Lyra is 17 in this~ Sorry if Proton is OCC, but I prefer him smirky and cocky. Cannonshipping is my OTP.

I suggest you listen to 'Alone Together' by Fall Out Boy. My friend and I are convinced that it is Lyra's and Proton's song. Just don't watch the music video. It's very weird.

Anyway, this oneshot is based very loosely off the song. Very loosely.

Lyra blinked as she looked at the young, green haired male standing before her. No longer dressed in his Rocket uniform, instead in dark jeans and a plain black t-shirt. He looked tired, no doubt about that with the bags under his eyes. He looked stressed too, but that was probably because of what he asked her.

"Can I come with you?"

It repeated in Lyra's mind over and over as she thought it over. He wasn't rushing her, he was actually dreading the answer. It would probably be a flat out no and asking her was the dumbest thing he had ever done in his life.

"You want to come with me? Why?" She asked, unsure of what else to say.

"Well, you took down my career, for one." Proton said. "I have nowhere else to go and nothing else to do..." He trailed off. He didn't like the idea of never seeing the girl again. He didn't know why he didn't like that idea. After she completely destroyed his life, he thought he would be over the moon about never seeing her stupid but adorable face again...then again, he never thought he would find her face adorable.

Truth was, Lyra didn't want Proton to disappear from her life forever either. She enjoyed battling him because it was so intense and always got her excited. She knew Lance wouldn't be happy with it, neither would Silver, Ethan, all the gym leaders, and of course her mother, but, she would be happy with it. "Yeah." She nodded her head, surprising him. "Yeah, come on. I gotta go battle Clair and get that final badge!"

She turned around and started walking. Proton followed her, quickly getting in step with her. He had no clue what he was doing, and he had a feeling she didn't either, but, it didn't seem so bad. It meant he was at the end of his criminal career, but it was in ruins anyway.

Proton shifted his weight back as he sent back in the bleachers in Clair's gym. This was the 3rd time they had been here. This was actually the first time they had gotten to Clair. It took them forever to get through the gym trainers hiding about and they jumped out sometimes and scared Lyra. One got punched in the face for that. By Lyra, of course. She threw a good punch.

Anyway, Proton figured he wasn't going to care about watching the battle, but as it started, he felt himself leaning forward in interest. Lyra's battling style was something else. It was messy as she called out orders, but her pokemon executed them perfectly. One attack after another mixed in together, wild and crazy, but effective. He knew what it was like to be on the receiving end, and it wasn't pretty.

Clair was a difficult opponent, he could see that in Lyra's worried expression. She came through and won the battle, but, Clair never made winning easy.

"Just wait here, I'm getting my damn badge." Lyra told Proton as they entered the Dragon Den. "I can't believe I have to go do this!" She grumbled, stomping down the stairs to go meet Lance and Clair's grandpa. Proton watched her white hat disappear into the darkness, and sat down on a nearby boulder to wait for her and wonder if he made the right decision to join the girl on her adventure.

How long had they been traveling together? Six months now? That seemed right. What wasn't right to Proton was the very small amount of time they had alone together. It grew irritating that someone was always calling Lyra, or they were always running into some friend of hers. Why couldn't they just have a little alone time?

No matter where they went, they knew someone. It was almost as if they were doing it on purpose. Plus, they all hated him. They acted like every move he made could end up hurting Lyra in some way. They didn't trust him. Proton didn't blame them though. He probably wouldn't trust him either. But, he wasn't going to hurt Lyra. He had become far too attached to the peppy girl and refused to leave her side, no matter how much they hated him.

"Are you okay?" Lyra asked, munching on an oran berry.

"Hmp.." He mumbled, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

"Hmp? I thought we were past the mumbling stage." Lyra joked.

"Don't you get tired of them always checking up on you?" He asked, surprising her. "Lyra, please, I know you can tell what they're doing. Your mother calls 5 times a day, Ethan calls, hell, even Silver calls. They don't trust me with you, at all. That's why someone you know is always around, just 'dropping in', which is really making sure I'm not plotting to destroy you."

"I'm sure that's not it…" Lyra tried to deny it, but she knew it was true. The two were never alone and it was very, very irritating.

"You think after six months they would let up a bit." He grumbled, crossing his arms. Lyra sighed and leaned back some. They were just outside Olivine City and had just ran into Ethan. Actually, Ethan ran into them, claiming to be on his way to the safari zone.

"I dunno what to do. I told them you wouldn't hurt me." Lyra told him. She trusted Proton 100%. The past six months had been some of the greatest months of her life. Proton provided practical and sarcastic comments that she loved and he was someone she could talk to. She did most of the talking of course. Proton just nodded his head, probably wondering what the hell he gotten himself into. After four months though, he started to talk too. She found out all about his life as a Rocket.

She always listened intently, like whatever you were saying was the most important thing in the world. Proton loved that. She was hanging off of every word he ever spoke. He found that opening up to her was much easier than he thought it was going to be. She nodded at all the right times and surprisingly didn't interrupt him. After it was all said, she didn't even look at him any differently. She treated him the same way, not like a monster that he knew he was. He started to feel weird, every time she looked at him or spoke to him, a pang of nervousness went through him.

Urg, emotions. He had tried so hard to get rid of the pesky things, but being around the girl brought them back out.

"When are you going to go battle the Elite Four?" Proton asked, deciding to change the subject.

"Ah, I dunno. I'm a tiny bit afraid of them honestly…" She admitted and Proton raised his eyebrows. She was able to take down Team Rocket, but she was scared of a few tough trainers? "I just want my pokemon and me to be ready. We're just not there yet. We will be soon though." She nodded confidently and her pokegear went off.

"I bet it's your mother." Proton said and sure enough, it was.

"Hello mom. I'm doing great actually. Proton and I are just taking a break by Olivine City." She said into the device and made a face at Proton, making him chuckle. "What? Dinner? Ah, well….sure….we'll be back home in a few days then. I'll call you when we get closer. Oh, I-I'm losing signal gotta go love you." Lyra rushed her words together and hung up her pokegear. "Well, better start heading back home."

"Mom. We'll be there in an hour tops." Lyra said to her mom a few days later when she called on the pokegear. "Yes, I'm bringing him. Why wouldn't I?"

"Should I not come?"

"Look mom you're making him feel bad. He's not a criminal anymore! Okay, bye mom." Lyra hung up the pokegear in a rush, not wanting to talk to her mom anymore. "No, you're coming. She can get over it." Lyra grabbed his hand, pulling him along with her. They left Cherrygrove city and headed off into the tall grass and forested route that led to the girl's hometown. Clouds began to crowd the sky and they darkened, casting shadows all across the route.

"Think we should stop and let this past?" Proton asked and Lyra let go of his hand to pull out her pokegear and check the weather.

"Ah, it says a slight drizzle." She read off the screen. She slipped the device back into her pocket as the wind started to pick up. She held onto her white hat as the wind blew.

"A slight drizzle?" Proton asked, not believing her. The sky was now black and he knew they were in trouble. "C'mon." He pushed her along, trying to get her to pick up her pace. They weren't too far from her home. If they went fast enough, they could make it. The rain started to drop a few minutes later.

"Let me get out an umbrella." Lyra said, pulling one out of her backpack. A strong gust hit right as she opened it and it flew off into a group of trees. The rain started to come down harder and there was a buzzing sound coming from the trees.

"Oh shit." Proton said and grabbed Lyra's hand, running down the path. "Beedrills!" He shouted to her, turning to look at the herd of bug pokemon chasing after them. His heart was beating against his chest and he sped up, keeping a tight grip on Lyra's hand. There was no way they were going to get out of this if one of them didn't battle the bug pokemon. "Keep running!" Proton shouted, letting go of her hand and turning around swiftly, grabbing one of his pokeballs.

"What? I'll fight them with you!" Lyra shouted over a clap of thunder.

"No! Go to your mom's house. I can take them." He told her, calling out his weezing. "Go!" Lyra looked conflicted, but listened to him and started to run for home again. The rain hit her face and she kept looking back, but no beedrills were following her. She wanted to turn around and run back to help Proton, but she knew he could handle it. She reached her mother's house and came in.

"Lyra? Where's Proton? Are you okay sweetie?!" Her mother asked worriedly, grabbing towel out of a downstairs closest and coming over to her soaking wet daughter.

"My umbrella blew into a tree full of beedrills and Proton stayed behind to fight them off." Lyra explained, now getting worried. What if he couldn't handle it? "I need to go back out and look for him."

"I'm sure he's fine, you need to get out of those wet clothes. Go take a hot shower and I'll dry your clothes." Her mother pushed her up the stairs before Lyra could protest.

"He's probably on his way here now…" She told herself, calming her nerves. "I bet he's sitting downstairs now, waiting for me." She said as the hot water hit her skin. She finished her shower and dried off, putting on fresh clothes her mom laid out on her bed for her. She hurried down the stairs, hoping to see the green haired male, but he wasn't there. "He's not here yet?" Lyra asked, horrible thoughts started to fill her mind. What if he was laying somewhere in the storm? Hurt and unable to move? What if he was barely alive? What if he was already dead?

"I'm sure he'll be here soon." Her mother said but Lyra ignored her. She went into the coat closet and pulled out a yellow rain jacket and slipped it on, along with bright yellow boots. She dug more and found a smaller jacket.

"Ampharos, I need your help." She called out the pokemon and slid the jacket onto her pokemon, pulling the hood over its head to protect it from the rain. "We're going to look for him."

"What?" Her mother asked, furrowing her brows. "No! It's far too dangerous!"

"I don't care mom." She shook her head and headed towards the door. "I need to find him! He's stuck out there somewhere because he was trying to protect me!" Lyra had to go find him. She couldn't imagine her life without him. She felt herself grow angry at her mother for trying to stop her. "I don't care that he used to be a Rocket. He's not anymore. He's my best friend, mom. I love him!" She exclaimed and slung open the door. "Proton?" She gasped, seeing the green-haired male at the door. He was soaking wet and looked beat up. His clothes were dirty and he had scrapes on his arms and face. She pulled him in.

"Were you coming out to find me?" He asked as she grabbed a towel and put it around him. "I told you not to"

"I don't care what you told me, I was worried sick about you." She felt herself whine, close to crying. "You need a shower." She said and helped him upstairs and into the bathroom. She trotted back down the stairs and put the raincoat and boots she had on back into the closest and took the small raincoat off of her pokemon, who looked worriedly at its trainer. "It's okay, he'll be fine." She smiled and pet the pokemon, who cheered. Her mother had retreated into the kitchen, unable to grasp the fact that her daughter was in love with an ex-criminal.

Proton came back down the stairs a few minutes later, dressed in clothes Lyra's grandpa wore when he came over for visits. "Pink shorts?" Proton asked, looking at the pink shorts he was wearing.

"They used to be white…but…they got mixed in with a red towel.." Lyra smiled. "Sit down, let me fix up those scraps and cuts." Lyra pulled out a first aid kit from the closet and forced the male to sit down on the couch in their living room. Her mother watched from the kitchen as her daughter sat next to him and wiped an alcohol pad on his forehead. He winced, but stayed still so she could continue.

"Don't ever do that again." Lyra said after a little while. "I was so worried about you."

"You shouldn't have been. I handled it well."

"Oh, is that why I'm having to clean these cuts and scrapes?" She asked and he frowned. He watched carefully and felt the nervousness in his stomach. He was enjoying this far too much. He couldn't even began to describe how happy he felt when he heard her tell her mother that she loved him.

"If I hadn't have stayed behind you would've gotten hurt." He said, his voice softening. He realized he adored the girl sitting in front of him. She was so cute as she bit the inside of her cheek and wrapped bandages around his arm, where a larger cut was. He knew if he didn't care for the girl, he wouldn't have grabbed her hand and pulled her away from danger and he definitely wouldn't have stayed behind to fight off the beedrills so she could get away unharmed.

Her mother watched the both of them, unsure what to do. Her daughter was growing up. She couldn't keep treating her like a child for the rest of her life. She realized calling every hour or sending someone to check on her daughter was not the way to go. Lyra loved Proton and she knew Lyra was headstrong and stubborn, not the one to give in easily. She wasn't going to let her mother get in the way of her being with Proton.

She finally decided to just give in and let Lyra be with the boy. She was hoping that Proton would run off or show that he was still an evil criminal, but she soon saw that it wasn't going to happen. He had protected her daughter when he could have left her to fend for herself. She knew Lyra was safe with him, and she saw how Proton looked at her. He was in love with her, whether he realized it or not yet, she knew he was.

"Lyra, sweetie?" Her mother called out. "I'm sorry, but could you run next door to Ethan's house and ask his mother if she has an egg she could spare? I'm one short for this dessert recipe.."

"Oh…" Lyra said and looked at Proton.

"I'll be fine." He told her and she got up to put on her raincoat.

"I'll be back in a few minutes." She said and hurried out the door, not wanting her mom to be alone with Proton for too long.

"Proton, I'm sorry for how I've treated you." Lyra's mother said, coming into the living room. Proton looked at her with a surprised expression. "I know, I know, you're surprised. I just…Lyra is my baby. I was so worried when she went off on her adventure. Imagine how I felt when I found out you were traveling with her. She's strong, everyone knows that, but that's with her pokemon. Her pokemon can't protect her from getting her heart broken."

Proton nodded his head in understanding.

"But now I see how you look at her. You really care about her. I didn't see it before, but I do now." She said and Proton looked embarrassed. Was he that obvious? "I can tell these things. I doubt Lyra has noticed." She said, making him feel relieved. "And she cares about you."

"I know, I heard." Proton murmured.

"Then you need to tell her you love her back!" Her mother exclaimed.

"That's a little difficult to do when someone is always breathing down our necks." He gritted his teeth in irritation.

"Well that is partially my fault, and I am sorry for that, but I won't be calling every hour anymore or sending people to follow you two." She told him. "I'm trusting you with my baby, however, I'm a little more worried about you being left alone with her. You know how reckless she can be sometimes."

"I know that." He agreed, sighing. "But that's what makes her Lyra."

"I'm back!" Lyra exclaimed, coming into the house with an egg in her hand. The two looked at her and she looked at them back. "What's up?"

"Ah, nothing." Her mother smiled, taking the egg and going back into the kitchen.

"You okay?" Lyra asked once she got out of the wet rain coat. She sat down on the couch in front of Proton.

"Perfect." He said with a small smile.

"My mother has barely called." Lyra said as they trudged through a patch of tall grass, somewhere in the Johto region. "Only twice this whole week."

"Hm, maybe she's finally given up?" Proton guessed, shrugging, even though he knew why she decided to stop calling so much.

"And I haven't seen anyone I know all week too. Okay what did you say to my mother?" Lyra questioned, turning to face the male.

"Nothing. She did it all on her own."

"Proton, tell me."

"I dunno, how about you tell me how much you love me?" He smirked as her face grew bright red.

"Y-Y-You heard me say that?" She questioned and he nodded his head. She looked so embarrassed. He couldn't help but chuckle at her expression.

"Yeah, your mom has finally given up on trying to get rid of me." Proton told her, leaning in closer to the girl's face. "She decided to give us some space. Which is a good thing because I hate audiences." He murmured, leaning in closer until his lips were pressed against hers. Lyra's heart was pounding against her chest and her mind was going everywhere. She closed her eyes and returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him in closer. When they broke the kiss for air, she smiled up at him, making him blush.

"And how much do you love me?" Lyra asked confidently.

"I've stayed with you for 6 months while people stalked us all over this region. I'd have to say more than enough."

"Perfect answer." Lyra said and pulled him in for another kiss.