"Feeling Words" for fluffybun

[pokemod]

Title: Feeling Words
Author: axolotl
Rating: G/PG
Verse: Gameverse, HGSS
Characters/Pairings: Lyra/Silver
Summary: Silver chases Lyra down for a battle, and despite her initial reluctance, she's glad he did.
Notes: Thank you for the chance to look at my favorite ship from a different angle! I hope you enjoy it; I enjoyed writing it. :D

 

Lyra leaned against her Typhlosion for warmth, watching the distant flicker of Viridian City’s lights. The two of them sat atop Pokemon League Headquarters, Typhlosion’s back to a wall, the Pokemon’s breathing a rumble louder than the wind cutting through the mountains. Lyra often spent late worknights up here with one or more of her Pokemon — even in the winter, it helped her recalibrate her sense of scale, and spending time outside of the League was her best way to manage all of the time she had to spend inside of it. Other Champions had told her that mountaintops were the best places to clear her head, with nothing but sky above, but she preferred to look down and see city, look up and see distance still to climb, and to feel nestled in the middle, in a place she’d carved out for herself. The stars atop Mount Silver were beautiful, and the snow of the Sinjoh Ruins made her thinking precise, but she considered it a sign of good adjustment that to clear her head all she needed to do was sit on the roof for an hour or two.

Tonight, she had her Pokegear out, and was playing with wording for an appearance she had to give at a meeting for junior Trainers the next day. As a young Champion — though far from the child she’d been when she first climbed Indigo Plateau, all eagerness and overalls — she was expected to drum up excitement for the Pokemon League among children. The first few meetings she attended eagerly, playing with dozens of Rattatas and encouraging every child to try to rise as far as she had. After a while, though, she wondered at just how useful she was being. Less than half of the children who started on a Pokemon journey even attained a Gym Badge, let alone challenged the Elite Four or collected valuable data for the Pokedex. Getting into the League, let alone sitting on top of it when everyone else had gone home for the night, was not a reasonable goal for almost anyone, and she felt strange about encouraging it while rebuffing any challenger whose luck and skill brought them to her office. There were, she thought as she deleted a sentence, worse jobs. Her Pokegear started to beep, and she touched the screen to see who was trying to reach her. Maybe someone was still inside?

SILVER: lyra are you still working
LYRA: Hi, Silver. How are you?
SILVER: wondering if you are still working
LYRA: Haven’t heard from you in a while, either. And "wondering" is not a feeling word.
SILVER: you’re not my shrink.
SILVER: but yeah sorry to be out of touch it’s been a weird month
LYRA: It’s okay, winters are always hard. I’m glad to hear from you. I’m still at the League.

For a while after Lyra became Champion, Silver wouldn’t talk to her at all; once she saw him in town, but he’d run away. She hadn’t had anything to say to him, really, but she’d still been disappointed. Eventually they’d run into each other at Dragon’s Den and had a conversation. To her surprise, he’d raised a fine and fierce Crobat, and while he didn’t seem quite gainfully employed, he was making something of himself. Since then they’d mostly stayed in touch through texting and occasionally meeting up for a battle at Dragon’s Den or on Victory Road. Lyra appreciated the challenge, and Silver probably enjoyed himself or he wouldn’t keep coming back? He never really said anything about what he wanted, one way or the other.

SILVER: it is really cold on indigo plateau right now
LYRA: I suppose? Typhlosion and I manage.
SILVER: fire types are cheating, i brought two coats and i’m still shivering
SILVER: i understand now why you don’t live up here
LYRA: Wait, you came here? Just now?
SILVER: yeah we should battle
LYRA: It’s kind of late, Silver, and I spent all day training. Maybe this weekend?
SILVER: if you’re a pokemon trainer then you have to battle
LYRA: That’s only if you make eye contact.
SILVER: i’ll find you eventually, it’s not a big plateau

Lyra peeked over the edge of the roof down to the elaborate staircases leading up to the League, and sure enough, a bundled mass strode up the steps, pointing a flashlight around, occasionally illuminating a strand of red hair or a wing of Crobat, flying low to the ground. She laughed, covering her mouth, and Silver didn’t hear, but Crobat did, looking up at her immediately. She pulled back from the edge of the roof.

LYRA: Please tell me you didn’t walk all the way here.
SILVER: crobat didn’t feel like flying me
LYRA: That’s not usually how HMs work, but it’s sweet of you.
SILVER: crobat fights better when it’s happier
SILVER: and also tells me things like "Lyra’s hiding on the roof."
SILVER: you should come down and fight me
SILVER: double battle lets do it
LYRA: Really, I’m kind of tired.
SILVER: please?

Lyra looked over her shoulder at Typhlosion, who huffed a little, flames spurting out of his nape. “Well, if you’re sure,” she told him, quietly, and stood up, brushing roof off of her slacks. Typhlosion stretched out, flaring up brightly, and then got on all fours. Lyra jumped atop him and held on tightly as he jumped off the roof, landing cleanly on the frosted grass on front of the League’s main entrance. His hind legs left divots in the ground; he settled into them, upright, as Lyra hopped off and called out her Ampharos to stand at her other side.

Silver walked up the last few steps, gray scarf wrapped around most of his face, Crobat’s wings flapping slowly as it stared down Ampharos. Silver reached into his jacket and pulled out a pokeball, releasing Feraligatr, who immediately pressed up to him for warmth. He shook his head at his Pokemon, gesturing towards Typhlosion.

“It really is late and cold for a battle, Silver.” While she knew that she’d regret it in the morning, Lyra felt the excitement coming from her Pokemon; it was rare they got a chance to battle anywhere close to their own level, and when they did, it was usually just sparring against the Elite Four, not the no-holds-barred type of battle Silver insisted on. There was something fun about staying up late and having the kind of battle her peers would have gone to great lengths for on the front lawn with nobody home. And he’d walked here? She looked at Feraligatr again, and in response to her comment, he’d flexed his arms and stepped away from Silver, waiting for a command. “But. If you insist?”

“I do.”

“Then go!” Typhlosion dug his heels into the ground, preparing to attack, while Ampharos assumed a defensive posture. Crobat fainted upward and then dove back into its ball, replaced by Magnezone. Typhlosion used Eruption, raining fire and magma down onto Magnezone and Feraligatr; Silver scrambled back, shielding his face with one arm, and watched as Feraligatr shot water at Typhlosion until he collapsed.

“Your Magnezone wasn’t Sturdy last time we battled!” Lyra laughed, calling back Typhlosion and sending out Togekiss. “Was that special, just for me?” Silver stared back without answering, until Magnezone slid backward and bumped into him gently. He put his hand on its metal body and nodded. At the edges of his scarf, Lyra saw his face burning red. “Togekiss, use Magical Leaf,” she said, her Pokemon flying into the air and knocking out both of Silver’s before they had a chance to react while Ampharos stood to her right, smug and certain.

“Do you think I should consider Trick Room?” Silver asked while releasing Gengar and Crobat. “If it weren’t for Crobat, it would make sense, but maybe it’s worth it anyway?”

“Are you asking me for advice?” Lyra had been about to signal Ampharos to move, but instead kept her hand in the air, waiting.

“I guess so. Nevermind.”

“It’s a little weird to ask me during the battle, is all.” Lyra saw Crobat about to swoop in, and signalled to Ampharos, who braced for impact, charging an attack of her own. Crobat’s flash of wings and teeth left Ampharos panting, but still standing; Gengar flickered into shadow and blew an Icy Wind toward Togekiss, making Lyra and her Pokemon both shiver. “Your Gengar is fast, too.” Ampharos shot lightning at Crobat, who fell to the ground, and Togekiss cried out, its Thunder Wave paralyzing Gengar. “But less so, now.”

“Yeah, that does it. I didn’t think you’d have Magical Leaf,” said Silver, recalling both of his Pokemon. “I figured Feraligatr would get another chance to act. Thank you for the battle.” He kicked a stone down the steps behind him. “I, uh, probably don’t have enough money to make the battle worth your time, sorry.”

Lyra recalled her Pokemon and walked up to Silver, putting her hand on his shoulder. They made eye contact and, to her surprise, he didn’t flinch away. “How about you buy me some coffee in town and we call it even?”

“It was late before I bothered you, wasn’t it?”

She laughed, and listened to the echoes of her happiness. “It was. And it’s later now. Offer’s still open.” She’d make her talk tomorrow work somehow, she decided. It was worth trading a good night’s sleep for a reminder of just why she cared about her job.

“As long as I get to have hot cocoa instead, I'd be happy to,” said Silver, and slid his arm around her tentatively.

“Deal. You’re still paying.” She leaned into him, keeping each other warm on the walk down the Plateau.