Frontier Town Frontier Town Outskirts

[Cresselia92]

Silver’s smile swiftly turned upside-down and his claws dug into his arms. “…It could’ve gone better.”

Understatement of the week. A soft growl reverberated in his throat, and his eyes narrowed into tiny slits. Nothing infuriated Silver more than failure, especially if it was because of something easily avoidable and preventable.

“And it would’ve gone a whole lot better if someone didn’t decide that was the best moment to go on a smear campaign against half of the team with some guy who very obviously has some beef against humans! Like, gods!” He gnashed his fangs and threw his arms to the sky. “Of course that dude wasn’t gonna trust anyone if half of the members of our team are depicted as irredeemable, untrustworthy jerks! Who in their right mind would be willing to cooperate with that kinda folks? At long last we had some lead about the issues of this world and potential allies, and that happened! A horrible first impression and ruined opportunity!”

Silver took a few deep breaths, his head shaking lightly, and his anger evaporated. A wave of shame about his hotheadedness quickly filled his spirit, and Silver gave an apologetic stare to Kimiko.

“S-sorry about the outburst. It’s just… something that has been bothering me since we returned…”

 

[Shadow Serenity]

Silver's sudden loud outburst startled Kimiko a bit, and she stared at him wide-eyed for a few moments. But as she listened to him explain, she found herself nodding along.

"I was thinking pretty much the same thing," she said with a sigh. "It's what Valere said about all of it that's really been weighing me down. I certainly wasn't trying to dismiss her problems with humans out of hand, but there were better times to bring up her issues. Like, literally any other time. I keep wondering if the Vanguard might have offered more... I don't know, help, if none of that had happened."

A passing beetle caught Kimiko's eye, and she watched it wander aimlessly as she continued.

"I get it, in a way. I have a similar... issue, I guess. Except it's with ghosts, not humans. So if I got sent to a world where half the people were ghosts and I was expected to work with them without ever knowing who was a ghost or not, I'd freak out, too. Especially if, on top of that, the ghosts were also the cause of that world's problems."

She shook her head as the beetle started wandering out of her vision. She needed to change the subject. "I do think we got some good intel out of the fight, if nothing else. This organization that Valere and Farin are fighting against... do you think they might be the reason we were all summoned here?"

 

[Cresselia92]

Ah, yes, it was good to hear that he wasn’t the only person who had similar thoughts!

Silver found himself agreeing with what Kimiko was saying, nodding a few times to let her know he was following her own point of view. That whole thing about ghosts got his attention and made him curious — was she taking about Ghost-types or ghost ghosts? — but she had brought a good point in the process.

If somebody asked him to work with some Team Rocket members to help them take down some other branch of Team Rocket, would he just smile and accept the task without questions? …Most likely not.

Still, he was more than confident that nobody in their squad was ignoring either Valere’ or Isidora’s concerns, but rather they were trying to offer reassurance and prove that they meant no ill intent. Heck, if they were truly malicious, would that innocent-sounding cloud have summoned all of them to begin with?

The now-Sneasel hummed when that thought crossed his mind. It surely brought things into perspective, huh?

She shook her head as the beetle started wandering out of her vision. She needed to change the subject. "I do think we got some good intel out of the fight, if nothing else. This organization that Valere and Farin are fighting against... do you think they might be the reason we were all summoned here?"

Silver offered Kimiko a weak smile. “Heh! Isn’t that the one million Poké question!”

Feeling like the conversation was going to continue for quite some time, the now-Sneasel sat down on a nearby rock and began tapping his chin contemplatively.

“Hmm. Admittedly, I’m not sure. I mean, we know that there’re two rumored organizations of humans that are disliked for entirely different reasons. I thought we were summoned to handle the whole Shadow situation since that seems the most pressing issue, what with the kidnappings and brainwashing…” He sighed and scratched his head, sounding uncertain. “And now, there’re these folks who wish to keep the other humans in check or something and who believe that ‘mons need to be saved from their own nature. As if ‘mons need to be fixed for being… ‘mons.”

Silver chuckled hollowly. “Neither organization sounds all that great, huh? No wonder Cloud brought so many humans here. After all, who better than a human can understand what other humans can do?”

 

[Shadow Serenity]

“Neither organization sounds all that great, huh? No wonder Cloud brought so many humans here. After all, who better than a human can understand what other humans can do?”

"You're probably right," Kimiko replied. "I'm... not sure why I hadn't considered the shadow problem to be, like... the whole reason we were here. I guess I figured they were just small part of a larger problem... but it's weird to think they might be an entirely separate problem. Or, well... not separate, but like... only marginally related?"

She paused, her features scrunched as she tried to sort her thoughts.

"I'm confusing myself," she growled in frustration. "There's still too much we just don't know.

"But yes, that's also what I was thinking, too. Humans seem to be held in such high regard here; not because the natural pokemon are any lesser or weaker or anything, but because humans are best suited to thinking like other humans. That's why my mind singled this out as our possible reason for being here."

She shook her head. "But even so, that still doesn't quite line up. We have 'mon like Isidora - pokemon summoned who were off-worlders, just like us, except they were never human, they've always been 'mon, even if they were different species. So... what about them? There's gotta be more to it than just 'pokemon who hang out around humans become like him', right? I think there still a link here we're missing."

 

[Cresselia92]

She shook her head. "But even so, that still doesn't quite line up. We have 'mon like Isidora - pokemon summoned who were off-worlders, just like us, except they were never human, they've always been 'mon, even if they were different species. So... what about them? There's gotta be more to it than just 'pokemon who hang out around humans become like him', right? I think there still a link here we're missing."

“Yeah, I believe there’s more than that, too,” remarked Silver, nodding in agreement. “As for what that might be… well… err…”

He frowned and leaned back against a rocky wall, drumming his claw on his chin repeatedly. While he didn’t know whether he was accurate in his assumption or not, he could still hazard a guess or two.

“Mmmaybe they are here for similar reasons?” he wondered out loud, trying to build on a shaky train of thought. “Here’s the thing. I know at least two ‘mons who don’t mind humans at all, mostly because the humans in their worlds achieved great things. So… maybe… they’re here because they are fine working with the humans in the team? And they can bring a ‘mon’s perspective into the equation? Help us understand how ‘mons feel or would feel?”

Rodion and Felin floated into his mind, with the Buizel and the Sprigatito sharing some mood moments with him and the other humans in the team.

“And then… there are the ‘mons who have been affected by humans in… negative ways.”

Nova and Isidora stared at him from within his mindscape, their scowls burning into his spirit. Silver suppressed a sigh.

“…I guess, they’re here because they know what kinda damage humans can do, and… they would be more motivated to bring down the horrible humans who do horrible stuff, because they know how it feels like to be on the receiving end…”

Silver paused to let his ramble sink in, before shaking his head. “I… I dunno. Perhaps I’m off-base here, but I’m not sure what else to think…”

 

[Shadow Serenity]

“Here’s the thing. I know at least two ‘mons who don’t mind humans at all, mostly because the humans in their worlds achieved great things. So… maybe… they’re here because they are fine working with the humans in the team? And they can bring a ‘mon’s perspective into the equation? Help us understand how ‘mons feel or would feel?”

"But then why didn't any other humans who came here before us have natural 'mon assisting them?" It was an assumption, since she'd never heard of any, but given the pedestal that Forlas seemed to place humans on... if someone like Jesse Stranger had an important 'mon ally, wouldn't that have been noteworthy? If he did, it didn't sound like anyone ever talked about it... Kimiko decided maybe she needed to do some more research.

Kimiko curled around herself, laying down on a small patch of dried leaves. "I'm not saying you're wrong," she continued. "I mean, there's no doubt in any proper trainer's mind that the bond between a human and their partners gives them both strength, and that we can learn from each other and whatnot. And whatever we're here for, I don't think that's going to change. It might look a little different, but we're still very much going to need to rely on each other, learn from each other's different ways of thinking, and all that."

This wasn't quite how Kimiko had expected this conversation to turn, but now that it had, the gears in her mind were turning. "But here in Forlas, it seems like there's a much heaver weight given to a human's perspective on things, y'know? Valere isn't the only one we've met who thought that non-humans being summoned was an unusual concept. I guess what I'm getting at is, there's got to be more to other pokemon being summoned here beyond just being informational tools for the summoned humans... right?"

 

[Cresselia92]

"But here in Forlas, it seems like there's a much heaver weight given to a human's perspective on things, y'know? Valere isn't the only one we've met who thought that non-humans being summoned was an unusual concept. I guess what I'm getting at is, there's got to be more to other pokemon being summoned here beyond just being informational tools for the summoned humans... right?"

Silver quirked an eyebrow. “Informational tool sounds… very underwhelming. I don’t believe that Cloud summoned ‘em for that reason alone.”

Wow, that conversation was getting more and more complex. Silver gazed at the sunset, noticing how the sun was slowly hiding behind the faraway mountains and touching the earth.

“I think it’s more about…” He brought his claws together, intertwining them. “Creating connections. Links. Bridges. That kinda stuff.

“As you’ve said, most humans — especially Trainers — know how to coexist with Pokémon perfectly. They give each other strength, they cover each other’s weaknesses, they can become a much greater force when they are together than if they were separated. We need each other to be truly effective. And… That’s something that Valere and Falin learned as well. You saw how much in sync they were when they fought together.”

Silver kept staring at the horizon. The shadows were growing longer and darker, just as the sunlight began waning. The stark darkness of the reflected peaks made it seem like the earth was being split apart by crevices.

“But in this world? Things aren’t nearly as clear-cut. There are much bigger contrasts between humans and ‘mons, and it seems that both sides are at much greater odds. There’s plenty of mistrust. Doubt. Fear. Difficulty in finding a solid connection.”

The now-Sneasel sighed somberly. He saw himself in his own words, back when he was a scared kid in a totally different region. Alone, unable to fully connect with and trust his Totodile. Everything was so dark and hostile, and seeing the smiles of the other kids irked him to the bones. Such nauseating, pathetic, sickly sweet emotions!

…At least, that was what he used to think back then. He was glad to have found people who helped him find a spark of light in the middle of his inner darkness.

“Maybe… in the past there wasn’t much need for summoned natural Pokémon because the ‘mons here were more willing to cooperate with the summoned humans.” He shook his head. “But now, that bridge is gone, and humans are seen as both the greatest heroes and the biggest threat. How… can anyone know who to trust under these circumstances, regardless of species?”

 

[Shadow Serenity]

“But in this world? Things aren’t nearly as clear-cut. There are much bigger contrasts between humans and ‘mons, and it seems that both sides are at much greater odds. There’s plenty of mistrust. Doubt. Fear. Difficulty in finding a solid connection.”

“But now, that bridge is gone, and humans are seen as both the greatest heroes and the biggest threat. How… can anyone know who to trust under these circumstances, regardless of species?”

The way Silver talked about trainers sounded like he was speaking from experience, so that confirmed her suspicion at least.

"So... you're thinking the summoned 'mon are here to help like... remind the Forlas natives that it's still possible for humans and pokmon to trust each other and work together?"

Kimiko looked out over the horizon to see what Silver was watching, and caught the last rays of sunset fading in the distance. "That's gonna be a challenge when our group can't actually get along. Have you seen those two idiot blue dogs?" Not that Kimiko had any idea whether either of them were former humans or not, but it was still an obvious example of a fracture in their unity.

"Maybe you're right, though. That other sneasel worked with the rest of us just fine during battle, even despite her issues."

Kimiko laid her head back down again, lost in thought. "It's interesting... there's plenty of native 'mon still perfectly happy to work with humans. At least in Frontier Town. My boss, Greasewood, he's apparently a big fan of us off-worlders. Admittedly, that's not... like, an example of 'fight against evil' sort of cooperation, but it still counts, right?" It was odd to think about... Silver's theory certainly had merit, but Kimiko still felt like there was more going on here than they knew.

"How do we know we're doing the right thing?" she asked suddenly. "Like, even if this group is the reason we were summoned here to fight, how are we different than them? From the native's perspective, we're just another group appearing out of nowhere and trying to decide their fate for them. Like, for all we know, this summoner that brought us here is just using us to oust this other group so they can do things their way instead. I mean, our Voice does feel sincere, but... I just don't wanna jump to any conclusions, y'know?"

 

[Cresselia92]

"That's gonna be a challenge when our group can't actually get along. Have you seen those two idiot blue dogs?"

Silver couldn’t help but laugh at hearing that. While he had only brief exchanges with Koamaru and he didn’t know much about… West or however he was called, he could somewhat guess why they had troubles seeing eye to eye. It sounded like a typical clash between strong personalities.

But hey! Even the most bitter cynical folks need some touch of idealism to bring them some hope, so who knew what the future had in store for those idiots. Only time could tell.

"How do we know we're doing the right thing?"

The brief moment of mirth faded, and Silver lapsed into silence. He pondered that question for a few seconds, before responding with the only answer he could think of. “We don’t and can’t know if we’re doing the right thing,” he muttered flatly. “None of us is omniscient, so we can only… try and do our best.”

He stayed silent for some more time. That didn’t sound like a sufficient or reassuring reply, so he went back to his pragmatic, troubleshooting mode. “But! I’d say that we should focus on what we currently know, at least for now. Those Shadows are bad news for everyone, no? Then, we could handle that issue first and then see how things evolve later.”

Silver wrapped his poncho more tightly as the air got colder. “Besides, we’re gonna have that team meeting very soon. That’ll be a good chance to confront ideas with the others and think of some plan.”

 

[Shadow Serenity]

“We don’t and can’t know if we’re doing the right thing,” he muttered flatly. “None of us is omniscient, so we can only… try and do our best.”

“But! I’d say that we should focus on what we currently know, at least for now. Those Shadows are bad news for everyone, no? Then, we could handle that issue first and then see how things evolve later.”

Kimiko looked up and tilted her head at Silver with a slight grin. He was analytical and logical, good traits for any trainer to have. And he'd even thought to borrow that healing ability at the end of the last fight. Kimiko got the impression that this guy was considered pretty skilled back wherever he came from, and it was reassuring to hear that he was also uncertain.

"I just hope our best isn't being put towards the very thing we're trying to prevent. But you're right, all we can do is work with what we know."

Her grin slipped back into a thoughtful frown, but she nodded again at Silver's words. "I'm not a very good diplomat. Focusing on the shadow problem is probably the way to go here, I think, at least for me. It's hard to argue that leaving them unchecked will lead to anything positive.

"Thanks for the chat," she added, her voice having regained a little confidence. "I think that actually helped categorize some things for me. Probably a good thing I had my thoughts organized before that team meeting."

She shifted her position, still curled up on the ground, and winced as she jostled the bruise on her side. She rubbed at it gingerly with a vine, looking back to Silver as she did so. "How are you holding up after that battle, anyway? That last boomburst hurt."

 

[Cresselia92]

"Thanks for the chat," she added, her voice having regained a little confidence. "I think that actually helped categorize some things for me. Probably a good thing I had my thoughts organized before that team meeting.

Silver shot a sideways glance at Kimiko, his head feather flicking as he processed her words, and resumed gazing at the vanishing sunset. He waved his paw in faux dismissal, trying to act aloof and to say ‘it was nothing’, but he couldn’t hold back the tiny smile on his face.

It definitely felt good to do some good, and he was glad to have helped out someone else in untangling their thoughts.

"How are you holding up after that battle, anyway? That last boomburst hurt."

Silver huffed. Right. That battle.

“Hmph. I’ve had better days, I can say this much,” he mumbled, glancing back at Kimiko. Unconsciously, he rubbed his lone ear with a claw. “There’s still some whistling and white noises inside of my brain, but I’ll manage. I’m more… let’s say, aura-drained? Creating Substitutes after Substitutes isn’t an easy task, but hey! Better being somewhat drained than to receive a glowing sword on your face!”

He chuckled, a cheeky smirk stretching on his lips. “Man! So this how it feels like to be a fighter ‘mon, huh? Always exhausted, and yet, always rearing to do more and better next time.”

 

[Shadow Serenity]

“Man! So this how it feels like to be a fighter ‘mon, huh? Always exhausted, and yet, always rearing to do more and better next time.”

Strange... everyone else seemed to have some residual effects from Farin's final boomburst, except her. Kimiko mentally shrugged and wrote it off as a result of blasting her music at full volume regularly.

"I know what you mean," Kimiko said, relieved that Silver didn't seem to be seriously hurt either. "Farin and Valere were tough, but I can't help but feeling like I want to... I dunno, get back out there. Even despite knowing it'll hurt, and having my head full of other concerns, it's like this body has a will of its own to just continue letting off energy. After the fight with the mayor, I was surprised at how quickly I healed. I knew pokemon healed fast, obviously, but to experience it is something else. And speaking of experience, I've been really surprised at how easily I've adapted to fighting myself instead of with my partners."

She grinned back at Silver as she added, "That desire to keep doing better next time... can't speak for anyone else, but for me, that's one thing that hasn't changed from world-hopping.

 

[Cresselia92]

“Yeah. That’s one of the things that didn’t change for me, either.”

Silver stretched the muscles of his arms, shaking off some of the residual tiredness, before curling his body underneath his poncho, covering himself near completely. His grin brightened — wow, a Sneasel’s body was truly neat and flexible! — and he laid on his side.

“Since the day I started training, back in my home world, I worked hard to get stronger — every day, without skipping a beat. And I’m not gonna let some weird shapeshifting shenanigans get in the way of my routine!”

The now-Sneasel rubbed his chin with a claw. “But yeah! Many of us adapted surprisingly quickly to these new bodies and circumstances. Maybe it’s a mix of ‘cloud pre-installed knowledge’ and natural adaptability?” He shrugged casually, deciding to focus more on the topic at hand. “So, you’re a Trainer as well, huh? D’you participate to Leagues, Contests, and that kinda stuff? Or you have something different in your world?”

 

[Shadow Serenity]

"I guess there's a degree of natural adaptability involved, yeah," Kimiko replied, thoughtful again, but this time her grin was far more natural, pleased to have a more casual topic on hand. "Trainers have to adapt and react quickly to how their opponents are battling. Doing the battling myself just makes the process faster, I suppose. I hadn't considered the cloud might have installed like... a sixth sense or something, too. I assumed all they did was create our new physical bodies."

She rested her head back down on the ground as memories of her team floated to the surface. "Well, among... other things... I've been taking on the league challenge in a region known as Vidiva with my boyfriend. He's a far better battler than I am, but we've wanted to travel together for years. I do have all eight required badges though, so I mean, I guess I'm doing something right.

"Anyway, yes, I'm just your average trainer, all things considered. I guess that's part of why I've had all these thoughts in my head since that last battle... My team has never-" she cut herself off, re-thinking what she was about to say. "Well, my team doesn't usually complain about me. But some of them aren't shy about it if they feel something's wrong. I would hope I've made it clear enough that they're all welcome to communicate their problems if they have any..."

She shook her head, realizing she was dipping back into the previous conversation again. Not wanting to constantly be a downer, she decided to stop talking about herself there. "How about you? I suspected you might be a trainer earlier, so... what's your story?"

 

[Cresselia92]

At the mention of ‘eight badges’, Silver’s eyes gleamed with intrigue and his tail feathers fanned excitedly, poking out of his poncho. He stared at Kimiko in awe, feeling the warm sensation of kinship as she shared her experiences as a Trainer. Even if Kimiko was being humble about her own talent as a Trainer and put her boyfriend under a brighter spotlight, Silver knew that getting eight badges required plenty of skill.

“…You’re doing good,” he said when she paused, lifting his head lightly. “Collecting eight badges is no easy feat, so don’t undermine your own accomplishments!”

Then, the focus went to Silver, and his feathers shook a bit harder. Upon realizing what was happening, he flung his poncho back to cover his tail. That did little to stop the mild shaking, however.

“Anyway! If you wanna know about me!”

Silver crossed his arms on the rock and rested his head on them, appearing more relaxed.

“I’m the kinda Trainer who collects badges, too. I won eight of ‘em in Johto, ended up as the runner up in its League, and I’m almost done getting all the badges to participate to the Kanto League — my home country.” He smirked with determination. “And I’m so gonna win that League!! I’ve been working extra hard for that! Heck, I’ve earned the Ace Trainer title recently, so I’d say I’m not half bad!”

Silver chuckled to himself, relishing in the burning boost of his ego. At least that helped keep his own whispering insecurities in check.

“Still, the beginning wasn’t easy at all, and I’m sure you can relate to the difficulties of that career, too.” A soft sigh escaped his lips, and Silver began tapping the rock with his claws. “But… I’d say it was worth it. All of it, both the good and the bad. I’ve learned so much during my travels and adventures, and… well, I would’ve never met my best friend if I didn’t embark in that journey…”

 

[Shadow Serenity]

“…You’re doing good,” he said when she paused, lifting his head lightly. “Collecting eight badges is no easy feat, so don’t undermine your own accomplishments!”

Kimiko's smile faltered for a moment, quick enough that Silver may possibly have missed it if he hadn't been looking. It wasn't the first time she'd heard thing like this. "The proof is right there in your bag!" And yet, somehow, it never felt like enough...

“But… I’d say it was worth it. All of it, both the good and the bad. I’ve learned so much during my journey, and… well, I would’ve never met my best friend if I didn’t embark in that journey…”

But the conversation carried on, and she was able to push the memories aside to listen. "An ace trainer, huh? Not half bad is an understatement! That's what, like a step below gym leader level of skill?" Truthfully, she wasn't sure exactly how the rankings worked, especially given that Silver's world might function differently for all she knew, but if they were even remotely close... his did apparently have a Johto and a Kanto, after all.

"I bet my boyfriend could qualify if he tried, but... well, let's just say we can definitely relate to the difficulties." She let out a small, dry chuckle. "I've known him for years, long before we even started officially training."

She paused again, unsure at first if she'd consider her journey so far worth it. It had moments, but it also gave her hell... enough that she escaped to Forlas to get a break from it. But that aside... "I'd like to think we've done a lot of good, what we've been doing. And traveling does have merits."

She shook her head yet again. Why was everything teetering on the edge of becoming a deep conversation? Silver at least seemed to be enjoying the company. "So, tell me about this best friend."

 

[Cresselia92]

While Silver was no psychic nor emotionally attuned person, he could tell by Kimiko’s words that he must have struck some kind of nerve. However, it was clear that whatever it was, Kimiko wished to steer the conversation elsewhere, and Silver obliged. He knew well the value and importance of privacy.

“Yeah, Ace Trainers are a little below Veterans and Gym Leaders,” he affirmed, nodding. “There’re quite a few criteria required to earn that title, but I’m not gonna bore ya with all that training jargon.

“So, my best friend…”

The now-Sneasel’s gaze drifted toward the sky, a nostalgic glint shining in his eyes and grin.

“That would be Ordile, my Feraligatr partner.” He sighed softly. “He… entered in my life when I needed him the most. When I was in dire need of a companion I could trust.”

Somehow, the words kept tumbling outward, while his mind rewinded a good chunk of his past in mere seconds.

“…Three years ago, my home life was far from a stable situation. There were a lot of…” He paused, the hesitation flashing into his gaze for a second, before he found the words again, “…let’s say, expectations and demands imposed on me, concerning some family business.”

Silver muttered the last word with all the spite he could muster, and shook his head to dismiss the topic as quickly as he could, refusing to elaborate.

“And one day, I left home. Without looking back. I traveled for long, until… hm, until I reached Johto and found Professor Elm’s lab.” He closed his eyes, and the phantom memory of a curious crocodile staring back at him flashed into his mind. “That was when I met him. A small and young Totodile, waiting for a young Trainer to choose him as a partner.”

Silver opened his eyes again. This time, his expression shifted more visibly. The mixed blend of nostalgia and remembrance had been replaced by shame.

“However, our relationship wasn’t sunshine and rainbows like in those kid-meets-‘mon movies. We failed to see eye to eye, and messed up a lot during our first battles. You could have the greatest vault of battle knowledge in the world, but that doesn’t serve any purpose if you don’t know and refuse to learn about your partner’s skills and drive. If you don’t know… how to listen to their feelings.”

Silver took a deep breath, fighting down the tight squeeze in his heart. Then, he chuckled bitterly, his head shaking lightly.

“And yet, he persevered. Ordile never gave up on me. He never stopped believing that we could be great partners… no, that we could be great friends. And… at the end, he won. Time and patience did their magic, and now…”

Silver trailed off, a bright grin stretching on his face, and he laughed again. The dull bitterness vanished, and only the joyful notes of merry echoed in his laughter.

“Gods! I couldn’t have asked for a better partner! His jolly nature might drive me nuts at times, but gods! I wouldn’t wish it any other way!” He sighed happily and stared at Kimiko. “I wouldn’t be the person I am today without his help. That, and the help of the other members of the team, of course. They’re like…” His voice lowered to a faint, barely hearable whisper. “Like a family.”

Despite the topic being a mixture of sadness and happiness, talking about that made him feel… light. Somewhat relieved, too. Besides, talking about the partners waiting for him in his world was like bringing a piece of his own home into Forlas. But speaking of partners…

“Anyway, enough talking ‘bout me! What about your team at home?” Silver leaned toward Kimiko, his tail feathers shaking again. This time, he didn’t bother covering them. “I’m really curious to know more ‘bout your partners-in-battle.”

 

[Shadow Serenity]

Silver had skipped over his world's ace trainer requirements, but while Kimiko was curious, she let the matter slide once he started talking about his first pokemon. They could always pick that up again later.

Perhaps because she'd been talking about her boyfriend, she expected Silver to start talking about his own partner, or some other human. Instead, she was pleasantly surprised when he'd started gushing about his first pokemon. Kimiko found herself leaning forwards, resting her chin on her leafy hand, listening intently like she was gossiping with an old school friend. It sounded like Silver, too, had things in his part he'd rather not get into.

“However, our relationship wasn’t sunshine and rainbows like in those kid-meets-‘mon movies. We failed to see eye to eye, and messed up a lot during our first battles. You could have the greatest vault of battle knowledge in the world, but that doesn’t serve any purpose if you don’t know and refuse to learn about your partner’s skills and drive. If you don’t know… how to listen to their feelings.”

His expression visibly withered as he recounted their first meeting, and it was clear his start wasn't exactly a happy one. But it also sounded like he'd learned quite a lot in the three years he'd said have passed since.

"I had a partner like that," Kimiko said, rolling onto her back. The sky was getting dark now, making the stars easily visible. "My gorebyss, Ariel. Not my starter, but technically my first capture as a trainer, so of course I didn't know as much as I thought I did about understanding her thoughts and feelings. She... didn't quite hate me, but she had a poor experience with her previous trainer and it made her unwilling to really work with me... it took rescuing her from a thief for her to judge me as being worth opening up for again."

That, and the help of the other members of the team, of course. They’re like…” His voice lowered to a faint, barely hearable whisper. “Like a family.”

"My team's like my family, too," she said, knowing full well that Silver had whispered that on purpose. "I've sometimes felt more like a mother than a trainer. Ariel was like a rebellious teenager as a clamperl. My gastly - now haunter - is a floating ball of energy. My espeon was hatched and evolved very quickly due to a... shared experience. And my swampert was so young when I got him, he wasn't even intended to be a starter yet." She shook her head lightly, a somewhat difficult motion while laying down. "But I guess trainers are kind of like parents, in a way, the way we raise them and care for them and all that. They're a handful, but my lilligant helps with that. And my froslass is nothing if not self-sufficient."

She got a wistful look in her eye, the feeling hitting her harder than Farin's boomburst. "I miss them."

 

[Cresselia92]

"I had a partner like that," Kimiko said, rolling onto her back. The sky was getting dark now, making the stars easily visible. "My gorebyss, Ariel. Not my starter, but technically my first capture as a trainer, so of course I didn't know as much as I thought I did about understanding her thoughts and feelings. She... didn't quite hate me, but she had a poor experience with her previous trainer and it made her unwilling to really work with me... it took rescuing her from a thief for her to judge me as being worth opening up for again."

Silver frowned, feeling his heart squeezing tighter. Thief. A word that still haunted him from time to time.

But… he wasn’t that kind of person anymore. He knew that, his team knew that, the people he (somewhat) trusted knew that, and he wouldn’t let himself fall into that black hole anymore.

“I'm glad to hear that things turned out for the better,” he said with a tiny smile, shoving his darkest side of his past back where it came from, “and that she allowed herself to trust someone again.”

"My team's like my family, too,"

Silver smiled a bit more brightly as he listened about Kimiko’s team. They all seemed such lively Pokémon with their unique personalities and quirks, and the way Kimiko talked about them… it was obvious that she greatly cared about her partners back in her world.

The glint of nostalgia in her eyes was unmistakable; that was the same glint that Steven showed when he talked about his own team, too. Silver wouldn’t be surprised if he had a similar gleam in his eyes, whenever he talked about his team.

“Heh! An energetic Haunter? My Gengar is kinda like that, too! He’s a total goofball, who loves pulling pranks on all kinda people! He might be a bit annoying at times, but I know he means well.”

Silver rolled on his back to gaze at the sky, and tilted his head as he considered something that Kimiko mentioned.

“Trainers as parent figures, huh…” He mulled that thought for a while, before chuckling at the idea. “I guess so! However, I see myself more as some kinda coach, rather than a parent.” He smirked. “I’m way too young for that!”

The more the sky darkened, the more the stars became brighter. Countless dots on a black canvas. Some things definitively didn’t change, no matter the world.

“But… yeah. I guess my Feraligatr is kinda the parent figure in my team, too. He’s like the second-on-command, the one who organizes the team and makes sure that everything runs smoothly, if I can’t do that for some reason. And if it’s not him who takes the lead, then it’s my Alakazam. He’s really smart, and nobody wanna mess with a psychic, that’s for sure!

“Not that there is much need for that, anyway,” Silver added. “The only one who needs some control is my Sneasel, who’s still very young and who likes to do whatever he pleases. Especially bothering birds to steal their feathers for… some reason. My Crobat and Magneton are much more mature, with Crobat always mindful and attentive to the team’s needs and Magneton… huh… kinda minding their own business? They’re often way too occupied debating between themselves to realize what’s happening around them, let alone pull off some stunt or mess.”

She got a wistful look in her eye, the feeling hitting her harder than Farin's boomburst. "I miss them."

And in a fell swoop, Silver’s smile faltered. He gazed at Kimiko, his head feather flicking in mild discomfort.

That expression… Gods, it was all too familiar. Longing, nostalgia, the sensation of something or someone being missing. And no matter how much his more pragmatic side screamed at him that there was no point in thinking about that and urged him to shut down those useless feelings, Silver found himself clueless of what to do or say.

There was no solution. Just… sympathy, and a feeling of helplessness. Perhaps, in that case, the only thing they could aim for was mutual comfort. Try to hang in there until the end. For their teams.

“…I miss them, too,” he muttered with a forced tone, his gaze lost in the wide sea of stars.

The now-Sneasel glanced again at Kimiko, and without truly knowing what compelled him, he extended his arm and gave her a gentle pat on her shoulder, mindful to not hurt her side. Despite holding a brave expression, if someone looked deeply into his eyes, they would see a thin layer making them gleam in the starlight.

 

[Shadow Serenity]

“Heh! An energetic Haunter? My Gengar is kinda like that, too! He’s a total goofball, who loves pulling pranks on all kinda people! He might be a bit annoying at times, but I know he means well.”

“Trainers as parent figures, huh…” He mulled that thought for a while, before chuckling at the idea. “I guess so! However, I see myself more as some kinda coach, rather than a parent.” He smirked. “I’m way too young for that!”

"I spent several years basically being a parent to my younger sister before officially becoming a trainer," Kimiko clarified. "So I guess that's probably why I thought 'parent' rather than 'coach'. They're not too dissimilar, in this case." She chuckled a bit, more genuine this time.

The way Silver talked about the rest of his team was comforting, familiar. Just like hers, his team seemed to have a bit of an odd dynamic to it, but one he wouldn't ever want to change. She smiled, not just at Silver, but at herself - she managed to open up to someone that wasn't Alex, and it hadn't backfired.

Then she felt his claws gently on her shoulder; he could relate to her longing to see her family again. Without shifting positions, she extended a vine and rest it on his claws.

"Well, we just gotta remember that it's temporary, right? It's not like we'll be here forever. We'll see them again. So until then, while we're here we might as well make the most of it and keep trying our best, yeah?"