A/n I don't own Pokemon, or the world either. Just so you know.

He sighed. Other trainers' statements echoed in his mind. "It doesn't matter if you won. It doesn't matter if you think you're better," they'd sneer. "You're only the way you are because you cheated, lied, and stole. Your win is meaningless." He'd make himself cold to their insults, but it still stung inside. He didn't want to be soft. He didn't like feeling weak. But he couldn't help it . . .

"You are worthless," they'd continue after seeing him unaffected by their taunts,

"like garbage."

That was always the one that hurt the most. At that one, he'd always turn away, pained, and leave. He couldn't stand that people always treated him like some sort of soulless phantom. He had a heart. He'd tried to deny it, long ago, but now he couldn't. If he denied it, it would hurt all the more.

He had a name too, but he wouldn't let anyone know it. Anyone except for her. She knew his name. She was supposed to despise him, like the others. But she didn't.

He hadn't intended on having her know his name. He hadn't planned on running into her all the time (actually, it was probably the other way around). And he certainly hadn't expected her to enjoy his company.

"So, Silver, how are you doing today?" That was the first thing she'd said to him the last time he'd seen her. It had been six months ago.

He'd glared at her in annoyance. "You again?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! Now c'mon, answer my question."

"I was perfectly fine until you came over."

She giggled. Her laugh would get stuck in his head. It sounded like bells. He couldn't tell whether he liked it or not.

"I don't think so. I think you like it when I come to see you."

"I think you don't know what you're talking about."

"Silly Silver," she whispered lightly, looking deeply into his eyes.

Two conflicting emotions rushed through him: anger and . . . what was that other one? He couldn't tell. It felt a little like happiness, but somehow, even warmer. He decided not to give way to either of them and looked away from her.

"Stop that, Lyra. You know I don't like it when you call me that."

"Did it ever occur to you," she purred in amusement, "that I say it for that reason exactly?"

He reddened a bit. She made him feel so weird. He got slightly upset. She knew just what to say to embarrass him so well!

It drove him nuts.

"Why do you follow me incessantly?"

"Because I like being around you. I can't help it." She grinned.

He narrowed his eyes. "I don't like being around you." He tried to convince himself that the previous statement was true.

She averted her gaze. "I don't think you mean that."

Now, he felt compelled to believe it. Somehow, he felt that if he made her believe it, he'd believe it as well.

"Well I do," he growled. "Sometimes, I just get sick and tired of you following me. I wish you'd just leave me alone."

She frowned. "Stop it, Silver."

"What if it's true?" He made himself look her in the eyes and hoped he wouldn't lose himself as he attempted a stern, cold hostility. "What if I can't stand seeing you? Why won't you just leave me alone?"

He watched her tear up. It cut him to the core, seeing her like this. He just wanted to take her and embra- what was he thinking? He didn't like her! He didn't like being with her! And for the last time, it did NOT hurt him, saying this to her. It didn't hurt. It didn't hurt. It didn't hurt.

He wasn't as good at lying as he'd first thought.

He forced himself further along. "Just leave me alone. I don't want to see you anymore." He glared. She thought the glare was for her. The glare was for himself.

She cried and ran off. He felt truly miserable, but let himself drown in that feeling. It didn't matter, he said to himself. SHE didn't matter. Not to him. Let her run off to that annoying Ethan kid. He'd be better for her anyways.

He hadn't seen her in sixth months. He'd thought she would come back around to bug him again, and he figured he'd end up letting her. But no, she wasn't anywhere he went. Silver began looking for her. 'I'm not really looking for her so much as just revisiting the places I've been," he tried to convince himself. He couldn't.

He wished that she didn't mean anything to him. But she did.

He found himself in Olivine City, looking out over the sea. He saw litter congregating on the shore.

'Garbage, they said. That stuff is just like me.'

He started picking it up, for no reason but to do something, anything. His mind was torturing him. She deserved more than him. More than garbage. Ethan would be a good fit. Sure, he was painfully annoying to Silver, but Lyra had known him a long time. They'd be a good match.

The moon shone on the trash coming in on the waves. He sighed and gathered it up. A wind picked up and blew some of the sand into his eyes, and they glazed over in response to the particles' intrusion.

As the wind blew once more, it seemed to carry a haunting sound across it; a whispering whimper or something of the sort. At first, it seemed to be his imagination. But as he turned his attention towards the direction the noise was coming from, a silhouette was revealed to him.

It looked familiar. Too familiar. A whisper caught on his lips; "Lyra . . ."

She was crying as she looked out over the sea. The moonlight hit her face, illuminating her features in a glimmer of pale light. He was temporarily awed by her beauty. She looked so simple, so sad.

With a pang of guilt, he realized this was probably brought on by himself. It hurt him to come to that conclusion, but he knew it was the truth. It had to be him, unless it was that punk Ethan. And if it was, he was going to make him pay- wait a second. He didn't care, remember?

'It's silly to try and convince myself of that anymore. I've just gotta accept the truth: Lyra means a whole lot more to me than I want to admit . . .'

He wondered whether or not he should go over and talk to her. 'She won't want to see you,' he said to himself. 'You're garbage. Nothing. Worthless.'

Were those words simply echoes of all that others had said of him? Or worse, were they from his own mind? He couldn't tell.

He didn't have much time to think, though. She came to him. "Silver? I-Is that you?"

He looked over. Her tear-stained face pained him more than he thought it would.

"Silver . . . W-what are you doing here?" She paused. "Picking up . . . garbage?"

He sighed. "It's sort of complicated." She smiled a bit.

"I've missed you." Her eyes then took on a bitter look. "But I suppose you haven't felt the same way."

He took a deep breath. How was he supposed to tell her that she was one of the only things he'd thought about all this time?

"Lyra . . . Don't you get it?"

She was puzzled. "Get what?"

He sighed deeply. How could he tell her what he'd been fighting not to think of himself?

"That you're too good for me! Haven't you heard what people say about me? Worthless. Corrupt. A no-good thief. That's all I am, that's all I'll ever be! You're worth too much! I'm-" He narrowed his eyes. "-just like all this litter."

"Garbage."

Her eyes widened. "Y-you really believe all that?" He made his gaze meet hers. "Silver, you've reformed! Don't people know that you've returned all that you stole, plus extra? And that you took on the gym leaders fairly and won? Don't people know?"

"You're not worthless, Silver," she whispered. "Not to me. You and I, we've become pretty close, haven't we?"

He couldn't help it; he smiled a bit. "Yeah," His tone now matched hers. "I guess we have."

"And you're certainly not garbage." His deflected gaze expressed his disbelief at her conclusion. So to emphasize her point, she hugged him tightly, despite the litter still in his arms.

Silver's response was a shocked look that made her giggle when she looked up.

"W-what about the garbage?" She looked down.

"Oh, I don't mind," she said, a wide smile on her face.

"No, not that garbage . . ."

Ah, he was talking about his character flaws.

She winked at him playfully, arms still wrapped around him. "Eh, I'll get through all that."

He allowed himself a larger smile. She knew his name. She knew he had a heart. She was slowly making her way into it.

And he didn't mind.

A/n I was writing this and Cut Down while my power was out. XD I luff my laptop! ANYways, did you all like it? Review? :3 If you do, you'll make my day!

ALSO: I know that some people like pairing Silver with someone else (I, for one, am a Choosenshipper till I DIE), but this is strictly game-verse Soulsilvershipping. But now that I think about it . . . Silver and Leaf would be a good match too . . . ^_~

Finessefully,

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