Hello! For those reading, this is a newer version of a story already in existence, called 'Heart of Gold'. I never got around to finishing that, which was a shame, because I was dissatisfied with the writing and how it was turning out. So, this is the…revamped version, I suppose. I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, obviously

=^.^=

The doors of the Elm Pokemon Laboratory burst open, and a young girl darted out, accompanied by the shouts of irritated scientists. But she paid them no mind, so wrapped up in her own excitement. The cause of her happiness squirmed a little in her arms; a tiny Pokemon colored navy blue and cream, sporting orange spots on his back. He opened his mouth to let out a cry of protest as the girl squeezed him, and she looked down, loosening her hold but still smiling brightly.

"I think we're gonna make a great team," she proclaimed, speaking both to the Cyndaquil and to herself, as if she needed the reassurance. She took a seat in the grass outside the laboratory, and finally let go of her new companion, who hopped down and immediately began sniffing the grass around them.

"I'm Lyra," she continued. "And you…" she frowned suddenly. "You know, I never really thought about a name…"

Cyndaquil wasn't paying attention, still rooting around in the grass around Lyra's feet. That is, until he came across an unsavory plant, and sneezed violently, a cloud of smoke erupting from his mouth.

"Smoke! I'll call you Smoke!" His sneeze had inspired the name, and Lyra smiled down at him. Though Cyndaquil's eyes were closed, his expression when he glanced at her was clear distaste.

"No? Er…well then…" Lyra frowned, trying to come up with something that wasn't so cliché. "How about Char? No…that sounds too close to Charmander…" she sighed. "Then, how about…Iorek? It's a big name, but you'll grow into it, I'm sure. And I can call you Io for short, in the meantime!" She grinned down, hoping the name would take.

Io simply shrugged, and continued to nose the grass. Lyra decided to take that as a good sign, and nodded in confirmation. "Iorek, then. I think it suits you!" She reached down and picked Io up, then stood with a quiet grunt.

"Well, c'mon then. We have to run that errand for Elm, remember?" She began walking past the laboratory, towards Cherrygrove, when a redheaded figure caught her eye. He was standing at the window of the lab, partially obscured by the building. It looked as though he was staring into the building...

Her curiosity peaked, Lyra approached him, and as she neared could hear that he was muttering to himself.

"Er, hello!" she called brightly, hoping to catch his attention. She did, and the boy jumped slightly, startled, and then turned to look at her. As soon as he did she wished she had just let him alone; he was glaring at her, red eyes narrowed and mouth set in a firm scowl.

"What are you staring at?" he demanded, voice just as menacing as his expression.

"I…was just wondering if you needed something…" Lyra replied meekly, casting her gaze down. Against her better judgment she stepped forward, raising one arm in defense and trying to appear harmless.

Her action was not well received; the boy reacted by reaching out to give her a hard shove, and Lyra staggered back a few steps, her shoulder throbbing.

"Get out of here, Mushroom-head," he growled, turning back towards the window.

"Excuse me?!" Her temper rose quickly, and rather than backing off, she confronted him. "What did I do to you? It's rude to hit a girl, you know?"

"You're a girl? Huh. Hard to tell, dressed like that. I didn't know girls still wore overalls," the boy drawled, still not looking at her. "Now, why don't you be a good girl, and get out of here."

Lyra could only splutter indignantly in response. She tried and failed to come up with a good retort, so she turned on her heel, marching off with Io clutched tightly against her.

"What a jerk," she muttered, and Io growled in agreement. "I hope I never see him again," she continued, heading onwards to Cherrygrove, as she should have done before.

=^.^=

"…so please, get back as soon as you can!"

-CLICK-

Lyra placed her Pokegear back in her bag as she ran back to the lab. She had just finished Elm's errand when he called her, demanding that she return. There had been…well, some sort of disaster, Lyra wasn't sure. He hadn't been very specific in his call.

She raced through Cherrygrove City, ignoring to quizzical looks of passerby, and was almost at the exit of the city when she stopped in her tracks. There, blocking her path, was the same boy from earlier, standing with arms crossed and a smirk on his face.

"What do you want?" she asked with a scowl. Io was next to her on the ground, and sat up on his haunches, trying to appear more intimidating.

He just sneered at the pair, though his attention seemed more drawn to Io than to her. "I see you got a Pokemon from the lab as well. What a waste…that Pokemon seems too good for a wimp like you." He crouched down, inspecting the Cyndaquil. "Then again," he continued, "This one looks rather pathetic, so you must be a perfect match!" Lyra scowled, and was about to retort, when the redhead laughed, straightening and reaching for something attached to his belt.

"I've just gotten a Pokemon too, you see. Let me show you…" He threw the Pokeball into the air. "Go, Totodile!"

=^.^=

Lyra had expected her first Pokemon battle to be much more intense. But both Pokemon were at such low levels that the fighting merely consisted of using 'Tackle!' and 'Scratch!' over and over, until Totodile had finally fainted. In all honestly, Lyra suspected she had only won because Io was faster and had gone first. But that was irrelevant now, as she cheered happily, bending down to pick Io up and swing him around.

"We did it!" she cheered, and Iorek chimed in happily.

"….whatever," a voice muttered, and Lyra looked up. "So you won. Whatever," the boy continued, staring at his feet. "It…it doesn't matter!" he yelled suddenly, causing Lyra to jump. "That was just beginner's luck! I'm going to be the world's best Pokemon trainer, you'll see!" He called back his fainted Pokemon and stormed off, still muttering to himself.

Lyra stared at his retreating back, then noticed something laying on the road where he had been standing moments ago. She walked over and picked it up, curious. It was a trainer card, with the familiar scowling face staring up at her.

"Silver," she murmured, reading the name at the top. "Hey, wait!" she called, but the boy had disappeared. She sighed, glancing down at Io. "Silver, huh? I wonder if we'll ever see him again…"

=^.^=

And that's the first chapter! Thanks for reading, and I really hoped you enjoyed it.

Oh, and a note: Iorek's name comes from The Golden Compass, a book that I really love. The main character's name is also Lyra, and that's how I decided on the name!

Anyways, the second chapter should be up next week. Any reviews/suggestions are highly appreciated, thank you!

For those reading this on the original Heart of Gold story...thing, I won't be posting any new chapters here. Look for Heart and Soul to read future updates!