Chapter 33: Dinner Date and Gothic Lolita

Xander went back to the room to grab Cynthia and saw that she had yet to pick a place to eat. She was down to 3 who were each famous for their ice cream. 

"Let's pick this one," Xander said decisively. "They have Gogoat ice cream which you have never tried before. The other two use Miltank milk."

Cynthia noticed the small difference and nodded. "Sounds perfect. Just let me get dressed."

Cynthia went to the bathroom and changed her outfit while Xander sat on her bed and waited. It only took her a few minutes to return in a pretty blue dress that ended just beneath her knees. 

"Looks great. You are definitely the cutest," Xander complimented her honestly. Even though she was still a child, Xander could already see the beauty that she would become in the future. 

"Hehe," Cynthia giggled at his compliment before pulling him up from the bed and grabbing one of his hands to drag him out of the room. The pair held hands with one another out of the Pokemon Center and all the way to the restaurant where Xander had set up a reservation in case they got busy. 

And it was lucky that he did. Thanks to the Great Crusade, all of the restaurants were filled to the brim. When the pair arrived, they saw that the restaurant was full as well. Since Xander made a reservation, they could get a table in 30 minutes. 

"Thanks," Xander thanked the host before walking outside with Cynthia and sitting on a nearby bench. Waiting 30 minutes was nothing as long as they got to eat there. 

When Xander and Cynthia took a seat, they noticed a petite girl with black hair and a white bow in it. She was wearing a black and white dress that resembled the Gothic Lolita style that was popular among some anime fans and cosplayers. 

"So cute," Cynthia said subconsciously when she looked at the girl. The girl in question seemed to have heard this and shrunk up subconsciously. 

"T-T-Tha-Thank you," the girl said shyly with her head down. She looked up for a moment, her blue eyes meeting Cynthia's before looking down again. "Yo-You look cute too."

"Thank you!" Cynthia gushed, loving the girl's voice. It made her sound even cuter than she already looked. "Are you planning on eating at the Goat's Horn too?"

The girl shook her head and then nodded before shaking her head once again. It seemed like she truly wanted to eat there but hadn't made a reservation so she couldn't eat dinner or try their desserts. 

Cynthia and Xander shared a look before Xander sighed and walked back to the restaurant to see if he could add another person to their reservation. When he came back, he gave Cynthia the 'OK' symbol with his hands. 

"Do you want to eat with us? We would love another companion," Cynthia offered with a gentle smile. She could tell that the girl was shy so she couldn't be too friendly without scaring her away. She was timid like a Summer Deerling. 

The girl looked at Cynthia and saw her gentle smile, getting sucked into it to the point where she unconsciously nodded. Once she noticed what she had done, she wanted to back out but it was too late. 

"Perfect. My name is Cynthia and the silent guy over there is Xander. What's your name?"

"H-hi, I'm Marley," the girl greeted quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. 

"Such a pretty name for a cute girl. I can't wait to have dinner and dessert together," Cynthia then went on to speak with Marley, doing most of the talking with Marley interjecting every now and then. 

Cynthia was able to learn that Marley was also a trainer and that she had even won her 3rd badge the day before. Marley was from a small town near Sunyshore City and she was planning on competing in Junior Conference that year. Most importantly, Marley was also a generalist trainer like Cynthia and, unknown to him, Xander. She had a Sneasel, Zubat, and Growlithe as her current partners. 

Thanks to all of Cynthia's talking, 30 minutes quickly passed by and the trio could enter the restaurant to eat dinner. 

They were sat at a booth where Cynthia and Marley sat on one side while Xander sat on the opposite side. This was a move by Cynthia to put Marley at ease. 

If she sat with Xander on the opposite side, Marley would feel pressured by having both of them against her and if she sat opposite Xander and Marley, then Marley may have been put off by siting next to a person she hadn't really spoken with. SO Cynthia chose the safest option of the three. 

A waitress came by soon and took their orders while serving them glasses of orange juice and water and placing a small jug of Gogoat milk on the table with small shot glasses. 

Xander poured a glass of milk for everyone while the girls ordered their food before Xander ordered his. 

"I'll take 3 scrambled eggs, 2 sausages, and 2 pieces of bacon, pork for both," Xander ordered, wanting a light meal so he could fill up on dessert. 

The waitress thanked them and took their menus before leaving the trio to enjoy their little date. 

'That little guy is a playboy. He has two girls while I can't even get a guy to call me back,' her shoulders slumped as she thought about her latest rejection, misunderstanding Xander's relationship with the girls. 

The trio made some small talk but stopped talking once the piano started playing. Xander and Marley were just listening casually but Cynthia got really into it. The piano was her favorite music and she could listen to someone play it for hours. 

The food arrived 10 minutes later and the trio immediately dug into it. The food smelled amazing and tasted even better. Even though Xander only ordered some basic dishes, they still tasted better than others he had eaten before. 

'These guys must use some great spices and very fresh ingredients.'