These characters are not mine, and neither is Pokemon in general. So please don't think I'm doing this for any reason beyond fun and entertainment purposes...

A sigh of contentment whispered gently on the night chilled breeze, as the boy lifted a hand and gestured towards the white stars that blinked down on him from on high. "Aren't they beautiful, Geru-chan?" Satoshi asked with a giggle, before dropping his hand to beside him.

Shigeru was quiet for a moment, gazing in calm reverie up at the night bright sky. Stars reflected back in stormy grey eyes, as he spoke. "Hai, they are Sato-chan..."

"You know something, Geru-chan..." Satoshi murmured, his tone hushed, conspiratorial.

Shigeru didn't look towards him, his gaze locked as it was on the sky above. "What is it, Sato-chan?"

"I'm glad I was allowed to spend the night, Geru-chan. You're house is so much funner than mine is..."

Shigeru laughed softly, twisting, pushing up on one elbow to look down at the other boy. Dim light from his bedroom window cast itself out across them, where they lay on the roof. It was a place easy to reach from his bedroom. All you had to do was climb out...

And here they were, lying on the rough surface.

"Funner isn't a word, Sato-chan."

Satoshi pouted. "Is too."

Shigeru rolled his eyes and looked back up at the stars. "Whatever you say, Sato-chan. Whatever you say..."

"You always say that." Satoshi pouted again.

"But I mean it, Sato-chan."

Satoshi smiled, and looked back to the stars that glistened in silver so far above. "Really?"

"Hai, Sato-chan. I mean it..."

Silence fell over the roof, and then Satoshi spoke, softly, yet sincerity shining with the simple phrase that he spoke. "Thank you, Shigeru."

Shigeru smiled and closed his eyes. "You're welcome, Satoshi."

Satoshi propped his arms behind himself, pushing up so he could be that closer to the stars. "Do you ever wonder what it's like to be a star, Geru-chan? Bright and shining?"

"Not really, Sato-chan." He spoke up, eyes still closed. "I'll leave such things to you, Sato-chan..."

"But Geru-chan..." Satoshi looked down at him, a pout forming on his young lips. If only Shigeru looked up at him...

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" Shigeru asked abruptly.

Satoshi blinked and looked to the stars. "A star, Geru-chan... I want to be remembered forever, for doing something that I'm good at... I want to be a Pokemon Master, Geru-chan... I really do..."

A smile flickered on thin childish lips. "Then you'll be one with me, Sato-chan."

"You too, Geru-chan?" Satoshi asked with a smile.

"Hai, Sato-chan, hai..."

"Ne, Geru-chan...?"

"Hai, Sato-chan?"

"Let's make a promise, Geru-chan. A promise to never give up... That until one of us makes it, neither of us can give up." The impassioned voice of his younger friend stole away Shigeru's breath, and the older boy sat so that he was on level with Satoshi.

"Do you mean it, Sato-chan?" He asked softly, and Satoshi nodded, sitting completely.

"Hai, Geru-chan. I mean it... As long as one of us wins, then we'd both be the winner, ne?" He smiled and held out his hand, waiting for the deal to be made.

"So is it a promise, Geru-chan?"

"What if I beat you, Sato-chan?" He asked with a stray grin slipping onto his lips.

"Who say's you'll beat *me*, Geru-chan! I'm going to be the best! But I want you to be there too..." His hand still waited, and finally, Shigeru gripped his hand.

"It's a promise, Sato-chan. It's a promise..."

Satoshi beamed and then broke the handclasp, only to throw his arms around Shigeru in a glomping embrace that knocked the other back onto the rough surface of the roof... Giggles and laughter blossomed from the roof, under the night sky and the stars...

He took a deep breath as he let his eyes fall closed, "I think you'll be all right... But Shigeru, what happened?" Satoshi opened his eyes, and Shigeru made a slight shrugging motion. It was an awkward motion, considering the fact he was being held. And... some part of him liked it...

He forced his mind away from the feel of his 'rivals' arms around him. "It was a Pokemon, Satoshi... only it was evil..."

Satoshi gawked at him, disbelief in his eyes. "But... that's not possible... Pokemon aren't evil..."

Shigeru's eyes closed again, for a moment, and then stormy orbs locked on Satoshi's own dark brown. "I wish it weren't so... But I know what I saw..." His eyes closed again, and a crease of pain flashed across his features.

"Shi...Shigeru..." Satoshi whispered. He felt like it was all falling apart... Falling apart like pieces of a puzzle that had been shoved off of table by wandering childish hands. It wasn't fair, and he hated the way it felt.

"Ne...?" Shigeru spoke up, his words calm and faint, airy and yet heavy at the same time. It was strange...

"Hai, Shigeru?" Satoshi asked in return, eager to help, to do anything that he could. The confusion which had plagued him since their last in-depth conversation haunted him more than and Ghost...

"Can you let me go?" Shigeru asked with a grin, light flashing in his eyes like the stars that would dance and twinkle above.

Satoshi blushed brighter than the hair of the one he held, and then helped him to a more sitting position only to let him go. Shigeru shook his head and ran a hand through his hair, a random motion. Something flickered deep in his eyes again, and then he sighed.

"Thank you." He said in a controlled voice. Tempered by... a tone that was truly grateful.

Satoshi just shrugged. Shigeru was being as confusing as... It was giving him a headache. He spoke, hiding his confusion under an exterior that was rough. And there was a hint of regret in his voice as well... that could not be explained. "It was nothin'..."

Silence fell and reigned supreme. Until... "Okay, Shigeru..." The small bit of paradise was broken as Kasumi and Takeshi came close to the two. "Can you tell us what-?"

And then Kasumi's voice was broken and shattered as lights flashed on in the gym, illuminating all as a new voice cried out, "Nandakanda to kikare tara!"

"Kota ete ageru ga yo no nasake!"

"Sekai no hakai o fusegutame!"

"Sekai no heiwa o mamorutame!"

"Ai to shinjitsu no aku o tsuranuku!"

"Raburii chaamii na kataki yaku!"

"Musashi!"

"Kojiro!"

The names had not been called out by their owners, however. Takeshi and Kasumi had interrupted them. The two members of Roketto Dan glared towards the larger group. "How dare you interrupt us!" Musashi snapped at them with venom in her voice.

Takeshi sighed and shook his head, and spoke in an evenhanded tone. "But it's always the same." That was the truth. Normally, that is...

For Musashi grinned a wicked grin as she spoke again, her tone haughty and more supreme than the most regal Pershian. "Oh, but not today, jari-tachi! You see, we got a promotion!" She giggled impetuously.

Kojiro mirrored the sound, giggling as well. Joy etched its way onto their features. Pure and simple... "We're the new Gym Leaders of the Tokiwa Gym!"

As if to show proof, Musashi held out something that glinted green... The Greenbadge! "What the?!" Satoshi gasped.

"You mean Roketto Dan controls this Gym..." Kasumi murmured. It had to be true. They were to incompetent to control the Gym any other way...

"That's not possible..." Satoshi murmured, his voice heavy with disbelief. It curled around him and coiled like a snake, not wanting him to be able to be free... But Shigeru... Shigeru knew it was... It started to make sense. That Pokemon... And now this turn of events... It was beginning to make sense. It really was...

And then Satoshi stood completely, as did Shigeru. Satoshi took a step forward, determination written clearly on his youthful features. "Well then, if you're the Gym Leaders, I challenge you to a battle!"

Musashi smirked and waved a hand dismissively at his display of bravery. His facade was wavering due to her uncaring attitude... "So be it, jari-boi..."

Satoshi growled low in the back of his throat, forcing the fear away. They seemed too assured of themselves today... But he could do it... "I'll make you pay!" But still... he had been shaken to the core. Roketto Dan... controlled this Gym... Deeper thought was cut off as Musashi spoke up.

"Here, for your challenge..." A green tower was rising from the tan surface of the floor. Satoshi eyed it with an uneasy glance. Shigeru stepped to him and took his shoulder in a firm grasp before Satoshi could move forwards at all.

"Don't do it, Satoshi. It's not worth it." He said simply... Satoshi blinked and looked up into Shigeru's eyes. And then, he picked up Shigeru's hand and smiled.

"I'll be fine. It's just Roketto Dan..." He left Shigeru standing there, speechless.

And thus Satoshi climbed the tower, and the battle began. Only... one Pokemon fell, and then the next, and then... Satoshi was down to one. Each blow to his Pokemon was pain that he himself felt. And Shigeru, his sworn rival, could take it no longer. "Satoshi stop it!" he cried. Satoshi pushed himself to his feet from where he knelt, pain etched onto his features.

"No, I can do it..." He told himself. He called his last Pokemon... And Shigeru watched, amazed, as Satoshi turned all of the tables around. And then, with Pikachuu, he stopped them all...

He was shocked.

Satoshi had done it...

The black haired youth was congratulating his Pokemon, and Shigeru's attention was drawn to something on the other side of the Gym. Musashi was berating Kojiro, yes, but...

The talking Nyasu held something of interest. "You'll enjoy our secret weapon..."

He acted before thinking, throwing himself at the Pokemon and knocking the device from its grasp. All he knew, as he struck his head and darkness washed over him, was that he hoped that that hadn't been as stupid as it felt, that he actually had saved Satoshi's life...

And then, darkness fell.

He woke with a pounding headache. Slowly, Shigeru opened his eyes, and winced as bright white sunlight burned into eyes. He'd been out for a while, it seemed. He... He was lying on a bench... "Are you all right, Shigeru?" Satoshi asked softly from where he sat nearby. Shigeru forced himself to a sitting position, shock on his features as his vision focused on Satoshi.

"What happened?" Shigeru asked softly, his vision swimming as unconsciousness attempted to claim his as its victim yet another time. He felt sick to his stomach now... no, that passed quickly.

Satoshi looked to the right, his gaze resting on the ruins of... "The Gym got blown up..." He said simply, and Shigeru understood without another question. On that subject, at least.

"Where are your friends?" Shigeru asked softly. Satoshi waved in the direction to where they were. In the distance stood Kasumi and Takeshi, with Togepi and Pikachuu. They were speaking with Officer Junsa... The ones that could speak, of course.

"There... ne, Shigeru, how do you feel?" Satoshi asked, his words sincere. It was that sincerity that urged Shigeru to speak the truth in return.

"I have a headache..." He said softly, his voice trembling for a moment. He clutched onto his sanity as he spoke on. "but I'm all right..." And then Shigeru sighed in relief, his tone shifting completely. "You're all right..."

Satoshi looked to him, blinking. He hadn't expected that at all. He didn't even know what he should possibly say in answer. And so he mumbled instead, "I... Yeah..."

Shigeru grinned softly. He knew that look... The flustered one that meant he had stolen the others ability to speak away. "That Nyasu had something planned. I had to help you..."

Satoshi merely nodded but did not ask why. He didn't know how... Instead, he looked to his shoes. Shigeru looked to the ground as well, and tried to think of something to say. Nothing came to mind... He sighed and forced himself to stand. "Sato-chan, you won..." He murmured and then he turned and began to walk away.

Satoshi looked up in surprise, and then sprinted after Shigeru, grabbing his arm and making him stop. "What do you mean?!" Satoshi demanded in a voice that was barely controlled. Tremors of emotion ran through it, over and over, and then struck him again.

Shigeru looked back and smiled enigmatically, more mysterious than anything Satoshi had seen before. His blue-grey eyes shadowed over as he spoke again, spoke simply, spoke... "You win. I quit. You're a better trainer than I am, Satoshi..."

He did not expect the reaction that he found before him. Satoshi's eyes watered and tears formed before they began to trickle down the ebon-haired trainers pale cheeks. "You can't!"

Shigeru was taken aback and tried to find something to say. He settled for Satoshi's name because it was the only word that willed itself to form for him. And, at that, if would work for what he needed to relay... Confusion. "Satoshi..."

"You can't..." He repeated, softer this time. Shigeru glared at him, intense and bitter. Why? He asked without actually asking. But the look in his eyes was not enough. And so, he forced his thoughts to speech and spoke aloud.

"And why can't I?!" He demanded. Satoshi looked up at him again, and this time began to cry anew for his friend turned rival, turned... Shigeru... He spoke, softly, but he did. His dark brown eyes wavered and then focused on Shigeru.

"Because you promised me, Geru-chan..."

At those words, Shigeru felt his heart beating rapidly out of rhythm in his chest; he couldn't explain it at all... Not at all. It was the strangest feeling he had ever felt, and it was smothering him, forcing him to react...

Because he knew what Satoshi was speaking of. And suddenly realized that maybe that friendship that had been destroyed, was more important now that either of them could ever imagine... He swallowed the emotion that choked him and kept him from speaking, to talk again...

"Do you really mean that, Satoshi?" he asked weakly. He was desperately trying to hold onto it all. Because he felt like he was going to fall and fall forever... Satoshi's reply would make him or break him. Satoshi nodded. And in that moment, no words were needed.

"Whatever you say, Sato-chan. Whatever you say..."

At those words, Satoshi's resolve shattered like crystal and he latched onto his rival turned friend and cried against his shoulder. Kasumi and Takeshi, free from Junsa, watched on as the rivalry was pushed aside with nothing more than those simple uttered words...

Shigeru breathed in deeply, inhaling the scent of Satoshi's shampoo. "Do you think we can do this?" he asked softly, still holding the other close. Satoshi nodded against his shoulder, his tears muffled against the cloth of Shigeru's sweater.

"I know we can, Geru-chan. We... can have it all. We can have our dreams. And we can have each other. If we don't... then nothing is worth it. We... Shigeru..." He looked up and their eyes met. "It's all or nothing..."

Shigeru nodded and was silent for a moment, yet then he spoke, and nothing else needed to pass between them. "Whatever you say, Sato-chan. Whatever you say..." he said again and Satoshi smiled. It was not long until Shigeru smiled as well... Despite the fact that they were in plain site of more than two pairs of watching eyes, they embraced and tried to forget the feel of rivalry which had been all that had existed for so very long...

And tried to hold onto the renewed feelings of friendship.

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