Setting:
•Route 30, Johto•
•Near 4 PM•
•Late February•
•Amber (Wolfe Alias) POV•
Chapter Eleven
Cold Eyes, Familiar Face
After a good twenty or so minutes of running—and I realized just how fast Chika really was—we ended up in a clearing with a nice-sized pond.
"I bet you Totodile's around here," I panted as I bent down to pat Chika on the head. She still seemed to be brimming with energy.
"You are correct," replied a voice I never thought I'd hear again.
Although, it sounded different: harsher, bitter—angry, even. "Totodile was here, until I captured it. It's mine now, so you two might as well go on back to the lab and cry to that professor of yours on how you both failed miserably. Both of you are too weak to get Totodile back from me," Silver replied smugly.
I turned around to find that Silver was actually behind us, and he slowly approached us from behind a nearby pine tree. He twirled Totodile's pokeball in his hand, and the reptilian Pokémon inside glared at both me and Gold.
"Oh yeah?! I'll show you, then! You can't just steal Professor Elm's Pokémon like that!" Replied Gold defiantly. "Wolfe, hold my bag. I'll teach you both what this lab assistant can do! Hino, let's get Totodile back!" Gold flung off his bag and hefted it into my arms.
"Cyndaquil!" Replied Hino, who jumped onto the ground, flared up his back, and seemed to glare at his opponent even though his little eyes were always shut.
I decided to step back and watch Gold work. Chika hopped onto my shoulder to watch.
"Hmph. What a weakling. That Cyndaquil's flame is all show, no doubt. It probably doesn't even know how to use Ember yet. And, I've got the type advantage. You'll be a cakewalk. Just don't cry when you lose, kid," replied Silver menacingly. I couldn't believe the voice I was hearing belonged to the guy I saw in front of me.
"Arggh! I'll make you eat those words! Send out your Pokémon, thief! Let's battle!" Gold didn't back down.
"Whatever. Fine then. Totodile, handle this Cyndaquil. Go!" He casually let the Pokémon out of the ball. The blue form emerged with an energetic jig.
"Toto!" It replied in a raspy voice before eying down Hino menacingly. Hino seemed to flinch, but he flared up his back once again.
"Hino, go! Tackle attack!" Gold called, and the small Pokémon lunged forward to hit Totodile squarely in the chest.
"Totodile, Scratch attack! Show him what it means to come too close to those claws!" Silver commanded, and Totodile immediately started scratching Hino, who was too close to evade.
"Smokescreen, Hino! Get away from Totodile!" Hino managed to launch a very thick gray smoke from the fire on his back, which blinded me for certain.
I realized Gold just opened up the perfect escape opportunity, so I quietly asked Chika to bind Silver's leg with Vine Whip, and she jumped off my shoulder and did just that. The Silver I knew wouldn't have run, but then again, the Silver I knew wasn't a thief, either.
No, this Silver was almost like a completely different person. His hair was longer, and it was unruly, like he didn't care too much about it. It completely covered his right eye, but from gazing in his left one earlier, I saw something in it I didn't like. He looked so harsh compared to the guy I used to know. The guy who was serious, but at the same time, he was always sincere. This Silver had the look of a shady character—someone who didn't look trustworthy. And I hated seeing that in him of all people seeming how he was once the person I trusted most.
Once the smoke cleared, it was confirmed that Chika made an accurate landing on the Vine Whip, which held tightly onto his lower right leg. That earned us a smirk, but it was a much more menacing smirk than I remembered. "Hmph. Knew I'd make a break for it, did you? Perhaps you're not as dense as that kid there. Totodile, finish Cyndaquil off! Water Gun!" He commanded as he turned his attention back to his battle.
Totodile sprayed a pretty powerful deluge of water from his mouth, which hit Cyndaquil and sent him flying straight into the pond.
"Hino! No!" Gold replied as he quickly returned the defeated Pokémon to his pokeball. His will to battle broken, Gold slumped to the ground. He looked up at me almost pitifully. "It's up to you now, Wolfe. Please, you've got to stop that thief."
I managed to drain all the emotions I felt whirling around from my consciousness as I replied seriously. "Sure thing, Gold."
I placed Gold's bag down next to him and ordered Chika to remove the Vine Whip. I knew I'd have to try hard not to give myself away to Silver. And so, I looked him in the eyes and replied. "Alright. I don't know who you are, or who you even think you are. And you know what? I don't really give a damn one way or the other. All I do know is I hate thieves, and thieves who think they're all that and like to gloat because they won against a rookie trainer are just plain pathetic. You're nothing but a spoiled brat, and it's about time I put you in your place. So, I, Wolfe, will bring you down, punk!" I replied angrily, my teeth gritted.
"Hmph. Big words for a newbie. Sticking up for your rookie friend? Of course, you do appear to be around my age, but that doesn't change a thing. I'm an experienced trainer, so I have every right to gloat if I so desire. I think I'll take it easy on you and keep using Totodile," he smirked.
"What the hell ever," I replied. "Chika, let's go! Start off with Razor Leaf!" I commanded.
Chika quickly whipped at least seven or so large leaves into the air in Totodile's direction.
"Counter that with Water Gun, Totodile," he replied. The Water Gun was able to knock out most of the leaves, but two managed to hit their mark, hitting Totodile directly in the chest.
I jumped up in joy. "Yes! Critical Hit! Nice work! Now, move along to Vine Whip! Immobilize it! Time to test a theory!"
Chika was on the ball, and she was able to bind the blue form where he couldn't even move his stubby arms.
"And now, slam it into the ground for good measure!" Chika seemed to be enjoying the battle since she gleefully slammed the Totodile headfirst into the ground a few times.
"Totodile, try to break free! Leer!" Totodile glared at Chika, who seemed intimidated. In turn, she loosened her grip a little.
"Chika, ignore it! Tackle it into oblivion!" I cried.
Chika managed to regain her hold just before Totodile could break free. She then charged into an all out tackle. She retracted her vines as she went and eventually let go to hit Totodile head on. The blue figure flew back and hit a tree trunk, rather defeated.
I then glared at Silver. "That's it. I won, so obviously you can't gloat. Now, do the honorable thing and give Totodile back. If you do, I'll let the authorities go easy on you. If you don't, I vow I will make you regret it! You don't really want to make this issue a personal one between you and I, do you?"
"Hmph. Beginner's luck. I may have lost with Totodile this time, but that means nothing. Totodile isn't even trained," he pointed out. "I'm not giving it back, and that's my final word."
He recalled the fainted Pokémon to its ball. "Just remember, this won't be the last you see of me, Wolfe. I, Silver, will be keeping an eye out on you. I think I will make this issue personal between the two of us. I'll get my revenge with Totodile, and then we'll see who's gloating. Just you wait. Sneasel, retreat!"
A black Pokémon I hadn't seen in over two years appeared. It seemed for a brief moment he sniffed the air and made direct eye contact with me. I looked down as to not return the glance.
A freezing gust of wind whipped up at us, which caused me to close my eyes. I actually felt snow brush against my cheeks, which were becoming numb. I had felt Sneasel's Icy Wind many times before, but I never knew it had gotten that strong. Once the wind died down, I opened my eyes to see that Silver was gone.
"Damn it! I should've figured he'd have some sort of escape plan!" I yelled in dismay.
Gold stood up and patted me sympathetically on the shoulder. "At least you beat him in battle, and you got his name!" Somehow he managed to grin, if only for my sake.
"You're a really awesome battler! Chika is already so strong! I'm really impressed. I guess that's why she wouldn't want just any trainer." He then sighed. "Guess we're going back to Professor Elm empty-handed though."
"Well, at least I have this," I showed Gold the egg in my bag.
"What's that?" He asked in curiosity.
"It's supposed to be a Pokémon egg that's never been discovered before. I gotta deliver it to Professor Elm," I replied.
"Guess we'll be walking back together then," Gold grinned slightly.
I smiled amiably—Gold didn't seem to be a bad kid at all. Actually, he reminded me a lot of myself at that age. "Yep. Guess we should get a move on then if we want to get back before dark."
I tried to pay attention to Gold as we walked, but the image of this new Silver kept popping up. I couldn't believe that my very best friend had changed so much in just two years. It was so startling—so shocking—I partly wanted to think it was nothing more than a nightmare. Or maybe he had a double with the same name. I knew that was far from the truth; I didn't believe that any more than I believed that I—Amber—was actually dead.
"Before dark?! It took me a whole day just to get to Cherrygrove City!" Exclaimed Gold.
I laughed at the kid. "Guess I'll be teaching you a shortcut or two while I'm at it." I grinned at Gold as we both headed back to Cherrygrove City. I decided that it wasn't the time or place to worry about Silver's actions. Besides, if what he said was true, I'd be seeing a whole lot more of him in the coming days of my Johto adventures.