•Kanto Ops HQ, Viridian City, Kanto•
•March 5th, Early Morning•
•Amber (Wolfe Alias) POV•
Chapter Forty-Five
You've Got to Start Somewhere
Silver insisted on wheeling me around, so I swallowed my pride and let him do just that. I had to direct him where to go, since he didn't know the layout of the place too well. Lots of people kept staring at us—at him—as we passed.
"Why is everyone staring at me?" He asked.
"Because we are the Ops, and everyone here knows who you are. Most of us don't trust you for the simple fact that you are the son of Ariana and Giovanni." I explained.
"And you? Are you one of those people who already has a pre-determined prejudice against me?" I could tell he was bristling. He had trouble outrunning his bloodline his whole life.
"Pftt. Please, Silver. I thought you would have caught on by now. I'm the type that decides things for myself. And I've seen your hatred for Team Rocket firsthand. You may be misguided, but you're on our side." I reassured.
"I see." He sounded pensive.
Locating the person in charge of housing was turning out to be a wild goose chase since no one in particular seemed to be in charge of housing arrangements. As Silver pushed me past the hospital wing's reception area for the third time, I spied Darrius and yelled out, "Hey! Boss man! Mind lending me some time?"
At that, he turned around—apparently he had been reading a music magazine—grinned, and walked over. "Well, well. Look who's out of the hospital. I'm glad to see you two are working together."
I glared at Darrius. "Spare me your 'I told you so's,' okay?"
He laughed. "Ah, Wolfe. You have such a big ego at times."
"As do you, D," I grinned back.
"Anyway, what do you want this time?" Darrius chuckled fondly.
I smirked. "Knew I'd demand something, huh?"
"You're always demanding something, Wolfe. Ever since you came to the station from Johto earlier this week. What's your point?"
"Gah. Fine. You got me, there. Anyway, who's in charge of the housing? There's no way I'm rooming up with Silver," I glared at Darrius.
"Really now? And just who is going to help you out as you recover? You know, I could have you sent back to the hospital until you're able to walk," he taunted.
"Come on, Darrius! My quarters are small enough as it is! Where the hell am I supposed to fit HIM? Can't you get him something?" I begged.
"Silver, what is your say in all of this?" Asked Darrius.
Silver, who was silently watching, took a few moments before responding. "Well, I wouldn't mind having my own place. But if I'm supposed to have a roommate, I'd rather room with Wolfe."
That got a shocked expression from my face, I was certain. "What?! You've got to be joking!"
"Hmm, I see. Well, since the Ops are growing, we do have a new rooming policy. Almost everyone has a roommate. In fact, I was going to give you a roommate eventually, anyway, Wolfe. So, it's settled. I can trust you two to behave together. Silver, you'll be staying with Wolfe." Darrius decided with finality.
"Aww. C'mon, D! Isn't there some kind of policy forbidding guys and girls rooming together?!" I was looking for loopholes.
"What's wrong, Wolfe? Scared I might do something to you while you're vulnerable?" Silver taunted.
I jerked my wheelchair away from him, wheeled it to face him, and kicked him as best I could with my left leg. I wished it would have been more spectacular, but really I didn't do much damage at all.
"Don't even think about messing with me, Silver! I swear. I'll—"
"—You'll what? I was just joking, sheesh. I hate you, remember? Besides, I'm not a pig, thank you. I know better than most about personal space." Silver shook his head.
"Just keep this in mind, Silv. You so much as look at me the wrong way, I'll pull out every strand of your red hair, piece by piece with as much force that your head will bleed. Then, I'll kick you so hard, you'll never be able to have children. Understood?" I knew that he wouldn't have done anything, but I wanted to make my point very clear, anyway.
"Whatever. Understood. I get it. She sure is violent," he stated to Darrius.
Darrius just laughed. "That's Wolfe for you. She's very defensive," he patted me on the head like a little puppy, at which I glared at him. "You'll find her more than a handful, but I'm sure you'll take good care of my prized agent for me, right?"
"I remember our deal." Silver nodded seriously.
"Deal? Wait. I've been hearing about this deal stuff for a while now. It involves me, so I think I have the right to know." I barged in.
Silver looked at Darrius while Darrius sighed. "I guess I should tell you, Wolfe. I don't want you being rebellious just to pry the deal's information from me, after all."
I smirked triumphantly.
"While you were sleeping the other day, I had a one-on-one talk with Silver. The conditions were that he'd team up with you, take care of you, watch your back and be your assistant, and I'd personally track down the person who killed Amber, myself." Darrius explained.
"I see," I raised an eyebrow.
Uh, Darrius, that's pretty much using him, don't you think?
"I suppose it'd be a good lead if the death of Amber led to Johto. Keep me informed as well, if you don't mind." I had to reply neutrally.
"Of course, Agent Wolfe." Darrius nodded.
I sighed. "Well, that explains why I can't seem to get rid of Silver, now. Guess I'll just have to deal with him."
Darrius grinned. "Glad you realized that. Silver, until Wolfe is back at 100%, I hereby leave you in charge of her personal wellbeing. That means if she tries to get up and walk and isn't healed enough, you have authority over her to stop her. And trust me, she's a handful. Reminds me a bit of an old friend."
I rolled my eyes. "Great. Now you two are teaming up against me."
"Oh yeah, D, maybe it's best I don't take any pain meds." I added swiftly.
Darrius looked pensive for a moment, as though he didn't realize what pain meds sometimes did to me. "Hmm, well, I don't really see any problem with you taking low doses. I know you got out of that bed before you were ready. It's a miracle they let you into a wheelchair."
"I can see the pain in your eyes, which by the way, need to be covered up before you head back to Johto. You're fine for now at HQ. And since Silver's already seen them, there's no point, anyway, at this point." He added.
I groaned. "Damn you, D. Fine. I'll take low doses. It does hurt a bit, but it's nothing I can't tolerate," I grinned. "I guess Silver doesn't make too bad of a partner, I owe him one for that."
At that, Silver smirked as he retook the handles to my wheelchair.
"Well, now that that's settled, Silver, take her to your joint quarters and make certain she rests. And make sure she takes her pain meds, got it?" Darrius instructed.
"Sure, no problem. Come on, Teach. Let's go to our room." Silver started to wheel me away.
I glared at Darrius. "You'll regret making me room with him, yet, D." I warned as I was taken away. I saw that Darrius was laughing fondly.
"You owe me, huh? I thought you didn't believe in being indebted to people," Silver noted as he wheeled me along.
I groaned. "I don't. It was a slip of the tongue, nothing more. While I appreciate you covering for me, and I certainly don't understand your ulterior motives for it, I won't think of it as a favor from you to me since I didn't ask for it."
"Whatever," he replied with a rather satisfied-looking smirk.
Once we got to my—our—quarters, Silver wheeled me inside. The quarters were divided into a few small rooms: a small living room with a single loveseat, coffee table, and television, a small bedroom with a queen-sized bed and closet, a single bathroom, and a kitchen area with a microwave and small refrigerator.
"Ah, no place like home," I was actually glad to be back in my familiar surroundings.
The place was a bit of a mess since I never actually cleaned up from the time I was a student in the Ops. Therefore, I had all sorts of papers and things lying around in the living room.
"Looks like a tornado struck this place," Silver commented.
"Err, well, I didn't have time to clean up, sorry." I mumbled.
"No matter. I suppose I'll live in the living room." He sighed.
"Sure." That was acceptable to me.
He wheeled me into my bedroom. The bed took up most of the room even though it was situated along the back wall. Silver parked the chair in the corner of the room and picked me up out of it.
I glared at him. "I can try walking, you know."
"And risk reopening your wound? Darrius was right. You are stubborn. Hmph. I'm in charge of your wellbeing, so don't even bother complaining." He brushed me off.
"You're cruel," I retorted as he put me in my bed and covered me with my blankets. "Great, I move from one bed so I can lay down in a more cozy one… How lovely." I groaned.
"Stop complaining. It's a step up. I'm supposed to give you your pain medicine, and then I want you to sleep. The more you sleep, the more you'll recover and the less I'll have to take care of you. Got it, Teach?" Silver was already laying down the law.
"Yes, Dr. Silv," I replied snarkily.
He smirked as he looked at the table beside my bed for the medicine. He opened the bottle and handed me a tablet. I swallowed it without drinking any water. "There, now get some rest. I'll clean up the place."
"You're not my maid," I replied.
"I know. I can't live in filth, sorry. I'm doing it for myself. I'll put your junk in your room. When you're better, you can do with it as you like." He shrugged.
"Fine," I closed my eyes and relaxed a little.
I heard Silver walk out the room. A few moments later, I was within the clutches of another dream. At first, it was dark—very dark. I heard nothing, felt nothing, saw nothing. I didn't know where I was. I felt so alone, so small, so insignificant.
Suddenly a voice emerged from the depths of the silence. "Are you sure she's the one?"
I didn't know what was going on, but I had a feeling that the voice was talking about me. It was a familiar voice, one I hadn't heard in some time. It was a woman with a harsh, yet commanding tone. Suddenly, a dim light illuminated the area. I didn't realize that I had been walking.
I heard my footsteps echo, as though I were in a stone corridor. The lights in the distance seemed to be from that of candles, which sure enough, were located in holders along a stone corridor. I approached the lights and continued walking. The woman's voice became louder and louder.
I don't…remember this. I guess this is a dream?
I finally emerged into a large stone room. It, too, was lit by multiple candles. The owner of the voice faced me. She seemed to tower over me. In the dim light, I could make out crimson hair, which draped down her shoulders and parted to the left. She had fierce, crimson eyes that studied me. She wore a black, long-sleeved shirt with matching black pants. Her face was neutral, but I could tell she was looking me over.
By the woman's side was a boy, who looked around my height and around the age of I guessed thirteen. He had pale, maybe brown hair, light brown eyes with thick-rimmed black glasses that seemed too big for him, and a kind, almost scared expression on his face. He wore a small lab coat over a white shirt and some white dress pants. I stopped in front of both of them and looked up at the woman.
"So, are you the girl named Amber?" Asked the woman in an amused tone.
"Yes, I am," I replied boldly. I realized I must've been my ten-year-old self again.
The woman chuckled. "So bold. I like that in you, youngster. I have a son about your age. My name is Ariana. I will be your boss. I heard from some of the other grunts that you are our youngest recruit. Why did you want to join Team Rocket?"
"I want to become stronger. I want to learn. I was told that Team Rocket held opportunities for me." I replied confidently.
"I see. So you joined Team Rocket to see what it could do for you?" Her eyes narrowed.
"Yes." I nodded.
She smirked. "I like your attitude. Most join Team Rocket to see what they can do for us. Such devout, blind devotion is foolish. One must have ambition in order to rise to greatness. All right, Amber, I've decided. Would you like to make a contract with me?"
Suddenly, the room faded, and I was outside. It was a beautiful day; there were a few wispy clouds in the sky and the air held a gentle breeze.
What was that? Where am I now?
Suddenly, I heard running. I realized that I was on the route to Mt. Moon, which was bordered by rocky canyons. I moved to the side just in time before being run down by a red flash.
I heard a labored panting as another something was in hot pursuit. It was a girl who looked familiar. She was chasing a Charmeleon. The red, bipedal lizard-like pokemon stopped in front of the girl and taunted by swinging its tail around, which caused the girl to jump back, startled. Tears were streaming down the girl's cheeks.
This can't be!
"Charry! Come back! Please! You're my Pokémon! We're a team, remember!" The young girl wailed as the Charmeleon slashed at her.
This is…me. The day after I got Charry. She evolved and ran away. And I joined Team Rocket.
My instincts took over as I jumped in the way to protect the younger me. It was as if I were invisible, however, since the younger me fell back in fright but luckily wasn't injured.
"Charry! Please! Get a hold of yourself! Return, now!" The young girl tried to return the rebellious Pokémon to its pokeball, but instead, the Pokémon fired a Flamethrower near the girl, set off a Smokescreen, and ran off into the depths of the caves of Mt. Moon.
The younger me was crying and coughing at the smoke as she regained her feet. Her beautiful trainer clothes were ruined.
A man's voice startled her as he approached. "A trainer, huh?"
"Y-Yes sir!" She replied in a shaken voice as she tried to stop the tears.
"Looks to me like you need seasoning. Was that your Pokémon that ran away?" He asked as he approached.
"Y-yes sir! Charry was my first Pokémon. I got her yesterday, but she evolved. She wouldn't go back to her pokeball, and she ran away, and it's all my fault!" She started crying again.
I just watched in awe at my ten-year old self.
"Hmm, I see. Look, kid. Have you ever heard of Team Rocket?" The guy had odd purple hair and noticeably bad posture, as if he were constantly slumped with his hands in his pockets. His face showed true concern for me, however.
"Team Rocket? What's that?" Younger me asked cluelessly.
"We're an organization." The man gave a vague answer.
"Huh? What kind of organization?" The girl asked.
"An organization for Pokémon. You see, we handle Pokémon all the time. I bet if you joined, you could learn to be a better trainer. We'll even give you your own Pokémon to start with. Most of the applicants get a Rattata or Zubat, but it's still better than nothing. What do you say?" He offered.
"I-I can be a better trainer if I join?" The girl seemed curious.
"That's the basics." He nodded.
"Um, okay… And one day, when I'm stronger, I'll find Charry and get her back." My younger self seemed determined.
The guy ruffled my hair. "I like that answer. Welcome aboard. Come with me to Mt. Moon."
Suddenly, the scene faded, and I was inside of Mt. Moon. It was dim thanks to the fact that it was a cave, but we had plenty of lights strung up so we could see. I was standing in a line—at least my ten-year-old self was.
"Applicant number Alpha 5, please step this way." A voice called over an intercom.
My younger self approached a desk inside of the cave and sat. A stern-looking man with blackish hair that had a bluish hint in the cave's lighting looked at me as I sat. My younger self sat at attention in the chair.
"Hmm, according to this, your name is Amber, correct?" He asked seriously.
"Yes sir."
"Age ten?"
"Yes sir."
"You do realize that you usually have to be fifteen or older to join Team Rocket, right?" He asked with a raised brow.
"No, sir. I was asked to join by some man with purple hair." My younger self explained.
"I see. Well, normally, I'd decline your application, but you made the highest marks in the entrance examination. So, here's my final question to you: Why do you want to join Team Rocket?" He asked to the point.
"To learn. To become stronger. I believe it'll benefit me."
"I see. You pass." He handed me a pokeball. "Here is your new Pokémon. It's a Nidoran Male. Whether you take care of it or not is your concern. Next!" My younger self stared at the pokeball with the small, pink, rabbit-like form inside.
Suddenly, I was back in the room with Ariana and the boy with the glasses.
"Contract?" I asked.
"Yes. A contract. You appear to be a very special girl, Amber. We could use you on our research team. If you help us, we'll help you learn. But, if you ever fail to keep your part of the contract, then our deal is off. Understood?" Ariana asked rather business-like.
"Yes."
"Good. Now, Amber, your Pokémon there, it's a Nidoran Male, correct?" She was already to business, it seemed.
"Yes. King is a Nidoran." My younger self nodded.
"Our first test is a procedure to evolve Pokémon without needing to battle them. You and our other special recruit, Dexter, will be working on this project. Manage to find a solution, and I'll let you both in on our actual research, understood?" She asked calmly.
"Yes."
"By the way, address me as Lady Ariana. I am your boss, after all." She added.
"Yes, Lady Ariana." My younger self nodded obediently.
"That's better." She smirked.
Silver definitely got his smirk from his mother... I mused idly as I observed this strange dream.
With that, Ariana strode down the corridor and left my sight. A few moments later, my world was shaking.
"Damn it, Wolfe! Wake up!" Silver was shaking me to the point where the pain woke me. I blinked at him in surprise.
"What the hell, Silver?!" I hissed in pain and surprise.
He had a puzzled expression on his face. I couldn't tell if he wanted it to turn into a look of malice or a look of sheer confusion. "You like to talk in your sleep, don't you?" He finally stated.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked cluelessly.
"Do you have any clue what you said this time?" He asked with a note of disbelief.
"Uh, no?"
"You said 'Yes, Lady Ariana'." He accused coldly.
"And?" I asked confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I don't know. You tell me. After all, Ariana is my mother. You seemed to be speaking to her, and you showed her respect. Doesn't sound like something a Kanto Op would do." He pointed out accusationally.
I groaned. "Just drop it. Won't you, Silver? I've never even met your mother before. I don't know what I was dreaming just now. Medicine has a way of screwing with my brain, okay? Just ignore it."
I yawned. "Besides, shouldn't my last two occurrences be proof enough that what I spout is just rubbish?"
He looked at me seriously. "Listen, Wolfe. I don't know what you're planning or playing at, but if I find out that you're guilty of foul play, I'll kill you myself."
"Big words coming from my caregiver. Why don't you go ahead and kill me right now, then? If you're so suspicious of me. Do it while I'm at my weakest. You can even say that I stubbornly did something to reopen the wound and bled out when you were out of the room. So, what's keeping you?" I taunted.
I was going on the one bet that Silver was still himself at heart.
He looked at me with a serious expression. "Why do you keep telling me to kill you? Do you have a death wish, stubborn girl?"
I smirked. "No. I don't. I just wanted to see where your loyalties lie. If I saw malice in your eyes for even an instant, I would have had you thrown back into a cell."
"You're harmless. Therefore, I can trust you as a teammate. I'll trust you to have my back, Silver. Don't thrust a knife into it when I'm not looking, okay?" I added.
"What are you even talking about?" I was pretty certain I had him confused.
"Nevermind. Just forget it. Let me get back to sleep, alright?" I sighed.
"Fine. Whatever." I heard him walk out again.
It took some time, but once more, I was off into another dream.
Why must meds always give me such vivid dreams?
It was another beautiful day, though it was a bit hot. I seemed to be in a field, which was bordered by a forest. I was on an incline, and I was headed uphill. When I reached my destination, I saw a large building, which led to a gargantuan stadium. On the outskirts was a beautiful park with concession stands. A lovely fountain was in the middle of the entrance walkway to the building.
Can this be? The Indigo Plateau?
I realized that I was my sixteen-year-old self in the dream, but it was definitely a dream from my past, so my only independent actions were my thoughts. I ran to the large building, entered, and waited in line. When it was my turn, I handed over my badge case and received confirmation for my registration of the Tri-Annual Kanto Indigo League Tournament. From there, I went outside into the park.
"Amber!! Hey, Amber! Over here!" I heard my mother's voice and saw her waving at me. My father was with her. I approached.
"Hey, Mom and Dad! Why are you here?"
"Like we'd miss your big battles. You're already a celebrity, kiddo," Dad grinned.
"Wow! You got off work just to come see me battle?!" I asked my dad excitedly.
"Yup." He smiled and nodded.
From behind Dad emerged Pepper, my pet Glameow-Umbreon hybrid, who jumped into my arms with a happy, "Nyao!"
I laughed. "So you brought Pepper, huh?"
"Of course. He wanted to tag along, too," Mom explained.
"Oh yeah, kiddo. I got you a little gift," Dad held out a pokeball to me. Inside was a form I had never seen before at the time.
"Wow! A new Pokémon?!" I took the pokeball with awe.
"Yup. It's from the Johto region. It's a Ground/Rock-Type called Larvitar." Dad explained.
I stared at the form inside of the pokeball, which stared curiously back at me. "Awesome! Come out, Larvitar!"
The form appeared before my eyes. It was an interesting looking Pokémon. It was small and bipedal. It appeared to be a bit greenish in color with a scarlet diamond-shaped pendant on its chest. It had a fin-like protrusion on the top of its head, and its tail reminded me of a formation of circular rocks. It had black markings above its yellow eyes.
"Larvitar!" The Pokémon cried in a young, chipper voice. It looked me over carefully.
"I thought you might like a new trump card for your big battles." Dad grinned proudly.
"Trump card?" I asked skeptically.
"Yeah. That Larvitar may not look it, but it's already at a high level. Thing is, it refuses to evolve on its own. I think with a good trainer, you'll have a powerhouse." He explained.
"It can evolve?"
"Yep. Its next stage is called a Pupitar. As the name suggests, it's just the pupae stage of evolution. The final stage is known as Tyranitar. Some people call Tyranitar the tyrant king of the mountains. It's a Dark/Rock-Type. It's so strong, that whenever it's called into battle, a raging sandstorm follows it. But that little Larvitar of yours, he sure is cute, isn't he?" Dad commented with a grin.
"Wow. That sounds pretty cool. So, you're a boy, huh, Larvitar?" I addressed the Pokémon.
"Tar?"
"I know. I'll call you Brutus. Although I won't force you to evolve, some day maybe you will. I'm sure you can live up to your name just fine." I smiled at the Pokémon, who smiled back.
"Well, sweetie, I suppose we'll be going to our hotel. We'll see you around," Dad said.
"Take care, Ammby!" Mom called after him as they left. Pepper jumped out of my arms and followed them as well.
"Hey, Brutus, want to go for a walk in the park?" I asked my new Pokémon, who accepted.
I walked along and saw many different people and various Pokémon that accompanied them. At some point, I looked down to realize that my Pokémon companion was no longer with me.
"Brutus? Hey! Brutus! Where'd you run off to?" I asked in a startled voice.
I had been so absorbed in the different people who'd be competing, I didn't realize my Pokémon took off.
At that point, I called out my Pokémon that I had on hand. "Come out! Everyone!"
All six of my Pokémon lined up. Charry, my Charizard, was the first in line. She appeared with a roar. My Jolteon, Blitz, was next. He sat at Charry's feet. Next to appear was my special Pidgeot with the blue head feathers, Pigeon, who screeched as he soared about my head. Appearing near Charry was my Repede, who sat and wagged his tail. Gallop appeared next to Repede. And finally, was my Vaporeon, Cerulean, who waved his mermaid-like tail at me.
"Guys, we have a new Pokémon friend, but he's missing."
They all looked at me attentively. I pulled out my Pokedex and showed them the picture of a Larvitar.
"That's Brutus; he's a Larvitar. Everyone, split up and look for him. Pigeon, circle the perimeter from high above. Blitz, I want you searching the lower areas since you're around Brutus' size. Repede and Gallop, race around and ask other Pokémon if they've seen him. Cerulean, take the water and ask Pokémon there if they've seen him, and search along the fountains and such. Charry, we'll search this place from the air. Got it, guys?" I instructed to everyone.
All of my Pokémon nodded in understanding.
"Alright, let's go!"
Everyone was off as I jumped onto Charry's back. She took off with a start as we flew around. I knew that in reality, hours had passed, but the dream seemed to speed things up.
Before I knew it, I was on the ground again in front of the main fountain. The only Pokémon that hadn't returned was Pigeon. I recalled everyone except for Charry. Pigeon then soared by with a shriek as he landed next to me.
"You've found him?!"
"Pidgeot!" Cried the bird in a screech-like voice.
"Alright, take me there!" I jumped onto Pigeon's back, and Charry followed from behind.
Pigeon circled in closer to the ground. I jumped off as I spotted Brutus, who was playing with some strange dark-colored Pokémon, which at the time I didn't know was a Sneasel.
"Brutus! We've been looking everywhere for you!" I hit the ground running.
I recalled Pigeon, and Charry landed nearby with a solid thud as her massive hind legs met the earth. The Larvitar looked at me and back to Sneasel. Then, Sneasel touched Brutus before Brutus began running after Sneasel. Both Pokémon were laughing.
"Oh, so you're the owner of that Larvitar," a harsh male voice commented.
I noted that it belonged to a rather peculiar looking boy. He had medium-length bright red hair that had unruly bangs parted to the right. His face was somewhat menacing, and his crimson eyes looked at me judgmentally. He wore a black jacket, which I found odd at the time since it was summer, after all. He wore black jeans to match. He cast an aura of that of a loner. He seemed like the type that didn't have many friends, though I wasn't certain at the time.
"Yeah. I've been looking all over for him!" I ran over to the guy with a grin on my face.
The guy towered over me, and he seemed to be looking down at me as he stood there with his arms crossed.
"Is that your Pokémon playing with him?" I asked.
"Yes it is. That's Sneasel."
"I see. I've never seen a Sneasel before."
"Most people from Kanto haven't." The boy nodded calmly.
"Well, thanks!" I smiled warmly.
"Huh?" That caught him off guard, and his tone showed it.
"Brutus really seems to be having a great time. Thanks for taking care of my Pokémon for me. It's nice he's found a friend," I replied casually.
"Oh, yeah, sorry to be so rude. My name's Amber. And that Charizard there is Charry," I grinned as Charry gave a snort.
The guy looked at me with a bewildered expression as I offered my hand for a handshake.
"Mine's Silver..." He replied as he shook my hand. I was certain at the time he was suspicious of me.
I sat down by the fountain where Silver was standing. "So, you're Silver, huh? Pleased to meet you! Are you entered into the tournament, too?"
"Yeah. Though I suppose it'll be tough." He trailed off.
"That's the fun of it! I love battling tough trainers. I figure that it'll make me stronger no matter what the outcome. I can always learn from it, you know?" I grinned amiably.
"Yes. I suppose you're right. Sneasel and I have been training hard for this for a while."
"So have Charry and I—and all my other Pokémon friends. We all resolved to give it our best." I grinned.
"I see. I wish you the best of luck." He nodded.
"You, too. I bet you're an awesome trainer. I hope we get the chance to battle out there. I think it'd be fun," I winked.
"Yeah. I'm sure it'd be interesting." He looked nervous.
"Hey, what's wrong? I'm not upsetting you or anything, am I?" I asked curiously.
"Huh? No. You're not. I'm just surprised you're talking to me." He eyed me almost curiously.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I tilted my head in confusion.
"Oh. Nothing. I just don't really have any friends..." He sounded kinda lonely but used to it, I noted.
"Oh," I replied in a bit of a depressed voice. "How come?"
"They all think I'm a bad person, I suppose." He shrugged.
"You don't seem like a bad person to me," I grinned.
"Really?" His eyes were wide, and he let his arms drop to his side. He ended up sitting next to me at the fountain.
"Yeah, really. You seem like a pretty cool guy to me, Silver." I smiled warmly.
"Th-Thanks. You're really kind." He said quietly.
"Nah. I don't know about being really kind, though I try. I believe that everyone should try to get along and be friends. I know it's not possible for everyone to get along because everyone is different. But if we could all respect each other, just think how much better the world would be…" I said idealistically.
"Hmm, I never thought of that before. That's an interesting philosophy you've got there." I saw the faintest smile tug at the corner of his lips.
"Thanks," I giggled.
I continued to watch as Brutus and Sneasel played tag for some time, kicking my dangling feet as I did so. Finally, the sun was setting, so Sneasel and Brutus returned to us. Sneasel eyed me suspiciously from his trainer's side.
"Well, I guess I'll be going now. It was nice chatting with you, Amber." Silver turned to leave as Sneasel hopped on his shoulder.
"Wait! Silver!" I called after him. He turned to look at me as I approached him.
"What's up?"
"Let's be friends, okay?" I offered kindly.
"Y-you're sure? We only just met... I'll probably be a rotten friend," he said quietly as he averted his gaze.
"Nonsense! I think you're a nice person, even if we just met today. I'll be your friend, Silver. After all, you gotta start somewhere, right?" I grinned, causing him to look at me once more.
The eighteen-year old Silver of the present day woke me up as he spoke from my bedside, "Yeah…You've got to start somewhere…"
I awoke with a start and sat up. I winced as a world of pain tore me into consciousness. My sudden movement must have startled Silver as well. I glared at him despite the pain. "Don't tell me I was talking again. And you were listening?!"
Silver smirked. "Yes, I was listening. It's interesting. It's like you're living out memories: my memories. Why is that?"
I groaned. "Don't tell me I was speaking full conversations or something."
"You weren't, but you did happen to say one thing to me… Something Amber told me the day we became friends at the Indigo League."
Ugh. At this rate I'll blow my cover for real. No more pain meds. I'll fake taking them if I have to. I can't have any more dreams with him around. What if I tell him straight up I'm Amber while I'm asleep?!
"Hmm interesting. Perhaps it was just coincidence." I tried to act cool.
He smirked. "Right, coincidence. Wolfe, what are you really holding back from me? Who are you? Why do you know so much of my personal business? Why are you quoting things verbatim in your sleep when you weren't there? Why did you say my mother's name in your sleep before that. And, why'd you cry when you said my name that one time in the hospital. I want answers, and I want them now!" He was firing questions in rapid succession at me.
I groaned. "I already told you all I need to tell you."
"Not good enough. You're leaving something big out. I don't know what it is, but I'll find out. And so help you, when I do, you'll regret not telling me from the get-go." He warned angrily.
"Is that a threat, Silver?" I challenged.
"It's a promise. I don't like being lied to. And you're a liar. I'm making my own judgments, here. You're a liar and a scoundrel." He growled.
"But, you are my teacher, and you're my teammate, so despite that, I'll put up with you. But, just be warned: I'm going to find out who you are. Hear me?" He added.
"Yeah, yeah. Same old song and dance. What's new? You hate me; you think I'm a liar; you want to find out who I am since you won't believe anything I tell you, anyway. What's the point?! I could be telling you the truth, and you still wouldn't believe it. But, that's all right because you're coming to your own conclusions. Whatever, Silver." I snorted angrily.
"Maybe if you'd give me more information, I wouldn't think that everything is a lie, now would I? Who are you, Wolfe? I'm your teammate. I have a right to know!" He said just as heatedly.
"Darrius doesn't want you to know. Ever thought of that?" I shot back.
"Couldn't you just keep it a secret from him? You already seem to be keeping so many secrets as it is, what's one more to you?" He spat back.
I smirked. "Oh, really? Think I'm going to lie to my boss and get my ass in trouble for your cheap sake?! You're sadly mistaken. You're not that important to me." I felt my face flush in frustration.
"Oh, I didn't know I was important to you at all." He retorted with crossed arms.
"You're my teammate. That gives you some importance. I'll be relying on you, Silver. Whether I'll want to or not, I'll be relying on you. So yes, you are important for my mission." I harrumphed.
"Yes, but what about to you? You said I was important to you." His crimson eyes bored into mine.
"I was talking about our mission—nothing more. Quit reading into things. What? You want me to think of you as more than a teammate? You want me to be your friend?" I smirked.
"Hmph. Whatever. As if I'd ever be friends with a liar like you. I'll keep analyzing you until I figure out who you are. And then, maybe I will tell Darrius as a little revenge on you," he smirked.
"You wouldn't dare." I hissed.
If he did that, my life would be over… Though at the same time, if he knew I were me, I wondered if he'd risk getting me in trouble.
"Try me." He dared.
"Gah. Damn it, Silver! Fine! You want the truth?! You want to know who I am?!" I asked heatedly. On top of my lingering pain from my wounds despite the pain meds, I was getting a massive headache.
Method to the madness. Best way to clear my name from his list is to suggest it as one so he'll think it's a lie. I'm betting on the way Silver thinks here, and it'll probably make him hate me, but here goes.
"That's what I have been saying, hasn't it?" He looked at me expectantly.
"Fine, Silv. I'll tell you who I am. I'm Amber. There. Happy now?" I smirked feeling my stomach drop at saying the truth out loud.
The way he recoiled from me actually kind of hurt me a little, though I was expecting some sort of reaction. His face was that of absolute shock, which turned into confusion, which turned into something I couldn't read.
"Well. Say something. Or did I finally shut you up?" I asked with a somewhat amused expression on my face covering my nerves.
"Hmph. Only proves how much of a liar you are. A despicable liar at that. What'd you think you'd accomplish by telling me that sort of nonsense? I know better than anyone that Amber is dead. Or did you forget that I found her body? Just goes to show that I can't trust you. You're so pathetic, Wolfe." I thought I actually saw hatred in his eyes.
I smirked. "Well, you wanted an answer. I gave you one. It's up to you whether you want to believe it or not. Ask yourself this, though. If I were someone else, do you think I'd know as much as I do?"
What are you doing, Amber?! He can't think it's you! You want him to be in disbelief!
Silver smirked back. "Tell me this then, would-be Amber: if you were who you said you were, how would you be alive right now? And why would you have put me through all the hell I've been through for the past two years?"
He shook his head. "No. You're not Amber. Amber was a better friend than you could have imagined. She would have fought Team Rocket alongside me, not have hidden behind a mask. Amber was bold and just. Wolfe, you really are nothing more than a wolf. A despicable liar, who one day, I'll find out the real identity to."
"Whatever. Get out of my room and let me sleep now, will you? All this arguing is making me tired." I felt so drained and sad; I knew I couldn't keep my composure in front of him much longer.
"Fine." With that, he stormed out and slammed my door.
It was then that I freely let the tears flow.
Thanks, Silv. You know how to make someone feel crappy. And it was all the truth… I really am nothing more than a liar to you. And I put you through hell.
No matter how close physically we may be, we'll never be close friends again, will we? I really am nothing more than a wolf who is set on devouring her own best friend…
Silver, I swear, as long as I call myself Amber, even if it's in secret, I'll try to understand. I know a lot of it is show for my part, though I do get emotionally tangled up, but I'll try, for your sake, to understand what you've been through. And one day, I'll explain it all to you. Even if I have to hold you down. I want you to know the truth—the full truth. You hold me up too high, friend. I really am just running and hiding behind a mask. I'm so sorry, Silv…
With that, I silently cried until I fell back asleep.