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Silver and Lance were sat in a small cave off the side of the main town square of Pasio. Even with the different battle mechanics here, Silver still wanted to train. He had everything he needed provided Lance was still up for it, but Lance complained that it just wasn't the same without the Dragon's Den's atmosphere, so they'd instead made it a habit to train in the damp caves on the artificial island. Lance didn't mind the extra time spent with Silver, he'd grown fond of the boy throughout the time they'd spent training, and knowing that Giovanni was plotting things around the island made him feel even more inclined to keep a close eye on the boy. Not because he didn't believe he could handle himself, but rather because he'd seen how his emotions could get the better of him, and that was an actual problem.
They'd taken a small break from their battles, allowing Silver time to check on his team and ensure they were all at their best health. Lance couldn't help but grin, knowing just how far the boy had come. As they sat in the murky darkness, allowing the cool air to wash away the heat of battle, Lance couldn't help but admire Silver's Sneasel, and how close the two of them seemed to be. Silver had sat cross-legged, careful to avoid sitting in any puddles, and the cat-like weasel almost immediately jumped into his lap, chirping in delight as Silver gently began to scratch its chin.
"I know I've mentioned it before, but I really do think it's amazing how strong your bond with your Pokémon is." Lance spoke, without thinking, drawing both Silver and Sneasel's attention towards him. Silver seemed to think for a moment, Sneasel letting out a sound of disappointment at the lack of chin scratches as Silver was lost in thought.
"I've... been thinking a bit about it myself. Lyra says the whole point behind those Sygna Suits is to strengthen the bond between trainer and Pokémon, and I found myself thinking... it might be fun to have one with Sneasel... but that'd be stupid." Sneasel made a string of mewls that Lance translated to 'It'd be fun!', and Lance found himself wanting to argue against Silver. But, if there's one thing he's learnt, it's that it's a lot smarter to try and understand Silver's viewpoint before trying to change it.
"I don't think it'd be stupid, and Sneasel seems to agree with me. Why'd you reckon it would be? I'm curious, you've got to have some logic behind your reasoning." Lance was trying his hardest to keep things casual, make it less like a dive into Silver's conscious, since Silver seemed to read far too deeply into the most simple of words. He thought for a bit, opening his mouth to speak before closing it and thinking some more. It was fine, Lance could wait until Silver found the right words.
"Well, you're... aware of my not-so-pleasant actions, especially when it could come to... acquiring Pokémon. Um, that's to say, I sorta... stole Sneasel from some guy in Cianwood. And- and I was gonna try and give it back like I did Feraligatr, but, and I know I have no place to say this, but that guy... he didn't treat Pokémon like beings, they're only trophies to show off to him, and I just... I couldn't give Sneasel back to someone like that, who wouldn't even let it have fun outside or whatever. But I guess, I don't know, you always say it's obvious to you that Sneasel's happy to be with me, but I just... I feel like it- he should still hate me, y'know? I took him away from where he lived and who he lived with, and I know I'd be mad if someone did that to me, hell, I'm exactly that! Da- Giovanni left me with nothing that I knew before and I guess, 'cus I still hate him, I assume the same's the case for Sneasel. And that means, it'd be stupid to try and be friendly with him." And wow. Lance would be lying if he said none of that surprised him. The fact that Silver stole Sneasel? That made at least a bit of sense, if anything it'd be more odd if Feraligatr were the only Pokémon he acquired through illegal means. No, what Lance was shocked by was the sheer honesty of Silver's words. He wasn't the most open person in the world, and especially so when it came to topics revolving around himself, his feelings and most importantly Giovanni. For Silver to be so honest about that, Lance wanted nothing more than to tell him how proud he was, how happy he was that Silver trusted him even a little to tell him all of that. However, that wasn't what's important here. Right now, Silver feels guilty, and he's comparing himself to Giovanni (not his father. Lance refuses to acknowledge that man as anywhere near deserving of that title.)
"Hey now, buddy, I'll tell you time and time again, you're better than what you think you are. If Sneasel held any distain towards you for that, he wouldn't be so comfortable with you all the time, he wouldn't be so willing to keep you company and battle alongside you. And listen, Silver, I know you're scared of ending up like Giovanni, but you're nothing like him. You see the worth and value in a Pokémon's feelings, you're proving so right now, and you've come to accept them as equals despite what he's drilled into your mind. He's never going to achieve that, he doesn't have the strength to right his wrongs, just to hope he can sweep them far enough under the rug. You're overcoming anything he's forced you to deal with, and your team are with you for every step of it, Sneasel included. And beside, if anything, from the sounds of it you've saved him from dying of boredom, ha ha. But the point is, kid, your Pokémon love you, and you clearly love them too. I reckon another part of why you didn't want to take him back was because you didn't want to lose him." Lance offered Silver what he hoped was his softest smile, and refrained from tacking on 'too' at the end of his sentence. Now wasn't the time to talk about the issues that came with Giovanni's poor life decisions. If he noticed a shine in Silver's eyes that wasn't normally there, he definitely didn't want to point it out, instead letting Silver rub at his face with his sleeve, before shooting Lance one of his signature glares.
"Don't go making assumptions about me, stupid! But... thanks, or whatever. If you think I'm not doing too bad, I must be doing something right, huh, Champion?" A slight smirk, a small jab: Silver was clearly trying to lead the conversation away from himself, and so long as he took Lance's words to heart, he didn't mind at all.
"Yup, I do, kiddo. So anyway, a Sygna Suit? Fancy a cape with that? We could match!"
"Ew! Never in a million years. I'd look worse than Clair!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm just messing with you, kiddo. If you ever do decide to get a Sygna Suit, I'm sure it'll look great. You and Sneasel would make a great pair."
"Whatever you say, old man."