Chapter 37

Steven was by my side. "We should get your pokemon healed. We need to get back on the path." He met eyes with Flannery. She blushed under his gaze. "Keep training. You'll need to beat a few trainers if you hope to keep this position."

"R-right, s-sir!"

"Don't call me sir. I'm not a sergeant." She blushed even harder. "Call me Steven. It's better to keep it that way."

"R-right," she whispered, "Steven."

"Don't get any ideas," I whispered. "You lost, girl. Keep your word." She glared at me, ready to protest, but Steven grabbed my hand and pulled me away. I returned Sinbad to his pokeball before he dragged me to the pokemon center.

"You have an unusual knack for wanting to get in trouble," he whispered. "You need to stop before you actually get hurt next time." I snorted.

"I can take on anything," I retorted. He stepped closer.

"You think you can, but you can't." He paused. "Let me help you next time, alright? You need to stop taking the burden of everything on yourself. I'm here for you." I blushed. "Can you do that for me? Stop taking everything on yourself?"

"Y-yeah." He smiled and kissed the top of my head. A camera snapped a picture right then and there. Steven and I froze in our spots.

"Mr. Champion, can I get a shot of you and your girlfriend?" someone called. The two of us looked towards where the voices had come from. Another picture was snapped, blinding me. As soon as my vision cleared, I saw that a news reporter and a cameraman were taping us. The reporter leaned forward to get a better look at me. "My, what unusual hair! Is it dyed all those different shades?"

"N-no," I replied. "I was born with it." The cameraman snapped another picture of me. I held up my hand, blinking.

"Stop, Ty, you're blinding her," the reporter scolded lightly.

"Oh, right." He hit a button on the side of his device. "Do you think you two could look all cuddly for a second? We want to make the tomorrow's front page."

"U-u-um." I stammered. "I don't think we really want to-" Steven grabbed a hold of me, hands on my waist, and looked towards the camera. He nudged me slightly to do the same. I forced myself to stop blushing, faced the camera, and smiled. He snapped a picture without the flash on. Then he moved his hand in the air, gesturing for us to change it up. I froze, unsure of what to do. Steven did it for me and lifted my chin to him, urging me to look him right in the eyes. When they had snapped the picture, he leaned forward and kissed me. I melted into him and kissed back, almost oblivious to the various snips of the camera that were being taken.

"Ok, we're doing good!" Ty put his camera on record and began adjusting some knobs. "We're live in five!" The reporter held a mic to my face, waited a short while, then began speaking in a loud voice.

"Hello, I'm Gabby with Hoenn News. Can I get your name?"

"Um, Mew." A crowd started gathering around us again.

"So it's true what everyone is saying? Is it true you're dating the champion?" I looked to Steven. He smiled and nodded slightly, moving his hand from my waist to my shoulder. I was extremely camera shy all of a sudden, but now I could speak without freaking out.

"Yes. Yes, I am." Gabby nodded.

"Are you also competing in the Hoenn League?" In response, I showed her the four badges I had already earned. Ty zoomed in on them slightly before focusing back on me. "Then one day you will have to face Steven in battle. Are you going to be ok with that?" I took a moment to think.

"I'll be just fine with it. I hope to one day become just as strong as he is." Steven chuckled, as if my challenge was a joke. I glared at him. He just smiled at me. Ty snapped a picture mid-tape.

"Are you planning on challenging the Petalburg Gym next?" I froze, hoping I had heard her wrong. "Don't freeze up, honey, you're live!" My mouth couldn't have felt drier.

"Yes," I said, able to maintain my calm for the time being. "We're heading there next."

From a TV set next to the kitchen table in LittleRoot Town, Norman dropped his glass. His face was white as a ghost, his eyes and mouth wider than they'd ever been. My mom dabbed at her forehead with a napkin, already worried about he was going to do about the sudden predicament. He was frozen stiff, tea pouring from his mouth and all over the table. When the screen turned back to Gabby, he fell out of his chair and onto the floor.

"Oh, dear," Mom whispered. "Who would have thought our daughter could make a man like Norman lose his cool?"

"You heard it here and you heard it first," Gabby said from the television. "Champion Steven now has a girlfriend: a pink-haired girl that goes by the name Mew! She's on the way to Petalburg, so if you're hoping for a good challenge, head on over! I know we will be there! Next time on Hoenn News!"

Mom clicked off the TV. She leaned down to Norman, who was just beginning to wake. She helped him to his feet, where he began brushing off droplets of water that had gathered on his coat.

"I had the weirdest dream," he said. Mom chuckled.

"Um, Norm, that wasn't a dream."

"You haven't even heard it yet," he protested, starting towards the door. "Just need some fresh air, is all." When he opened the door, Brendan's mom was preparing to knock. She saw and him smiled.

"Oh, Norm. You must have heard the news already." Norman twitched. "Who would have thought that Mew would make friends so quickly, let alone a boyfriend of the champion!" His face started paling. He began to feel faint all over again. "Are… are you ok?"

There was a long pause. Mom and Professor Birch, having heard the conversation, stepped up to him. The gym leader robotically wiped the drool from his maw and forced a smile. It came off more as a crazed grin rather than a friendly smile. Every stepped back slightly.

"Norman, I'm sure she's in control of everything," Birch coaxed softly. Norman shook his head.

"Oh, yes. I'm sure of that." He brought his fist down into his palm, hard. "But if she can't beat me, then she's out of the pokemon league." Mom tried to grab his shoulder. He let her do so, but the fire didn't fade from his eyes. "Ok, she won't be banned from the league, but she sure as hell won't get my blessing in their relationship!" Mom sighed.

"Oh, dear. It's happening." Brendan's mom looked at her oddly. She sighed. "I always feared the day Mew would bring a boyfriend home. And somehow, she managed to snag Norman's boss."

Norman Is Getting All Fired Up!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!

To Be Continued…