Silver

[ryan22424]

- Chapter 14: Warming Up -

Silver woke up with Eve being much closer than she had been last night, again. Seeing that it was starting to get light outside, Silver eased away from her and slowly got up. Checking on her, he was glad to note that her fever was slightly down,
though she still had one.

Almost dreading going back out into the cold, Silver headed over to the entrance. Once out, Silver sighed to see that it had snowed again last night, the snow rising a few inches. In fact, he was sure that the snow was about a foot high, while he was
only a foot tall.

Sighing, Silver stepped out into the snow, pausing as the snow seeped its icy feel into his leg. He was glad to note, though, that the snow was compacted enough that he didn't sink down too much, allowing him to mostly walk along the top of the
snow.

Looking around, Silver saw a rather large hump in the snow nearby. Hopping through the snow, Silver quickly made his way over to it. He padded at it, removing the snow from the bush. With part of the snow gone, Silver was able to see it was really a
berry bush, though he didn't recognize the berries. Though a few of the berries were shriveling, the rest were still ripe and ready to be picked.

Reaching down, Silver was about to snap off a branch, when he noticed the rather large leaf under the branches. The large leaf appeared strong and was still a healthy green color with the protection of the bush. With its slightly cupped shape with a
strong, long stem, it would be a perfect thing to carry berries on.

Silver pulled it out, placing it gently beside him. Instead of snapping off the branches on the bushes like normal, Silver began to snip the berries off, placing them on the leaf. He enjoyed not breaking off branches, for they were both cumbersome and
shortened the amount of berries that could grow on the bush next year until the branch regrew.

With his new leaf carrier full, Silver headed back to the den. As he climbed back inside, he was glad to see that Eve was already awake and sitting up. Sliding the berries over to the pile, he went over to Eve.

"How are you feeling now?" he asked.

"Slightly better," Eve said. "What do I do?"

"You need to stay in here and rest," Silver ordered. "You're still sick and need to get better."

Eve sighed, but laid back down.

"Are you thirsty?" Silver asked.

Eve looked away, but murmured, "A little."

Nodding, Silver grabbed the leaf and went back outside, heading toward the river. Going to the edge, Silver knocked off a piece of the ice on the river, pulling it onto the snow before it was washed away. After collecting a few more pieces of the ice, he
piled them onto his helpful leaf and dragged it back to the den. Not wanting it all to melt, he left the ice in the snow just outside the den.

Bringing back in the leaf and one piece of ice for Eve, Silver brought it over to Eve. "Here you go," Silver said, placing it in front of her.

"Thank you," Eve said quietly, before licking at the ice quickly.

"I'll be back soon," Silver promised, grabbing his leaf and heading out.

He shivered slightly as he stepped back out into the snow, but went out again, heading for the first usual hump in the snow that would signify a berry bush. Reaching it, Silver lunged forward to knock the snow off, only to backpedal quickly as
something sharp pricked his nose. Shaking his head from the sudden pain, Silver watched as a few droplets of his blood hit the ground.

Wondering what it was, Silver more cautiously pawed the snow off of the bush. Once done, Silver found himself looking at a thorn bush, most likely what was a flowering bush back in the spring and summer.

Silver pressed his nose against the snow for a second, effectively numbing it and the pain. Shaking the little bit of snow that stayed on, Silver headed for the next hump close by, making sure to go at it slower than before.

After filling his leaf once more with berries, he headed back to the den, his nose still dropping blood every few minutes as he went. Inside the den, he found Eve by the stockpile, pulling the berries off the branches from before and separating them
into two piles.

She looked up quickly as he entered. "I thought I could help still while I stayed here," she said.

Piling the berries onto the already present pile, Silver nodded. "If you get tired, though, rest, okay?"

She nodded, but paused. "Silver, you're bleeding," she said, a note of concern in her voice.

"It's just a scratch from a thorn bush," Silver said.

She looked at him a little concerned still, but went back to separating the berries.

Silver took a lingering glance at her before heading back out into the winter landscape, wondering if that concern was meant for more than friendship. Was she caring for him because she was starting to like him as well?

Knowing he would just entangle himself in his thoughts again, Silver pushed them away and focused on gathering berries. The rest of the day was just gathering berries off of any bushes Silver could find and pulling them back to the den.

The sun was setting as Silver brought back his last load. After gathering berries all day through the high snow, he was tired. However, he knew his feelings were partially numbed by the cold, making him wonder how tired he really was. He was still
glad to see the tree that overshadowed their den as he came back.

Almost diving back into the less cold den, Silver quickly dumped the last of the berries onto the pile. Eve was lying back down, having pulled all the branches off earlier. Now that he was back, Eve slowly started to get back up. Silver brought another
ice piece for her and then started searching the berry pile. He sighed as he realized they had no sweet berries, meaning Eve would have to eat something else.

Coming up beside him, Eve grabbed a few berries and sat down to eat. Getting his own dinner, Silver admired how Eve ignored her favoring and ate the berries. Her face showed how much she disliked it, but she continued to eat them.

Finishing up her few berries, Eve asked, "When do you think I'll be able to go out?"

Silver shrugged. "I'm not sure. I wasn't even sure you were sick until the Bibarel told me. I don't think you should go out until your fever is fully gone, though," Silver said.

Eve sighed quietly, looking down at her paws. "You shouldn't have to be doing this all just for me, though. I should be helping."

"You can't help that you're sick," Silver pointed out.

Eve sighed again, though. Finished with their meal, Eve went over and curled up at her usual spot. Silver paused, unsure if he should lay down next to her again. She was getting better, and it wasn't that cold inside the den. However, as he glanced
back over at Eve, he saw her watching him, an almost hopeful look on her face. He inwardly sighed as he realized she still wanted him to lay next to her.

As Silver laid down next to her, he noticed the fever was less than it had been before, meaning she was probably getting better. He hadn't got much information from the kind Bibarel and could only hope it meant she was getting well. Silver fell
asleep, hoping there had been an additional reason for Eve wanting him next to her besides warmth.

(0)

Silver opened his eyes to see that it was still night. He wondered why he had woken until he heard a soft sound. He thought Eve was moving around for a second, before realizing that Eve's body was still against his side. Her even breathing proved that she was still asleep.

Silver perked his ears, listening again. He paused as he heard another of the soft sounds, confirming he hadn't imagined it. Confused, Silver quietly sniffed the air and tensed as he smelt something different in the air. He couldn't identify it, but he knew that it was something living; someone else was in the den.

Though alarm shot through Silver immediately, he froze, unsure of what to do at first. He heard another of the soft sounds and realized that the sound was closer; or maybe it was just his panicking nerves. Needing some kind of action at the moment,
Silver shook his head slightly to break from the tight grip of fear that had grabbed him. This moment was a time to act, not freeze up. He needed to start thinking straight.

Moving slowly, Silver eased into a crouching position, making sure not to disturb Eve next to him. He heard another of the soft sounds and deduced them to be slow pawsteps. His ears pricked at an added noise; this one the sound of sniffing, as
though it was searching for something.

Realizing Eve was closer to the entrance, Silver stepped over her, putting himself between the new intruder and the Eevee. However, as he maneuvered into the new position, his pawsteps landed harder than expected, and a low growl instantly
vibrated from the area where Silver had located the intruder. The growl sent shivers down his spine as he imagined the opponent, no light to stop his imagination from adding to its actual figure.

Suddenly, Silver was taken off his feet as something rammed into his side. The blow carried him and his assailant over Eve, and Silver offhandedly hoped that it hadn't noticed her. They fell roughly to the ground again, and Silver immediately began
to struggle. However, he was quickly pinned before he could retaliate, keeping his paws still.

Silver swallowed nervously as he felt hot breath against his neck. The enemy was probably going for a quick killing bite. Thinking quickly, Silver suddenly remembered his tail, the one thing that wasn't pinned. Concentrating his power in the
appendage, the bushy tail started to glow white slightly. The slight light from it reflected off the burrows walls slight, showing Silver exactly what the intruder was.

The Pokemon was slightly larger than his size, though small enough to have gotten through the tunnel with little difficulty. Its skin was covered in short, black fur, with a short stubby tail. The fur left off of the muzzle, showing its angry red skin
around the mouth and contrasting the many menacing teeth in its maw. With the two ears matching the shape of its tail, Silver recognized it as a Houndour.

The Houndour was leaning over him, ready to bite. It froze as the little light illuminated the small den. It looked back for the source of the light, only to see Silver's tail arching up as he attacked. Silver whacked the Pokemon as hard as he could from
his position, though it was weaker with no leverage under his feet. However, the attack was enough to knock the Houndour off of him and throw him a little away.

Silver quickly got up out of the weak position, his belly quickly being hidden from attack. Glancing over, Silver saw that Eve's outline was starting to stir from the commotion, though he couldn't see very clearly in the dark.

Looking back over at the assailant, he saw that the Houndour had taken his momentary lapse in attention to its advantage and was now charging at him. Ramming into Silver's side, the dog winced slightly, but continued pushing into Silver until it
rammed him against the wall.

After pressing against the wall for another half second, it backed up and let Silver fall to the ground. Silver's legs almost gave out as they found earth underneath them again, but he stayed steady and glared at the spot he thought the Houndour was.
He started to gather energy in his back legs to tackle it, but flinched as he felt teeth sink into his left ear.

Crying out in pain, Silver pulled back from the sudden pain, tearing his ear out of his opponent's fangs. Immediately, he felt a thick liquid start to seep out of the wound he had been given. Silver instinctively wanted to check on it, but reminded
himself that he was in a battle.

Before Silver could recover enough to attack, though, the Houndour rammed heavily into him again, throwing him onto his back. Once again, he felt himself pinned down, this time with his tail trapped underneath his body, making him cry out as his
tail was painfully squeezing and bending of the muscles and bone down there.

Hot breath once again hit Silver's face as the Houndour's mouth got closer. Not knowing what else to do, Silver desperately tried to thrash out of his captor's hold, but it had pinned him too well. Knowing that neither of them could see anyway in the
dark, Silver still bared his fangs at where he guessed the Houndour's face to be, daring it to try anything in his false bravado. His last chance would be to let it bite and hope that it confused the location of his neck with all his mane fur.

Crouching low, Eve tried to take in what was going on. Somehow, Silver was fighting against some other Pokemon. He needed her help, but she still hadn't adjusted to the dim lighting out the den. Finally, Eve could tell Silver was being pinned from
his movements. Taking action, she leapt at the Pokemon above him. Without being able to see, her attack didn't hit fully, but it still knocked the creature off balance some, making it give a yelp.

Silver immediately took advantage and threw the Houndour off of him. Eve paused to check on him and was worried when she smelt blood. She could hear Silver panting hard as he tried to catch his breath.

Suddenly, the den was filled with light, forcing Eve to half close her eyes from the sudden brightness. The Pokemon had formed a small ball of fire at its mouth, the light revealing that it was a Houndour. It immediately shot the fireball toward Silver,
who was easily able to dodge the fully illuminated attack.

Eve gasped as the attack continued on and hit the food pile, immediately catching the many berries on fire. The new, more spread out fire lit the den even more as the battle continued. Eve wanted to attend to the fire and save their food supply, but
knew the Houndour wasn't about to give them the chance.

Suddenly, the Houndour and Silver leapt at each other, meeting head on with their attacks. However, Silver couldn't match the Houndour's strength and was thrown back against the wall. The Houndour continued and hit Silver a second time as he
tried to get up. Silver stayed down after the second blow, not moving as the Houndour approached with a large grin appearing.

Breaking out the trance that had taken hold of her, Eve launched herself at the assailant and battered him in the side. Unprepared, the Houndour was thrown away and fell to the ground. As it tried to get up, Eve returned its favor and rammed it again,
speeding up with Quick Attack. The Houndour was thrown once again beside the small tunnel that served as an entrance, falling into a crumpled heap as it landed.

Panting slightly, Eve began to charge her power greatly. While her trainer didn't battle, he had taught her a move to protect herself from any attackers. He had told her Eevee didn't normally learn it, but he had found a way for her to do just as much
damage as the move he called Giga Impact.

With her power gathered, Eve charged at the downed Houndour, sending it flying up the tunnel. It was howling in pain as it flew through the air and fell outside. Eve stopped as her muscles restricted from the heavy and sudden use. Panting hard, Eve
waited for her muscles to unlock.

Eve glanced over as Silver came over to her, grimacing slightly from the pain. "Are you okay?" Silver asked, worry evident in his voice.

Her muscles starting to recover, Eve nodded slightly. "Yeah, my muscles just lock up for a little after that attack," she explained.

Silver suddenly froze for a second, before turning around and struggling over to the blazing pile that was once their provisions. Though Eve was worried about Silver's condition, she hurried over and quickly helped him start to throw dirt onto the pile,
water not being accessible at the moment. Her movements much quicker than his, it still took a moment before the flame was out, the light disappearing with it.

As Silver began to go through the remains of the food pile, all Eve could worry about was him. He was obviously still in pain, and there was blood somewhere on him. Coming over to him, she saw he had pulled out a few berries, though not many.

Seeing an Oran berry among the meager collection, Eve moved it in front of Silver. "Here, eat this Oran berry; it should heal some of your wounds," Eve murmured, though forcibly.

As Silver leaned down to eat it without a comment, Eve checked him over in the dim light, finding that the blood was a wound on his ear. Eve silently began to lick it, cleaning the wound with long strokes of her tongue. After cleaning off the blood and
few loose hairs, Eve was saddened to see a small nick in his ear that wouldn't heal.

Sighing, Eve said, "Your ear is going to have a nick in it from now on."

Silver sighed as he looked at the tiny amount of berries in front of him, despair almost setting in. Winter was coming on hard now, while food would soon be going bad from frost. With so little food, they had much bigger problems than his looks; they
needed something to eat.

Okay guys, I'm sorry for not updating sooner, I've had some things on my mind concerning my love life. But I'm here now and will be trying to finish the story as soon as I can.

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[ryan22424]

- Chapter 15: The Question -

Silver glanced back once more to make sure Eve was lying down and resting. She was still curled up, her sides rising and falling softly as she rested. Silver had insisted that she rest after the battle with the Houndour, knowing that it would be bad for
her when she was just recovering from her sickness.

After a few more seconds, he tore his gaze away and stepped outside. The snow was trampled all around the entrance when the Houndour had been thrown up. Silver looked around cautiously, but saw no signs of the intruder anywhere. Finally
accepting that the brute was gone, he left out a sigh of relief.

Getting back to his objective, Silver started out in a more or less random direction. He shivered as the softened snow allowed him to sink deeper, each step almost a leap now just to press on. His muscles protested the hard work it took going
forward, still sore from the hard fight he had had. The snow was now almost coming to his neck, making him worry that it might be too hard to travel soon. Hopefully it would warm just enough to melt the snow, or get cold enough to harden it so he
didn't sink.

After a few days of gathering, the nearby berry bushes had been picked of any good fruit, and it took a few minutes before Silver spotted another mound covered by snow. Bounding over to the mound, he quickly pawed the snow away to uncover a
large Pomeg berry bush. He smiled slightly as he saw that most of the berries were still good and not frostbitten.

Without his leaf in his possession anymore, Silver snapped off a few branches of the thick, red berries and held them high and tightly in his jaws to keep them out of the snow. As he started walking, he realized the soreness in his limbs was leaving
as his legs became numb from the cold, which also numbed the slight pain he was still feeling.

As he trudged through the high snow, he focused on getting the food back and resupplying the stockpile. He knew that the situation was bad, though he hoped that Eve hadn't caught on. When so little time to gather food, there was little chance to
get enough provisions for the rest of winter before frost completely set in and destroyed the last of the berries. Depression tried to weigh down his mind at the seemingly impossible task of gathering berries.

But then his thoughts turned to Eve, and he instantly pushed the depression away. Eve needed him now. She was still recovering from the cold, and she didn't seem to know as much about the wild. He needed to stay strong and try his hardest to
help her.

Silver shook his head to clear it as he realized he had been mindlessly walking and he was now back at the den. Sliding into the burrow, he placed the few branches on the new berry spot. Checking on Eve, he found that she was still curled up away
facing the wall. He paused again to watch her, before he went outside and headed toward the Pomeg berry bush again.

Before he had gone a few steps, his steps returned to Eve. How would he be able to tell her his feelings? He had hoped that she might do or say something that would make him less apprehension about telling her, but he still wasn't certain how she
felt. Could he really take a rejection of his feelings? Would he ever gather the courage to risk telling her at all? Besides, they were in a tight situation at the moment; he shouldn't be complicating the situation even more.

Also, there was one more small thing that was bugging him, though he didn't like to admit it. He had been unable to stop that Houndour. If it wasn't for Eve, that Houndour would most likely have killed him. While he had struggled against the
Houndour, Eve had wiped it away easily. He didn't believe in the whole male stronger than female thing, but his father had always bred into him, both by lessons and example, that the male should be able to protect the female and keep her safe. He
had been unable to do either. Did that mean he shouldn't try to be Eve's mate? If he couldn't keep her safe, what use would he be?

He paused as he realized something. They were in a tight situation, one they might not live through. He might not have many chances to tell her his feelings. One thing he didn't want to do was live this world thinking 'what if?' Finally making up his
mind, Silver starting thinking of when a good moment would be when he could tell her. However, he would still focus on finding a good moment to train, probably once the berries had died off and he didn't need to gather anymore. He needed to get
stronger and be a more able mate.

Silver continued, his demeanor much different now that he had removed his worry. He felt lighter and happier than he had been in a long time. Now that he wasn't worrying, his carefree nature made everything appear different with his mind made up.
He barely even felt the cold as he continued heading to the berry bush.

Silver was so enthralled in his carefree state, that he didn't notice the obstacle in his way until he ran nose first into it. The sudden impact made Silver fall back onto his haunches, his nose smarting. Silver instinctively started to rub his nose with a
paw, only to quickly stop as his snow covered paw chilled him. His nose still hurting a little, Silver got up and shook off the snow that gotten on him.

Glancing up to see what he had ran into, Silver froze as he realized the obstacle was not an object, but rather a Pokemon. The Pokemon was slightly larger than him and was also a quadruped. Its orange pelt was covered in black markings on its
back and legs. Cream colored fur covered its muzzle and came down to cover its underbelly as well, with a swab of hair on its head and a tail to match. The Pokemon seemed to naturally radiate heat off of it as Silver could feel it even from a few feet
away. The Growlithe had a large grin plastered on its face, making Silver relax when he realized it didn't seem angry.

"Sorry about that," Silver apologized, not making eye contact.

"That's alright, no harm done," the Growlithe said. Without another word, it walked away, the snow easier to traverse with its slightly larger limbs and the heat softening the surrounding snow. It shivered slightly, but continued on away from Silver.

Silver watched it for a moment, before shaking his head and continuing on to the bush, this time watching where he was going. He soon fell into a routine of just making trips from the bush to the den, still wondering about when the best time would be
to tell Eve.

(0)

Eve stayed curled up, her thoughts drifted as she rested. She felt guilty just lying here while Silver went out into the cold to gather food for both of them. She might have been a captured Pokemon, but she knew the berries would be dying off from the
cold. They needed to gather food soon, but Silver was still insisting on her staying here.

Did he care so much because he liked her? Or would he do this for any friend? Was he trying to show that he liked her as well? Without knowing how he would act with his old friends, she was unsure.

However, she was growing more and more sure that she had feelings for him. He took care of her, provided food for her, and had been the one to find their shelter. In her mind, that would be what she would want in a mate, a caring Pokemon. Would he
want to become her mate someday?

But she knew she was just setting herself up if he wouldn't come with her and her trainer. Would she have to end up choosing between them, her loving trainer or her good friend?

How could she be sure he returned her feelings? She didn't know how wild Eevee showed that kind of affection. Was he actually trying to show her and she wasn't realizing it? How could she be sure?

Eve sighed quietly. She then paused as she realized there was one thing she could be sure of. She could ask him if he would come with her. If he did, then would that mean he was willing to give up his freedom from the wild to be with her? If he didn't,
then would that mean he was just a good friend wanting to help her?

Finally, she made up her mind on what she would do. She would decide to tell him her feelings depending on his answer. Now all she needed was a good opportunity to tell him.

Yawning, Eve uncurled from her position, tired of just staying still. She needed to do something, something that would help Silver. Looking around, she saw the blackened remains of the old berry pile. Getting up, Eve started to sweep the ashes and
remains over into a much more compact spot near the wall, more out of sight from others.

She was almost finished when Silver came down, another load of berries in his jaws. He quickly put them down on the new pile when he saw her up. "How are you feeling?" he asked, coming over to her.

"I'm feeling okay," Eve said, hoping he wouldn't mind her helping.

"Good. I'll go gather some more berries," Silver said, exiting the den again.

Eve quickly finished pushing the remains away, making the den appear much more attractive than before. Shaking off the little dust clinging to her tail, Eve headed over to the berry pile. She quickly began removing the berries from the branches,
putting the branches over with the others that had luckily been away from the fire. As she did the small task to help as much as she could, Eve wondered when she would be able to ask him her question.

(0)

By the time Silver had stripped the large bush of its still ripe berries, the sun was starting to set. Silver shook the snow off his pelt before going into the den with the last load for the day. Putting the berry branches down on the pile, he saw that Eve was still stripping the berries off and placing the berries in a neat pile, pushing the branches off into the stick pile.

As Silver sat down and began helping Eve finish the task, he looked at the berry pile and allowed a little pride to enter him. The pile, though almost completely made of Pomeg, was already half as large as his previously accumulated stockpile.
Looking at the achievement, Silver felt a true glimmer of hope that they would make it through the winter.

They had just finished pulling the berries off when Silver's stomach growled its status of emptiness. Silver blushed a little as Eve giggled next to him. Though he knew he could easily eat more from his appetite, he only picked the amount he knew he
needed. They ate in silence, though they stayed closed enough for their pelts to touch slightly.

As Eve finished her last berry, she gave a small yawn. Heading over to her usual spot, she curled up, instantly glancing at Silver to see if he would come over. She smiled slightly as he laid down next to her. She wondered briefly if she should ask
now, but pushed it away for later on. Closing her eyes, she soon fell asleep.

Silver watched her gentle, sleeping form for a few seconds before he mentally bit himself. He had forgotten to tell Eve about his feelings. Promising himself to do it tomorrow, Silver closed his eyes and tried to sleep. As he slowly fell asleep, he
wondered what she would say.

(0)

Silver woke up early as normal, the darn light barely filtering in through the small entrance tunnel. Eve was still sleeping calmly next to him, her soft breathing matching the gentle rise and fall of her body. Silver stayed still beside her, briefly
wondering if he should wait for her to wake and tell her now. He was glad to note, though, that her temperature back to normal, her fever gone.

Silver was still deciding on if he should, when he noticed the light strengthening. He would have to leave to gather berries soon. Silver eased himself up, but the movement still woke Eve. She got up, yawning as she awoke.

"Good morning, Silver," she murmured, blinking the sleep from her eyes.

"Good morning, Eve," Silver responded, getting up.

"Wait, uh, Silver?" Eve started hesitantly, making him pause. "C-can I please go out and help now?" she asked, looking down at her paws.

Silver opened his mouth to answer, but paused. He knew Eve was pretty much recovered from the sickness, but he also didn't want to make her work. If anything, he wanted to go out of his way so that she didn't have to. However, she had sounded
almost desperate with her question. Why would she want to help so much? Silver mentally bit himself as he realized that Eve must be feeling like a burden at the moment.

"Okay. You're fever is gone, so you should be fine," Silver said.

Eve let out a sigh, instantly perking up. She really must have been feeling like a burden then. He should pay more attention to her feelings.

Silver exited out into the snow, pausing near the entrance for Eve to come out. Choosing another random direction, Silver started off, Eve staying right by his side. Eve pressed against him slightly as they walked through the deep snow. Though his
she was probably doing it for warmth, he much more enjoyed the feel of her fur instead.

Eve watched as Silver's breath billowed out in front of him while he looked around for a possible mound of snow that could be a berry bush. Eve stayed beside him, not knowing fully what to do yet. However, she was determined to learn in order to
help in any way. She didn't want to force Silver to do everything.

As she stayed next to Silver, she thought again about the question she had. Would now be a good time? Or should she not interrupt him? However, the question was itching at her pelt, almost begging to be asked now.

Switching her attention back to Silver, she saw that he was now looking at his paws, as though thinking about something. Taking the chance now that he wasn't looking around, Eve finally decided to ask.

"Silver?"

"Eve?"

They both paused as they realized they had spoken at the same time. "G-go ahead," Silver prompted nervously, looking away.

"Well, uh," Eve started, feeling nervous herself. "I-I know you don't like trainers, but . . . I . . . I want to know if you'll come with me when we find my trainer," she finally said, the last part coming out slightly rushed.

Silver paused, not expecting that question. His mind raced, at first telling him yes, and then telling him no. Of course he would want to go with her; this was what he was wanting. But then another thought struck him; what if she didn't like him the
same way? Could he really be around her after that?

Unable to decide what to do at the moment, he finally just asked, "C-can I have some time to think about it?"

Eve looked both relieved, and yet disappointed at his answer. "Y-yeah," she said, looking down at her feet.

How would he be able to choose until he knew how she felt about him? He then realized that he would have to tell her in order to answer her question. However, even though he had just worked up the courage to do so, the sudden question had both
destroyed the moment and his courage, leaving him way too nervous to ask now. He would have to try again later.

All Silver could think about was that question as he started to look around just from habit. Would he ever find the courage to tell her?
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[ryan22424]

- Chapter 16: A Third Addition -

Eve walked alongside Silver through the snow, still confused about his answer. She had prepared herself for either yes or no, but was slightly caught off guard by him asking her to wait. However, she was still relieved that he hadn't said no, at least
yet.

With Silver seeming to be absentminded at the moment, Eve decided to try and help, looking around for some berry bushes. She was unsure how anyone could find them in all this snow, but she still tried. Then she realized the dune in the snow
nearby meant something was under it.

Smiling as she figured it out, she started toward it. Silver seemed to automatically turn with her, deep in thought. How long would it be before he could decide? What would he say if she told him her true feelings about him?

Mentally sighing from all the other questions raging in her head, Eve started to bat at the mound, the now shaking branches throwing their snow off. She was glad to see that she had been right and that it was a berry bush, though she didn't recognize
the fat, green fruit. However, they were still berries and the size of them was encouraging, though there were few that had been growing even before the cold had claimed some.

Besides her, Silver began to snap off a few branches, his movements still seeming to be automatic as he continued to think. Following his example, Eve tried to get as many berries laden branches as she could fit in her maw. Both of them now
carrying berries, they headed back to the den, trudging through the snow.

As Eve fell into the routine of bringing back provisions to the den, she couldn't help but become anxious about the still silent Silver. Though he didn't appear as absentminded anymore, he still hadn't said anything. However, as they walked side by
side, their sides touching, Eve felt herself calm down. Worrying wouldn't help anything.

Soon, Eve felt herself begin to tire from all the work. She was sure she should be able to go on longer than this, but she felt her limbs begin to tire as they methodically moved through the deep snow. However, determined to help Silver, she ignored it
and continued on. She couldn't have been more relieved when they finally got back to the den with their last load for the day.

Putting the berries down on the pile, Eve mentally sighed as she saw that there were no sweet flavored berries still. She didn't let her disappointment show, though. She ate the few berries she picked quickly, trying to ignore the spicy taste to them.
She had never been able to adjust to other berries, but she was willing to try. Silver had been trying hard, and it wouldn't be fair to be picky.

Finishing up her meal, Eve went over to her spot and curled up. As Silver laid down next to her, she wondered what his answer would be. She wanted him to give his answer then, but she stopped herself. He had been a wild Pokemon all his life. With
only a few examples of humans, most of them bad, the choice was probably hard. She would just have to wait.

She inwardly sighed as she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

(0)

Silver was the first to wake the next morning. As he glanced down at the still sleeping Eve, his thoughts immediately returned to the question. He knew she was waiting for him to tell her, but he was still trying to work up his courage again to tell her.

He stayed still and let her continue to sleep, knowing she would want to go out again. He knew she had been tired yesterday, so he wasn't about to wake her early. Instead, he contented himself with watching her sleep, wishing he wouldn't be so
hesitant to tell her.

Silver's ears perked as he heard something coming from outside. After listening for a second, he confirmed that the sound was the crunching of snow as someone approached their burrow. The memory of the incident a few days again still in his mind,
his neckfur instinctively rose and he had to suppress a growl.

Silver got up carefully, careful not to wake Eve. He slowly approached the entrance and looked out. He couldn't see anything from the angle, but he could hear someone outside.

"I'm sure that's a den now. I wonder if it's occupied. Don't kid yourself, of course it's occupied; look at all these prints. I wonder if they'll come out soon."

Suspicious, Silver slipped through the short tunnel and instantly got into an offensive stance outside, letting his fur bristle up to make him appear larger while baring his teeth to try and intimidate whoever it was.

Standing nearby, looking a little startled, was the Growlithe from before, recognizable by the large grin that was almost gone. After a few tense seconds, the Growlithe said, "Uh, h-hello."

Silver stopped his growling, but kept his hackles raised. He didn't reply, waiting for the Growlithe to continue.

"I . . . I was looking for some shelter. Could . . . could I possibly stay here?" it asked hesitantly, shuffling its paws in the snow.

Silver held back from answering, his mind immediately leaping to two different answers. On one paw, he enjoyed company and would love to make a new friend. Plus, someone else here would provide more protection.

However, he wasn't just about to invite a potentially dangerous Pokemon inside the burrow where it could easily get to Eve. Also, it was hard enough already to gather berries for two of them, let alone three Pokemon.

Letting his fur flatten, Silver sighed, feeling a little bad for his answer. "We're struggling with our provisions as it is," Silver said.

"Well, I can help gather food, I promise," it said enthusiastically, its tail wagging some.

True, Silver thought. However, there was still Eve. She had just gotten better from her sickness, and she was very trustful of other Pokemon. Silver paused as he remembered why she had gotten sick; they couldn't find a place to stay. If someone
had been kinder and allowed them to stay somewhere, maybe Eve wouldn't have gotten sick.

"Silver? Is everything okay?"

Silver looked back to see Eve slowly coming out of the tunnel behind him, a curious look on her face. When she saw the Growlithe waiting anxiously, her fur bristled some, and she pressed against Silver some, her gaze not leaving the new Pokemon
for a second.

Lowering his voice to confer with Eve, he explained. "This Growlithe is looking for some shelter, and he's willing to help gather berries. He didn't seem to have any ill motives. What do you think?"

Eve looked down at her paws, her slight frown showing her indecision. "Well, i-if you think it's okay, Silver," Eve said quietly.

Silver looked back up at the still nervously waiting Growlithe. "As long as you help to gather berries, then you can stay," Silver announced.

The Growlithe immediately let out a sigh, his hot breath forming a small cloud in the frosty air. "Thank you," the Growlithe replied happily, his tail really wagging now. Silver couldn't help but smile as the large grin reappeared on the Growlithe's face.

"I'm Silver, and this is Eve," Silver introduced.

"I'm Jack," the Growlithe replied.

Nodding, Silver turned and slipped back into the den, Eve quickly following him. Jack soon came in after them. "This is the den. We keep the stockpile over there. That's pretty much it," Silver said, the den suddenly seeming small.

Jack looked around for a second, before suddenly pointing at one wall. "What that black stuff?"

"Oh, that's . . . leftovers of our old berry pile. We got into a . . . situation a couple days ago," Silver said, skipping over the details.

"Okay, what's next?" Jack asked.

"Well, now we go and gather berries. Just gather as much as you can before nightfall and put them on the pile. And we'll have to hurry, for the berries will start going bad in just a few days," Silver instructed.

"Okay, then, I guess I'll go and start gathering," Jack said, going back out.

"Are you feeling up to go back out?" Silver asked, turning to Eve.

Eve nodded quickly. Though he was still slightly worried about her keeping up, he really didn't want her to stay until he knew more about Jack. He didn't want to distrust him, but he didn't want to put Eve in any unnecessary danger, either.

Heading outside, Silver saw that Jack had headed to the right. Wanting to cover more ground, Silver started off to the left, Eve coming up right next to him. Like before, she pressed against him as they walked through the cold snow.

As Silver paused to check the area for any possible bushes in the snow covered forest, Eve asked, "Uh, Silver? Are you sure about Jack?"

"Well, not completely," Silver admitted, "but he is willing to earn his keep. Also, I . . . I remembered how we had been looking for a shelter also. If someone had done the same for us, you might not have fallen into the river and gotten sick."

"Oh, yeah," Eve murmured, her hung head and lowered ears showing her guilt.

"Come on," Silver said, laying his tail across her back, "we need to get moving."

Nodding, Eve started walking again, still feeling bad about her doubt.

Heading off again, they started another day of endless searching and gathering. Though they didn't meet up with Jack, they could see the food he had gathered added to the pile. Silver though grew worried from each bush they found. More and more
of the berries were bad from the cold, much more than Silver expected. By tomorrow, there might not be any left that were still good.

As Silver and Eve came back to the den with their last load, the sun was beginning to set. Silver jumped a little when he saw the Growlithe inside, before he recognized that it was Jack. "Hey guys," Jack said, noticing their entrance.

"Hey," Silver replied once he had set down the few berries they had found.

"Uh, when do we eat?" Jack asked hesitantly.

"Now," Silver said, grabbing a few berries and sitting down. Eve grabbed a few and sat down beside him.

As they began to eat, Silver studied the stockpile, gauging how much they had. He was glad to see that they had gathered enough to last a few weeks if they rationed it out. By then, the short winter of this area would be over and new berries would
begin to grow. They might just make it.

"So," Jack began as he ate his small meal, "how long have you two had this den?"

"We came here as winter started," Silver said, taking a bite of his berry.

Jack nodded and finished swallowing before he continued. "I've just been roaming around for a while. I started looking for some shelter when it began to snow. I didn't know it was so late in the year," he said sheepishly.

Silver grinned and continued eating.

After a moment of silence, Jack spoke up once again. "So, how do you two know each other? Are you two mates?"

Silver almost choked on the bite he was chewing. Hiding his reaction, Silver quickly swallowed so he could answer, seeing Eve too startled to speak beside him. "Uh, well, w-we're just friends. I'm helping Eve find her trainer," he explained, trying to
see Eve's reaction out of the corner of his eye, but failing.

"Oh, I just thought you two would be with living together and such," Jack replied, a slightly confused look on his face.

The rest of the meal was eaten in silence. As they finished, Eve went over to lie down in her spot. Silver paused, but saw that Eve was watching him, waiting for him. Though he felt a little self-conscious with Jack there, he went over and laid down
next to her. Silver watched Jack look at them even more confused before lying down himself to sleep. Silver fell asleep, wondering if there would be any berries left to gather by tomorrow.

(0)

Like usual, Silver woke early. However, Eve also woke early as did Jack. With all of them awake, they decided to go out then in the morning light. Silver was worried about Eve, who appeared tired from so much work, but she seemed determined to go on.

The day started out bad with any bushes they found empty or completely frostbitten. By the time the sun had reached its zenith, they still had found no ripe berries. They finally stopped as they saw Jack nearby.

"Any luck?" Silver asked as they approached.

Jack shook his head sadly.

Silver sighed. "I guess the frost has finally taken the last of them then. It won't do much good to continue searching."

"I should have tried harder yesterday," Jack muttered.

"It's okay; we should have enough for the rest of the winter. Winter here doesn't last very long," Silver explained. "Let's just go back to the den and try to keep warm."

Jack nodded, and they went back to the den. Eve immediately sank down onto her spot, ready for the rest. They all sat in silence for a while, before Silver remembered his resolve to train. He was about to go out, when he thought of Jack. He could
probably help, and Eve would stay calmer if he wasn't there when Silver was gone.

"Hey, Jack, can I talk to you? Outside?" Silver asked, snapping Jack back to the present.

"Huh? Oh, okay," Jack replied, a little confused.

As Silver headed toward the entrance, Eve looked up worriedly. "We'll be back soon," he promised.

Outside, Silver headed away from the den a little until he was sure he was completely out of hearing range. "Jack, do you know how to fight?" Silver asked.

Jack immediately became nervous. "Well . . . I-I don't like to admit it, but I was kind of bred to fight," Jack murmured quietly.

Silver was surprised, but that was all the better. "Could you possibly help me learn to fight better?" he asked.

"Why do you want to learn that?" Jack asked.

"Earlier, a Pokemon came into our den and attacked us, the reason our food pile was destroyed. I want to be able to fight better to protect Eve," Silver explained.

"Wait, I'm still a little confused about your relationship," Jack said.

Silver paused, but decided to tell him. "Well, I . . . I like Eve, but . . . I haven't told her, yet. I still don't know if she likes me as well," he admitted, looking down at his shuffling paws.

"She seems to like you," Jack replied.

"I don't know . . . Anyway, I need to get stronger so that I can protect her," Silver continued, making eye contact again.

"I'll teach you for that reason. I don't really like fighting at all, but you just want to protect someone else. First, let me clear an area. We can't practice on this snow," Jack said, motioning Silver to move.

Silver stepped away and gasped as the Growlithe suddenly let out a wave of flames at the snow. The snow quickly melted into large puddles in the new large clearing. Though the damp ground was muddy, it would still be better than trying to battle in
the deep snow.

"Okay, what moves do you know?" Jack asked as they moved into the cleared area.

Silver paused, having not thought about it in a long time. "I know Tackle, Iron Tail, Helping Hand, and Sand-Attack."

Jack thought for a second before continuing. "Okay, come at me and show me your Tackle."

"Won't it hurt you?" Silver asked, hesitating.

Jack chuckled at the question. "I'm a trained battler. I can handle a Tackle."

Shrugging, Silver crouched down and gathered his power into his back legs. Finished, Silver launched himself at the Growlithe, only to be thrown to the side by a swift paw. Silver got up and shook off the snow he had fallen into.

Glancing up, he saw that Jack was watching with an amused smiled on his face. "Okay, we'll start with your power first. I saw that you didn't start to prepare until you had fully crouched."

Silver was a little confused, but nodded.

"If you gather your energy as you crouch, you can launch forward twice as fast and cut down the time needed to execute the attack," Jack explained. "Why don't you try it again that way?"

Silver nodded and went back to his starting position. Silver focused on the instructions for a second before trying it out, focusing his power as he began to crouch. Jack was right, as Silver found himself ready to leap so soon, that he wasn't prepared
and the entire move was thrown off.

Slightly embarrassed, Silver picked himself up and tried it again. This time, he was ready and launched himself forward quickly. However, he was still suddenly swept away by a flashing paw, throwing him on his back.

"Next," Jack instructed as Silver got back up, "you charged in a straight line. Unless your opponent doesn't know you're there, coming straight on allows the opponent to batter you away easily or even counterattack. You need to swerve slightly to
either side so that you can confuse the opponent. Feinting could also help if you can do it well enough."

Silver inwardly sighed, not knowing it would be this involved. However, he still got back to his spot and came forward in another Tackle, trying to implement what Jack had talked about. As he got close, he tried to feint to one side, but somehow, a
paw flashed out of nowhere and flipped him on his side before he could make contact.

Huffing, Silver got back up, waiting for the next lecture. "That was better, but I could easily see through that feint. Also, you need to watch all of your opponent, not just the part you aim for. If you don't, your opponent can pull something that catches
you off guard, just like I did. Do you want to try again?" Jack asked patiently.

Silver immediately nodded, still huffing a little from being flipped. It was starting to get annoying from being stopped so easily. He was now focusing more on at least just hitting Jack than practicing. Setting that as his goal, he ran at the Growlithe.
He watched the fire type carefully as he closed in. However, he still had only a second's notice as Jack's paw rushed out and tripped him, making him land on his face.

Silver let out an annoyed sigh before getting back up. "You were watching too closely and not concentrating on the swerving part to allow you to dodge easier. Your focus cannot stay on just one part, but all of the variables of your attack," Jack
explained.

Sighing, Silver took his position again. As he began to crouch again, he remembered his resolution; to be able to protect Eve. He would make sure he learned everything Jack had to offer in order to become better. As he began to charge again, he
was prepared to work all winter if he had to.

(0)

Eve sat worriedly, wondering what was taking the two so long. It would only be a few more hours before the sun set. Eve got up and paced over to the entrance, checking to see if they were back. She was getting really concerned now. Silver had just got up and mysteriously left with Jack a long time ago. Had they gotten into trouble? Did they need help? Eve's thinking didn't help matters as her worry only grew.

Finally, she made up her mind to go check on them. Slipping out of the den, she studied the area. Silver's and Jack's old tracks went away farther into the trees. Eve quietly padded along their trail, wondering where they had gone. As she continued,
she began to hear grunting nearby. Continuing more quietly, Eve crept up to see what was happening.

Eve gasped quietly as she saw Silver suddenly charge at Jack in a snow cleared circle. As Silver got close to Jack, Jack flipped Silver easily with a flick of his paw. Eve tensed, wondering why the two were fighting, when Jack let Silver get up and
began talking. Though he wasn't speaking very loudly, Eve could tell the Growlithe was instructing Silver.

Why is Jack telling Silver how to fight? Eve wondered, still watching as Silver got into position again and continued to train against Jack. Why would Silver want to fight? As Eve continued to think, she remembered the recent fight with the Houndour.
He had been beaten up by the intruder badly. Was he training so it wouldn't happen again?

At first, Eve thought that was it, until something else clicked. Silver's hesitance to choose his answer to her question, his reaction to Jack's question; was it because of her? Was he feeling weak because of her power? He hadn't seemed unsettled
when she had saved him from his Cyndaquil friend, but now that he had actually seen her fight, was he feeling inferior?

Eve had been trained by her trainer a lot before she had been captured. Though he wasn't a traveling trainer like so many other humans, he still said she needed to be able to defend herself very well. However, all that training didn't mean a thing
when she was taken away, chained up, and forced to do so many horrible things.

Eve shook her head to clear it from those disturbing thoughts. All that was in the past now, thanks to Silver. But was he acting so weird because she was stronger than him? She didn't think Silver would be like that, but why else was he training.
Obviously, he believed he wasn't strong enough for some reason or other.

Was that why he hesitated about answering? Did he think he wasn't strong enough? Eve sighed, thinking it might just be true. She needed to tell him what she thought, that he didn't need to be powerful.

She paused as she remembered something though. All males had a sense of pride. Some had more than others, but they all still had some. Even her trainer had had pride in everything he did. If she tried to intervene, he might take offense. What
should she do?

After a while of just crouching in the snow, Eve could come up with only one solution: let him continue. Maybe if he trained a while, he wouldn't feel bad anymore. Maybe he might go with her if he convinced himself he was stronger.

Sighing, Eve turned and trudged back through the snow to the den, suddenly feeling the cold of the snow. As she slipped back into the den, she wondered how long Silver would take before he stopped training. Even more on her mind, though, was how
long would she had to wait for him to decide?

[Previous]
[Next]

[ryan22424]

Alright, it is time so see how I am at these types of stories after 2 years. It may be bad, or not, but I tried my best with this one, and I will for the remaining chapters.

- Chapter 17: Jack -

Silver's eyes shot open as he realized he was awake. Carefully pulling away from Eve, he quickly made his way to the entrance, feeling both hope and worry at what he would find as he went out.

Outside, he saw that the weather had indeed stayed in its sunny condition as it had recently, helping to finish melting the majority of the snow less than a week ago. With only a little slush here and there, he still thanked Arceus for the short winter.

His nose twitching to draw in the nearby scents, he headed straight for the closest berry patch. Holding his breath, he studied the small, red Cheri berries that hung on the branches. Plump with a rich color of red, the berries actually appeared ripe.
Silver nibbled a little on the berry and instantly knew it was ripe as the spiciness almost stung his tongue.

Silver let out a large sigh of relief. Though they hadn't gone hungry yet, Silver was extremely worried that the new berries wouldn't grow in time. In fact, with this berries finally ready, their gathering couldn't have been better planned. There was only
one last berry on the pile; after breakfast, there would be no more food until more could be gathered.

His hopes highly lifted, Silver snipped off a few berries and brought them back to the den. Making one more trip, he had enough for breakfast for the three of them. It wasn't long before Eve and Jack awoke, both surprised at the additional berries.

"It's spring!" Silver announced, excitement coursing through him as he declared that they had finally made it through winter.

"So the berries are finally ripe?" Jack asked, his tail wagging as he came over to the food.

Silver nodded in reply as he bit into the first of his own berries. Silver enjoyed the breakfast much more than before with the knowledge that more food was becoming ripe; they wouldn't risk starving anymore.

As Silver finished his berries first, he sat back to think of what to do now. Now that they didn't have to worry about food anymore, they could go on. They could start looking for Eve's trainer once more; in fact, they could even start today. Though
Silver had enjoyed staying in the burrow for so long, the small, cozy den growing on him, he knew Eve wanted to get back to searching for her trainer.

When Eve finished her berries, her eyes almost watering from the spicy Cheri berries, Silver decided to tell her. "Hey, Eve, with the weather better, we can start searching again now. Do you want to start?" Silver asked.

Eve instantly perked up at his announcement, her excitement obviously. "Could we?" she asked.

Silver nodded, but Jack took the moment to speak up. "What are you searching for?" he asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"Before we came here, we were looking for Eve's trainer. She was separated from him a while ago, and I've been helping her find him," Silver explained. "Well, I guess you can have this den now; we won't need it anymore."

"Could I come as well? I don't really have anything to do, and I would like the company," Jack said.

Silver paused, glancing at Eve for her decision. She shrugged slightly, so Silver turned back to Jack and nodded. "Sure, if you want to."

"Great, so where do we start?" Jack asked as he got up.

"Well, anywhere, really. We don't know where Eve's trainer is," Silver admitted. "Are you guys ready?"

When they nodded, Silver headed outside. Silver automatically took on the role of the leader as he randomly chose a direction and started out. While Jack stayed a few paces back, Eve drew close to Silver, their pelts almost touching. Though she
had just let Jack come along, Eve hadn't opened up to Jack much during their stay in the den, rarely having talked to him at all.

Silver enjoyed being able to walk in the forest once again without cold wind rushing down his back or snow chilling his stomach. Though the trees were still bare, there were a few flowers that gave off a light aroma, convincing Silver that spring had
finally arrived. The sun kept the air warm enough to be comfortable, though the chill of winter hadn't fully left yet.

They said little as they traveled in a vaguely straight line through the forest. It was still a little before sunset when Silver noticed that Eve was getting tired. While he and Jack had been training every day, Eve had been staying in the den and getting
little exercise. It would probably be a day or two before Eve was used to the traveling.

"Let's stop here for the night," Sliver announced as they came to a large tree.

Eve looked relieved and sat down, only to hop up as she realized they still needed to gather dinner.

"Jack and me will find some berries," Silver promised, nodding toward the tree. Though Eve looked hesitant, she sat back to rest.

Silver sniffed the air and headed toward the first scent that reached his nose. Jack quietly followed him, only speaking up as they went out of hearing range. "Are we going to train again?"

Silver paused, unsure. Though they had been training every day for three weeks, Silver had been unable to land one hit on Jack. Jack had said Silver was getting better, but Jack was just too well trained for Silver to see any difference in his moves.
However, now that they were back on their search, he didn't think they would have time anymore.

"No," Silver said, shaking his head. "Let's just get some berries."

Jack nodded and followed him to the source of the smell Silver had been following. When they got back to the large tree, Eve almost appeared to be dozing. However, her head came up quickly as they approached.

The sun was still a little away from setting when they finished their meal. As they laid down, Eve came closed and pressed against him, even though the night air was no longer very cold. The contact once again reminded Silver about his hesitance.
Even after all this time, Silver had still not worked himself up to tell Eve his reply. He was running out of time with them once again looking for Eve's trainer. He needed to tell her soon.

Silver gave a small sigh of frustration before he let himself fall asleep.

(0)

When Eve woke, Silver was already awake, their breakfast gathered. Stretching, Eve ate her portion. Eve didn't like the dry taste, but quickly swallowed her small bites, ignoring the taste like normal. After so long, she was almost used to eating other types of berries besides sweet ones, though she still didn't like them.

As they all finished, Silver started to lead them through the forest again. Walking closely to Silver, Eve almost wished it was still cold out so she could walk right beside Silver. Hopefully, though, this better weather would help Silver decide sooner.
She had noticed that they had not trained yesterday, so maybe he was done trying to get stronger.

Silver made a little conversation with Jack as they walked, but Eve mostly stayed quiet. While she didn't know Jack well, she just wasn't a natural talker like Silver was. Instead, Eve entertained herself by taking in the surroundings as they padded
along.

Once again, Eve felt herself growing tired a while before the sun had set. Seeing Silver and Jack appeared just fine, Eve hid her tiredness as best she could as they continued, not wanting to be a burden for the others. However, Silver still seemed to
notice her exhaustion and stopped them at another large tree.

Though Eve wanted to help, she still accepted letting Silver and Jack gather the berries while she rested. They were back quickly, and Eve's mouth began to water at the smell of sweet berries. Silver gave her a few Pecha berries, and Eve happily
began to eat the soft, pink berries.

As they finished their meal and began to lie down for the night, Eve realized Silver still hadn't even hinted at his decision yet. What is he waiting on? Eve wondered despairingly. Why is it taking him so long to choose?

(0)

Like before, Silver woke up before the others and headed to the Pecha berry bush to gather their breakfast. Eve's enjoyment of the Pecha berries was obvious as she quickly ate them, her bushy tail swishing around happily behind her.

Soon enough, they were walking along the forest once more. They had only been walking a little while when it came into sight. They all stopped as the first buildings of the city could be seen through the trees. With a jolt of recognition, Silver realized
this was the city they had passed through before. They had gone in a large circle and were now back to here.

Swallowing hard, Silver managed to say, "Uh, let's head in another direction."

Eve immediately nodded in agreement. Surprisingly, Jack didn't question him as they turned to go. However, it was too late as a small, red blur came charging out of the nearby alleyway. Silver got into an aggressive stance immediately, though he
was surprised to see Jack backing away a little, almost in fear.

The Pokemon slowed as it saw Silver until Silver could make it out. The red furred Vulpix with its six tails seemed a little familiar as it came toward them. "Sara!" Silver called out, letting his stance go as he recognized her. Jack seemed to almost
freeze in spot as he called out Sara's name, though in fear or surprise, Silver couldn't tell.

"Jack!" Sara called out, going right past Silver and Eve to tackle Jack in a hug. Silver stood by Eve and simply watched in astonishment as Sara went to nuzzling Jack affectionately. "You came back!" Sara exclaimed, pulling up to see Jack's face.

Jack simply laid still under Sara's pin, gazing up at her with conflicting emotions coming across his face.

"Jack?" Sara repeated, tilting her head in confusion as she got off him.

Jack slowly got up, averting his gaze from Sara. "Sara, can't go back to the city. I've caused enough trouble as it is," he murmured.

Silver was really confused now, but the two seemed to not notice him and Eve as they continued.

"Jack, it's over. Mark is gone," Sara said.

Jack's head immediately came up to make eye contact with Sara. "It is?" he asked, hope flaring up in his voice. When Sara nodded in confirmation, Jack jumped up in excitement, his renewed vigor showing in his flailing tail.

"Wait," Silver interrupted. Both Sara and Jack turned to him and Eve, almost appearing startled. "What is going on?" Silver asked.

Sara turned to Jack, who looked down at his shuffling paws. "Well, I come from the city here. When I was born, my real father had left already, and my mother had taken a new mate. I was immediately taught how to fight by my step father so I could
protect myself, quickly learning everything he had to teach.

"However, my real father came soon and tried to claim me and my mother as his own. When he started threatening, ran away so that they wouldn't fight over me anymore," Jack explained quietly.

"So why did Mark leave, Sara?" Silver asked.

"Dereck won that last fight and forced Mark to leave the city permanently. Mark even lost an eye during his fight with Dereck," Sara replied, before turning to Jack. "We've been watching for you ever since," she added, leaning forward to nuzzle him
again. Even with the long fur on his face, Silver could see the blush rising to his cheeks.

"How do you two know each other?" Silver asked.

"We wer close friends before I left," Jack replied, though he seemed to be choosing his words carefully. Even so, Sara pulled back, looking saddened a little by his statement.

"How do you know each other, Silver?" Eve asked, finally joining the conversation.

"Sara was spying on Mark's camp when we were taken into it," Silver explained. "Which reminds me; Sara, this is Eve. Eve, Sara."

"Hello," Sara greeted, though Eve only nodded a little in reply. Sara suddenly jumped and said, "Come and see what the place is like now. Dereck will be so happy to see you're here, Jack." His worries about the place gone, Jack also seemed to like the idea now. Sara headed toward the city, Jack closely in tow.

Silver hesitated, not liking the stony place at all, but followed after the two fire types, Eve staying right beside him. The alleyway was as bad as Silver remembered it, the stony path wearing down on the pads of his feet. On the up side, there were no
Pokemon attacking them this time.

After a little while of walking down stone pathways, they reached a small clearing between the buildings. There was a small structure that appeared to be lived in leaning against a wall. Silver paused as two large Arcanine suddenly appeared from the
shelter, their large bulk somehow fitting into it.

The two Arcanine lit up as they saw Jack, as did he. Silver sat by with a small smile on his face as he watched Jack's reunion with his parents. "Jack, where have you been?" his mother, the slightly smaller Arcanine, asked as she covered him in
licks.

"I left so you guys wouldn't fight over me," Jack admitted, looking down at his feet.

Dereck let out a heavy sigh. "We fight for you because we love you, okay? Don't run off again," he ordered.

Jack nodded in reply, though he looked a little relieved. "Dad, these two Eevee helped me make it through the winter. They are Silver and Eve," Jack introduced.

"Didn't you help us fight as well?" Dereck asked, looking at Eve. Eve crouched down slightly and pressed against Silver, giving a small, fearful nod. Dereck's gaze suddenly turned compassionate as he saw Eve's reaction. "Do not fear, little one. You
are in no danger here," he promised. "However, I must profusely thank both of you for helping Jack make it back safely."

Silver nodded in reply, though Eve stayed in her crouched position. Silver curled his tail around her some to comfort her. "You're welcome. If you don't mind, we would like to get back to our search. We're trying to find Eve's trainer," Silver explained.

"Well, there are many humans to the north. Maybe you should try there," Dereck suggested. Silver took a small breath as he remembered that they would have to be near humans as they searched for Eve's trainer. "I'll have Jack take you to the
northern edge of the city."

Jack nodded and came back over to them. "Let's go." Getting up, Silver followed Jack into another alleyway, Silver's tail still lightly across Eve's back. Sara also followed, picking up her pace until she was next to Jack.

It wasn't long before Silver was once again completely lost as they took several turns in the twisting labyrinth of alleys. With Jack and Sara talking in low voices ahead, he couldn't help but wonder if Jack was paying attention to the turns at all.
However, they finally reached the edge of the city again, with the forest once again in front of them.

"Here it is," Jack announced, stepping to the side. He paused for a second before continuing. "If you two don't mind, I'm going to stay here now that the drama is over. I hope you find your trainer soon, Eve."

"Thanks," Eve murmured, appearing anxious to get to the forest.

"Well, I hope to see you again one day," Silver said as he started forward.

"Bye," Jack replied, waving his tail in a salute.

"Best of luck," Sara called out, before brushing up against Jack.

Wondering what their relationship would up as, Silver waved his tail farewell to the two fire types as he entered the forest. As they started through the leafless forest, the thought that they could find actually Eve's trainer soon struck Silver. I need to
tell her soon, Silver thought.

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[ryan22424]

- Chapter 18: The Past -

The warm sunshine that had been shining on the forest was slowly leaving as clouds appeared overhead. However, Silver could still tell that the sun would be setting soon. Glancing over at Eve, he could tell that she was starting to get tired again.
Even with the brief respite at the city earlier, they had been walking all day, and it seemed Eve still hadn't gotten used to traveling again.

"Do you want to stop?" Silver asked.

Eve shook her head and continued walking. Silver could tell she did, but let her decide and continued padding along beside her. He made sure to watch her carefully so that she didn't trip with her slightly dragging paws. However, watching her once
again reminded Silver how her question. He needed to tell her soon, but how?

His thoughts had just started to wonder, when something abruptly landed on top of his nose. Blinking his eyes in surprise, Silver saw that it was a drop of water. He had just realized what this meant, when another drop of rain hit him on the back.

Looking around quickly, Silver saw a strange tree nearby that was still green and full. Though the other trees were bare and leafless from their short winter, this one didn't seem to have been affected and would be able to provide some overhead protection.

"This way," Silver said, starting toward the shelter. Eve wordlessly followed him as they quickly made their way through the rain that was slowing picking up. They were a little damp, but mostly still dry when they finally reached the tree. However,
the rain was still picking up until there was a steady shower coming down.

Under the strange tree was small needle like things that seemed to have fallen from the tree itself as leaves. Contrary to their shape, though, the needle leaves made a rather comfortable spot to lay down.

Silver's stomach took the moment to growl. After eating regularly for a while and walking all day, Silver was already hungry. Though the rain wasn't very inviting, his stomach was overpowering his hesitation. "I'm going out to get some food, okay?"
he said, turning to face Eve. Eve had already begun to dry herself off and nodded a little in confirmation.

Taking a breath in needless preparation, Silver padded out into the rain. The rain felt cold as it hit him, making him shiver a little at first. Silver sniffed the air to try and find some berries. However, the rain dampened the usual scents, leaving him
clueless.

Sighing, Silver headed out in a random direction. The rain continued to fall until his fur ended up clinging to his sides from the steady downpour. As he padded along, Silver's thoughts returned to the question. Eve had patiently been waiting for his
answer for weeks now. He just needed to up work the nerve to tell her.

Pausing, Silver took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he tried to work up his courage. Finally, he resolved himself to telling her as soon as he got back. He wouldn't wait any longer to tell her how he felt.

Letting out his breath, he realized he could smell the faint smell of berries. Turning toward it, he soon found a Pecha berry bush, the fruit looking fresh from the rain. Pecha berries would be the perfect fruit to bring before he told her. Grabbing some in
his maw, he quickly made his way back to the still-green tree, his tail wagging the whole way.

Silver quickly slipped into the cover and placed the berries down. He eagerly looked over at Eve, only to see that the Eevee was curled up asleep. She must have fallen asleep waiting for him. Eve looked peaceful in her dozing, so Silver
disappointedly let her sleep and ate his dinner.

Leaving Eve's share in a dry spot, Silver carefully laid down next to Eve. The combination of the surprisingly soft needle leaves and the comforting sound of rain quickly lured Silver asleep.

(0)

Slowly waking up, Eve kept her eyes closed and curled up tighter, not wanting to wake yet. Realizing Silver wasn't next to her, Eve raised her head up to look for him. She was surprised when she noticed that it was already morning, the rain gone,
though clouds still covered the sky. She had accidentally fallen asleep last night.

Silver wasn't in sight, but there were a few Pecha berries nearby. Hungry, Eve happily started eating the few berries. The sweet berries were just the thing Eve needed to fully wake her up. Her hunger mostly gone, Eve looked around again, but Silver
still wasn't around.

Unable to track him with the damp conditions, Eve decided to wait for Silver to get back and rolled onto her back to relax on the soft pine needles. Her thoughts immediately drifted to Silver and her. Could they ever become more than just friends?
Did he like her as well? Is he even willing to come with me? Eve wondered. Even after several weeks Silver still hadn't decided. What's taking so long?

Eve's eyes shot open as a thought occurred to her, only to see something approaching. Rolling back over into a crouch, Eve saw that the advancing creature was a sleek, blacked furred quadruped. The Pokemon had a lighter, gray undercoat that
was revealed on its face and chest. Though there were several scars on it, Eve was still able to recognize it as a Mightyena.

The dark type was slowly coming up to her, a sinister expression on its face. As it got closer, Eve could see a long, angry scar running across its face and through its closed right eye. "You look familiar," the Mightyena murmured rhetorically. "Yes,
though you've cleaned up some. You're that Eevee from the city aren't you? I thought that newbie took care of you. I guess I'll have to do the honors then."

Eve was unable to reply as she slowly backed away from him, her tail slowly slinking between her legs. The sight of the powerful Pokemon instantly was triggering her recessed memories. Instead of the Mightyena standing in front of her, all she
could see was that other Mightyena back at that island. Eve couldn't stop herself from shaking as the memory of that Mightyena above her resurfaced.

The Mightyena chuckled, probably thinking he was intimidating, and prepared to slash at her. Suddenly, Silver shot out nowhere and rammed into the Pokemon's right side, its blind spot. The surprise blow sent the Mightyena sprawling to the ground
nearby.

Eve's breathing slowed as she forced the dreadful memory away with a shake of her head. Silver glanced back to check on her, before facing the Mightyena once more and letting out a low growl.

The Mightyena, who he thought was Mark, got up, chuckling as he trained his single eye on Silver. "And you're the newbie that was supposed to kill her. Were you also the little spy for Dereck?" he asked, confirming his identity. His sudden calm
demeanor changed, his hackles rising as he got into a battle stance and growl menacingly. In a much angrier voice, Mark continued, "Do you see what you caused me! I lost my home and my eye! I'm going to make you pay!"

Finished, Mark lunged at Silver with his jaws open. Remembering Jack's training, Silver jumped forward between the Mightyena's legs and leapt up into its stomach. Winded, the dark type retreated a small distance to prepare another attack.

Panting a little, Silver glanced back to check on Eve again. Eve was crouching under the tree still, looking as though she was deciding to join in. Mark took the advantage in Silver's lapse of attention and lunged once more. Too late to dodge, Silver
gathered the power in his tail and twisted on his paw to swing at the oncoming attack. However, Silver's paw slid in the mud from last night's shower, and he fell onto his back.

Before Silver could move, the Mightyena was above him and latching down onto his front left paw. Silver let out a cry of pain, only barely remembering not to jerk his leg away as Jack had taught him. Instead, his pushed his leg further into the
Mightyena's mouth, activating its gag reflex. As Mark coughed, Silver pulled his leg away and rolled quickly out from under the Mightyena.

As Silver got up, he timidly tested his footing with his paw. Wincing, he brought his left leg against him, though he didn't spare time to inspect it as Mark was recovering from his coughing. Seeing he had ended up on the Mightyena's blind spot, Silver
charged forward to tackle it once more. However, he quickly slipped and fell with only three legs to run on. Another whimper let him as he fell on his bit leg.

Mark turned, ready to attack, when Eve joined in and rammed into his side in one of her smashing tackles. The Mightyena flew away in a heap with a yelp of pain. Remembering Eve had to take time to recharge, Silver quickly got back up and limped
in front of her.

The large dark type got up slowly, still growling to show his aggression. Mark immediately lunged again, furious at the heavy blow. Firming his footing better, Silver swung on his good foot and rammed his iron coated tail into the Mightyena's jaw as it
got close. Mark reeled away from the powerful blow, a few droplets of blood already trailing out of one side of his mouth. Unable to use his left leg to balance him, Silver fell heavily after his spin.

Before Mark could retaliate, Eve rammed into him once more and sent him flying again. As Silver once again got up to cover Eve, Mark got up as well with his seemingly endless endurance. Silver kept the groan from escaping his mouth and got
ready for another attack, his breath coming in short pants.

The Mightyena growled deeply at them once more, though he seemed to be breathing just as hard as them. After a short pause, he said, "You may have gotten lucky this time, but I will get you back one day." Scowling at them, he turned and slipped
away through the forest, a slight limp appearing when he was a little distance away.

Relieved, Silver let himself sink to the ground, though he watched his hurt leg. Worried, Eve crouched down next to him and checked the wound. Blood matted a large portion of his leg, blocking the view of the actual damage. Glancing up to see Silver
watching her examination, Eve hesitantly began licking at the revolting blood to clean his leg. Silver winced slightly at first, but didn't stop her. Trying not to concentrate on the thought of what she was doing, Eve cleaned the nauseating liquid off
him and checked his leg again.

There were several small punctures in Silver's legs where the Mightyena had bitten, though they didn't appear to be very deep. Remembering what her trainer did for things like this, Eve picked up a nearby, large leaf, though dead, and placed it
against the wounded area. Silver winced again, but seemed to understand as he twisted the stem into a little knot to keep it on him.

"Are you okay?" Silver asked worriedly.

Eve nodded a little, the distant memory trying to come back.

"Thanks for helping," Silver said quietly, before suddenly nuzzling her cheek.

Eve's full attention snapped to him, a full blush rising to her cheeks at the contact. Silver was looking away shyly. Before they could say anything else, the clouds opened up once more and another steady drizzle began.

Getting out of the open, Eve helped Silver limp over to the pine tree to rest and stay dry. Silver had just sat down, when he suddenly gasped. "I left our breakfast out there," he said, motioning toward some trees.

"I'll get it," Eve murmured, needing a moment to think about what just happened as she quickly trotted over to the area.

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- Chapter 19: Fin -

The Pecha berries were not hard to find with their bright pink skin. Though they appeared hurriedly placed, they were still under the meager shelter of some branches, keeping them dry. Eve sat down next to them for a moment to think.

What did Silver mean by that nuzzle? Even as a domesticated Pokemon, Eve knew that that meant something more than just friendship. She had seen it often enough between mates at the local park before she had been taken away. Did that mean
Silver liked her as well? Did that mean he was willing to come with her?

But then her mind returned to the conclusion she had come to right before that Mightyena had shown up. She had thought of a possible reason that he was delaying his answer. He was going to say no, but didn't want to hurt her feelings. She knew
Silver would be this way if that was his answer; he would be too nice to just outright tell her.

At first she had thought she was right, but now. . . . Was he just too shy to tell her? Or, did he like her, but didn't want to live under a human? What is he thinking? Eve wondered.

Suddenly remembering the berries, Eve picked them up and trotted back to the pine tree, hoping Silver wasn't too worried. The rain had weakened once more while she had been thinking, letting her know she had been thinking for a while. She
shouldn't have stayed out so long with Silver hurt.

However, as Eve came back to the tree, she saw that Silver had already nodded off, exhausted from the fight. She placed the berries down and checked, but Silver was fully asleep. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Eve sat down beside him and began to
eat as she waited for him to wake. She was determined to ask him as soon as he awoke.

(0)

Silver slowly opened his heavy eyes, only to realize he had fallen asleep. The rain had already stopped, though it was still cloudy. Eve was sitting next to him, his uneaten berries in front of him. As he tried to sit up, a pain shot through his front left
paw, making him yip as he fell back onto the ground.

All at once Eve was checking him as she asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Silver muttered, though it still hurt. He was confused about the pain for a second until all the memories of the recent events came rushing back; Mark, the fight, getting bit.

Remembering what happened afterward, Silver looked up at Eve to see her looking at him expectantly, though hesitant with worry. She had probably been wondering about it the whole time he slept, which seemed a while. It was time he told her.

Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself up into a sitting position. Though it hurt, he managed to stay upright once he got up. Eve looked worried, but he had her full attention when he began to speak. "Eve, I need to tell you something. I was planning to
earlier, but the rain stopped me."

Eve seemed to hold her breathe, which meant he was right about her wondering.

"A while ago you asked if I would come with you when we found your trainer. Well, we've been through a lot while we've been traveling, and we've grown c-close. So, I w-wanted to know . . . if I go with you, will you be my mate?" Silver asked, the last
part almost coming out in a rush.

The question seemed to linger in the air for a moment before Eve finally responded. Leaping at him, Eve wrapped her paws around him as he fell, rubbing her face in his mane. "Yes, yes, oh, yes, yes," Eve exclaimed excitedly.

Though Silver tried to hold it back, the yip came loudly as his paw was smashed against Eve. Eve backed off quickly, murmuring a 'sorry,' as she realized she had hurt him. Silver rolled back over into a lying position and looked at the wound. The leaf
had slid down slightly, and he could see that it had been bleeding again.

"Is it okay?" Eve asked, trying to see.

"It still hurts, but I don't know if it's anything to worry about," Silver said, pulling the leaf back over the marks. There were small red spots where it had bled through.

"Maybe we should change the bandage," Eve suggested.

Silver nodded and was about to respond when a snap drifted to their ears. The sharpness meant it had come from a little away, but Silver knew that only a hurt Pokemon would break a twig or limb that loud. Something was out there, and it most likely
wasn't a Pokemon; it was a human.

Silently, both Eevee backed up into the fork of the roots and crouched down, Silver ignoring the pain from moving. It provided little cover, though, so Silver fluffed his tail out over Eve to better conceal her. Soon, the sound of something walking
through the forest came, the quick tempo and occasionally snapped twig confirming that it wasn't a Pokemon.

Finally, it walked into sight. It was definitely human, though it appeared to be searching for something. It looked as though the human would just pass on by, luckily not spotting them, when it paused and cupped its hands over its mouth.

"Eve! Are you out there!? Eve!" it called out.

It took a second before Silver suddenly realized it was calling for Eve. Looking over at Eve, he saw her standing, watching the human closely. Unable to figure out the expression was on her face, he looked back over at the human.

The human was looking around, but looked as though it wasn't expecting anything. Right when it appeared the human would walk away, Eve took a few steps toward it. Catching its attention, the human looked over and saw Eve.

Suddenly, Eve sprinted forward and leapt into the human's arms. While Eve affectionately rubbed up against him and nuzzled him, her tail madly wagging, the human simply sat down on his heels and stared, astonished, at the Eevee in his arms.

After a few seconds, he seemed to recover from his shock, and the human tentatively began to pet Eve, a look of joy and disbelief on his face as he slowly repeated Eve's name. Finally, he pulled Eve tight and started to weep, quietly adding in some
sentences that Silver didn't catch.

Silver stayed crouched where he was, unsure what to do, as he watched the scene unfold. Even though Eve had spoken highly of her human, he hadn't expected them to be so . . . close. The scene was definitely new to Silver, who had known only a
few humans so far. Even Flame hadn't seemed to be this close to his trainer. Was this really what it was like with some humans?

After a few minutes, the human had fallen silent and was simply keeping Eve close. Eve suddenly began to wiggle around some, and the human put her down. Eve immediately ran the few feet back to Silver, a joyful expression on her face, though
there were also tears stains. "It's Daniel, my trainer. It's really him. This is my trainer," Eve repeated, her tail still wagging.

The human, still crouched, turned to look at Silver. "Who's this, Eve?"

"Don't worry; he won't hurt you," Eve promised, nudging him forward.

Silver looked up at the human, Daniel, timidly. He short, but unruly, brown hair, with brown eyes and a lean body. Daniel seemed to be studying Silver the same way he was. Eve came and rubbed up against Silver's side, pressing close to him. She
looked up at Daniel imploringly.

"What is it girl? Do you want this Eevee to come, too?" he asked, shocking Silver slightly with his quickness.

Eve nodded quickly, her tail wagging faster.

Daniel picked her up and hugged her close again, his hand slightly brushing Silver. "Anything for you," he said, putting her back down. Silver watched cautiously as the human turned back to him and reached out a hand slowly. "Don't worry; I won't
hurt you," he soothed, as his hand continued to extend. "Do you want to come with me and Eve?"

Silver had already decided, but he still found hesitance as this human crouched in front of him. Could he really trust this human? Was he really as nice as Eve had said? Would this human be like the others?

Silver stared as the hand stopped before him palm out; he was waiting for Silver to come forward. Taking the chance, Silver leaned forward and pressed his nose against the human's hand. The hand moved up and started to slide down Silver's back.
Tingles went down his spine with the motion, and Silver couldn't stop from letting out contented sigh. Never before had Silver felt this strange feeling of pleasure, but it was great and he let the human continue.

Silver tensed as Daniel's hands wrapped around him and began to pick him up. His body took on a strange feeling of flying as he hung from the human's hands. Before he knew it, he was staring right at the human's face.

"So you're Eve's new little friend. Well, I promise to take good care of you, okay? I'm Daniel. We'll find a name for you later," he said. His eyes suddenly drifted down to Silver's paw, where the leaf had slid down once more. "Uh, oh, looks like you
were hurt. We'll need to get you checked out at the Pokemon Center on the way home. I'll carry you so it doesn't get worse."

Suddenly, Silver was lying on Daniel's crossed arms, his front left leg hanging off, as Daniel stood up. Though Silver wanted to protest being carried, he knew it would hurt too much to walk. Eve looked up worriedly, but smiled as they made eye
contact.

"I'll be right here," she promised, starting forward as Daniel began walking.

Nodding a little, Silver fell back into another doze in the last spot he ever expected, a human's arms. He had finally told Eve, she was now his mate, and they had found her, and now his, trainer. It looked like their journey was finally over. However, it
looked like his life with Eve was just beginning.

The End

And as this story comes to a close so does mine. I am afraid I have nothing left for me on this server, and I will be taking my leave here. Thank you all for the experiences I've shared with you and I hope I will see you all on the foreseeable future. This is Ryan22424, and I say farewell to you all, for the last time. 


(Except not, I was aiming for a dramatic end to my experience but all I did was seem like I wanted attention. gg me, gg.)
Ryan - 2016