Lolishotashipping. I can't help but laugh, but even though I guess it started as a crack shipping, I think it actually works. So let's write stuff about it~! \ ^o^ /

Thanks go to winterkitten for giving me the idea to start on a story about this shipping and stuff. ^.^

I'm still too lazy to put the accent thing in "Pokemon".

Rated T 'cause it's romance and stuff.

Disclaimer: I don't own Steven or Cynthia or Pokemon in general.

And so we go.

Magnet Pull

Etiquette

Magnets pull opposites

and perhaps they've come far.

But they may still be too much the same

with their "Please" and "Thank you"s

and their masks of ice.

But if you look closely, they're quite in sync.

Steven closed his eyes, took in a deep breath—allowing his shoulders to relax momentarily—before grasping his Skarmory by the feet and yanking as hard as he could.

The metal bird gave an angry screech of complaint and lashed out with his wings, the razor sharp steel feathers nearly decapitating his Trainer.

"Sorry, sorry," Steven sighed, giving up on his tugging and releasing Skarmory's talons as he stepped away. The bird gave him another baleful look before resuming furious Steel Wing attacks against the metal surface next to it. Besides him, Aggron let out a roar of frustration, as he struggled against the same large metal surface.

"Yeah I know," Steven said as he rubbed his forehead and shook his head ruefully. "Why don't you try another Solarbeam?"

A low petulant growl rumbled from Aggron's chest, but he obeyed, golden light collecting in shimmering oval specks around his fanged mouth.

"Now Metagross—,"

Steven's most trusted partner shifted slightly, looking up with impassive crimson eyes.

"Get ready. When their Magnet Rise wears off, you have to go for an Earthquake immediately."

A metallic grumble akin to the sounding of a gong in the far distance signaled Metagross's acknowledgement. The metal titan was in a rather uncomfortable-looking position of being strung upside-down, but it had not made nearly as much complaint as Skarmory and Aggron had.

It was embarrassing, really.

Half of Steven's team was stuck to the side of a giant Probopass.

Normally, their ability of Magnet Pull wasn't nearly strong enough to completely restrict the movement of the affected Pokemon, but in the wacky magnetic field of Mount Coronet, and with not one, but over a dozen Magnet Pulling Probopass present—the situation was quite unfortunate. All three Steel Pokemon were completely stuck, as helpless as magnets on a refrigerator door.

Skarmory was stuck between the right foot of one Probopass and the left side of another one. Aggron was simply glued to the front of the giant rock-like creature, while poor Metagross was upside-down against the famous giant nose of the Probopass. Said Probopass was ignoring the furious demands of its captives and any pleas from their Trainer, small beady eyes staring vacantly at something invisible in the air. The other Probopass—there were at least fourteen of them, huddled together in the large cave chamber— contributing to the magnetic force which trapped everyone, were just as unresponsive.

Normally this wouldn't be a problem, as both Steven's Metagross and his Aggron carried the use of Earthquake which would clear out all of the Probopass in one hit. However, as cruel as fate was, every single one of the accused creatures knew Magnet Rise and were happily employing it for immunity against Ground attacks. All Steven could do was order his trapped Pokemon to attack with their neutral moves and hope to whittle all of their well-defended foes down to a gradual faint. The method was slow and taxing, but they had managed to take down one.

It had already been ten minutes. Steven had never once regretted specializing in Steel-types, but right now he was close to it.

Aggron, having finished charging his Solarbeam, let loose an angry cry before unleashing the blinding golden blast at his immobile captors. The shimmering light lashed furiously against the expressionless face of the Probopass, forcing Steven to look away from the brightness. When the light faded, he looked back to see their foes barely scratched.

Steven placed the palm of his hand against his forehead, a soft sigh escaping him. "Cradily, Giga Drain. Claydol, Ancientpower. Armaldo—,"

And then he remembered Armaldo was in a dead faint inside his Pokeball, having been dispatched when the Probopass suddenly collectively targeted him with Earth Power. If it weren't for that, they wouldn't be in this situation—Armaldo knew Water Pulse and that would have been extremely helpful in defeating their enemies.

"Aggron, use Thunder, Metagross—Psychic. Skarmory…" Steven glanced briefly at the raging metal bird who was already barraging the Probopass with Steel Wing without any need for instruction. Steven decided not to say anything to him.

There was a rumble that echoed like a furious wild beast throughout the cave, as the multiple attacks blitzed the large group of Probopass. But when the dust cleared, none of the standing giant-nosed creatures had fallen.

At the rate they were going, it was more likely that they would run out of PP before they managed to take down their captors.

Steven reached down and attempted to pull Skamory free again—as pointless and futile the effort was—but he was only rewarded by the bird shooting him a pointed look. Cradily, who was standing beside him, attempted to placate Skarmory but he refused to be comforted. Claydol hovered silently above, watching for when the irritating Magnet Rise wore off.

And then it did, but there was no warning to it. All at once, the Probopass who had been floating less than a foot from the ground, dropped back onto solid earth. Steven opened his mouth, but Aggron had already acted, preparing to bring his massive foot down in a punishing Earthquake…

But he was too slow. Claydol, with its detachable arms, barely managed to snatch up Cradily and Steven as the ground began to shake violently. However, by the time the attack was initiated, all the Probopass were safe in the air again, having reinitiated Magnet Rise.

Regretfully, Claydol set his companions back down. A snarl came from Aggron, while Skarmory continued to wrathfully attack with futile Steel Wings. Metagross remained astonishingly calm and patient, ruby eyes flickering back to its Trainer for instructions.

This time, Steven sat down, at a complete loss. Although it was really an awful situation to be in and the true extent of all of the universe's bad luck seemed to have heaped itself there, he suppressed a chuckle at the hilarity of it all. All he wanted was to explore the mountains and perhaps find some rare rocks and learn about the magnetic field and the legends there, and he had gotten himself into this ridiculous mess.

Aggron made another exasperated sound, and he looked back up slowly. Steven was about to order another round of attacks to be made, when a small flicker of movement from the corner of his eye got his attention. He turned, half-rising, and spotted a small black figure moving across the bright blue sky, visible from the entrance of the shallow cave only a short distance away. He climbed fully to his feet and walked over to the cave mouth, squinting slightly against the outside brightness. There were soft plodding sounds as Cradily followed him.

Steven tilted his head upwards to follow the flying thing and after a few moments of inspection, he could distinguish a human shape atop the silhouette of a soaring Pokemon with tapered wings. It was perhaps, a passing Trainer.

Feeling a bit of hope arise, Steven continued to gaze at the sky, as he commanded quickly. "Cradily, use Confuse Ray."

The wind was cool and crisp and refreshing against Cynthia's hair, but it was also blowing it into her face. She lifted a hand to brush her blonde strands back against their black hair ornaments as she adjusted her grip around Garchomp's neck. The dragon made a soft noise as she banked left to avoid a chilly breeze from the north. Cynthia patted her partner absently on the head, as her eyes traced the magnificent shape of Mount Coronet against the horizon.

That mountain represented much of her dreams and hopes—it contained the greatest and best legends of Sinnoh, and stood for its unparalleled mystique and majesty. Every time she passed by it, Cynthia couldn't help but circle around a little longer than she meant to, admiring the brilliance of the mountain's crown, shimmering with the light of the brilliant sun and perhaps something else.

Cynthia frowned then, because it seemed from her angle at least, that were was indeed light flashing suspiciously from Mount Coronet. Garchomp made an irritated growl and shook her head angrily, her teeth bared.

"What's wrong? Is someone up there?" Cynthia frowned, her eyes narrowing immediately. If it was Team Galactic messing around…

"Let's go, Garchomp," She said grimly. The dragon obeyed immediately, her eyes narrowed fearlessly at the prospect of battle, shooting forward towards the flashing light. Cynthia tugged a bit on Garchomp's head, telling her to slow down. They would have to show caution. If it was indeed Team Galactic, who knew what sorts of diabolic schemes they would be attempting. Cynthia's fist tightened around another Pokeball at her waist, and her mind began formulating battle plans.

As they warily approached the source of the flickering, eerie light, Cynthia could see a person standing on a cliff side, next to what looked like a Cradily who was producing the shimmering Confuse Ray. The sun was in Cynthia's eyes and she couldn't make out the person's features clearly.

Garchomp was growling now at the bewildering hypnotic light, fighting to avoid falling under the ray's spell.

Convinced fully that it was a hostile enemy now, Cynthia threw the Pokeball in her hand. "Go, Togakiss! Aura Sphere!"

The white Pokemon burst gracefully out of his capsule and swiftly launched a shimmering blue ball of energy at the foes below. The Trainer gave a squeak of surprise, as the Cradily managed to dodge the attack. The blue ball smashed into the cliff face, releasing a stream of rubble that disappeared into the foggy mists far below.

Undeterred, Cynthia called out, her voice cool and commanding. "Aura Sphere, again!"

"Wait—no—," The man yelped, as he yanked his Cradily out of harm's way. "I don't want to battle—and I don't even think we locked eyes so there's absolutely no reason to—,"

Cynthia blinked, as Togakiss immediately halted his assault. "You're…not a member of Team Galactic?"

"Pardon?"

She placed her hand over her lips as she hastily recalled Togakiss. "…Oh."

Garchomp hovered closer so that the mountain's shadow blocked the sun that had been half-blinding them, and Cynthia could see the person she had attacked clearly. It was a man in his early twenties, dressed in a semiformal blazer with purple zig-zags running vertically down from the collar. In the brilliant sunlight, his ruffled hair shone silver-cerulean, but his vibrant cobalt eyes seemed to hold even more steely light.

Cynthia blinked again, because she knew who this person was.

"You're…Steven Stone, aren't you?"

She knew that he had been Champion of Hoenn at some point and he had given up his position, but she had not met him in person during his short reign. Nowadays, as far as she knew, Hoenn was headed by Wallace, someone she found quite annoying, with his nonstop babble about grace and beauty and contests. (However, there were rumors that recently, he had been toppled from his throne by some kid.)

"Hmm?" Steven squinted slightly, tilting his head to regard her. And then his eyes widened in recognition. "Ah! You must be Cynthia, the Champion. Yes, I'm Steven." He laughed sheepishly before glancing at her Garchomp who was staring at him, still, with deep suspicion. He tilted his head in a friendly manner, not looking very intimidated at all. "Your Pokemon are very strong."

Cynthia shook her head in embarrassment, as she stroked Garchomp gently on the head to calm her down. "Sorry about attacking you out of the blue like that. I assumed you were some…nevermind. Anyways, why were you signaling us like that?" Using Confuse Ray as a signal beacon was a creative idea, now that she thought about it. It had certainly caught her attention.

Steven shifted his weight to his right foot. "Ah yes…I'm kind of in a slight fix." Beside him, his Cradily made a sound of agreement.

Garchomp landed softly next to them and Cynthia climbed off. "How can I help?" She asked curiously, keen to make up for her unprovoked assault.

"Ah." He smiled, half to himself, and began walking into a cave entrance, Cradily following. Cynthia walked after them, and was met with a scene that was both amusing and alarming.

"Yes," Steven sighed, with an air of self-pity, though with his eyes glittering with amusement, "You can see that I specialize in Steel-type Pokemon…in this case, that is not a good thing."

"Yes, I see," Cynthia covered a smile at the sight of the trapped Skarmory who regarded her with undisguised hostility. The Aggron glared at her in a similar fashion, while the Metagross flashed her a brief and unimpressed glance.

Cynthia's unruffled gaze shifted coolly to the Probopass, her eyes seeming to dissect the Pokemon from the inside out, for weaknesses.

"Garchomp…use Brick Break."

The dragon growled in agreement before flashing forward, her forearms shimmering white with power. With a single strike, the Probopass trapping Steven's Pokemon was knocked back into the cave wall. Garchomp proceeded to begin attacking the others as well. Under serious attack this time, the Probopass seemed to snap out of their stupor and some began to move away—others however, attacked, charging forward with Power Gem.

"Skarmory, Steel Wing!"

The magnetic force having weakened enough for him to take to the air, Steven's Skarmory blazed forward with vengeance, wings shimmering glossily. He struck the nearby row of Probopass hard enough to knock them down to the ground.

"Now, Aggron, Earthquake," Steven commanded calmly, as he recalled Cradily out of harm's way. He himself leapt onto the newly freed Metagross's back and it gave a grumbled hum as it hovered into the air. Cynthia scrambled quickly onto Garchomp, just as the cave began shaking furiously. Even safely aloft, Cynthia could still feel the violent vibrations that rumbled through the very air and caused her teeth to nearly chatter. Steven's Pokemon it seemed, were just as powerful as her own.

When the dust settled, the floor was a jumble of debris and there was not a single Probopass remaining. Steven wiped some imaginary sweat off the side of his face. "Well that's finally settled. We've been stuck here for some time. Thanks a lot for your help."

He gave Cynthia a charming smile then, the kind that she saw all too often in people attempting to win her over or glean some favor. But unlike those people, his smile was strangely genuine, and full of a kind of placid assurance. Cynthia glanced away quickly.

"It was nothing. You have some pretty strong Pokemon there yourself." She gave herself a moment to recover before facing him again. This time, she allowed a small smile to quirk onto her lips. "You seem to be very good at battling, too. The former Champion, no?"

Steven made an airy gesture, his cerulean eyes calm, unconcerned over her hidden challenge. "I'm decent, I suppose. But I'm retired now, as a Trainer. We just came here to look for rocks."

"Rocks?"

He nodded, glanced around briefly, before snapping his fingers and plucking something from the rubble that was now the ground. A glint of ocean blue-green shimmered from between his fingers as he held the object up for her to see. It was a Dawn Stone.

Steven lifted it up to admire it, smiling at the calm, soulful, soothing radiance that exuded from its core, refracted about its flawlessly smooth surface. The stone was cool like early morning, a light but comforting weight in his hand—a breathtaking shade of seaside turquoise, seeming to hold the very essence of the morning sun that crowned above the waves of the ocean at dawn.

"There we are. Here, Metagross, you can hold this for now." Steven cheerfully handed the stone to the steel titan who accepted the gift without a sound.

Skarmory landed on his shoulder from a sharp dive in the air. His Trainer smiled, raising a Pokeball, the red light zapping the metal bird away. Steven also recalled Claydol and Aggron, leaving Metagross the only one out.

"Alright. We found what we came here for, so let's go!"

Cynthia tilted her head curiously, her eyes still set at the Dawn Stone that Metagross was now holding. "You came all the way up here and went through all of that trouble, only for a single evolution stone?"

He laughed, the bright sound murmuring like streaming water through the cave. "Yeah…I find myself doing this increasingly often. But it's always worth it in the end, no matter how much of a mess it sometimes ends up as. But…I think we'll be avoiding magnets for a while."

Metagross made a low noise of agreement. Steven glanced over and gave it a friendly pat on the head, his silver rings glinting with the same inner light that shone from his eyes.

Cynthia remarked, "Well, you and all of your Pokemon must be exhausted from all this. And it's almost nightfall. My hometown is only a short flight away—I was on my way there for a visit. Why don't you come along for a place to stay the night?" The first four words of her last phrase were already out of Cynthia's mouth before she realized what she was saying, and the rest had slipped forth, out of necessity of finishing the sentence. She wondered vaguely why she had just extended such an offer—but it was too late now, to take it back.

Steven looked surprised but gave a gracious nod, his bottomless cerulean eyes focused intently on her. Cynthia swallowed a strange lump that had developed in her throat, finding her mind whirling strangely like she had just run a short, uphill distance. She hid it behind a calm, confident grin, climbed back onto Garchomp's back and motioned for him to follow.

The dragon took off, streaking out of the cave and back into the open mountain sky, furled with wispy silver fog. There was a soft humming growl that muttered in the air behind her, like the low metallic purr of a car engine, and when she glanced behind herself, Cynthia saw Metagross flying after them, legs folded underneath itself. Steven sat cross-legged on top of it, his blue hair getting messily tousled in the strong breeze.

"Where are we going?" He asked lightly, the wind snatching the words from his mouth.

"Celestic Town," Cynthia called back automatically. Her eyes hovered hesitantly at the copper horizon line, where her village lay. She had been heading back for a rare visit, but she had not called to inform her grandmother, beforehand. Cynthia wondered what her grandmother's reaction would be to her suddenly bringing a random stranger into their town. The Champion of Sinnoh had always been known as an independent and reserved person. There were chatty gossips everywhere, and who knew what sort of random rumors they might start…

Cynthia sighed softly, drawing her hand across the side of her face, brushing her rebellious blonde hair away. She had never been concerned about her reputation among said chatty gossips, so why was she worried about it now? Casually, she brushed those thoughts away and concentrated on the frisking patterns of clouds, parting around them like curtains.

A low purring sound from Garchomp and the slight stomach-dropping feeling of descent from the air signaled their arrival. The small quaint village lay below them like a neat patchwork quilt shrouded with creamy puffs of clouds.

They touched down gently on the soft earth. It had rained recently, and the soil was moist and molded around the shape of Cynthia's shoe pressing into it. Small glimmering puddles mirrored the sleepy orange of the twilight. The smell of freshness was in the lightly misty air.

"It's beautiful," A voice behind her remarked, causing Cynthia to nearly smash into Garchomp in surprise.

It took her a moment to manage to remember that there was someone with her. She gave her head a brisk shake to neaten her hair that had been displaced in the wind, "Ah. I suppose so…We don't get many visitors around here though. There isn't a Gym, or even a Poke Mart."

"Hmm," Steven stepped forward and into her line of view, his head tilted back as he admired the tranquil, lush greenery that surrounded and filled Celestic Town. "Where I live, it's always busy and noisy. It must be nice to call such a peaceful place home."

Cynthia shrugged, her eyes sweeping slowly and carelessly over the sparse rows of houses. "Then I hardly visit my home," She found herself admitting, with an undertone of guilt.

A thin, wistful smile quirked at his lips. "Same."

There was a short moment of quiet silence, broken only by distant birdsong. Cynthia hid a soft cough. "Anyways, it's about dinner time, isn't it? It's rather late, but why don't you come over?" Again, it was an offer that burst out unbidden, like her mouth was not her own.

Steven gave her a sideways look. "Oh no, I couldn't trouble you further. I'm sure they'll feed me, at the Pokemon Center."

She paused, and then interjected. "But that's the thing. Even our Pokemon Center is tiny. It's probably completely full of the few tourists who came to see the shrine in the town. They never bothered to expand because Trainers hardly come by…oh, I'm terribly sorry." Her eyes widened in horror at her forgetfulness. "It seems this isn't a place for you to stay the night after all." She placed her knuckles against her lips, lowering her head in embarrassment.

"It's quite alright," Steven said quickly, alarmed at her crestfallen expression. "There's nothing wrong. I can just fly over to the next town."

"Right," She muttered. A hint of resoluteness entered her voice. "But now, you have to stay for dinner. I couldn't just send you off like that." That would be a terrible lack of politeness.

Steven attempted to protest, but this time Cynthia cut him off, raising her head with her signature, I-am-Champion smile on. "Please, I insist."

He raised his hands in surrender. "Right. I'm honored."

Cynthia returned Garchomp to her Pokeball, before leading the way with the usual poise and confidence in her stride. If they took a side entrance, they wouldn't be noticed and the villagers would not flock immediately together at the sight of their Champion's return. Cynthia was used to massive amounts of media attention, but she did not want colossal fanfare every time she entered her hometown.

They slipped behind a neighboring house and arrived at a screen door. Cynthia paused, wondering if she should knock…but then it was her house, even if she hardly came by.

She opened the door. "I'm home."

There was a steady, motor-fast thum-thum-thum that was going on from the kitchen. As soon as Cynthia called out, the sounds ceased and footsteps came from that direction.

"Cynthia? Is that you?"

"Yes, Grandmother," She shifted a little awkwardly. "Sorry for the short notice—I should have called beforehand."

"Nonsense," Cynthia's grandmother appeared, holding a mixing bowl. She had a striped apron tied tightly over her white lab coat and was in the process of whisking eggs. "I'm just glad you came by. You're just in time for dinner. Ah—who's that you've brought with you?"

Steven made a half bow and then waved cheerfully, as though unable to decide between being formal or not.

"This is Steven Stone. I'm sure you've heard of him, Grandmother."

"Hmm…" The woman gave Steven a rather intense look that reminded him of Metagross, sometimes. An unblinking stare, piercing right into his heart like it could look into and sear all the stuffing inside. It was a little scary, and he had a feeling that it would not be wise to mess with this person. Steven put on his best charming smile.

"Pleased to meet you."

"Indeed. Come on in, you look tired, the two of you." Her hand, wrinkled by age but gripping the whisk with practiced strength, began flicking back and forth again. The motion brought the whisk around in rapid circles within the bowl, stirring its contents and producing the thum noise. "I hope you don't mind eggs and bacon for dinner, because that's what we're having."

"Hm? Isn't there anything else?" Cynthia asked, mildly annoyed of the fare that her guest would be getting.

"You're welcome to fly to Eterna City to get us food that conforms to your standards, dear," said the old woman in an even and amused tone of voice.

Cynthia rolled her eyes and moved past her grandmother, into the living room.

After a simple dinner with Cynthia's grandmother doing most of the talking, Steven thanked the family for the meal and prepared to depart. Cynthia insisted on seeing him out, accompanying him to the edge of the small village. They walked at a placid and unhurried pace, and on the way there, Cynthia paused at a recently ripened Berry bush and absently plucked a few Sitrus Berries from it.

"It's best to get them as soon as they ripen, or they'll be all gone," She remarked, with a nostalgic look in her eyes, as she offered some to him. Steven amiably accepted the gifts, reminding himself to distribute them to his Pokemon as soon as he had the opportunity. They reminded him, too, of the old days when he was an aspiring traveling Trainer, scraping together all the supplies he could and plucking Berries left and right.

They reached the end of the town. By now, the sky had darkened to deep indigo, some tiny vestiges of purple evident above the hills, but the sun long gone and starlight now casting the shadows.

"Thanks again," Steven told his host for dinner, still embarrassed at having randomly dropped in without warning, even if he was invited.

"It wasn't any trouble at all," She said kindly, luminous gray eyes—or rather, eye, for half of her face was hidden by her blonde hair—sparkling with the rising moon that was peeking over the treetops. "I'm sure my grandmother enjoyed your company, too. It'd be nice if you visited again," She added, head tilting.

Steven had been told that many times, by countless people, all wearing fancy clothes and fake grins. However, her voice was earnest, her smile friendly and warm. He couldn't help but return it, as he straightened his collar.

"Of course. I'll love to drop by again." Steven replied softly, as he readied Metagross's Pokeball. He tossed it into the air, and a moment later, his partner stood by his side. Steven remembered the Sitrus Berries and handed one over to Metagross—that would be useful in case they got into a rare battle. He was not expecting anything back in return and was mildly surprised when the turquoise stone was dropped in his hand by a massive claw.

Steven stared at the Dawn Stone from earlier, weighing it in his hand curiously.

"Huh. Now what should I do with this?" He wondered out loud, taking the stone and holding it up to the moonlight so that it sparkled. Under the night's light, the Dawn Stone shimmered in a more subdued and sleepy manner, holding a steely, lonely spark.

"You could evolve something with it. Oh, but I heard you're also a collector, right?" Cynthia's calm, melodious voice remarked from behind him.

"Yeah. I already have several of these though, and it seems my inventory is completely full." Steven turned around and looked downwards and Cynthia spotted a glint of metal at his waist. With a closer look, she could see that in addition to the six Pokeballs there, Steven kept strange cuff-like metal bands, and they held what looked like various rocks of all sorts. From her angle, she could only see two of the cuffs from either side of him and both were occupied, with a Leaf Stone and a Dusk Stone, respectively.

Steven stared at the Dawn Stone for a moment, his eyes thoughtful. Slowly, he raised his gaze so that he was looking at Cynthia's moonlit figure, her blonde hair streaming like spun silver in the starlight.

"I do have some errands to run tomorrow, so I probably can't take this. Hm. Well since I don't have room…" Steven watched her carefully before tilting his head considerately. He extended the hand holding the Dawn Stone. "Here. Why don't you take it?"

"Me?" Cynthia said blankly, her half-closed eye briefly flashing with more shock than one would expect over a small matter.

He shrugged, a gentle smile on his shadowed face. "Well, it's small repayment for the help you gave back there and for the dinner."

Cynthia began a long stream of poised protest, that any amount of repayment was absolutely unnecessary and would be completely rejected. Steven laughed and pressed the Dawn Stone into her hand.

"There. I think you would make better use out of it than I would. It would only sit on some shelf, in my possession. In yours, you could use it. Or turn it into jewelry—something like that."

Before Cynthia could react in a way that involved shoving the stone back at him and making sure that he couldn't give it back, Steven had slipped out of range and was on Metagross's back. The shining moonlight shed a kind of ethereal luminosity on him and his Pokemon. The brightness left not a single shadow on his face, and right then, Cynthia could see the full brilliance of his warm smile.

It was such an inconceivably friendly and fond grin, not a single trace of falsehood in it, something that he should have been giving to a close friend, not a near complete stranger he had met a few hours ago.

Steven cheerfully waved goodbye, from atop his Pokemon. "Thanks once more for having me. I hope our paths cross again."

This time, Cynthia felt something in her positively melt, and for the first time in a long time, she felt her cheeks flush with warmth. She wanted to look away to hide the completely irrational and unwelcome blushing, but such a gesture would be horribly impolite at a farewell. Instead, she could only look straight at him, hope the night hid enough of her face, and smile and wave back in an unruffled and sure manner.

Metagross gave a gong-like metallic murmur, as it lifted into the air. For a moment, its intelligent crimson eyes met Cynthia's and she had a feeling that the steel behemoth had better night vision than Steven and could see perfectly well, and knew just as well. The thought made her want to look away again, but she didn't.

Within moments, Metagross was but a silver speck that glimmered with moonlight, and soon that even vanished into the west. For several long moments, Cynthia stared at that patch of the night heavens, her hand tightening around the Dawn Stone. She took two deep breaths, her eyes focusing onto a random star, as she regained control over herself.

Absurd and ridiculous. It had merely been the spur of the moment, and the shock over his random generosity. That was it—randomness. Cynthia's day had been full of it.

But as she walked quietly back to her house, she couldn't help but think that she preferred Hoenn's former Champion over its current one.

The night sky was a black velvet carpet, speckled with diamond stars, stretching from darkened horizon, to darkened horizon. A cool breeze lapped at Steven's hair, as he shifted to the right, careful not to slip off Metagross's back.

Metal glinted accusingly from his belt, and Steven glanced down and took a long, slightly guilty look at the three vacant cuffs there, with plenty of room for another stone to be held.

He chuckled gently, a little nervously, to himself, trying to calm the light fluttery feeling that had developed near his heart, like a little Pidgey was caged there and flapping its wings frantically.

He was being ridiculous, reacting this way over some reason he didn't even know. But, a feeling of starstruck incompleteness persisted, and Steven was struck with the urge to turn Metagross around. He resisted this, shaking his head slowly, wondering what was going on with himself. This old tugging feeling in his heart...It was like...

"Magnets," He muttered. Metagross made a questioning sound, and Steven quickly shook his head even harder.

"It's nothing," He told his partner, as he took a deep breath. "I'm just tired...and mumbling to myself."

Still, the word echoed in laughter through his head.

Magnets.

.

So there we are. First chapter. I hope I didn't fail miserably.

Maybe I did.

Alrighty, confession: This is the first romance story I've actually put some effort into. So I probably did fail miserably. ^.^

Typically, I avoid writing romance because you have to get all nit-picky and zoom in on Character A's perception of Character B more than anything else. And you have to make them both self-conscious and stuff, and throw in random descriptions that hint of attraction, and focus on emotion more than actions. It's a lot more trouble than writing a straight up, Good Guyz vs. Bad Guyz thing. And I'm lazy. So I haven't written romance. Until now. Oh well, whatever! Expect lots of cheesiness! Have fun~! ^.^