Little Scriven Scrivener's Library

[Cresselia92]

Since the meeting with Mewtwo Giovanni, Silver was plagued by a swarm of wildly contrasting thoughts that made him feel restless and uneasy, to where he couldn’t even focus on his barber job (and he ended up giving to some ‘mons a few… interesting furcuts).

Realizing he needed a day off, he thought of paying a visit to Starly Tsuya in Little Scriven to see how she was doing. Unfortunately, she was busy with her mailmon job, so he killed some time by checking out the local library. The silent company of the books gave him enough peace of mind to let him study a book about claws’ maintenance, but his worried mind couldn’t stop itself from drifting back to the meeting.

The fact they had to cooperate with Giovanni, of all people, made Silver’s inwards squeeze in discomfort. Mostly because he couldn’t ignore the way the not-so-Forlasan version of Giovanni sounded and behaved exactly like his own father.

The same mannerism, the same body language, the same overconfident aura… it pained him to admit that the Mewtwo made him feel… weak, so very weak.

“Aaagh! Darn it!!” he suddenly shouted, slamming the book back into its place, his entire body quaking with anger and pulsating with darkness. He could feel a few stares trained at him, but he didn’t care. He only focused on taking a few deep breaths, and his darkness quietly receded.

“…Gods, are we really that desperate for a lead? To the point of accepting questionable alliances, too?” Silver sighed and closed his eyes, running his claws through his red fur. “I guess that couldn’t be helped, but if he dares to backstab us…!”

Silver paused, realizing that his dark impulses were emerging once more, and he immediately stopped them with a frustrated snort.

“Pah! Whatever! It’s not like I can do anything about that! Not yet, at least. I’d better focus on something I can actually do!” He resumed walking down the corridor, his gaze trailing on the various titles. “Now, then! Where’s that book about mountain Sneasel? The bookkeeper said it should be around—”

Silver blinked and stopped in his tracks when he noticed an azure shape by the table of the library. Something about him seemed familiar… perhaps the otter-y shape, or that battered hat, or those shells on his hips. Then, it occurred to him who he was.

“…Archie?”

Silver drew much closer, allowing him to see the Oshawott—no, Dewott’s appearance. The otter looked like he hadn’t had a good sleep in probably a month, even if the Cipher raid happened mere days ago. Surely it wasn’t a good idea to congratulate him for evolving — between what he last said about evolution and his current mood, that didn’t seem appropriate.

“Hey, Archie! It’s been a while!” greeted Silver to catch the Dewott’s attention, waving his paw awkwardly. “Huh, forgive my Kalosian, but… hm.” He tapped his claws together, his eyes narrowing with concern. “You… really look like crap, man! What the heck happened?”

Hopefully, trying to untangle whatever problem the Dewott was currently facing would have been a good distraction from his own issues and grievances.

 

[Weazel]

The more he stared at this book, the more the words began to blend together. He blinked a few times, then rubbed his eyes, trying to focus his vision, to no avail. Maybe if he just closed his eyes for a few minutes, and rested? Just for a minute though, there were still so many books to go through, and he couldn't put off returning to work forever. So, just for a minute, he told himself again. The Dewott started to slump forward, and his eyes drifted closed.

“Aaagh! Darn it!!”

Archie shot bolt upright okay. Someone was shouting, he was sure of it. In his half asleep state, he hadn't quite processed what the shouter had said. But he had recognized it distortion affecting their voice, the telltale sign of a Shadow Pokemon. His mind sluggishly started moving through the possibilities.

"... but if he dares to backstab us…!”

Backstab? And, wait, didn't he know that voice? It sounded so familiar... The Dewott slid out of his seat, walked over to the edge of the mezzanine, and peered over the banister down to the floor below. Some of the patrons seemed a little agitated, but he didn't see anyone he recognized. Regardless, there didn't seem to be an active crisis, and Archie was in no state to confront anybody right now, anyway. Sometimes discretion was the better part of valor, the Dewott resolved to mind his own business this time around, and returned to his desk. He was way too wired after that to do any more resting, so that meant it was back to the research grind for him...

“…Archie?”

The Dewott turned towards the sound if the voice, and there found a Sneasel had managed to sneak up on him! Not a normal Sneasel though, oddly colorful and patterned, with a fringe of fur that was oddly hair-like. He definitely knew who this was, it was... Uh...

"Silver!" He said, shooting the other mustelid a tired smile. "Hi!"

And Silver immediately launched into asking why Archie looked like a mess. He quickly fixed his hat, and ran his claws through his exposed fur in a mostly vain attempt to straighten it some.

"Nothing happened, really, I'm fine!" He said, tugging nervously on one of his whiskers. "Just, remembered some things, is all."

His eyes drifted to the open book on Saints still laying on the desk, then back to the Sneasel.

"Was that you? Shouting, earlier? Everything okay?"

 

[Cresselia92]

Silver quirked a brow, staring Archie up and down (and realizing they had more or less the same height now), not entirely sold on that answer. From experience with other people, he knew that whenever someone answered with an ‘I’m fine!’, it often meant the opposite.

Yeah, okay. If nothing’s wrong with you, then I’m Dragon Tamer Lance!

“…If you say so,” he ultimately answered, deeming it best to take an indirect approach. Whatever issue Archie was dealing with, he probably would have brought that up at his own time. Besides, it wasn’t really Silver’s business to breach into someone else’s privacy…

"Was that you? Shouting, earlier? Everything okay?"

…but of course, not everyone followed those same rules. And, of course, Silver himself was equally unwilling to divulge his personal issues.

The now-Sneasel groaned, an embarrassed expression coursing through his face. “Ugh! Me and my stupid temper…” he hissed under his breath, crossing his arms and staring at the floor.

Probably he could have just stayed quiet; pretended that he hadn’t heard the question; dropped a ‘this isn’t your business’ or a similar phrase.

But then, Silver remembered what he needed to pursue while talking to others: trust. He had to build trust, and to build trust, he needed to be honest. Which, well, was simple enough — bluntness and straight facts were his bread and butter!

“Tch! Yeah, it… it was me. And since you’re curious, I wouldn’t quite consider myself alright. Currently dealing with a… lotta headaches, I guess,” he replied frankly, stamping his foot and diverting his gaze to glare at some empty spot. “To put it succinctly, I’ve had a not-so-pleasant meeting with a not-so-pleasant individual and I’ve been coping with a not-so-pleasant mood since then.”

Almost certain that Archie would have tried to pry, Silver attempted to intercept him by waving his paws and shaking his head.

“But I’ll be okay, really! I’m far too used to life being an unfair mistress with me! Besides, huh, I don’t wanna bother you with my stuff, since you seem,” he gazed swiftly at the book, trying to skim through the texts and pictures, “quite busy with… research or something.”

 

[Weazel]

Silver didn’t exactly seem convinced. But then, it maybe wasn’t his most convincing argument. Thankfully, it seemed like, for now at least, he’d managed to deflect the Sneasel’s concern, so he leaned back against the table, and did his best to keep his attention focused on his fellow mustelid as Silver explained but didn’t really explain that he’d been having a rough time with someone he didn’t seem all that fond of. And then immediately try to wave him off before the Dewott could ask any follow up questions.

“No, it’s fine, really,” Archie protested, “I”m… Not really making much headway, anyways.”

The Dewott’s eyes followed Silver down to the still open book again. It was open to a page about some local legend or other. A tale passed down from fathers to sons and mothers to daughters about the time some saint or other had visited the lands that one day would become Little Scriven, collected from the oral original in written form by some eastern explorer long before anyone living today was around. All that mattered to Archie was that it wasn’t about the particular creature he was researching, and so while he was sure it was very interesting and may or may not contain one or several grains of truth that hadn’t been distorted by a decades or centuries long game of telephone, as of right now it was less than useless to the Dewott.

“I always have time for my friends,” the Dewott continued, closing the book and looking back at Silver. “As it happens, I also recently had a not-so-pleasant meeting and have been in a not-so-pleasant mood since. Though, in my instance, I think I was the not-so-pleasant individual.”

He smiled again, hoping the little bit of self-deprecation would help break the ice.

 

[Cresselia92]

“Hm? You, the not-so-pleasant fella?” asked Silver, sounding genuinely surprised. He wondered what had upset Archie — whatever it was, it must have been pretty rough, since Archie seemed infinitely patient and tolerant. Or, well, at least far more patient and tolerant than he could ever hope to be.

“Well, that’s nothing that doesn’t have a solution! Heck, I’ve gotten on people’s nerves plenty of times and survived just fine!” He chuckled and placed his paws on his hips, a joking smirk playing on his lips. “You had to see me when I was much younger! Like, I used to be a little red-haired gremlin with an attitude, hahaha!” Then, his smirk turned into a softer smile. “But seriously, as long as you recognize your mistakes and apologize, I believe anyone will forgive you for losing your temper or, well, for getting into the funky blues. We all go through those annoying phases at some point. It’s normal.”

Granted, Silver didn’t know if Archie looked so disheveled because of some fight he had with someone else — even if that made perfect sense to him, what with the Dewott trying to socialize and get along with everyone — but even if that wasn’t the case, he hoped the encouragement was useful.

“…I hope it wasn’t anything too serious, though,” he added after some time, defaulting to his serious expression. “And if there’s anything I can do to help, huh, I’m all ears, y’know?” He sighed and looked away. “As for my situation, um… I doubt it has a simple solution. In case you haven’t heard about that already, well… there’s a Giovanni in this world, and some of us met him recently…”

 

[Weazel]

"It's true, I absolutely destroyed Nova's garden," the Dewott said. The damage wasn't near as bad as that, and Archie's tone did suggest he was being facetious. He put his paws on hie hips, and gave Silver a wry, if somewhat tired, grin. "And, you're right, he did forgive me."

Silver was already fairly young by Archie's standards, so he had to stifle a chuckle when the Sneasel asked him to imagine him younger still. Somehow he wasn't all that surprised to hear the other mustelid was a little hellion, it just fit with the sort of reputation Sneasel had as a species. Plus, Silver just had that sort of sugar and ice personality. Archie definitely got the feeling he'd been one of those cool loner types who still struggled with making friends, but was especially loyal to the ones he made.

"I'm not fighting with anyone, don't worry about that," Archie insisted, holding up his paws in a placating gesture. "But, thank you, I appreciate the concern, and the friendly ear."

That Silver had some kind of issue with Giovanni, though, that did catch the Dewott by surprise. Not because it was hard to believe, but because of how it mirrored his own situation! Still, he had to wonder what Silver's problem with the man was.

"I met him recently," the Dewott said with a nod, "he showed up after Nova, Koa, and I helped drive off Owen after he chased a few of the others back to Frontier Town. I... Actually went to talk to Nova about him, myself."

 

[Cresselia92]

Silver seemed somewhat reassured by Archie’s words, his smile widening a little and his gems glimmering with life… until the Dewott dropped the final bombshell. The news sent a chilling jolt through Silver’s spine, who could only stare at Archie in disbelief, his mouth agape. “Huh?! Wha-Wait! Giovanni was there?! B-by the outskirts?!”

Well, that explained why they found the no-longer-lost Drapion in his lair… But still! With that in mind, then why did Mewtwo Giovanni make such a big fuss about appearing in public? Wouldn't he have risked far more by being spotted around that location? Like, oh, maybe by some freaking megalomaniac hydra named Alexander who could corrupt people with a single touch, as if he were some kinda vampire?

What if Giovanni got overtaken by that monster and infected by shadows? Or if Alexander got Mew Red? As far as he knew, neither former human got the dark immunity from Powheli. All that immense and latent psychic power worthy of a Saint, under the influence of the power of some psychotic dragon… was there a more catastrophic combination than that?!

And… why the heck did he care? It’s not like he was worried… wasn’t he?

“I… I had no idea…” he muttered, still processing all those ghastly scenarios. A loud groan escaped his lips once he was done, and he massaged furiously his forehead. “Gods! Why couldn’t the other Silver put his own father on a leash? I have enough issues with my father in my world! Why must I deal with that kinda nonsense here, too…?”

 

[Weazel]

Were it not for the Sneasel’s fur coat, Archie was fairly certain he’d’ve been able to see the color drain from Silver’s skin at the revelation that Giovanni had been out and about around Frontier Town. Which, seemed like kind of an extreme reaction, to Archie? But what did he know, right now he was kind of struggling not to yawn in Silver’s face.

“Showed up to offer his ‘assistance.’ Put the ex-mayor, Ignatius, and that wild Drapion in Pokeballs and took off with them. No one seemed particularly happy to see him, but Nova says we can take him at his word,” Archie explained, “Apparently, he’s a something of a forward scout for some multiverse police force. Protects reality from things that can threaten multiple universes. Which, I’m sure you can imagine, is something I didn’t take particularly well, when I heard it…”

He could feel himself getting worked up again, just thinking about it. He forced those feelings deep into the pit in his belly, and let them fester there. The spot where Seth had slashed him open ached. But he wouldn’t have another meltdown. Not here, not in front of Silver. Thankfully, the Sneasel soon had an outburst of his own that Archie was able to focus on instead.

“The man seems like a giant walking red flag, to me,” Archie said, with a nod. “Honestly, anyone who brings Pokeballs into a world where everyone is a Pokemon can’t be planning anything good, in my estimation. And-”

Wait. Wait a second, Silver had said something weird, hadn’t he? Something about another Silver keeping his father in check. About having issues with his own father back home. Which, kind of implied…

“Wait, Silver? Is Giovanni your dad?” the Dewott gaped.

 

[Cresselia92]

Silver listened quietly to Archie’s rundown of the events, tapping his claws on his red tuft as he assimilated the information — some stuff he already knew mixed with stuff he already guessed by studying the various circumstances.

Also, yeah, he couldn’t blame the Dewott for being frustrated with the Overseers’ business and for not trusting Giovanni. The whole deal with Pokéballs in a world of Pokémon was something that worried him, too, and the only explanation he got from the Mewtwo himself was that they were crafted for convenience, whatever that meant.

But then Archie suddenly paused, and Silver noticed the unmistakable gleam of realization in the otter’s eyes as he connected the dots. The now-Sneasel took a deep breath in anticipation, waiting for the inevitable question…

“Wait, Silver? Is Giovanni your dad?” the Dewott gaped.

Totally expected reaction, but the situation didn’t feel any less uncomfortable. He hoped that Archie, as a former Ranger, wouldn’t take his response too badly and he wasn’t going to question him incessantly like the Interpol.

“…Yeah,” he half-whispered, somewhat anxious, but he pushed down his uncertainty with an unwavering stare and a rush of spunk. “Back home, I’m Giovanni’s son. Not this Giovanni’s son, but… yeah, you get it, right?”

Silver sighed, a frown appearing on his face. “I’ve got the chance to talk to him and study his mannerism, and unfortunately he sounds and behaves exactly like my biological father. And, well, I know better than anyone what kinda scumbag my old man can be, so I wanna make sure this Mewtwo Giovanni won’t try any funny business.”

The now-Sneasel began twiddling his claws, bracing himself for the incoming response. No matter if positive or negative, he was going to take it like a man.

 

[Weazel]

Well, talk about awkward. So, this specific Giovanni wasn't this specific Silver's father, but he was a Giovanni's son, and presumably Giovanni was a Silver's father. Which meant that the pair had a connection, and that connection came with baggage, preconceived notions, certain expectations. Archie had some experience with that, his own familiarity with versions of Corey and Tarahn, and theirs with a version of him, had allowed the trio to form a strong bond relatively quickly. But, for Silver, the Dewott kind of got the feeling the familiarity would prove... Detrimental.

"It sounds like there's... A lot of baggage, there," Archie said, "I'm sure it must be difficult, the guy's your dad, but also a stranger."

No one called their own parent a scumbag without some kind of reason, and Archie didn't think Silver was doing the typical teenage 'I have big emotions and don't know how to handle them yet' thing. There was actual shame there, like Silver was worried that Archie knowing the truth would make him think less of the Sneasel. Just what had Giovanni done in Silver's world?

"Hey, listen, you're not responsible for your dad's bad behavior," the Dewott added, reassuringly. He reached out to pat the Sneasel on the shoulder, and smiled again, "So you don't gotta look so contrite. Chin up."

Well, now he felt kind of bad for prying, actually. He hadn't been expecting the thing bothering Silver to be so... Intimate! Maybe he should try and change the topic somehow? His eyes drifted momentarily back to the book he'd been paging through. Silver had volunteered what it was that had been bothering the Sneasel. The Dewott could at least extend him the same courtesy.

"Have you... Ever heard of a being called Necrozma?" He haltingly asked.

 

[Cresselia92]

"It sounds like there's... A lot of baggage, there," Archie said, "I'm sure it must be difficult, the guy's your dad, but also a stranger."

Silver chuckled humorlessly. “You’ve got no idea…” he admitted with an absentminded nod, before letting out another sigh. He hated feeling so confused, so unsure, so… vulnerable. It took him a lot of effort to stop his ears from flattening and the walls around his heart from lowering, absolutely determined to hold a brave stance.

“But… He’s still technically some sorta father or whatever. I know what he can do, and if I do nothing and fail to keep him in check, then who—”

"Hey, listen, you're not responsible for your dad's bad behavior," the Dewott added, reassuringly. He reached out to pat the Sneasel on the shoulder, and smiled again, "So you don't gotta look so contrite. Chin up."

Silver stared at the Dewott’s paw on his shoulder, his eyes widening slightly and his feathers twitching. The younger mustelid seemed… puzzled by Archie’s response. So, the Dewott was really fine with it? Being the son of a yakuza wasn’t a dealbreaker? F-for real?

‘I guess my pessimism got far ahead of me,’ he mused, quietly placing his withdrawn claws on the otter’s paw. Because, come to think of it, nobody seemed to have a problem with him when he revealed the truth about his past. There was the obvious surprise, of course, but only that.

So, maybe showing that he trusted others really was the way…

“…Thanks,” he muttered appreciatively, reciprocating with a tiny smile of his own. Even his tail wagged a little, showing that at least part of his worries had slowly melted away.

And as Silver had showed some trust through a leap of faith, it seemed like his straightforwardness had motivated Archie to open up as well.

"Have you... Ever heard of a being called Necrozma?" He haltingly asked.

“Necrozma…”

Silver pulled back to cross his arms, his muzzle scrunching as he mentally chewed on that word. Something about it sounded vaguely familiar… oh! Right! Nova mentioned something about his world’s Giovanni, who tried to catch Necrozma and failed spectacularly.

The now-Sneasel inwardly grunted. Why had Giovanni become such a hot topic as of late? Even so, that memory pulled out another detail from the depths of his mind, causing Silver to hum in recognition.

“Yeah, I… There’re a few tidbits I’ve read about that creature! I might not know all the gritty details, but I can tell you what I found out, at least.” He frowned and rolled his eyes. “Boss was particularly obsessed with space warping and time bending, so… well, I recall skimming an entry about some kinda alien parasite who feeds on cosmic light and who can travel from an universe to another to try to stave off its never-ending hunger. Like a… living black hole, in a sense.” He tilted his head and stared curiously at Archie. “Is that… what your research is about?”

 

[Weazel]

Archie was far from the best at reading people, but he had some talent for picking on a Pokemon’ physical cues. The way Silver’s ears twitched as he held them upright, the way his tail feathers shifted. The almost desperate look in his eye as he stared at the Dewott’s paw on his shoulder. The Sneasel was putting on a brave face, but he seemed scared. Like he was expecting something bad to happen. Had the truth of his parentage caused Silver to lose friends in the past? It broke Archie’s heart to see. No wonder the kid put on the front of being the cool loner.

“You know your father better than anyone else here,” The Dewott said, “So if you think he’s doing something that needs stopping, tell us, and we’ll all stop him together. As a team. But it’s not your responsibility to keep him in check, the onus is on him to be on his best behavior, not you to mind him.”

As it turned out, Silver did, in fact, know some things about Necrozma. An alien parasite, ate light, traveled between universes, had a never ending hunger. That all matched up with his own experiences. That was the last bit of confirmation Archie needed.

“You remember what I told you, about how my universe died?” He said, sighing and looking back down at the book on the desk. “I guess a more accurate description would be to say it was killed? By a monster made of pure black gemstone. A monster, who ate the light of every star in the night sky, until our sun was all that was left. It ate that too, and, for a brief moment, became its own brilliant shining light, the last in all the universe. Then, it left through a portal it cut through spacetime, and I only survived because I was the lucky bastard who was close enough to follow it through.”

He probably didn’t need to spell it out any further for the Sneasel.

 

[Cresselia92]

Silver regarded Archie with a serious expression when the Dewott brought out the importance of teamwork and responsibilities.

“Yeah, you’re right…” he murmured, giving a nod in agreement and assimilating those words more thoroughly. “I might have some beef against my father, but I’m not reckless. I’ll let y’all know if I find something suspicious about this other Giovanni so that we can work on a plan… huh, t-together.”

That promise… it felt so funny to him, even if he genuinely meant every single word. But as someone who learned how to fend by himself at a very young age, he still struggled to fully register the concept of teamwork and teammates. Heck, even his relationship with his team back home needed a few extra adjustments, but the improvements were undeniable.

And that alliance situation… Silver found it ironic, really. His soul had resonated with the venomous form of Sneasel — not dark, not “evil” — while Giovanni had turned into one of the most powerful psychics to ever exist. It was almost as if fate itself was giving him a subtle hint and reminding him that there were many things he couldn’t do by himself (like in that case), and that some obstacles were near impossible to get past without help and support. Archie’s words only reinforced that message.

He wasn’t alone in that world. Just as others could count on him and he wished for them to trust him, he needed to count on them just as much.

Once more, it all went back to trusting others.

Silver gave a slightly wider and warmer smile, wishing to show his appreciation once more, but that deflated quickly when Archie stared at the book and elaborated more on his past. The now-Sneasel brought his claws to his chin, imagining the monstrous entity draining all remaining light and leaving nothing more than raw darkness. A god-like entity killing an entire universe, with no way to stop it.

“…I guess that would explain its name,” murmured Silver, biting his claws as he pieced the theory together. “Necro… Prisma… Prism of Death. Sounds like… the name of some harbinger of destruction. Which… might mean…”

Silver hesitated, aghast at his own thought. He didn’t want to make Archie’s experience any more miserable, but if his previous show of annoyance toward the topic of Overseers was any proof, then maybe his despair and the not-really-a-fight were connected.

“I… dunno how your universe used to work, but… if it was anything like mine and had similar laws, then… what if…” He swallowed, then forced his thoughts out. “What if your universe was… marked for destruction after ending its life cycle, so that a new universe could be born from its ashes?”

 

[Weazel]

“Excuse me?” Archie said, his voice suddenly very quiet. For a moment, he could only stare at Silver, as his brain processed just what it was the Sneasel had just said to him. A poorly worded suggestion blurted out without thought, not something worth getting worked up over, the rational part of his brain told him. Unfortunately, Archie was probably about as far from rationality as he’d ever been these last few days. “My world wasn’t some old relic hobbling through it’s twilight years! It was vibrant and full of life! How dare you even suggest…!?”

The Dewott spun away from the Sneasel, back towards the desk. He grabbed the book in front of him, and threw it. It hit the banister and flipped over, exploding pages as it sailed out of sight to the floor below. “I suppose next you’ll tell me that it’s good that it died, actually! After all, can’t have new life without a little destruction now and again!”

He slammed both paws down on the table, dug his claws into the wood. “And who gets to decide when a universe gets to live or die, anyway? Necrozma? Arceus? The Overseers? You? What about the people who live there, huh? I- ... I…”

He clenched his paws, the motion digging deep groves in the desk. Archie squeezed his eyes shut, took a few deep breathes, and after a moment his shoulders slumped. He was so tired, the Dewott didn’t even really have the energy to be angry anymore.

“I’m sorry, Silver, I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that,” he said, still refusing to turn and face the Sneasel again.

 

[Cresselia92]

In an instant, Silver felt his entire body freezing and his feathers fanning out, his eyes as wide as plates as he saw and sensed the overwhelming blind rage fill Archie’s eyes. By the gods, he really put his foot in his mouth, and he had shoved it far too deep into his throat!

Oh crap oh crap oh crap what did I do I didn’t mean to—!!

And the enraged Dewott flung the book away, scattering pages and causing many other ‘mons to stare at the scene in shock and nervousness. This caused Silver to become alert, unconsciously prodding at his own shadows as he let Archie throw a few accusations his way and clawed at the desk. However, he was less worried about potentially being targeted by some shadow attack — physical beatings didn’t scare him — and more worried about Archie accidentally hurting the other ‘mons.

But Silver also understood that Archie had a lot of anguish bubbling underneath his friendly demeanor, so he endured the shadowed tirade without complaints, his ear swiveled toward the Dewott and the head feather flopping uselessly. Despite keeping a stoic expression, there was sadness and sympathy gleaming into his red gaze, and deep down, it hurt him not being better equipped to handle emotional outbursts outside of his own.

Let it all out…

Soon, exhaustion finally took its toll on Archie, and Silver relaxed slightly when he didn’t hear the shadows in the Dewott’s voice. However, the older Wayfarer still seemed so drained, and torn, and helpless. Gulping down his nervousness, the now-Sneasel took a slow step forward, holding his head low and rubbing his claws together.

“…I know you didn’t mean to,” he said, his voice uncharacteristically soft. “You’re hurt, and stressed out, and only seek answers about your universe’s fate that are outta our reach. I can’t blame you for, um, your explosive reaction. N-no hard feelings from me, really!” Then he reached out to Archie and placed his claws on his shoulder. “I’m… sorry, too. I shouldn’t have said anything! I was inconsiderate and careless, and for that I… I’m truly sorry.”

 

[Weazel]

Finally, Archie turned to face Silver again. Just looking at the Sneasel made him feel ashamed of himself, and that feeling got worse when the other mustelid’s immediately response was to try and soothe him. Why wasn’t anyone ever mad at him when he did something stupid or unreasonable? He’d had no good reason to yell at Silver, and there was nothing Silver needed to apologize for!

“No, Silver, you didn’t do anything wrong,” the Dewott sighed, pushing his hat back so he could rub at his forehead with a paw. “I was way out of line. And just because I didn’t mean to doesn’t make it any better.”

He’d gone and made a huge scene, too. He was going to have to pay to get that book rebound, at the very least, and probably to get the holes he’d gouged into the desk too. For starters, the Dewott glanced around the second floor, giving anyone still looking at him and Silver his best apologetic look. He really needed to get it together. The last thing he wanted was to make people feel like they had to walk on eggshells around him. Not to mention, the Dewott was already juggling several temperamental friends and exploding at them like he’d done to Nova and now Silver would be disastrous.

“I guess, it’s just,” he paused, and made a circular gesture with his paws while he tried to find his words again, “I used to think of my world ending as a natural disaster. Unpredictable and unstoppable. But now I know that there are people out there who could’ve stopped it, but didn’t. And maybe you’re right, maybe they didn’t stop it because it had to happen. But I…”

He shook his head, and finally looked Silver in the eyes again, “Never mind. The more I fixate on it the more I’m just going to upset myself. Can’t change the past, just have to find a way to live with it.”

 

[Cresselia92]

Silver stared at Archie as the otter apologized for his behavior, and he mentally debated what he could do or say; if there was one thing he wanted to avoid was accidentally upsetting the Dewott again.

So, even if Archie seemed in a more stable mood compared to mere seconds ago, it didn’t hurt to give him some breathing room to relax and process what had just happened. Or at least, just enough time to let the adrenaline and shadows settle and fade away completely.

“Hey. Let’s just call it even, okay? An apology for an apology,” suggested Silver with a tiny smile, before flashing a cheeky grin. “And, hey! You’re talking with someone who has to live with his own terrible temper daily! I know how it’s like to see only red, so I can take a little verbal heat, I promise!”

With his arms akimbo and a soft chuckle slipping through his lips, Silver was letting go of his own tension, hoping that Archie would soon follow his lead. That Dewott had suffered enough and Silver wanted to drag him away from his own hole of self pity, fully aware of the darkness of such a place.

Silver blinked, then began wagging his tail again as his mental gears produced a new thought. “Y’know, there’s a word where I come from that might fit your situation…” He closed his eyes and recited the words with the same intonation of the monks in Violet City,“Shouganai — at times, things are the way they are and beyond our control, but it’s up to us finding the strength to react to the most unfavorable situations.”

Silver let those words linger for a short moment, then opened his eyes again, a strange blend of nostalgia and acceptance swirling in his gaze.

“It’s considered an empowering word, so, huh, maybe it’ll help you with your current plight.” He sighed deeply, but his smile persisted. “It helped with my plight years ago, when I needed to accept the fact that my… lineage was something that couldn’t be corrected, no matter what. And while my situation isn’t nearly as dire,” his smile widened slightly, “I know you’ll find a way, Archie. Besides, as you told me earlier, you aren’t alone. We can help carry each other’s baggage and share the workload — together, as a team.”

 

[Weazel]

He shot the Sneasel another concerned look. Archie had a sinking feeling that Silver had likely had to put up with far worse than the Dewott’s emotional outburst in the past, and had long since developed strategies for it. Why else would the Sneasel be so calm and understanding? Which, Silver was just a child! And the way he continued to talk about Giovanni, it seemed clear to the Dewott that on top of everything else wrong with the man, he wasn’t about to win any father of the year awards.

“Yeah, alright,” the Dewott nodded, before falling heavily into his seat. “Just… Remind me to buy you another poffin next market day. You deserve it.”

Dessert pastries weren’t going to make up for a lifetime of whatever Silver had had to deal with, but Archie could at least do little things to help Silver experience something approximating a normal childhood. You know, as normal as being turned into a Pokemon and being thrown into a universe where Pokemon were in the process of recreating the Old West could be. Seeing the Sneasel wag his tailfeathers – he didn’t know Sneasel could do that, actually – made the Dewott’s own tail thud against the chair a few times, and he couldn’t help but smile at Silver’s antics, his exaggerated gestures and cheeky grins.

“Shouganzi, huh? Never was very good at all that meditative stuff,” he huffed, clearly amused. Still, he appreciated the sentiment, even if he thought he’d done more than enough saddling other people with his baggage. And it was one thing if it was Nova or Wes he was getting help from. Silver and Koa were children, and he was an adult, he shouldn’t be shoving his issues onto them! Still, Silver was using his own words against him here, he couldn’t exactly toss the Sneasel’s gesture aside.

“I appreciate it, though,” he added, with a grin. “And, I’ll keep that in mind. Gotta set a good example for those of us who are a little more, uh… Emotionally constipated, let’s say.”

Once again, his mind drifted back to Koa and Wes. And then Seth, as well. Honestly, if he kept befriending the ones with social issues, he was going to start worrying he had a thing about picking friends he could ‘fix.’

 

[Cresselia92]

Emotionally constipated, huh…

Silver chortled, somewhat amused by that promise. “Oh wow! D’you really have to call me out like that, man?” he demanded playfully, his eyes and smirk twisted with mock offense. “Dontcha know that’s how you get a plethora of mystique and chill points? I mean, being emotionally constipated is what makes cowboys and spies in movies so darn cool and awesome!”

The now-Sneasel added a mirthful chuckle for good measure, wanting to let Archie know that his claim wasn’t serious. Well… at least for the most part.

“But… Yeah, I get what you mean,” he added, his smirk softening. “It can be hard to express feelings, most of the times, but I’ve been working really hard on that!” He rolled his eyes. “Besides, you can bet that a Sneasel’s body isn’t exactly good at hiding that kinda stuff, ha!”

Speaking of transparent body language, hearing the faint thumps of Archie’s tail warmed Silver’s chest. Relief and a thin note of triumph flooded through his body, and the younger mustelid was glad that he dragged the Dewott away from his darkest thoughts. He was unsure what to think about the offer of a Poffin — he just did what he felt was the right thing to do — but well! If Archie wanted to show appreciation, who was he to refuse the kind gesture?

“Oh, um, sure! I wouldn’t mind a Poffin whenever!” Silver said with a grin, before walking toward some of the ripped pages and starting collecting them. “But first things first, let’s see to clean this mess. After that, maybe we could take a drink somewhere?” He turned to Archie and shot him a straight stare. “You could really use a little break, y’know? Besides, hydration is always good!”

 

[Weazel]

Archie hadn’t actually had the Sneasel in mind with that little turn of phrase, but, well, if the shoe fit! At least the Sneasel didn’t seem to be taking it too hard. But then, Silver was one of the people Archie didn’t think he had to worry about as much.

“I think you’re at the part of the movie where the spy’s met the love interest and started coming out of their shell a little,” the Dewott hummed, grinning back at the Sneasel. Silver had mentioned having a friend back home, hadn’t he? One who was helping him drop the cool loner act? “And, I think you’re just at a slight disadvantage with me, I worked with Wild Pokemon for a living. So it was important I be able to tell when they were getting annoyed with my presence.”

“A drink? Oh, yeah I-” the Dewott yawned, “I’ve been going down to the Cliffside Cafe every so often. You ever been?”

Honestly? Archie was not looking forward to going downstairs and having to collect what was left of the book he’d just destroyed. Mostly, he wasn’t looking forward to having to explain himself to the librarian. But, he couldn’t put it off forever. But, Silver was right, they couldn’t just leave the mess here. So, he pushed himself back out of his chair, and knelt down to help collect what pages had ended up on the floor here.

“You don’t have to help, you know,” he added, “I’m the one who threw the book.”