wani!" The girl gasped, helplessness taking over as she saw her blue crocodile. She reached out her arms to him. "Come here, Wani-Wani! It's me, Marina!"

The Pokémon glanced around in impatient anticipation, giving a snort upon seeing its previous Trainer.

"What are you doing? Order an attack," he said, wearing his sly sneer. When Marina failed to do so, much to her Pokémon's confusion, he crossed his arms. The Totodile in front of him glanced and seemed to mutter in joy as he mimicked the boy's smug gesture.

At this, Marina's anxious thoughts melted away. She let her arms fall to her sides.

"Wani-Wani...?"

"Do you get what I mean?" the boy asked. "Are you going to give up already?"

"Hinoa!" King barked. Unlike the other timid Cyndaquil she had seen, he appeared fearless. Marina smiled meekly at him, and taking this as his cue, King scampered near Totodile.

Once again, Marina faced the redhead, but with a renewed confidence. "No, I won't! We'll battle you no matter what Pokémon you use! King, Tackle!"

"Fine," the boy replied with a smirk, "Totodile, Scratch!"

The two Pokémon lunged toward one another and collided recklessly. King flinched as claws were smacked across his cheek. But he moved to Tackle again, this time causing Totodile to stumble until the two recovered and glared, raring for more.

"Again, use Tackle, King!"

"Hino!" Nodding, King obediently and readily sprinted toward Totodile, the fire on his back cackling vigorously. But Totodile, catching his Trainer's sharp eyes, opened his jaws wide.

"Idiot," the boy insulted. "You fell for it."

"Why? Long red-hair isn't really a common thing in these parts, you know," Jackson said. The absence of true disagreement lingered in his voice; he probably thought the same as Kenta.

"Just hear me out. First, the person we fought was absolutely a guy." Jackson nodded, and the black-haired Trainer shifted toward the Professor. "But was the burglar you saw really a boy?"

"Well… no, actually." Professor Elm took a moment to collect his scattered thoughts. "Despite all the baggy black clothes he wore…yes, maybe she was a woman."

"Then their Pokémon," Kenta turned back to Jackson, "The boy we saw never had a Gloom or Murkrow, right?"

"Yeah..."

"But you wouldn't know if he never showed those Pokémon," Elm pointed out reasonably. At this, he watched as Kenta looked down in thought.

"...Height."

"Height?"

"What about height? Was she taller than us?" Kenta asked. He still had a somber mood behind his determined expression, the broken window in the corner of his eye reminding him of what had taken place.

"I...she definitely was. If I had to guess, she was at least a young adult."

"Then that proves it," Kenta concluded with a slight smile. "The boy in Cherrygrove was our size and probably around our age... So he and the burglar that broke in here are different people."

The Professor raised his eyebrows, but relaxed.

"Oh I see," he sighed in relief, "Yes, I think you're right. I'm still shaken up by this ordeal; it's hard for me to think straight. I just thought of the red hair and made those connections…"

There was some silence, but the atmosphere seemed to warm up a little.

"You've always had good problem-solving skills." Professor Elm made a tired grin. "And a level head for it. Picked up that trait from your mother…"

Kenta let out a laugh, adjusting the yellow and black hat on his head. "Yeah, I guess."

"Hm. Then do you think there's a relationship between the two red-headed people, Sherlock Holmes?" Jackson asked.

"Ha-ha," Kenta faked a laugh in return.

"They both fit that dark and evil niche, so I wouldn't be surprised," Jackson mused with a meek laugh. He frowned soon after, still bitter over his loss against the red-haired boy.

"But that still worries me," Elm said.

"Why?"

"The boy knew that we got a Pokémon from Professor Elm," Kenta said with a serious glance before the Elm could answer. "He battled us even though he insulted us for being weak. So maybe..."

"He wanted to battle us rookie Trainers?" Jackson asked, wearing a twisted frown. He scratched his head and then gasped. "Then he must be going after Marina to battle her too!"

"...Yes," Professor Elm eventually said. He rested his elbows on the table, looking at his hands with a thoughtful expression. "Though if she battles the red-haired boy, it won't be as bad as that woman."

"It won't be that bad?" Jackson snapped. "When we battled him, he made us all bet one of our Pokémon to the winning Trainer!"

The man's head shot up, looking at his son in alarm. "He took your Pokémon?"

"He didn't," Kenta said. "He was going to, but blew it off saying that it was a bad idea."

"I see." Professor Elm sighed deeply.

"And he said that we were weak, that redheaded jerkface," grumbled Jackson and turned to Elm. "We should go find Marina!"

"No, it's best that the two of you stay here," Elm argued, "Whether she wins or loses, Marina will return safe and sound."

"But what if he makes her bet on her Pokémon—?!"

"By the time you find Marina, if you do, the battle might already be over. And aside from Marina, I'd feel more comfortable if the both of you stayed here. I don't know what to do if that thief decided to come back..."

The two boys stood in frustrated silence, knowing that he was right.

"Water Gun!"

"Wani!" His jaws wide open and ready, Totodile sent dozens of water bullets toward his target. Unable to dodge, King wailed as he was showered in water. He retreated, the fire on his back flickering away. Totodile jumped around ecstatically in a happy, semi-victory dance.

"What? When I got Wani-Wani, he didn't know how to do Water Gun!" Marina exclaimed.

Yet he learned it within two days of being with this guy?

"I'm much better at raising Pokémon than you are. Since it left you, it's gotten stronger," the crimson-haired boy said with a smirk. However, he glared at Totodile's pointless dancing around. "Quit doing that. Now, Bite!"

Glancing at him, Totodile hopped one final time and ran toward King with his jaws wide open. The Cyndaquil evaded and turned to his opponent, who pivoted on the spot and headed toward him again.

"King, use Ember!"

"Rashi!" King barked firmly as the flames on his back burst to life in a flurry of oranges, yellows, and blue-greens.

Marina gasped. "Wow, blue fire!"

Her opponent wasn't nearly as impressed. "Totodile, counter with Water Gun!"

As if in a sudden panic, Totodile quickly sprayed the large water droplets at his opponent. The two attacks collided, forming a beautiful array of azure blue before they began to combine. Both Pokémon, standing close to one another, refused to give in as their attacks hissed and fizzled, causing a thin stream of steamy smoke to grow between them. Soon it blocked both creatures from view. One could barely make out their figures in the steam.

"King!" Marina called, holding one of her hands as she bit her lip. The boy standing across from her folded his arms impatiently the longer the white cloud lingered.

Kenta let out a conflicted sigh. "So, we're just going to wait here?"

"But… Marina could be in danger! You don't know what would happen if she loses!" Jackson cried out, waving his arms around.

"There's still a chance for her to win, Jackson," Professor Elm said. "If she loses, then she loses. There's no need to be worried. The boy you met wasn't the most polite, but he still battled fairly, didn't he?"

"But...!"

"He's ruthless," Kenta joined in though not nearly as desperate. "He used a Nidoking out of nowhere just so he could defeat my Cyndaquil in a single shot, and he could've just used his other Pokémon."

The two final words were spoken after a bit of hesitation; his suspicion of the boy's Totodile being Marina's was wavering. However, another concern was on his mind as he thought of that cold, red-haired Trainer's glaring silver eyes. He made a scowl at the recollection and lowered his gaze.

"To think that Marina is with someone like him alone..."

"Kenta, she'll be fine," reassured the Professor. He frowned as Jackson stubbornly turned away and returned to his leaning position on one of the bookshelves, glowering at the floor.

"I know that. But I can't do anything to help, even if it's just watching the battle... It just ticks me off," Kenta murmured with an underlying anger.

"It ticks me off more!" Jackson added.

There was a sigh from Professor Elm as he adjusted his glasses. He then turned to the window, thinking silently for some time.

"Boys, one day she'll have to learn how to defend herself when no one else can. She can't be protected forever from every bad thing that she comes in contact with."

"Of course she can! As long as we're with her!"

"But what if when either of you are not around to help?"

"That's crazy. We're best friends with her! When are we not around?"

"When the three of you split up the first day of being Pokémon Trainers," Professor Elm said with a mild grin, "And after this, when you all can finally start traveling without any more errands from me."

Jackson continued to glare at the floor, though the intensity lessened. Then, closing his eyes for a moment, he turned to his father with a worried frown. "Marina will come back either way, right?"

"...Yeah," Kenta said with a nod and Professor Elm followed his actions.

"I'm certain of that. All we have to do is wait for her return."

When the smoke cleared, both King and Totodile were still standing with tense anticipation flickering in their eyes. The flames on the Cyndaquil's back had extinguished once more, but he shook his head to air out the moisture that stuck to his fur. Though Totodile looked fairly famished, it hopped up and down and berated his opponent in frustration.

"Wani wanino wani!"

"Hinoa!" King rebuked with a smirk. His fire again came alive, though the presence of the blue flames was far less prominent.

The boy glared at his Pokémon. "Totodile, finish it off. Water Gun!"

"Wani!" Leaping again, Totodile jetted another stream of water balls from his throat.

"King, try another Ember!"

The Cyndaquil stayed where he was, facing the attack head on while taking a prepared and guarded stance. He cried aloud as the flames on his back snarled fiercely, and for a brief moment it was engulfed in hazel hues before reverting to the gallant crimson-orange. They swallowed King's figure and evaporated the water that pelted him as King went on all fours to lunge toward his enemy.

"Wani!" Totodile shrieked as King nailed into him. Shoving him to the ground, the fire entangling King's figure vanished as he watched Totodile fall back unconscious.

There was an intense moment of disbelief from both Trainers, but Marina was the first to react.

"Wow...We... We won, King!" Marina cried out.

"Rashi!" The Cyndaquil turned and ran to Marina, who opened her arms to hug him. His warm body filled her with warmth. The girl spun and petted him in glee.

"What kind of attack was that?" she asked. "That wasn't Ember."

"Hino," King replied with a fatigued sigh.

"Humph, are you happy you won?" the red-haired Trainer grumbled. He recalled the fallen Totodile, glaring at his Poké Ball for a moment.

"Yeah, I guess." Marina paused with a glance at the ball as well, her smile fading a little. "I'm Marina. Who are you?"

The boy hesitated.

"My name is Silver," he introduced curtly and turned around, walking away as he had before. But he suddenly came to a halt after a few steps, his crimson locks flipping at his shoulders.

"I can't believe I even let myself be defeated by the likes of you," he growled, "You're not suited to be a Pokémon Trainer like I am."

"Well, why not?" Marina asked. "I studied really hard to pass the test and get my Trainer's license; I earned my starter Pokémon. But you… you stole it from me!"

"Humph," Silver let out a rough sigh again. "You don't understand anything. Forget that; you're too naïve, so much that I almost pity you. It's pathetic."

"Naïve? ...How am I naïve?" With a concerned glance at King, Marina watched Silver as he crossed his arms without looking back at her.

"Being a Pokémon Trainer isn't about traveling. Trainers go through grueling challenges, and battles get violent. Stay the way you are and you'll break when you least expect it.

"I'm not the type to give advice to weaklings, but I will just this once: shape up or quit." His steely-gray eyes glared at her. "Your Pokémon may try to get strong, but you don't have any potential. You're just a fool."

Marina broke eye contact with him as the words stung her heart. The grip she had on King's fur tightened while she narrowed her eyes in thought.

King barked angrily, sensing the meaning of the boy's callous remarks.

"But..." Marina looked back up and exclaimed, "I'm not a fool! Being a Trainer isn't all about battling, it's about bonding with your Pokémon!"

Silver narrowed his eyes and looked away, retreating without another glance.

A somber expression on her face, Marina watched after him for a few moments, but swiftly turned away toward Route 29 once more.

Marina's Pokémon:
King the Cyndaquil
Nana the Sentret
Tata the Rattata
Kenya the Spearow
Phany the Phanpy