The Magnet train, it goes from Goldenrod to Saffron City with almost no stops in between. Given the frequency Silver rides the train they should just make him the poster boy.

"Come ride the Magnet Train and see this grumpy red-head!"

Flawless add campaign.

Silver actually rode the train so much because he lives in Johto, but works with Blue, who lives in Kanto. Flying between Kanto and Johto gets hard so he just bought a pass for the train. So now he can waste time in a giant metal can surrounded by strangers...

"Silver? Hi!" A voice called his name and Silver whipped his head around.

"Crystal, um good to see you, how are you?" he greeted her, kinda awkwardly because she went in for a quick hug and he was scared of falling over if the train lurched.

"I'm fine, how are you?" Crystal asked happily, regaining her composure, she held onto a metal pole for balance.

"Fine fine..." he responded nodding absentmindedly. It had been far to long since he had seen her, maybe a week or two? They had just been so busy lately. He looked at her again and noticed she was dressed... nicer than usual. She had on a dress and strapped sandals and a cute hair clip. "Are you going somewhere important?" Silver asked.

"Oh, because of this?" She said, a little surprised, when she noticed he was asking about her attire. Silver half expected her to burst into tears, like the last time she thought he noticed her outfit. But instead Crystal blushed, "actually yeah, I'm on my way to a date."

A date? Well Crystal was pretty and young, it made sense. But... he never really saw her in that scene. And something about Crystal going on dates made his stomach tighten in a very unpleasant way.

"Who are you going on this date with?" Silver managed to ask.

"I'm not entirely sure yet, it's supposed to be a blind date."

oh of course. Blue must have set it up, she must have. "Who set it up?"

"Gold, actually. I'm not really that into this kinda stuff, but he said it might be fun to take my mind off work for a bit."

Oh.

"Um-" Crystal tried to keep the conversation going, "what are you doing, heading to Kanto?"

"I'm meeting Blue at some restaurant called 'Casa de Comida', Yellow suggested it and she just wants to talk and stuff," Silver shrugged.

"Really? That's where I'm going!" Crystal exclaimed, "we should walk there together, its not that far from the train."

He nodded; Silver couldn't explain why, but he really liked that idea. Maybe he just wanted to spend more time with his friend, or check out who Gold set her up with? Yeah that's probably it.

They walked and talked until they reached the restaurant. It was far fancier than Silver had expected, and Crystal waved goodbye when she headed to her reserved table. She got there before her date. Rats.

Then he got a text from Blue: "meet me outside the restaurant, I wanna go somewhere else instead :)"

Double rats.

Silver headed outside, not seeing Crystal's date, and headed off with Blue.

He had a good time, Silver always liked being with Blue. But he couldn't quite settle the weird feeling in his stomach.

After his dinner he went back to the train. It would take longer, but he stopped by the first restaurant anyway. He even slowed down and eventually stopped to look around in front. He was so lame, did he just want to see Crystal again? He could always call her and the likelihood that she would still be there...

"Crystal!" He felt his face brighten when he saw her walking, she paused and smiled at him. Silver took that as an invitation to go over and walk with her.

"Hey Silver, if you ever see me dressed nice again, remind me how much heels hurt." She held up her shoes in her hand to show him the cursed things that made her feet ache.

"Here, let me," Silver took the shoes from her and she thanked him. "So how did your date go?"

"Fine," she sighed.

"Will there be a second?"

"I don't think so," she said solemnly.

"Why not?"

Crystal giggled at his question, like it suddenly made her realize the punchline of a hilarious joke. "I probably shouldn't have expect one of Gold's friends to really be my type of guy, it was like hanging out with Gold, but Gold's one of my best friends so I like him better."

Silver smiled and laughed with her, "sometimes I just forget Gold has any friends outside of us."

"Apparently he had friends who he grew up with in New Bark Town, besides pokemon. And now we know he wasn't lying." She smiled and Silver felt something inside him click.

"So you obviously don't like Gold in any romantic way," Crystal nodded, "so what 'type of guy' are you looking for?" Silver asked.

"Hmm," Crystal brought a hand to her chin in thought. "Someone... calm. Once you've saved the world once or twice you get kinda tired of chaos. And, I don't know, I feel like I'm too young to be looking for a husband, but I'm just not interested in dating for fun. i want to get married eventually and I don't see any point of dating if marriage isn't the end goal."

"20 is usually pretty young to get married, but I'm sure when you meet the right guy you'll want to spend time dating and getting to know each other and that should add a few years," Silver suggested. Crystal laughed again and they buzzed train passes to enter and the station and wait for the train there. A train comes about every five minutes so it shouldn't be that long.

"Enough about me, how was you're dinner with Blue?" Crystal asked.

Silver shrugged, "it was fine."

"What did you guys talk about?"

"Just work and stuff."

"Right," Crystal remembered, "you two work together. What exactly do you do?"

Silver smiled and shrugged again, "stuff."

"And does anyone else know what you do?"

"Blue."

Crystal rolled her eyes but it didn't wipe the grin off her face, "and she's probably not going to tell me either.

"Nah."

"Well as long as its legal," she smirked at him.

"I can't make any promises," Silver responded and Crystal threw her head back laughing. Silver decided she had a fantastic laugh, he could listen to it forever.

They spent the rest of the train ride together, they were able to find seats and sit together. But they didn't talk much, just sitting together. At one point the probably tired Crystal rested her head on Silver's should and his heart rate jumped so fast he could have had a heart attack.

They got off the train together in Goldenrod and Silver noticed how dark the sky. "It's pretty late."

"Yup."

"Do you- um- want me to fly you home? On honchcrow- just so you um- don't get lonely or something?" Silver asked nervously. Was it weird to ask if he could basically walk her home?

"Yes please," Crystal nodded, much more enthusiastically than Silver had expected. "I actually didn't think about how late it would be so I didn't bring Xatee because Violet City isn't a very far walk."

Silver just nodded and let out honchcrow. Crystal got on its back and Silver hung onto the foot. He felt kind of embarrassed by flying so weirdly but it's not like he could ever get on honchcrow's back with Crystal.

Like Crystal said it wasn't very far, so flying only took a few minutes. They arrived at her house and Crystal unlocked her door and opened it a crack.

"It was nice seeing you," Silver said, Crystal's head whipped around. "Um- bye." She looked disappointed, but maybe Silver just couldn't read her very well.

"Wait Silver!" Crystal grabbed his sleeve and he turned around. She looked nervous and uncertain and paused before finally saying, "bye."

For a moment they just stood there. Crystal awkwardly still holding his sleeve while they looked at each other. Ok Silver now is perfect, just say it.

"Um Crystal..." he started.

"Yes?"

"While I um- I think I-..." he felt the words rise up in his throat, choking him. He wanted to say it, say that he liked her, but the words refused to form I his mouth.

"Silver," he came back to reality when Crystal started speaking. "I hate to interrupt you, but," she got closer. Even closer. And in a flash of blue hair and and raspberry flavored lipgloss, she kissed him on the cheek. A fast, chaste peck, but a kiss none the less. And as if reading Silver's mind, she said exactly what he couldn't, "I really like you, next time maybe lets go out together."

Silver froze, still in shock. He wasn't sure if he could manage words at this point but he had to respond so he nodded as fast and hard as he could. It kinda hurt his neck.

"Ok, keep in touch! Bye!" And just like that she disappeared into her house.

Silver turned back and took of with honchcrow. He put his hand to the cheek she kissed and kept it there, almost out of disbelief.

Would it be cheesy to never wash this cheek again?