Chapter 9: Getting to Know You

I woke up pretty early heading out from the Pokemon Center as quickly as I could. I had my hands in my pockets as I walked toward Olivine Gym noticing there was a big crowd. I sighed pushing through the crowd to the front to see what was going on. I found my answer on a big sign over the door about the Gym Leader Has Returned. I smirked going over pushing the door open heading inside hearing a battle going on. I walked over looking toward the far wall where Lyra and a girl, I was guessing the gym leader, were in the mist of a battle. I was amazed at the skill Lyra displayed with her Vulpix and Marill against the gym leaders Magnemites and Steelix. I smiled as Lyra defeated Steelix finally with Marill's Surf. I leaned against the wall watching as Lyra received her badge and TM from the gym leader. I looked down hoping Lyra wouldn't notice me.

I glanced up hearing the girl calling out to me, "Oh you must be my next challenger."

I looked up as Lyra turned around noticing a quick frown appear on her face then a smile as she ran up to me happily saying, "Morning, Silv. You came to get this badge too? Why don't I wait for you so we can go to Mahogany together?"

"You know him, Lyra?" the girl asked coming up as well putting her pokeballs in the healing machine that the gym had.

"Oh yes, Jasmine," Lyra said motioning to me much to my annoyance, "This is Silver. Be warn, he is a big jerk most of the time but I know his heart is in the right place."

I glared at her flicking her ear saying, "You have no right to say that, girly."

"Hey," Lyra said frowning as I flicked her ear reaching up rubbing her ear lightly, "Don't flick my ear."

"And if I don't, girly?" I asked looking at her, "I just came here to earn my badge like I wanted to earn yesterday morning. I didn't think you would beat me here or that I would run into you, pigtails."

Jasmine looked at us coming over with a frown saying, "I'm sorry I wasn't available to battle yesterday but I had to help the light house pokemon also Lyra here stayed at the gym last night. I wanted to thank her for all her help of going to Cianwood to get the medicine for me so I offered her the chance to be my first match this morning and to ensure that I allowed her to stay here."

"So I didn't beat you here, Silv," Lyra said with a smile sticking her tongue out at me.

I pinched her tongue ignoring the spark I felt when I did saying, "Don't stick your tongue out at me."

I then let go walking to Jasmine asking, "I call the next battle, do you agree leader?"

Jasmine nodded saying, "Alright, I agree. Let's go to the battlefield."

I watched as she went and got her pokemon before I headed toward the battlefield that Lyra and Jasmine had been fighting at earlier. I could swear I heard Lyra calling out good luck after me. Like I ever needed luck in any battle, especially luck from her.

The battle began, I called out my Quilava to face her Magnemites. The cinch using Flame Wheel to knock both of them out. Steelix though was a different story, while Quilava was weak against to it's Rock Throw yet Quilava still had the type advantage. I used smokescreen to lower it's accuracy with Rock Throw before calling out, "Quick Attack into a Flame Wheel, Quilava."

I watched as Quilava ran across the room in blur before rolling into a ball flame encircling him around it as it hit Steelix hard knocking it out. With that I had won my 6th gym battle.

"Impressive, Silver," Jasmine said coming over offering me the badge and TM, "Here take this badge and TM. The TM is Iron Tail, I hope you find it helpful."

"Yeah yeah," I said taking the badge and TM turning around feeling someone run into me and hug me.

"Yay yay, you won Silv. Congrats," Lyra said pulling away after hugging me a small pink blush appearing on her face as she scratched the back of her head.

"What the hell, girl? Why did you just hug me?" I asked my heart beating rapidly in my chest from the fact I just had Lyra hug me. I tried hard to keep my cool my mind racing though.

Lyra blushed looking down as Jasmine giggled behind me calling out, "I'll leave you two alone while I go outside and greet that crowd."

I watched as she walked by us outside the gym into the crowd. I turned to face Lyra again asking, "Are you going to answer me, pigtails?"

"Uh... well I..." Lyra said blushing a deep red by now avoiding eye contact with me, "I kind of did it without realizing it, I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry, Silv, if you didn't like it."

"Of course I didn't, idiot," I lied looking at her knowing I liked the hug a little to much the smell of strawberries and cherries still swimming around my senses.

I saw a sad frown flash on her face before she smiled but it was different then her normal smile. It seemed sad still about how I responded to the hug. Why in the world did she care? Or better yet why did I care that she was sad about it?

Lyra nodded letting out a small half hearten laugh saying, "Of course not..." she looked up at me with the best smile I think should could do at the moment but it still didn't seem real, "Why don't we go to Mahogany Town together now?"

I looked at her knowing she wouldn't take a no for an answer and the fact that I couldn't find myself saying no asking, "Your not going to let me say no are you?"

"Nope," she said coming over grabbing my wrist dragging me from the gym. I didn't even try to fight her ignoring the tingles that her touch sent through my body.

"Bye Jasmine," Lyra said waving at the gym leader before dragging me through the crowd and out of town.

Lyra kept hold of my wrist as we walked back up toward Ecuteak City before we would head through Mt. Mortar.

I glare over at her as we walked asking, "Why in the world are you still holding onto me, girly? I'm not going to run off, smart one."

"You promise?" Lyra asked looking over at me as we walked it probably looked like she was holding my hand and I could swear I heard her Bayleef chuckling behind us.

I rolled my eyes asking, "You do realize we probably look like we are holding hands, right pigtails?"

She blushed a deep red letting go looking away saying, "No I hadn't realized that..."

I shook my head slapping her in the back of the head lightly saying, "Idiot."

She frowned rubbing the back of her head blushing still saying, "I'm not an idiot, Silv."

"Whatever you say, pigtails," I say looking at her as we walked down the route toward Ecuteak noticing she was shivering a bit growing concern for whatever reason, "Are you cold, girly?"

"A bit, I'll stop by the pokemon center in Ecuteak and get my mom to send me a jacket," Lyra said rubbing her arms, "It's just getting autumn so it's understandable..."

I sighed unzipping my jacket taking it off giving it to her saying, "Here, I don't want to have to stop so you can wait until we get to Mahogany, pigtails."

She was blushed taking it slipping it on it was longer this her shirt almost down to the bottom of her white shorts. The arms on the jacket were past the tips of her fingers.

She stared at me in my jeans and black t-shirt. I looked at her asking, "What is it girly?"

"Uh nothing," she said looking down as she zipped up the jacket which looked like a mini-dress on her. I had to admit it was kind of cute. Wait what did I just say? I didn't just think Lyra was cute.

"Thanks, Silv," she said blushing as she looked over at me before we continued walking insilence.

I had my hands in my pocket as we walked into Ecuteak toward the other exit of the city. This was setting up to be an interesting journey to Mahogany.