Setting:
•Amber's Schoolhouse, Mt. Silver, Kanto•
•Silver aged 16•
•Amber aged 17•
•Night, February•
•Silver POV•
Chapter One
The Night Before the World Burned
She was at it again: talking about taking on the gyms of the Johto region. Silver couldn't keep up with her at times. Well, to be honest with himself, he hardly ever could keep up with his best friend, Amber. She was known for being reckless, impulsive, and impatient. Though as a teacher, it made her shine even more. Class was never boring, to say in the least. Still, Silver wasn't sure he liked the idea of Amber wanting to leave the school already and take an adventure in a different region.
True, he was supposed to graduate come that April, and he was certain she had some sort of scheme to get him to become the teacher in her absence. He would refuse; wherever she decided to go, he'd follow just to make certain she didn't do something she'd regret along the way. Amber was naïve, even though she was slowly learning the ways of the world more and more every day.
He was actually a bit younger than her, but he was definitely as mature if not moreso. She liked to have fun, and he understood it, and a part of him always did have fun with her around, but he, being the person he grew up to be, was always a little too cautious for her liking and had been called a "buzz kill" on occasion.
Before Amber showed up in his life, Silver had no real human friends. No one wanted to hang around him--if not for his odd appearance with his bright red hair or deep crimson eyes and the always stern, menacing look on his face, then for his reputation that always preceded him wherever he went. Also, his voice was a bit harsh, and that didn't help matters with him making friends, either.
But still, his reputation of being Giovanni's son killed any chance left of making human friends or being accepted in social circles. He knew just about every tale the rumor mill spun, and most of them were about how he was in Team Rocket and was generally a criminal--although that was as far from true as possible.
But even then, with Amber, it was different. She ignored all of that completely. He was grateful for it--unbelievably grateful. Before she came into his life at the Indigo League, he had been a boring nobody. Amber opened up a whole new door of opportunities for him; she even managed to clear his name with all of the publicity she earned, though it still did little to squelch the rumor mill all the way.
Yes, Amber really was special to him: his very best friend--the only human he could rely on and confide in without being discriminated against. Her only problem was that she bored easily and moved around quite often from topic to topic, hobby-to-hobby, unsure what she really wanted to do in life.
After all, although they were getting older, neither were still adults, even though Amber would turn eighteen and legally an adult in just a few more months. He couldn't believe it already had been that long since he first met her; then again, he couldn't believe it hadn't been longer. Although their current friendship started at the league a little over a year ago, it at least felt like to Silver that they had been friends for almost a lifetime.
"Are you listening to me, Silv?" She startled him out of his thoughts as she looked at him expectantly.
Her azure eyes were practically boring into his skull as she sat on the neighboring sofa, chin propped on her left hand, leaning towards him in his chair. The only light in the room was that of the circular fireplace, which roared with warmth and light on the winter's night. The schoolhouse was just about empty thanks to the season.
"Sorry. I'm sorta spaced out right now," he admitted a little sheepishly. He had no clue what the hell she had just told him, and he had a feeling he might regret it later that he blanked out on her.
"Pretty early for you to be getting tired. But, I guess I'll let you go to bed," she seemed a bit disappointed in his feigned sleepiness, and he felt somewhat guilty if he'd oblige.
"Nah, it's alright. What time is it anyway?" He wasn't the type to wear a watch, and from his angle, the clock on the wall was out of view.
"9:30 according to that thing. Like I said: early," she somewhat teased as she glanced at the clock behind him.
"Hmph, that's not early for some people, you know. Normal people go to bed around this time," he joked back.
He and Amber always joked around with each other. To some, it might have seemed like they were always fighting, but they knew better; they communicated well that way. Others thought it was flirting, and others still called it a farce meaning that neither was comfortable with the other. He and Amber just let them think whatever because deep down, both knew mutually it was just two good friends having a fun conversation. They kept each other's wits sharp, which was a good thing.
"Define 'normal', if you don't mind." She grinned at him.
"Definitely not either of us," he smirked back.
"Well, if that's the case I don't care about normal since it doesn't pertain to us," she stated with finality.
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah, really. I mean it's not like anyone else is stuck in here anyway. Everyone else left before the blizzard came in, and we don't have any plans for tomorrow… Speaking of, we need firewood. I think I might go out and get some tomorrow."
"You think it'll be clear enough to do that? I mean, you don't even have Charry with you anymore." He warned.
It had been a pretty bad February on the foothills of Mt. Silver, the mountain for which he was named and also the founding place of Team Rocket. Amber thought it ironic to build a schoolhouse there, and so she did: on the Kanto side of Mt. Silver.
The previous November, Amber let her first ever Pokemon, a fierce female Charizard, go into the wild for training in a secret location only known to wild Charizard--as well as the overseer of the place who made very few exceptions for tame Charizard. The fact Amber let Charry go in itself astonished Silver; those two were as close as sisters, but after really hard thinking, Amber decided it best that Charry go out and improve herself further so she can fulfill her own dreams.
Granted, Charry was welcome back at any time, and Amber awaited the day her Charizard would return satisfied from being one of the toughest of her species. But, he guessed it would be a long time before the large dragon-like flame lizard ever returned; Charizard were notorious for their will to battle stronger opponents. Most had large egos, and thus, they as a species usually tried to improve themselves constantly. Charry was no exception.
At the schoolhouse, Charry was on her best behavior, but Amber could tell her beloved Pokemon was not getting the proper attention she deserved nor the rigorous training she needed to remain undefeated. And so, Amber did what was best.
Amber usually was pretty selfless, up to a huge fault: she'd put her life on the line for just about anyone, even if she didn't know whomever she was saving. It was her fatal flaw, by certain. He guessed it was her good nature that really drew him in the most. She was a sweet-natured person, even with her faults. And in turn, she knew his faults as well: mainly his dislike for other people thanks to all of the scorn he had to deal with most of his life.
"You forget I have other Pokemon, don't you?" She asked wryly.
He sighed. "No, but I'm just saying. You don't have your trump card any more. Charry had been undefeated for years; can you say that about any of your other Pokemon?"
"I'll have you know that Repede, Blitz, Gallop, Kaiser, and Speck all have a pretty good track record, too!" Amber always referred to her Pokemon by their nicknames. She always treated them as if they were people; Silver liked that about her, too. For the longest time, his own Pokemon was the only person in his life who was there for him.
"Whatever. Just let me know when you go. Sneasel and I will help, too; that way maybe we won't run out as fast."
She gave him a faux glare. "And now you're calling us incompetent?" She feigned surprise.
"I'm just saying that teamwork comes in handy. Didn't you teach me that, yourself?"
"Ah, touché, my friend," she grinned. "I was just testing you. Looks like you really pay attention to what I teach you, Mr. Top Student." She loved to rub that pet name in his face from time to time, and it embarrassed him. He knew that deep down, she was pretty proud that he was her best student, and that it was an unbiased opinion.
"You're always testing me," he teased back.
"Well, as I was saying earlier, someone's got to take over the school when I'm gone."
"And who says I won't be going with you?" He didn't mean to, but he knew he was tensing up. He hated this subject the most.
She smirked. "We'll see when the time comes, alright? Who knows, you might have a flare for teaching that you don't yet realize! I know a lot of people could use you as an example."
"Example?" He prompted.
"As in being a skilled trainer, actually paying attention in class, and not to mention being a damn good friend," she grinned.
Her compliments just about made him want to blush from embarrassment; before Amber came around, he never was given a compliment, and even to that day, being praised by someone made him feel a bit uncomfortable.
She was picking on him, but she was doing it in the form of compliments. True compliments were hard to come by from Amber as a teacher; hell, she complimented her Pokemon more than her students as she was pretty critical, but it made her a pretty good teacher being able to point out flaws and ways around them.
"Quit picking on me!" He grinned slightly.
Her expression turned serious, which surprised him. "I'm not picking on you this time, Silv. Sheesh. Can't a girl be serious once in a while with her compliments? I meant what I said completely! You might have what it takes to take over the teaching business when the time comes."
"Well, like you said, 'when the time comes'…" He ended the subject there.
He didn't want to accept the possibility of her leaving him behind at all. He watched her back now, and he'd watch it then, too. They were a team, and he wasn't going to just let her run away from him--again. Though, he did wonder at times if she was tired of him, too. It seemed more and more lately she had been trying to distance herself from him. It was subtle, but he knew it to be the case; he knew Amber well.
"What's got you down?" She could read him pretty well, too.
"Nothing. Don't worry about it. I guess I'll go ahead and get some sleep. I feel like being normal tonight," he decided.
"Oh, well. Night then. Sleep well, Silv. Hope you feel better in the morning," she gave him a small smile. He couldn't tell what was up with her, but the smile she gave him didn't look right.
"Thanks. Night, Amb," he dismissed the smile and began to trudge his way out of the common's area that they were in and into the living quarters to his room.
Other trainers came and went as they pleased, but he permanently resided there with Amber, though they literally lived on different ends of the massive house. She had her own room in the teacher's study. Though, since they technically lived together, Amber's father loved to pick on him and call him Amber's "boyfriend".
He just let the comment slide since he liked Amber's dad and thought him to be a pretty cool guy. Besides, he was a boy and a friend, so by all technicalities… But in any case, as long as he and Amber were close friends, he was fine enough.
"Oh yeah, Silv!" She caught up to him and got his attention.
"Yeah?" He didn't turn around to face her.
"Tomorrow morning, I suggest you go ahead and get some training with Sneasel done. After school starts up again, I'll be giving finals, which will be battles. The top student gets completely qualified for the next Indigo League Tourney, and I'm sure you guys want to be in peak performance. I heard that the Ghost-type Misdreavus will be around while it's still dark out. It's your choice, though. But, if you do wanna go, my Pidgeot is on the table in his ball. Well, anyway, night," she walked off again.
He had forgotten about the finals that were approaching. Since Amber's school was accredited, she could allow one trainer to become eligible to enter the next Indigo League without winning any badges. But still, he kind of didn't want to wake up early and do training, which made him groan a little to himself.
Sometimes, Amber did ask a bit much of him, but he took it in stride since in the end, she usually was looking out for him, and he didn't mind taking orders from her as long as he benefited. And so, Silver slid into bed, set his alarm for four in the morning, and was sleeping by ten.