Silver Redemption

Silver awoke an uncertain amount of time later because of voices floating through the air.  His eyes opened slowly, his vision fuzzy.

“He’s going to be okay,” one voice said softly, a hint of kindness in it.

“Thank God.”

Silver froze.  He knew that voice.  It couldn’t be...  Why would he follow him all the way here...?  He blinked a few times, trying to clear his vision before he took in the familiar, hated form of Gold.

“You’re awake.”

Silver’s gaze moved up to a doctor standing by the door, staring at him with gentle eyes.  The man had brown hair and wore a standard doctor’s uniform, a clipboard in his hands. 

“We were worried that you weren’t going to wake up.”

Silver ignored everything the man was saying, his hard glare fixed on Gold.  His gritted his teeth, his heart thumping against his chest.  

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Silver hissed, hatred prominent in his voice.  “Why would you follow me here?  I thought I finally got rid of you!”

“Silver, you don’t understand...” Gold’s voice was thick with pain, his eyes betraying his emotions.  His eyes displayed his sadness to the world.  “I can see just how badly you’re suffering, and I just want to help.”

“I don’t want your help!” Silver shouted, unable to control himself.  He tried to get off the bed, but he didn’t get very far as his legs collapsed underneath him.  He shoved Gold away when the older boy came to his side.  “I don’t want anyone’s help!  Why can’t you see this?!”

“Please, calm down, Silver...” the doctor approached the redhead’s side and reached out, only to have his hands slapped away. 

“Leave me alone!” Silver screamed angrily at them both.  “Fuck off!  Don’t come near me!  I hate you all!  I hate you!  I hate you!”

Nurses entered the room seconds after this outburst.  While the brunet doctor had managed to get close enough to Silver to restrain him, the nurses were able to slip a syringe into the Trainer’s arm, sedating him.

Gold stood by the wall, watching all of this with pain-filled eyes.  He had heard about what had happened at the Viridian Gym Leader’s home almost two weeks ago and had quickly boarded the next ship over to Kanto.  He had been in the hospital with Silver for all of that time, talking to the Gym Leader and waiting for the redhead to wake up.

Now that Silver had woken up, had everything become so much harder for him...?  It sure seemed that way.

~~One week later~~

Silver hadn’t seen Gold throughout this time and he hoped the black-haired boy had taken the hint and left him alone.  He was sitting by Green’s hospital bed, waiting as the brunet received instructions from the doctor about how to care for his broken ribs and the arm that had been plastered and now sat in a cast. 

When at last the brunet had the okay to leave, Silver followed behind slowly, unsure of himself.  Why had Green done what he had just to protect him?  Silver was nothing but a whore, a slut, a disgusting product of what he knew was rape. 

But Green...  Green didn’t treat him like any of those things.  He took care of Silver and taught him that not everything had to be painful.  And Gold...  Well, Gold had followed him around for so long – had even jumped ship when he heard what had happened!  ...Was Silver... wrong in his assumptions about the raven-haired boy...?

“Hey, Green...?” Silver looked up from the ground just a few feet from the addressed male’s home.  The brunet was carrying Eevee in his arms, a bandage wrapped around the fox Pokémon’s middle. 

“Hmm?” Green glanced behind him as he reached into his pocket to grab the key. 

“...Have you...  Have you ever hated someone, only to think about them and wonder... if they... really deserve... that hate...?”

Green made a few facial expressions as he thought about this.  “...Hmm...  Well, Red and I...  We didn’t get along very well at first, but...  I’d call him my best friend now.  Why do you ask?”

“...Because...  There’s this boy from Johto...  His name is Gold, and... he’s followed me everywhere, gotten in the way of everything...  But he always said he cared and wanted to help...  And after what the Rockets did...  He heard about it, and he came here, just to tell me he wanted to help again...  How do I believe something like that, Green?”

“Isn’t that essentially what happened between us?” Green pushed the front door open as he placed Eevee on the ground.  “I mean; you didn’t trust me at first, did you?  But for whatever reason, you’re still here, and you took on an Arbok when you saw me in danger.”

“...” Silver knew that Green was right.  Why did he trust Green like this when he couldn’t trust Gold...?  “...But there was something... about you, Green...”

Green sat down on the couch, gesturing for the redhead to do the same.  “What made you realise I was different?”

“...I don’t know...  The way you seemed to always know what to say to make me feel better...  You gave me and my Pokémon food...  A bed...  You gave me space, and you trusted me...  No one’s ever trusted me before...”

“So what is it about those things compared to what Gold does that sets us aside?”  Green smiled down at the Eevee that leapt up into his lap.  “If you really think about it, if he didn’t care...  Would he still be trying to talk to you after this long?  Catch a boat just to make sure you’re okay?”

“...” Silver sighed and nodded.  “...You’re right...  But how can I trust him...?”

“I don’t know.  I can’t tell you how to do that, Silver.  Only you know the answer to that.  But I think the next time you see Gold, maybe you should listen to what he has to say.  Who knows?  You might change your mind about him.”

Silver nodded and looked down at his lap.  “...Okay...”

“Good.  Now, about my Gym; I can’t really battle in this condition, so would you mind filling in for me, Silver?  I trust in your ability to substitute for me.”

Silver’s eyes widened.  “M-me...?  Really...?  You... want me to...”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Green said softly.  He knew the other would say yes, but he didn’t want Silver to feel pressured.  “I can always call in someone else.”

“No, I...” Silver smiled – a genuine smile.  “...I can do it, Green.  I’ll go and pick up our Pokémon from the Pokémon Centre.  I’ll be back.”

Green smiled as he watched the younger boy leave.  Silver seemed so happy, despite what had happened.  Maybe... Team Rocket weren’t so bad after all; they had made Silver find a courage deep inside of him that he didn’t have before – he asked questions, he doubted if his hate was righteous but, most of all, Silver had found the strength inside of him to allow him to trust and love another person, to protect that person against the ones who had made him who he was today. 

The Silver that Green knew before would never have done that; would never have admitted he was unsure of something he had known for so long – that he might be wrong in his hatred against someone else, be willing to change who he was for the better.

Green was proud of Silver.  Silver had seemed so lost in his mind, holding onto the only things he knew – hatred, pain, anger... – but now, the redhead was on his way to recovery. 

Green didn’t know where he had heard it before, but... sometimes, maybe it just took walking through the doors and into one of the hardest memories a person had before they could move on and get better.(1)

1 – I was actually watching Supernatural when I was writing this chapter, and it was just what Rufus said to Bobby that made me think.  I won’t spoil what happened because if anyone reading this follows Supernatural but hasn't gotten to that particular episode... well, you’d hate me forever if I spoiled anything.  Long story short, it’s something I believe in deeply seeing as I can apply that to my own life, having taken something drastic in order for me to realise I can talk to my friends and I can trust them properly, which I think applies a lot to Silver, having gone through what he has.