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For the life of him, Silver could not stop smiling, and whenever that instinct subsided, he was grinning in between like a gleeful maniac, too. What was worse? All of the instances where he caught himself smiling could very well surpass the amount he had done for all his life up until the start of this match combined. There was nothing to be happy about in the life Silver had before fleeing to Johto, and yet, look at him now: rejoicing from top to bottom that his body, quite literally, failed to contain the intensity of its blissful ripples.
It was frankly getting too ridiculous, and his infamous reputation in Pasio as the grumpiest-looking teen among their little quartet from Johto was undoubtedly shifting into a more… approachable light because of it, but it was also a losing fight to restrain that innate urge from manifesting, especially when this was the match that gave Silver the thrilling heights he never experienced before.
Battling pathetic Team Rocket grunts and their embarrassing Executives in their Johto headquarters, all to enact his revenge upon them?
Teaming up with Ho-Oh in Pasio, to be dubbed as a Trainer of pure heart by a Pokémon who saw and trusted whatever good was left inside him?
Coming head-to-head to battle his old man from an alternate universe, not to prove himself as the better man in their wretched family like he always swore to prove, but instead to save a region that was at stake?
And, in a recent development, being able to defeat Lance after one of the harshest losses he suffered at his hands, successfully proving that he has honed his heart and be crowned as a Neo Champion as his reward?
While they were admittedly highlights of the dynamic life he now lead, none of them could ever hope to compare to the challenge currently unraveling in front of his eyes; it absorbed him into the chaos like the whirlpools guarding Whirl Islands, and this time, Silver has no qualms about surrendering himself to the currents, curious to see what awaited him on the other side.
Ethan was, and always has been, the center of everything, including Silver’s very life.
So much of the kindness and love that Silver could gratefully enjoy in his new life were all present today because Ethan— backed only with his moral compass and a spark of bravery that was borderline reckless, really—had challenged him into a Pokémon battle as a means to end his old crime stint. One match was all it took to ignite a rivalry that bound them like it was written by fate’s permanent ink, the kind of dynamic that pushed Silver to doubt the skewed ideals drilled into him by Team Rocket and shift himself into the pure-hearted road he should have walked on. He would never admit it then, and even now, the idea of doing so sent goosebumps down Silver’s skin, but Ethan has secured himself an important spot in his heart because of his efforts, as he was the only one who never gave up on Silver when everyone else slammed their doors on a rude teenager with an unchecked ego and bloodied past.
So right here, right now? Silver was not just experiencing the culmination of his precious bond with Ho-Oh, but he was also setting a record in the peak of his rivalry with Ethan; as his boyfriend had lovingly put it, they were now ultimate rivals, after all. The Arceus Cup was no longer about proving who could awaken their Arc Suit first, now that they were both blessed in the Original One’s blinding light, donning matching suits of white and gold. As their Pokémon geared up to unleash their greatest attacks yet, it was all coming down to who between the two has the strongest bond with their partners, as their Legendary birds were both evenly matched in strength.
And Silver? His heart was absolutely soaring along with the euphoria of it all, heady with the adrenaline of their battle.
In the palm of Silver's hands was now a life that was much better than his younger-self could ever imagine, and this was just the start of it.
“Rise up, Ho-Oh!” Silver ordered, and without needing a second to process, Ho-Oh executed it flawlessly, flying so high up to the sky with a single beat of its rainbow-colored wings that he had to squint his eyes, just to track its movement along the glaring sunlight.
Ethan, too, knew that it was time to reveal the victor between them. With a finger pointing to the sky, his lover shouted, “Let’s soar, Lugia!” that was heeded with a blast of air kicking up dust around the arena, eliciting shrieks from the startled audience at the intensity of the wind left in its wake.
It was a performance like no other, two of Johto’s historical Pokémon waltzing around each other in a fervent dance, establishing their reign of the blue, summer skies with deafening roars that echoed from the higher atmosphere. Perhaps many centuries ago, when Lugia and Ho-Oh were tied to no Trainer, a duel like this would be something they would indulge in whenever they left the Brass and Bell Towers from their charge; a friendly match that only the two of them could execute, simply because no other Pokémon could withstand their raw power. Everyone with eyes could see that the birds, too, shared a profound rivalry found nowhere else; one whose inception and details may have been lost with the passing of time, but it remained ardent in all of their alternate timeline-variants, for however long the two Legendaries clung to life in this fleeting world.
As Silver’s Sync Stone glowed bright to activate Ho-Oh’s final attack, he instinctively closed his eyes, bracing himself for the powerful surge of light waiting to burn like the sun. He, too, held not only onto the bond that ensnared his heart with his partner’s, but also for the quiet, sincere wish that he could have a wonderful rivalry with Ethan as ever-lasting as the one that their Pokémon had.
The next time that Silver opened his eyes was when a loud crash rang several feet away from him, and he released the breath he was holding once he caught a glimpse of Ho-Oh’s ruffled, rainbow wings splayed on the ruined courtyard, his Pokémon knocked out cold but thankfully only retaining injuries that the Pokémon Center could heal.
It still surprised Silver, even to this day, that the emotion sparked after losing a match now was just a wave of pure, genuine gratitude for his Pokémon— none of that anger and embarrassment he once knew like the back of his own hand, the scathing negativity that always lead to venomous words, the taste bitter and ashy on his tongue. Under such a short period, he may have not changed much physically, but he was a brand new person on the inside today; someone who now grasped that every Pokémon in his party always gave their very best for him, and where the pride swelling in his chest stemmed from.
That, alone, released the swarm of Butterfrees waiting to be set free from his stomach, pleasantly tingling Silver’s insides on their way out.
“You fought hard, Ho-Oh,” Silver whispered, calling the bird back to its Pokéball with the silent promise of rewarding its hard work later on, after they wrapped up the festivities here. He has enough stash of Ho-Oh’s favorite berries and other treats to last them a week of indoor rest, and the reminder sent a pleasant thrum coursing in his blood, knowing that he was actually looking forward to pampering his partner Pokémon with the love and care that it deserved.
Now, with his Pokémon safely tucked away, there was only one thing left for Silver to do.
Without waiting, Silver was already walking, navigating the scattered, broken tiles littering the decimated stadium floor as if he was working on auto-pilot, his focus solely stolen by the full-body shock washing over Ethan. Just the sight of his boyfriend riding his post-match high has both his heart and soul yearning for the person he sorely missed throughout his training.
Arceus above, it has been way too long since Silver last saw Ethan.
If anyone interviewed him after the ceremony, Silver might just admit that he, too, already has an intricate plan of sweeping his boyfriend away from the spotlight, ditching the lavish parties in favor of holding a personal, intimate one of their own; Arceus knew that Silver would swiftly combust if he was stuck in a venue with too-friendly strangers who were more interested in his shiny outfit rather than what it took to be blessed by the deity Pokémon, and a week of no-contact with Ethan has left him unbearably cranky to boot, according to Kris’ snide commentary. They could either stay in Ethan’s hotel room for a whole month at minimum, maxing out Lance’s credit card that Silver totally did not snatch to order enough room service to feed a village for a month. Or they could camp somewhere isolated and peaceful, find a new, cozy alcove that fits their camping ground criteria in the nature that Ethan dearly loved, coming with bags full of Tapu Cocoa sachets and packs of marshmallows to enjoy near a bonfire whenever they pleased.
They could have all the time in the world to catch up, then. Silver’s skin was already itching to snag Ethan for the tightest hug he would give, and later on, after they were cleaned of sweat and grime, he would ask his boyfriend everything about his own training. How well did Ethan eat and rest when he spent his days camping out in the wilderness? Who were the people that supplied him with enough battles to level up rapidly with Lugia? And, most importantly, did Ethan’s heart longed for Silver just as badly as Silver did for him, even though they parted ways in mutual agreement, this time around?
Yeah, Silver has enough chances to soothe the ache in his heart and fulfill his curiosity when they were out of the public eye. For now though, he needed to get to Ethan, which…
“We… won?” Ethan gasped, eyes as wide as saucers as he took in the joyful clamor buzzing in the stadium, blinkingly rapidly as he tried and failed to process how all of the happy cheering was meant for him. In the end, the puzzle pieces clicked for him after Lugia released an ecstatic battle cry, which only silenced the crowd for a full second before another, rowdier round of applause broke out for its Trainer. Ethan took several steps forward, then, to pet Lugia’s right wing, but Silver was the only one in the stadium who caught the stumble in his usually confident gait, feeling an odd, sinking sensation when he caught the unnatural shakiness in Ethan’s knees. Before Silver could act on his gut feeling, Ethan’s lips were already open, eyes blinking back heartfelt tears as he said, “Thank you, Lugia. My Pokémon…” before his words were cut off by his sluggish body promptly collapsing to the wrecked stadium floor.
Collapsing. On the wrecked stadium floor, where chunks of dilapidated and singed tiles were dispersed in an uneven mess after their Sync Moves collided in that last bout, enough to injure Ethan if he fell on them the wrong way.
Before he realized it, Silver was already sprinting, desperate to cross the gap between them.
“Hey!” Silver screamed, dropping to his knees the moment that Ethan was nearby, ignoring the tiny debris digging into his calves and staining his black pants with dust, all in favor of taking a quick scan of his lover’s physique. His trembling hands moved to turn Ethan’s limp body over and lay his head on his lap, Silver’s touch turning gentle as he brushed away the dirt now clinging onto his lover’s pale face, tossing his cap as he went. Arceus above, now that he paid a closer look, why was Ethan’s skin so pale? Why did his lips lose their rosy, healthy color? Gritting his teeth, Silver forced a lid on top of his spiraling worry, enough to allow him to do a few taps on Ethan’s cheeks and do what needed to be done in this emergency. “Ethan, I swear in Arceus’ name, wake up! Are you okay?! Tell me what’s wrong!”
Ethan did not steer, no matter how long and hard Silver poked at his cheeks or shook his shoulders. In his panicked state, Silver also laid his pointing and middle fingers together on Ethan’s neck, wondering in his haziness if he had forgotten all of the emergency health procedures that Lance taught him before until his fingertips, eventually, stumbled upon a pulse; weak and faint, but evidently there.
Okay. So Ethan had simply passed out. That’s— oh, that’s a huge relief. Arceus above, Silver could rest easy for tonight, knowing that he was still granted yet another day to cherish together with his lover.
The next, weary breath that escaped from Silver’s lips took his soul along with it, and he, too, let his weakened body crumple on top of Ethan’s, in a way getting the hug that he wanted when he tiredly cradled his boyfriend in his arms. His body was still warm, and Silver found himself clinging onto it like he always wished for the past week, whenever the night got too lonely and he had no one to share his day with.
In this curtain of privacy awarded by his long, carmine hair, Silver gave himself a moment to lay his forehead on top of Ethan’s own, squeezing his eyes shut lest he wanted tears as an unbidden guest on top of the terror that shook him to his core. Once he had collected himself, Silver adjusted his arms from the one-sided embrace they were tangled in to place them carefully behind Ethan’s back and knees, taking a deep, shuddering breath as he whispered to his lover, “You’re lucky that I love you so much, you idiot.”
Then, in a single motion, Silver stood up, carrying Ethan along with him in what he was sure Lyra had dubbed as a bridal carry before, somewhere in their rom-com movie nights. Whatever, Ethan could be in charge of dealing with the possible rumors and press that would surely sprout when the recording of Silver’s “romantic” action hit the media; that would be his dumb lover’s homework after he regained consciousness. For now, though, Silver’s main goal was to get him to the stadium’s medical bay, which he knew was somewhere inside the maze-like hallway and equipped with a functional hospital bed.
In the distance, there was a team of paramedics already rushing over towards them, struggling to get near and wheel in their stretcher due to the destruction of the stadium floor. Silver paused before meeting them in the middle, studying the signs of fatigue written all over Ethan’s face— from the scrunch in his face that indicated an unfit slumber down to what looked like loss of the baby fats around his cheeks, possibly from the meals that he accidentally forgot and skipped —and annoyingly found a flash of fondness growing in his heart anyway, because of course Ethan was blissfully unaware that he still held the key to his heart, even with his stupid, mini heart attack-inducing antics. If it was difficult to prevent himself from smiling throughout their match, Silver now grasped how impossible it was to put a cork in the love that overwhelmed him in its warm, comforting bloom, a reminder of everything he never got before nestled in the safety of his arms.
Oh, Arceus, what would Silver be now without Ethan’s tender, loving soul complimenting his righteous, pure heart— the other half of him whose presence made him whole, as both his rival and life-long partner?
Beside him, Lugia dutifully trotted along, grabbing Ethan’s fallen hat in its beak.
With his eyes occupied in committing all the little details of Ethan’s face, Silver wondered to the Pokémon that was waiting patiently for its Trainer to wake up, quietly asking, “An exercise nut like him ran out of steam? What kind of training has he been doing, Lugia?”
From the corner of his eyes, Silver caught Lugia giving him the sassiest eye-roll while still chewing onto one end of Ethan’s hat, saying something along the lines of you should know as much as me about how keen our beloved could get with something he is passionate about, shooting a dirty look at the carmine-haired Trainer afterwards.
Silver chuckled, then, which really blew the floodgates for his laughter seep out, too, as the hilarity of his situation finally dawned on him. Yes, he may have fallen for the biggest dork in both Johto, Kanto, and Pasio combined, but Ethan was his idiot, and he would not have it any other way.
“Hmph! Now I can’t even complain to him about losing,” Silver groaned, finally urging his legs to take careful steps out of the wrecked stage, his smile betraying the whine that had just slipped out of him. Above them, the sky seemed to praise their happy ending, casting both Silver and Ethan in its sparkling light like it was the heavens’ way of blessing their wins. Confessing his next words— despite it carrying the weight of his love for Ethan —was as easy as breathing for Silver, now that he could accept it as a fixture of his life. “You really are something too, Ethan. It’s because of you… that my dream can live on.”
Silver casted a glance at the blue sky once again, processing its endless vastness, the realization that he has now found his place in this world hitting him like the gentle caress of Ho-Oh’s feathers against his bare skin, warm and safe against his thudding heart.
The paramedics and their stretcher awaited Silver once he neared them, one of them eager to take Ethan from his arms, but Silver found himself shaking his head, hanging onto his lover tight as he moved past their blockade. With his head held high, Silver searched for the medical bay himself, trusting Lugia to hold them back as it toddled obediently behind him.
Everyone else who were suspiciously quiet through the whole ordeal finally broke their silence, shouting their well-wishes and giving their loudest applause for the afternoon; not just for an epic match wrapped up beautifully, but for the love found in its victory, too. Their energy carried Silver forward, and deep down, he hoped that Ethan could feel their immense support through his dream, too.
Ethan could not recall how, exactly, was his energy zapped entirely from his limbs like he was struck with a barrage of Giga Drain attacks, or even why the headache stuck behind his eyelids throbbed with vengeance, but even those two symptoms did not stop him from being blown by awe upon waking up, gasping at the scenery that stole his breath away.
“Huh?” was the first thing that Ethan spoke into the emptiness, instantly scrambling to prop himself on his elbows to get a better look, because none of what he saw made any sense.
How was Ethan still alive, if he was currently floating in space? That endless, black void housing an array of colorful nebulas and twinkling stars that winked back at him as it burned— that was the very universe that housed Earth in its complex solar system, no?
Ethan has taken enough night flights as high as the atmosphere allowed him to know that no night on Earth looked as mystifying and beautiful as this. The stars and the moon always graced him with their presence on particularly clear nights, but there has always been a distance between him and those heavenly bodies that did not exist in this moment.
Now, he could not only see galaxies painted in vivid colors stretch along the abyss, but also the constellations that he remembered seeing from both the Johto and Pasio night skies; every heavenly body mapped out in high definition for his eyes to relish in, free from the light pollution that clouded the nights back at home.
Wait, home?
Arceus above, Ethan wheezed, his heart stopping its work for a second when reality finally came crashing down. If his assumption was correct and he was, in fact, kept somewhere in the intergalactic space that has breathable oxygen… that would mean that he was currently far from home, yes? Not even kilometers far away, but light-years far away from Silver, his Pokémon team, and everything else that he loved?
Oh no. This could not be happening to him.
For once, the anxious twist in Ethan’s stomach claimed control first, the unflinching optimism that has carried him this far into his journey nowhere to be found in his time of need.
It took a herculean effort just to stand up with the dizziness still pounding his head, but Ethan managed to get back on his feet despite the black spots blurring his vision, his eyes darting everywhere to assess his surroundings. He noted that his outfit matched the last memory he had— of winning the Arceus Cup after both he and Silver awakened their Arc Suits, the whole stadium feverish with euphoria before his recollection went blank —but Lugia was, oddly enough, currently absent from his side. It was dubbed the “guardian of the sea” for a valid reason, as its instincts to protect its duties were well-documented in old scrolls left by their elders. Being its Trainer meant that Ethan also fell under Lugia’s jurisdiction to protect; that was the sole reason why it agreed to be taken along to Pasio, even though Johto was its true home. Nothing else was amiss as Ethan rushed to connect the puzzle pieces except for, well…
The floor. Or rather, the stage, really.
Teal in color like the algae reflection glinting along the Lake of Rage on a perfect summer day, built with a glossy material that held firm under Ethan’s quivering footing and, most importantly, glowing with a source of light from beneath, illuminating the intricate, geometrical patterns etched in white that were scattered all-around it.
Geometrical patterns that, upon a closer look, were awfully familiar to Ethan’s spotty memories.
“Yes, my child,” a deep voice echoed throughout this mysterious chamber, startling Ethan enough to elicit a yelp out of him. The slap of his palms on his mouth resonated sharply in the deafening pause, but even after witnessing such a comical fumble and hearing the erratic beat of Ethan’s heart racing in his throat, the disembodied voice only sounded amused as it added, “You have stepped onto this exact same stage before, just on a different plain. Back then, the realm that you entered was in the Sinjoh Ruins, where the Mystri Stage that connected your realm with mine was erected centuries ago. This realm, on the other hand…”
“Is where the authentic Mystri Stage lies,” Ethan finished for it, the edge of his voice frayed by the weight of its implication. There was an undeniable presence looming behind him now that was not there before, its arrival coming unannounced, lacking the usual racket of incoming footsteps on ground or a shift in the air like what other Pokémon made, which only meant that… “You’re Arceus, then?”
Perhaps a minute has passed, or maybe it could have taken a century before Ethan finally gathered the courage to turn around and meet his maker. He found himself face-to-face with a porcelain skin for a chest and lead-colored shoulders upon first sight, both body parts bulging with muscles that told a silent story of its true force, of the judgement it could execute. One look downwards confirmed the pointy, golden hooves he once saw before, and finally, Ethan glanced all the way up, irises as dark as a pool of blood pinning him in place.
Despite the intimidating shade, those eyes struck Ethan as one that was surprisingly benevolent, a mismatch that was oddly endearing.
“And you are Ethan,” Arceus started, greeting him by tilting its front hooves back and tucking its long head into a graceful bow. It left Ethan floundering on how to best respond, because does he bow back now, or wait for a split second so their heads would not bump accidentally? Did Cynthia forget to instruct him about a specific, cordial gesture that he needed to do when facing a deified Pokémon as saintly as Arceus, back in the Sinjoh Ruins? Before he could make up his mind, Arceus has already raised its head again, sounding tickled for no apparent reason that Ethan was, frankly speaking, beginning to have suspicions of having his mind read without his consent. “Welcome to my realm.”
“Thank you?” Ethan tried, cringing at how his voice trailed off, effectively broadcasting how he has zero clue about why he was abruptly abducted after a match that was held in the Original One’s name. Back-tracking, Ethan held both hands up in the hopes that the peace sign was actually universal. His ticket home technically depended on it. “I truly apologize for ruining the mood, Arceus. While I am elated to be invited to enter your realm and meet you again after the match, I hope you don’t mind that I have a question first before we continue, because this has honestly been bugging me after I woke up: how did I get here, exactly? And how far away from home am I, actually?”
Its Ponyta-like neigh reminded Ethan of Professor Elm’s startled snort, back when the older man had read the Pokédex entry that he wrote as a precaution for other Trainers to not cuddle with any of the Mareep evolution line, no matter how inviting its fluffy wools were. Innocently, he had jotted that down after making the grave mistake of succumbing to his own urge, learning first-hand just how deceptively capable its wools were at paralyzing both humans and Pokémon. He was facing the same wave of fondness now, it just… came from a Pokémon, rather than an adult human.
“Oh, my blessed child, it’s only your conscience that is here; it would take a lot more effort for you to physically enter my realm. Dawn and Rei are the friends that you can go to testify about that,” Then, Arceus leaned its head back, blood-red eyes fixed onto the vivid splashes staining the vast abyss, concentrating on doing something that Ethan was too scared to inquire nor interrupt. Once again, the answer found Ethan before he could open his mouth, as the ceiling warped itself like a video tape being pressed forward, glitching between heavenly bodies until Earth’s blue and green combination popped up, zooming past the cotton-candy wisps of clouds and larger continents until Pasio’s main land was wide enough to see.
At last, the region’s luxurious stadium came into view, but Arceus did not pause to marvel at the chaos left in the wake of their match. Instead, it sought the quiet infirmary tucked inside the hallways, where Silver had just barged in to lay Ethan down on a hospital bed, doing so with a tenderness that he only ever reserved for his boyfriend, making sure that his head was propped onto the fluffy pillow. The next time that Ethan blinked, his vision was already stinging and misty, but the tears sprung free when Silver squeezed himself to sit on the edge of his bed, cradling Ethan’s left hand in both of his palms, squeezing it as he whispered wake up, Ethan over and over again, looping it like a desperate prayer. Silver never let his gaze drift away, either, watching the subtle rise and fall of Ethan’s chest with the same, rapt attention whenever Ethan was rambling about his recent hikes; with the kind of love that, sometimes, convinced Ethan that he was truly revered.
Arceus made no comment about the shudder in Ethan’s next exhale, giving space for the teenager to wipe his tears as it moved on. “You lost consciousness upon finishing your glorious match with Silver. A human’s mind, when it is not alert, is a fickle thing that can be tampered with the right powers; the momentum simply allowed me to call upon this meeting, is all.”
“So… you’re saying that I’m just here mentally? Okay. That’s— that’s cool,” Ethan finished lamely, too choked up by the sight of Silver nuzzling his face to the back of his limp palm to feel anything else in the presence of a Pokémon God. That should really get him smited for his impertinence, Ethan knew, but he was also tired— all that he craved for, after a week of isolated training, was to crash into Silver’s embrace and not move from his loving warmth for a whole month. His dazed mind also reminded him that there was still a missing piece to complete the whole picture, so with his eyes glued to the Silver projected onto the starry night, Ethan croaked out, “Why did you invite me here, then?”
“To congratulate you and your rival on a job well done, my child,” Arceus replied, returning its attention to a wide-eyed Ethan. There was a clear dissonance, knowing logically that Arceus has no lips, but feeling it in the resonance of his soul that it was smiling down at him now, all kind and understanding. “You have shown me a soul as unbending as silver, and your rival has demonstrated to me a heart that was as pure as gold. Stay together, and you will find the strength needed to weather through life.”
“What?” Ethan intelligently asked, because if he did not mistakenly hear what was said just now… then did Arceus just give their relationship its blessing? The deified Pokémon itself, imploring Ethan and Silver to stay together, all because they matched in heart and soul, capable of being each other’s pillars moving forward? He was reeling from the shock of it all, overwhelmed by the rush of confusing, yet positive emotions it incited, barely able to push his words past the stutter of his lips. “H-Huh, wait— did you just give us your blessing?”
This would be the moment where Arceus raised one eyebrow, if it was human, but all that Ethan got from its stoic face was a blank stare. Arceus replied, in a matter-of-factly way, “As both rivals and lovers, yes. You and Silver are the first pair of Trainers who just so happened to be romantically involved when you both awakened your Arc Suits together. It would do your love a disservice to not bless it, too, knowing that it was founded by the very rivalry that got you both this achievement.”
Even if Ethan was finding it all hard to believe, the sentiment still touched his heart, anyway. He heard it first from a Pokémon, but deep down, even without him realizing it, he has always acknowledged that as the truth of their romance; take the rivalry out of their relationship, and the love to be found between them would never be the same. This match was not just the conclusion of their rivalry, but it was one for their love, too— that for however long they have in this mortal realm, they will love each other like each day was their last.
With a newfound resolve pulsing in his blood, Ethan offered both hands up to Arceus, and as it gracefully lowered its head to allow several chin scratches from a human that was not its Trainer, he was now able to appreciate why this Pokémon was— and always has been —worshiped from the advent of life and humanity.
“Thank you, Arceus, for creating this world and everything that lives in it! My family, my Pokémon, my friends, and Silver— I wouldn’t have the pleasure of meeting and knowing them if it weren’t for you! My journey with Silver is far from over, as both rivals and lovers,” Ethan exclaimed, body buzzing with the idea of coming home soon— to where Silver was waiting for him in Pasio, continuing where their fate-written chapter had left off, which hopefully meant the longest cuddling session before their next big arc. At this point, the Silver that was reflected on the dark ceiling has awkwardly settled in the stiff infirmary chair, laying his upper body down next to where Ethan’s left hand rested, Silver’s own head propped by his crossed arms and tilted towards Ethan’s face. The ache now bursting in his chest was triggering a second wave of tears, and that was the closest sign as any for Ethan to leave this realm, lest he wanted to bawl his eyes out in front of the Pokémon God again. So, with an apologetic smile, Ethan caressed Arceus’ face one last time, face twisted in determination as he confided, “But I need to get back home, though. To Silver and all of my friends in Pasio. Surely they must be worried.”
“And that, my child, you must swiftly remedy. This is where we part ways, Ethan,” Arceus agreed, leaning down closer so that it could nuzzle its head along with Ethan’s, the action so gentle and affectionate that it pushed an unexpected giggle out of him, a stray tear pushed out of his left eye as well. Then, when Arceus pulled away, the final words that it spoke to Ethan was, “Close your eyes, my child. May both of your silver soul and heart of gold forever intertwine to carry your blessed love forward.”
Then, an all-encompassing darkness reached for Ethan, swallowing him and everything else save for a single, gold light, its glow fading the father that it drifted away, the final blink of its dying light sending a promise that, one day, they would meet again.
When Ethan came to, he expected it to feel like being lulled awake after floating in an outdoor swimming pool for too long, his senses sluggishly coming back online from the slightest disturbance in the water. The cozy contrast between his toasty body temperature and the refreshing water that lapped on his exposed skin would be the gentle, soothing call needed to rouse his awareness, and the sunlight would then greet him when his eyelashes fluttered apart, letting the illumination breach past the trees planted around the pool to kiss his skin hello, but not enough to blind him.
Arceus, however tolerant it was of Ethan and his overly-friendly nature in their second meeting, did not spare him from his self-inflicted negligence.
His limbs were still as deceivingly heavy as a Sudowoodo’s branches, possibly weighed down from what a whole week’s worth of not eating and drinking enough could do to his electrolyte count. The soreness that chained his joints down to the digits of his fingers made Ethan wonder, deliriously, if he had been run over by a Donphan at some point, because Pokéathlon training was never this excruciating before.
It took all of Ethan’s willpower to fight against the sticky heaviness sealing his eyes shut, but oh, was he grateful that he had the ability to do so— that he was, indeed, given the chance to come home to his beloved.
Even with his resting face scrunched in a cute, perpetual frown, Silver still looked gorgeous to Ethan, and it did not help the elated quivering of his heart when he sensed the weight of his lover’s right hand, slotted loosely in his left one and fitting the gap like he was made for it. Half-asleep as he was, to Ethan and his hopelessly romantic-eyes, it almost seemed as if Silver was scared that if he let any part of him go, then his rival would disappear in his sleep for good.
A week of no contact was enough to make him go stir-crazy from stewing on his own longing, and no matter how many challenges that molded him as a competent Trainer, the one weakness— and strength —in Ethan’s heart would always be Silver. So, to satisfy the itch beneath his skin, Ethan strained himself to lift his right hand up, letting his bare fingers clumsily tuck stray strands away from Silver’s face. It was magical how a simple touch after such a prolonged distance could make Ethan float, and suddenly his listless body was as light as a feather, just like when had skydived with Silver, oh so many moons ago.
The movement— subtle as it was —gave Ethan front-row seat to watch Silver jolt awake, his lilac irises sharpening with awareness when he sensed motion, scanning past Ethan to assess for any potential threats; an old habit from Team Rocket that still has its claw dug deep into Silver, and one that has a knack of popping up during stressful moments. Still, his lover must be distracted if he had not noticed Ethan freezing in his hold, so he took the liberty of planting his right palm to firmly cup Silver’s face, watching him flinch and go rigid in turns when he finally caught onto their situation.
Just like before, Ethan, too, expected for Silver to throw himself at him, after he got over his initial shock and anger.
The only thing that went his way today was just his victory, it seemed, as when their gazes converged for the first time post-match, there was a certain wildness written all over Silver’s eyes that made Ethan’s gut twist all wrong.
Oh, this was not good.
“Hi,” Ethan sheepishly began, aiming for a smile and a tone that he hoped could ease Silver’s panic. “Did you miss me?”
Unfortunately, huddled this snuggly, Ethan witnessed the exact moment that Silver’s emotions cycled from anxiety to surprise before, ultimately, landing on sheer fury. The deafening pause that followed made it apparent that Ethan’s hasty plan was about to backfire spectacularly on him.
“Missed you? Missed you?!” Silver shouted, batting Ethan’s right palm away and kicking his chair back in a single motion, the heat behind his glare betraying the tears that were already pooling there.
Oh no, Ethan cursed, this was not how he wanted it to go!
Before Ethan could explain, get the words lodged in his throat out to the air, Silver beat him to the chance when he hissed, “Don’t you scare me like that ever again! What happened to the Ethan that I know who hated seeing me hurt, huh? Did you never stop and think before you skip meals and lose sleep about how I would feel, if I saw the way that you treated yourself?!”
Arceus above, Ethan was a certified mess, and he was not even the one who paid the price for it.
“I’m sorry, Silver,” Ethan pleaded, his heart cracking along with the tears that now trickled free down Silver’s cheeks, the shattered crevices letting all of the guilt bleed out. His lover was sitting out of his reach, and the closest he could latch on was Silver’s right pinky, so Ethan desperately clung onto it— linking their pinkies together, like a promise waiting to be fulfilled. At this point, Silver valiantly avoided his searching gaze, but he also let their point of contact stay, and Ethan bravely took it as a sign to continue, because he has a lot to rectify for his rash choices. “There’s no excuse or justification for my carelessness— it was tactless of me to train without giving myself rest, and also without thinking of how worried you would be if you ever found out the conditions I underwent while I prepared for the Arceus Cup.”
Ethan paused, quietly debating how much he should divulge to Silver before deciding to reveal the whole picture anyway, as his boyfriend deserved the absolute truth. “I just… I didn’t want to be left behind by you as a rival, so I trained myself day and night for it, and it hadn’t crossed my mind in the heat of it all that the consequences that my body has to endure would hurt you, most of all— all because my mind was too busy wishing to catch up to you, while my body was too drained to ever think straight and stop me from ruining my health. This won’t happen again, Silver, and you can take my word for it. I’m truly sorry, though, that I put you through this; you deserve a lover who could pace himself better, and love his own health and body as well— I was nothing like that through our separation, and you have every right to be upset because of me and my irresponsibility.”
The clock hanging from the infirmary door ticked on without a care, each tap of the two hands meeting blaring like thunderclap in the stifling silence, sinking Ethan’s hope as fast as a capsized boat in rough seas. As far as their arguments as a couple went, Ethan has learned that apologies mean nothing to Silver without concrete actions to fix it, and he was, frankly, at a loss now— because what else could Ethan do for Silver to right his wrongs? What else could he say now to allow him the privilege to dry his lover’s tears again?
As if his frantic mind was an open book, Silver’s glassy eyes met his gaze, albeit reluctantly. It gave Ethan a glimpse into his soul— of just how terrified he was on top of everything else, worn from the lethal combination of their separation and his heightened worry. Jaw clenching, Silver’s voice was wet around the edges as he pointed out, “Ethan, you knew how upset I was when Lance pulled the same stunt as you during his Arceus Cup training. You were there with me when his body broke down after the match.”
It was Ethan’s turn to flinch, because Silver’s aim never missed. He should have known better after seeing the toll that the Arceus Cup training had on Lance’s healthy body; this was a knowledge that no other competitor learned, after all.
“I know, Silver. I lost sight of what’s important for us,” Ethan admitted, straining to extend his left shoulder just so he could grasp onto Silver’s right hand better, leaving their pinkies still linked in between their laced palms. He nervously met Silver’s wounded gaze, trusting that his lover could see his true intentions through the windows of his own soul. “I’m so sorry for putting you through this pain, Silver. I must’ve given you the nastiest scare of a lifetime, huh?”
“Don’t forget the biggest aneurysm in my lifespan, too,” Silver scoffed, glancing away again to roughly dry his tears in a way that Ethan longed to do for him, with the gentleness that always has his lover melting into his touch. Then, as their bond as lovers held strong, Silver dragged his chair back to sit closer to Ethan’s side, throwing a petulant look at his boyfriend as he grudgingly added, “It’s going to take more than an apology for me to eventually forgive you, Ethan.”
Oh. Oh!
Well then.
A small, faint giggle was punched out of Ethan’s lungs, then, and he had no time to regret its awful timing or take it back because, well— this was it: the proof that their love persevered, what Arceus meant about their silver soul and heart of gold capable of lending them the strength needed to rise above any trials. The wave of sheer relief and warmth that crashed over him did not help in restraining his laughter, but by the eye-roll Silver gave and the smallest twitch of his lips, Ethan felt the certainty of their fate in his bones: their love would persist in their journey, so long as they stayed together.
“That’s okay, sunshine. I’ll make it up to you, whatever and however long it takes,” Ethan promised him, daring to bring Silver’s palm towards his lips now, taking extra care to pepper his knuckles with slow, deliberate kisses, feeling and seeing both the hairs on his and Silver’s skin rise in similar goosebumps patterns at the intimate gesture. Arceus, they both missed each other that badly, huh? Ethan peered deep into Silver’s eyes, then, willing his next words to touch his boyfriend’s heart, as the resolvement of this whole mess— and the conversation he had with Arceus earlier —depended on it. “For what it’s worth, though: thank you for catching me when I fainted, and for taking care of me after that. I think this match has taught me best about just how lucky I am to have you in my life, both as a rival and a lover. This love that we have? That’s a one of a kind love found in history, and I want to cherish it better from now on.”
They were cruising back to familiar territory, now that the tension was not as taut, the pause that followed more like a cooling breeze rather than the humid, suffocating weather before a sunmer storm. Silver’s glare has thankfully lost its heat, too, wavering like a bonfire at the end of its life as he contemplated on whether to feed his fury, or let it be extinguished by the efforts Ethan was willing to make.
It was cheating, really, but as his last attempt to win Silver’s heart again, Ethan uncurled his lover’s right hand that was still intertwined with his own, letting him nuzzle his left cheek into the open palm just like what Silver had done, when Ethan was still knocked out. Silver may have ruined Ethan for anyone else, he learned, because Silver wielded the power to slay him with a single touch alone, and Ethan would not mind dying this way— his heart bursting not with blood, but with midsummer warmth, flowers, and butterflies all solely harbored for Silver, grinning bright and blushing to the tips of his ears as he relished in the lovely spark that their touch ignited, instead of choking on his last breath.
Love, Ethan has also grasped, did not last because its magical property could miraculously save and mend a broken relationship. Beneath all the glitz and glamor surrounding love that romcom movies capitalized on, they often skipped over the true reason for its endurance, which shaped the very foundation for why anyone could love a partner who took hours to shower or snored like a Exploud in their sleep: effort.
When Silver’s flushed a pretty pink too, his stoic face melting with awe just as the electrifying rush from their touch beckoned him to appease his week-long yearning, Ethan got the spoiler for how this chapter of their romance would end. In such a charged air, they did not need to utter words to convey their compromise, or the trust that drove his boyfriend’s next move; Silver’s thumb moving by itself to caress Ethan’s cheek, lilac eyes shining with the unshed tears and the naked, overwhelming truth that Ethan has Silver wrapped in the palm of his hand as well, and that was why his boyfriend wanted them to work, even if that meant finding a way to navigate Ethan’s occasional headache-inducing behaviors.
“Arceus above, why do you make it so difficult for me to stay angry at you?” Silver groaned, head tilted back as if talking to the bleak infirmary ceiling would get him a direct phone call to complain with Arceus. He then pulled his hand away and stood up altogether, the abrupt move snapping Ethan out of his trance. Without a single warning, the plastic hardware making up the bed’s safety railing on Ethan’s left side fell free in a loud crack, leaving Ethan gaping at Silver like a beached Magikarp. As a cherry on top in this confusing turn of event, Silver flapped his hands in a shooing motion, ushering, “Come on now, Ethan; stop gawking and scoot over!”
“What are you—” Ethan squeaked, jaw snapping shut when Silver kicked off his shoes and unceremoniously plopped himself next to Ethan the second the slimmest space on the bed was available for him, making himself at home when Silver settled halfway on top of Ethan’s body, gingerly placing his head over Ethan’s chest as his final act. For a split second, Ethan wondered if Silver could hear his embarrassingly-erratic heartbeat, but he swiftly found all of his thoughts— save for the floating, heavenly bliss that tucked his mind for a restful day —were banished when Silver curled both arms underneath Ethan’s waist tight, all while he nuzzled his head into his chest. No words could begin to articulate the fuzziness swallowing him whole, and all that Ethan could say was a shocked, pleased, “Oh.”
Predictably, Silver let out a snort, and Ethan could feel the smirk of Silver’s lips ghost against the fabric of his red-turned-white jacket. “So that’s all you have to say to me after we spent a week apart?”
Right. There were all sorts of things that Ethan has been dying to tell Silver during their isolation, no?
About how honored he was to be Silver’s destined rival, keeping that title alive from the very beginning of their journey until they were here now, a great distance away from their starting point— their home.
About how proud he was of them for achieving this saintly status together, rising above the many trials that the world threw at them and proving that their love would always prevail, in the end.
And, most importantly…
“Yeah, you’re right,” Ethan chuckled, one arm slung over to wrap behind Silver’s waist while the other wove its fingers into his carmine hair, their limbs clicking in place like they were made for each other. He breathed easier, now, with Silver melting into their embrace, soaking in the whiff of the Pecha-berry shampoo that was his boyfriend’s favorite, finding him missing small details like this, too. As if all of his inhibitions were dulled by its sweet scent and just how perfect his life was now, Ethan boldly confessed, “Oh, I missed you like crazy, Silver. Let’s never do this mutually-agreed upon separation again, unless the whole region is in active danger and two teenagers like us happen to be the key to save it, yeah?”
“Wrong answer,” Silver mumbled into his chest, and Ethan would have found the muffled, grumpy voice cute if his lover did not prop his chin on Ethan’s chest afterwards, shooting him with a sharp look that was both affronted, hopeful, and determined altogether. The chill that struck down Ethan’s spine stunned him, but what left his jaw slacking, in the end, was what Silver said next. “Let’s never do this whole mutually-agreed upon separation again, period. If we both are the unfortunate chosen ones destined to save the world from chaos, then we’re doing it together, Ethan. No matter what. I’m not going to let you and your bleeding heart charge into war without someone watching your six, and I don’t trust anyone else to do that job properly except for your Pokémon team and myself.”
There it was, the loudest declaration coming from the depths of his heart, hidden so smoothly underneath a seemingly unrelated sentence: I love and miss you so much, and I want us to live together until the end of our chapters. A love that could be seen in the conviction sparkling along Silver’s lilac irises, felt in the strong, steady pace of his heart beating alongside Ethan’s, reciprocating what Ethan craved the most without him ever saying it.
“I love you too, Silver,” Ethan said anyway, utterly delighted by how the simple affirmation never failed to turn Silver into a blushing mess, eliciting several giggles of his own when his boyfriend playfully whacked him on the shoulder for his trouble. “What?! I’m telling the truth here! You’re the one who’s making it hard not to love you even more than I already do!”
“Oh, shush, you!” Silver protested, hiding his flaming face back in the safety of Ethan’s embrace, flowers blooming on the exact spot where his lover buried his face. Then, in a lame attempt to change their topic, Silver grouched, “What took you so long to wake up, anyway? The paramedics were starting to panic, you know. They’re probably going to check in again any minute now.”
It was a successful one, to be fair, because the gears of Ethan’s mind came to an abrupt halt, now that he recalled what had transpired in his subconscious.
Mentally, Ethan sent an apology to Arceus for forgetting their enchanting meeting so soon after its conclusion. His universe was not his God, but it was Silver, after all.
“Oh right, I forgot to tell you!” Ethan gushed, tapping Silver’s shoulders with way too much enthusiasm to get his attention once more. Only when Silver had supported his chin back on his chest again did Ethan tease the news. “You won’t guess who I met earlier!”
Silver blinked twice, and Ethan could see the jarring effect of his sentence, triggering his lover’s mind to shut down and reboot in one sitting.
“Oh no. Did you hit your head when you fainted? Should I call the doctors now?” was Silver’s conclusion, the tell-tale hints of a frown pulling at his face. There was no hesitation when he extracted his arms from their cuddle pile, obviously aiming to get up and follow through with his suggestion. When Ethan’s arms only latched tighter around his waist, Silver hastily explained, “You were dead to the world for several minutes, Ethan! The only ones that were close to you were me and the paramedics, and even they left us alone once they made sure your vitals were stable. I’m going to call them now to get your head—”
“Just stop, Silver! I know! I know that because I saw you carrying me here, how carefully you laid me down on the bed, how you never let my hand go afterwards, and I also heard you calling my name, telling me to wake up!” This was the moment where Silver’s doubt faltered into confusion, as his reality and the truth were not aligned; no one should be able to recall what happened during their loss of consciousness with such ludicity, yet Ethan was the living proof of it. Ethan could only hope that revealing what came next would not break Silver any further than he already did today, because it was going to get wilder than just having an out-of-body experience from here on out. “Please bear with me now because I’m going to sound insane, but I promise that it’s the truth: I met Arceus when I blacked out. In its real realm. I was mentally invited there, Silver!”
Silver turned white as a sheet, then, mouth gaping and closing as his brain malfunctioned over what he just heard. There was a split-second hesitation that was swiftly hushed— and Ethan bet that their outlandish memories from Johto helped to bridge that impossible arch —before his lover eventually gulped in a shaky breath, clarifying, “So you’re saying that you were, what— spirited away to Arceus’ realm? For 10 whole minutes?”
“Yes!” Ethan exclaimed, nodding so hard that blurry stars began to dance in his vision. “Gosh, Silver, I could talk about our meeting for hours, everything in it was so mysterious! But Arceus specifically invited me not just to congratulate us on our win as rivals, but to also bless us as lovers. It said to me, word to word, ‘You have shown me a soul as unbending as silver, and your rival has shown me a heart as pure as gold. Stay together, and you will find the strength needed to weather through life.’ It’s still so mindblowing to me, Silver! We got blessed by Arceus as a couple! Do you think anyone else has ever had that honor bestowed upon them? Or are we the first in history?”
Coming from someone as composed as Silver, it was basically set in stone that he would not call for a toast with vending-machine lemonade or soda pop in the face of a win— that was what his smug grin served for the rest of the world, and what the quiet awe that overtook him in private moments meant for Ethan. He may have expected his boyfriend to at least be surprised, or to flush from ear to neck for the ninth time today, though.
But instead, Silver was paralyzed, limbs locked in place.
Ethan never knew that happiness could morph into dread with a snap of a finger.
Finally, after a painful beat, Silver seemed to return from the recess of his mind— the one where Ethan could not follow closely behind him, this time around. There was caution radiating from Silver in overwhelming amounts, grating against Ethan like the scratch of metal stool bars on porcelain floor from just how odd its presence was. Carefully, as if Ethan was a wounded Pokémon that he was afraid of startling, Silver cupped his face, tilting his jaw this way and that as he studied him. Then, when he seemed to find nothing wrong with his lover, Silver blurted out, “And you’re okay, after that? It didn’t hurt you, even though it… what’s the word— tinkered with your mind?”
It made so much sense, then, where Silver’s sudden apprehension came from— while Ethan had faced off a deified Pokémon that was known for its scathing judgement alone and survived their encounter, he, too, had been frozen by the haunting chill of fear in the first few seconds of meeting Arceus.
“Oh,” Ethan gasped, because with Silver’s emotions displayed in its raw entirety, he could also see that his abrupt concerns stemmed from a good place— that he was, ultimately, just scared for his boyfriend’s safety, knowing that Silver had been missing from Ethan’s side when it all went down, completely unaware of what had transpired. This was his pure heart’s sentiment, and of course Ethan was affected by it just like every other thing that Silver did for him. Tenderly, Ethan returned the gesture, palming Silver’s face as he explained, “I’m fine, really, so don’t worry. Arceus nearly gave me a heart attack when it first appeared, sure, but it was gentle and courteous with me the whole time. I was called up there because we were the first duo of Sync Pairs who just so happened to be lovers when we awakened our Arc Suits together. It said that it would be a disservice for our love to not bless it too, knowing that it was found within our rivalry. Can’t be mad at it for giving me a jumpscare when it has such a sweet intention, huh?”
This, naturally, should be the part where Silver agreed with Arceus’ wisdom, letting them move on from this topic and resume their cuddling session before the medics barged in to do their jobs. Ethan was raring to go, honestly; the lethal combination of a week-long physical exertion and an emotional rollercoaster ride after has him weary, drained down to the bones of any energy. Nothing could top taking the longest nap of his life with Silver covering him like a protective blanket against stormy nights, and Ethan was about to open his mouth and make that demand.
Silver’s face, however, burned into the darkest shade of red that Ethan has seen today, blinking rapidly in the way he often did when he was utterly gobsmacked, spluttering his next words like the realization was punched out of him. Then, out of everything that Silver could even say, Ethan did not expect this: “B-By blessing us, did you mean that Arceus… married us off? It b-blessed us like marriage officiates do?”
Ethan was starting to doubt, then, if Arceus had summoned the right person to talk with, because why on Earth did he not stop to think about what it meant, technically, for their love to be blessed by a God?
The surge of heat creeping from Ethan’s neck up to his forehead was getting dangerously hot, and maybe the lack of focus was why he was so tongue-tied, helpless in his own confusion.
“Oh, I— I didn’t think that far, really,” Ethan muttered, flushing harder at how ridiculous he sounded, now that he said it out loud, looking anywhere but at Silver as he did. They were simply teenagers who often lived in the moment, and marriage was, well… an area in life that they were blindly venturing into several years too soon. It petrified Ethan to know that, deep down, marriage has always been one of the milestones that he longed for whenever he thought of growing old with Silver— that has always been the standard for him, watching his loving parents as he grew up. The thought of spending the rest of their lives in a house together, one that afforded them privacy and peace, surrounded by sprawling nature for their Pokémon team to frolic in? It sounded like a dream to him.
What was more nerve-wracking for Ethan, however, was not knowing if Silver yearned for the same vision as him; how was he supposed to ask that, without potentially trapping his lover in a set of expectations for a future that was still far away? Or worse, without triggering a flashback of his awful parents and their toxic marriage?
Timidly, Ethan decided to settle with telling the truth. That has never failed him before, and as his gaze returned to Silver’s lilac irises, he desperately hoped again that his admission would not send his lover into a bigger shock. “I was just happy to hear what Arceus had to say about us. Would that be so bad, if Arceus meant its blessing in a marriage type of way? Because I, uhm— I don’t mind. I’d love to have that with you in our future, to tell you the truth.”
What about you? Remained unsaid, but it rippled like a drop of water on a lake’s tranquil surface, and like watching everything unfold in slow motion, Ethan could see the exact moment that Silver felt its lapping touch, the smallest gasp slipping from his lover’s lips. Pressed this close, Ethan could faintly sense Silver’s heartrate picking up as well, and even though nausea coiled in his stomach just at the thought of doing it, Ethan almost pulled his words back.
The longer the stifling silence went, the clearer it was that this interaction was shaping up to be a big mistake, after all. Ethan should have shifted their talk into a less crucial one, or left that discussion for their future selves, when Silver had not been conflicted about something prior, or not lacking decent rest after a match. Sure, Ethan was going to bleed now from either a potential rejection or having his earnest confession set aside, but… Silver was obviously faltering as he figured out where his own feelings lay, and after all that he went through today, Ethan should not have subjected his lover to further stress.
Of course, this was when Arceus decided to remind Ethan to trust in his bond with Silver a little more.
His boyfriend pulled away from their embrace, and the massive crack that was ready to split Ethan’s heart in two paused its job when Silver, instead, rose to kneel in between his hips, tapping Ethan’s legs as a silent gesture to move. Only when they were both sitting up, legs crossed and shins touching in the tight space of the bed, did Silver finally look up, the fear that dug its claws into Ethan’s shoulders loosening at the hope flickering in those wide, lilac irises.
Then, Silver raised one closed fist.
“So… to sum it up: our lives are perfect now, no?” Silver started, face scrunched in focus as he began to list off several points, each finger poking out from his closed fist to keep count. “We get to be ultimate rivals as of today, had the time of our lives in this battle, our partner Pokémon— who also happens to be the Legendary ones from our homes —are now stronger than ever, and—”
“We got blessed by Arceus as rivals and a couple at the end of it,” Ethan finished for him, a little lost about where Silver was going with this talk. His boyfriend’s eyebrows were still furrowed, considering something that was beyond Ethan’s comprehension until—
Until Silver looked at him and smiled, all gentle and loving like the way the sun greeted Ethan after heavy rain, lifting the shadows of despair that loomed over him.
“My life has been amazing ever since I met you, Ethan. I’m way past being a little in love with you too, at this point,” Silver confessed, the smile now blooming into a pleased grin, all-earnest and wearing his heart on his sleeve just for Ethan to witness. He, too, reached out and grasped for Ethan’s hand without needing to see, like Silver always knew how to find his way home. As if that surprise had not blown Ethan away, Silver topped it all off with the gentlest admission yet. “Why wouldn’t I want marriage for us too in the future, Ethan?”
Ethan sucked in a breath, then, because while some would argue that they were young, foolish, and immature to decide on such a crucial choice, Silver was anything but that when he settled for his dream; that he, too, wanted to spend each chapter of their lives intertwined together just like Etnan did, and make that official on pen and paper— possibly with matching wedding rings, too. Miraculously, Ethan’s got everything that he could possibly want in life all granted in a single day, and with Silver here by his side, his smile warm and his eyes sparkling with a joy that was caused by him…
This was starting to feel surreal to Ethan, and he could not help but mutter the soft, choked-up, “Really?” to an increasingly-amused Silver.
“I’m not saying this in the heat of the moment, if that’s what you’re asking,” Silver reassured him, squeezing their hands together as he did. Ethan was positive that this moment was far better than when he awakened his Arc Suit, or when he became the victor of their match— Silver loved him just as ardently as Ethan did for Silver, and that, perhaps, was not an experience that any battle could top. He was tearing up again, but this time, Silver was there to cup Ethan’s cheeks with his free hand, ready to catch him and dry his tears, if the warmth exploding within him like fireworks were too much to handle. “It’s… been on my mind, but I just never really said it to you because it seemed too soon to talk about it— we have all our whole lives ahead of us to decide on that. But I’ve always had this feeling that, well…”
“That you won’t find anyone better than me?” Ethan guessed, smiling for the first time in this talk when Silver’s jaw dropped, his heart flying to the moon along with the surprised ‘you think so too!’ look that crossed his boyfriend’s eyes. Oh, how they were made and meant for each other, Ethan blissfully thought. “Because that’s what I’ve always felt about you too, Silver— as a rival, friend, and lover. I don’t think anyone else who comes after could ever come close to you, and I don’t ever want anyone else to replace you, anyway.”
After a stunned silence, Silver let out a weak chuckle, fond and tender like the caress of warm sunshine on bare skin. He leaned close into their space and let their foreheads gently thunk, too, eyes slipping close just to exist in and enjoy the moment.
Ethan copied him instantly, relishing in how blessed his life was with each synched breath that he shared with his partner, to have someone love him as wholeheartedly as Silver did.
“You read my mind,” Silver uttered, closing the distance between them with a tender kiss. It was not the best kiss they had so far, naturally— Ethan saw it coming a mile away and he could have, hypothetically, at least swiped at his lips with the back of his hand to rid the dust and grime stuck there after he face-smacked onto the stadium floor —but after such a soul-stirring end to their day? Every fiber of his being could not wait, and that kiss ended up in their history book, for sure. A chaste, but sweet and loving kiss, the perfect touch of adoration that was the embodiment of their romance today. After they parted for air, Silver pulled back far enough to look into Ethan’s eyes again, eyes glinting with a hint of cheeky pride as he exclaimed, “It feels like I’ve been nudged to the right direction, now that Arceus had kindly given us its divine intervention. Not like what it says we should do matters much since I’m already committed to love you forever anyway, but it is a nice bonus, getting the seal of approval from a deified Pokémon, yeah?”
It was a testament of their bond that Silver did not need to say anything to get his point across, the enamored glint in his lilac irises conveying his heart’s elation for Ethan: I love you.
“Totally,” Ethan agreed, voice a little breathless, and he could see the exact moment that Silver could spot the I love you, too oozing out along with his bright, cheery grin. Then, with a teasing tone and his heart lighter than ever, he added, “Sounds like a celebration is in order for us, huh?”
The two shared a pause, considering the borderline-illegal idea with where they were currently stuck in, unable to stamp out the gleeful grins already twitching on the edge of their lips. Ethan, too, let Silver scan over his face and body one last time, sharp eyes examining possible injuries that might need to be tended, trusting that his lover could see how nothing else was wrong with his health, except for a dire need for a shower, a delicious meal, and 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep cuddled by Silver’s side.
“Okay then, you dork. Only if you’re not going to pass out on me again, Ethan,” Silver promised, and before Ethan could let out an ecstatic cheer, his lover swiftly planted his free palm onto his half-opened lips, stopping any possible paramedics outside from barging in if they heard his scream. Then, Silver let their laced hands go to fish for a Pokéball, eyes gleaming with a plan as his voice whispered, “Would we be banned from using the stadium again by Lear if we use Alakazam to transport us out of here?”
Naturally, Ethan did not hesitate to rival Silver’s mischievous streak, and one click on Alakazam’s Pokéball was all it took to escape from the confines of bare, white walls and sterile air that reeked of overly-sterile cleaning.
If the paramedics burst into the room a little too late and found it empty of their newest Arc Suit wielders, well…
Ethan and Silver were now safely snuggled in the former’s hotel room, freshly-showered and huddled close, soaking each other’s affection like they could never get enough of it. They, too, would soon disappear from the spotlight that sought to highlight their electrifying match, hiding in Pasio’s artificial nature to celebrate with good old camping on their own.