Author's Note: Due to the fact my first poll ended in a tie, you'll be getting both a SoulSilver fic and a Conflict one-shot! Lucky you, eh? Well, this one is based off an idea that I had a while back. I couldn't help but think how hard it must be to be one of the hundreds of NPCs in Pokémon, standing around all day and just repeating yourself. So, I decided to make the main character Lyra be self-aware and realize the difference between them! So, this is going to be a bit different, but I hope you enjoy it!

Full Story Summary:

"He can't hear, see or feel you, Lyra. Silver is simply a NPC, just as the rest of them are. You're wasting your time with that boy. He'll never be able to respond to your feelings." He gave me a tight frown as I shook my head. "I know, but I can still try." (SoulSilver) Rated: T Genre: Drama/Romance

Stubborn. That's always been a quality I've been known for. I'm always digging my feet in the dirt with a frown, unwilling to come to a compromise or to give in. I wouldn't say I'm as stubborn as Clair—I've never gone and rejected a loss, but I've never actually lost before, either—but I'm pretty hard-headed.

That only seems to reason how I'd find myself in this situation.

You see, there are two kinds of people in my world; those that are considered free-willed and moving and those that follow their program and stay rooted in place. In your terms, this would most likely be described as Playable and Non-Playable Characters, or NPC for short on that last one there. I'm one of the lucky few who are free to think, feel and do anything they feel like, whether it be yelling some love song at the top of my lungs or to think that my boss Lance is a total jerkface.

...Not that I actually partake in those two activities.

Anyways, Playable Characters are very few in this world, and therefore run most of the world's highest positions such as the Elite Four and the Champion position. I happen to be the newest Champion, with Lance the Dragon Master as my predecessor, boss and overall guide for the life of a Champion. My name is Lyra Soul, and I have done the unthinkable.

I have fallen in love with a Non-Playable Character.

I know what you're thinking, 'what's the big deal in that'? Well, a NPC can't do anything besides what they are programmed to do. They can't think, they can't see you and they certainly can't feel anything. At least, that's what Lance keeps telling me. It would certainly explain why those people stand in the same place all day, saying the exact same thing over and over again.

NPCs can't feel any emotions, they can't speak to you besides what they are programmed to say. They cannot react to anything in their world, nor can they process anything around them. They just stand there and wait around. The only thing they can manage is to blink.

Therefore, my attraction to a certain redheaded NPC is very ridiculous and destined to end in heartache, right? Well, I'm still trying.

And that exact reason, ladies and gentlemen, is how I have found myself in this situation before me.

"Lyra Soul, this has to stop before you end up getting hurt." The tall Dragon Master has yet again pulled me aside in the Pokémon League's lobby to lecture me, the two of us standing in the middle of the room as the eternal residents of the main floor stand idly by. His hand is on my shoulder as he stares into my eyes, pleading for me to listen to him. "He'll never break out of his code."

I slowly narrow my eyes and stand taller, unable to stand that flame in his grey eyes. "You did, Lance. You broke your code."

It was true; Lance used to be a member of the Elite Four, unable to have a single thought or to move a muscle. He just stood in his room and waited for a challenger. When a certain brunette boy—now the Viridian City's Gym Leader—came in and challenged him, Lance started to feel something stir inside of his mind. In the middle of their battle, Lance felt something snap inside him. He fell to his knees as the boy watched on, unable to comprehend the miracle that he had triggered. Lance then rose to his feet with a new life, the life of a Playable Character.

Lance just sighed and shook his head sadly once again, sweeping his spiky red hair along with his movements. "I understand that, Lyra. But, you can't expect that boy to do the same. My awakening was a stroke of luck and a moment of pure will to move. That boy doesn't even desire a life beyond his programming."

"You don't know that." I find my quiet voice carrying a hint of anger at his insult, even though it was directed towards someone other than myself. "You don't know what he thinks. Maybe he does want something else. You're not him."

"Lyra Soul," My name comes out as a harsh breath, the man now growing impatient with me as he tightens his grip on my right shoulder. "He can't hear, see or feel you, Lyra. Silver is simply a NPC, just as the rest of them are. You're wasting your time with that boy. He'll never be able to respond to your feelings." He then gave me a tight frown as I shook my head with a rebellious smile.

"I know, but I can still try."

And with that, I tossed his hand off my shoulder and slipped away, heading straight for the boy who I knew would listen to me.

He always does.