Chapter Text
Ethan always saw his Soul Words as potential for a romantic first meeting, Silver assumed he was doomed to have a Soulmate who hated him.
Ethan, from a very early age, assumed his soulmate meeting would be perfect in every way imaginable. He imagined a cute girl, curious about his current focus, akin to a beautiful wonder of the world, or a rare Pokémon.
The words reading “What are you staring at?” wrapped around his upper arm. It wasn’t an uncommon phrase, but he hadn't heard anyone say it to him as their eyes met and words exchanged, but he was still young.
His mother said he had plenty of time, and that his soulmate would wait. He rolled his eyes every time, that didn’t stop him from hoping. On his thirteenth birthday, he eagerly set off to Elm’s lab next door, ready to take the first steps on his journey ahead. He picked up Cyndiquil’s pokeball, and released it with a massive grin on his face.
After his encounter with professor Oak, he looked down at his partner Pokémon, and grinned.
“We’re gonna take on the league challenge together, little guy! First the gym challenge, then the Indigo League!” He held the Pokémon in his arms as it cheered in approval.
He healed his Pokémon at the center, and took off in the direction of New Bark, keeping the professor's panicked phone call in the back of his mind, but he wasn’t too concerned. Elm was always a bit of a worrywart.
Lost in thought, his stride is broken as a blur of red slams into him. Ethan stumbles backwards, looking up at the boy with offence. The other boy’s silver eyes are focused on his Pokeball.
"… You got a Pokémon at the Lab. What a waste. That's a Pokémon that's too good for a wimp like you. … Don't you get what I'm saying? Well, I have a good Pokémon too. I'll show you what I mean!"
Before Ethan could reply, the boy sends out a Totodile, and Ethan wastes no time before shouting out for Cyndaquil, who puffs up its chest as flames shoot from it’s back.
The battle is close, with both Pokémon pushing their limits to impress their new trainers.
“What are you doing?!” The red-haired boy shouts at his Totodile.
“Cyndaquil, use scratch!” Ethan yells, taking the outburst from the other boy as a opportunity
He locks eyes with Ethan "…Humph! You're doing OK for someone weak."
Ethan lets out a groan. This guy was seriously getting on his nerves. “Use ember!” he yells to Cyndaquil, as the Pokémon lets out a stream of flame, which scorches the Totodile. The Pokemon begins to spin, as it collapses to the ground. Cyndaquil lets out a small victory chitter as it runs back into Ethan’s arms.
"…Humph! Are you happy you won?" The redhead growls. Ethan rolls his eyes, what was this guy’s problem?
The other boy pauses before speaking, as if choosing his words carefully. "…Do you want to know who I am? I'm going to be the world's greatest Pokémon Trainer. Don’t get in my way" As he shoves Ethan to the side, pushing him against the fence.
Ethan was getting seriously irritated, the nerve of this guy! Yelling at his Pokémon, then having the audacity to get physical?
“You’re an asshole!” He barks at the guy’s back, before remembering a saying his mother told him from a young age about picking your battles. He gets the feeling he may have picked the wrong one with how the other boy’s eyes widen.
Ethan braces for more yelling, but it never arrives.
“Y-you!” He shakily raises his hand to point at Ethan, eyes Ethan tilts his head in confusion, this guy’s demeanor totally changed! He almost seems scared.
“Yeah?” Ethan inquires. He sends a silent prayer to Arceus that he won’t get beat up.
The other boy marches over to him, and grabs him by his sleeve.
“Where is your soulmark?!” He yells, and it's spoken hardly, like a demand rather than a question.
“Uh…That’s kind of a personal question, man. Why do you want to know?” His face turns as red as his hair. Ethan can’t tell if it’s anger or embarrassment.
“Just show me!” He barks out, and Ethan decides it’s not worth the hassle to keep arguing. He takes off his hoodie, and shows the words wrapping around his upper arm. The other boy’s face drops, as if his entire world was pulled away from him.
The redhead steps back, eyes locking with Ethan. He looks away, like it’s painful to make eye contact. Ethan opens his mouth to inquire, but the other boy’s face darkens, and he storms off in the other direction.
“Huh. That was weird.” He says to Cyndaquil. “We should get back to the lab.”
Before he leaves, he notices a card on the ground, he picks it up. The ID picture is of the boy he fought, a younger version. This photo must have been taken a while ago, he thinks. The name reads “Silver Sakaki”. Ethan briefly wonders where he’s heard that last name, maybe he’s the kid of a celebrity or something, it would explain the snobby behavior.
He runs after the guy, Silver, he assumes. Despite their first meeting, it would be rude to leave him without his ID. He catches up to the other boy.
“Hey! You dropped this.” Ethan holds out his trainer card. The boy looks as if he’s been hit by a poison sting. He snatches the card out of Ethan’s hand before storming off once again.
“What’s his deal?” He mumbles to Cyndaquil, before heading to the lab, putting the interaction in the back of his mind. He has more to worry about than weird boys with weird soulmate issues.
.
.
.
Silver knew from a very early age that he wasn’t worthy of love. His mother, his father, even his soulmark showed that. The words “You’re an asshole!” branded around his wrist, proving his point even more. It didn’t matter to him, Silver told himself over and over again. He’ll show them. He’ll be the strongest trainer in the world, soulmate or not. He’ll show them he’s worth it.
He had hopes for his soulmate, despite everything. Is it wrong to hope someone would be there for him eventually? That someone would stay by his side despite his father, despite his past, despite everything? He pushes the thought aside, he had bigger things to worry about.
Surviving without a Pokémon was difficult, and the trip to New Bark Town was more than taxing. He knew that the best way to get a strong Pokémon was from the professors. He snuck through the window, and snatched a Pokémon before darting out again, sending a silent prayer that nobody saw.
He wondered if his soulmate would be disappointed in him for this. He shoves the thought out of his mind as he runs from the town, he couldn’t be caught stealing a Pokémon.
He runs into some dork wearing his hat backwards, and it all goes downhill from there.
“You’re an asshole!” The boy yells, and Silver feels his heart drop. It couldn’t be. It had to be. Thoughts rush through his mind as he feels his face flush. His Soulmate Meeting, and he’s running from the law. He thinks his father would be proud, and that makes him want to vomit.
“Y-you!” Silver’s voice comes out more shaky than he’d hoped.
“Where is your soulmark?” The other boy makes some comment about it being personal, and SIlver could care less.
“Just show me!”
The boy takes off his hoodie, and shows him his arm. The words “What are you staring at?” embedded into the other boy's upper arm. Silver feels a lump in his throat.
The words aren’t what he said to them. Either this isn’t his soulmate, or he really is unlovable. Noise like TV static fills his head, as he tries to breathe, convincing his eyes to not start watering.
Silver does the one thing he knows how to do better than anything
He runs away.