GUYS I THINK I WROTE A BATTLE THAT IS NOT COMPLETE FAIL. I don't get why Rampardos can learn Fire Punch. Look at its stubby l'il arms. Or Surf. I have a lot of questions.

Spelonberry: Thanks for the review! Honestly, I thought it was the other way around! It's a lot easier for me to write Roark than Riley, so I guess when I sit down to write his chapters I just sort of let everything pour out...? Being that Roark is the physical embodiment of the trope "break the cutie" in this story, let's just say he's gone through a lot of suffering. A lot. But let's face it, he's friggin' Roark. He's that ditzy nerd with the personality of sunshine who talks to rocks and uses "fossil" as a verb. He can't be all angst all the time. To me, that just isn't him, but I don't think he's happy and cutesy all the time either. I thank you for your critique and will take it into consideration, but I think you said it best-he's a whole big blob of grey, an awkward, confused person who's trying to sort out a mess of feelings. Also I just realized how much of a sausage fest this thing is. Gardenia has a bit part in this chapter by way of instant message and Fantina will also play a major role eventually. I'm also toying around with the idea of adding Cheryl, Maylene, Lenora, Skyla, and Flannery to the major/supporting character roster.

Tsunayoshi Uni Sawada: G-Gomen. Maybe tensaishipping for another story, yes? He has reasons. Horrifying reasons. Thanks for always reviewing!

CyanSkye602: NO THAT'S NOT SAD THAT'S THE NICEST THING EVER. His plot isn't changing, but more details of it are simply being revealed as the story goes on and on. Thanks for the review!

NinjaGirlRebecca: This isn't the last you've seen of Steven! There'll be more rocks soon. ;D Thanks!

Chapter 7: Honesty

Roark

"Graveler! Use Rollout!"

"Lucario! Dodge by jumping over Graveler!"

My slow Graveler curls up into a ball and launches himself at Riley's speedy Lucario, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake. The field we're battling on has been completely torn up by now, not surprising since he's forced me to fight all day. I don't normally like to push my Pokémon too hard. I think they should get their rest… but Riley has a different opinion on the matter, apparently.

He wasn't lying when he said he was a slave driver.

This is what I get for only being able to fight Roxanne, Leader of Rustboro City, to a standstill. We exchanged badges, but Riley scolded me.

"I won't be satisfied until you can clearly defeat an opponent!" he chastised.

I feel as exhausted as my team, and my lips are parched dry. The wind is harsh and it turns my own hair into a whip against me; my protection is my helmet, but Riley's hat keeps getting blown off.

It would be hilarious, if he weren't curb stomping me even with that hindrance.

Sure, I managed to take down his Gallade with Larvitar's spamming Dark Pulse, and I guess it's a small blessing I managed to win him his first battle… but it's not saying much since I fainted him right afterwards. Those Fighting-Type moves aren't good news for him, or any member of my team, for that matter.

But this friggin' Lucario.

Even if I can land a hit, it just shrugs it off like it's nothing. He's got this thing immaculately trained; now I can see why even my Dad has trouble fighting against him.

It's like he and Lucario are one entity, like Riley's the one doing the fighting himself.

Can you really blame me for idolizing him?

Predictably, Lucario jumps up at the last moment, and as he's right over Graveler's back, Riley cries:

"Now use Close Combat!"

"Graveler! Get out of the way!"

But he's too slow. Lucario deftly punches and kicks at the unsuspecting Rock-Type, leaping off and landing on all four paws as his opponent loses control and slams into a boulder. There's a huge bang, and the boulder shatters over Graveler, raining down on him on all sides. When the dust clears, he's lying very still.

"One… two… three… Graveler is unable to battle!" Riley calls. He's also officiating this match. He insisted on making me battle like I would as a Gym Leader. That means he always gets the honor to go first, and I can't substitute Pokémon mid-match. It sounds unfair, but I understand why he's doing it. He wants to challenge me as much as possible. "Lucario wins."

"Graveler, return." I command him back into his Poke Ball, and bite my lip. "I'm sorry," I whisper to the object. Great. That leaves me with two Pokémon left. Aerodactyl and Rampardos. Rampardos' Poke Ball is shaking with anticipation. All right, I'll send him out next. His Lucario is weakened, as it's teetering and frothing at the mouth—so maybe Rampardos' Flamethrower will take it out.

Still, though…

It's like Riley can perfectly anticipate what I'm going to do next.

It's like Riley can perfectly anticipate what I'm going to do next!

Shit!

Why didn't I realize it earlier?

I glance at Riley. He has his right hand outstretched, a blue glow emanating from it. When we make eye contact, he abruptly draws it back to his side.

"You must keep calm and read your opponent, not focus on their Pokémon exclusively."

Oh. Oh. Ohhhhhhh.

His words come back to me. So that's what he meant! I remember Riley once trying to explain his Aura powers to me… when he's got his hands stretched out like that, he's given a crude sense of precognition. He's been reading me like a book all along!

But he also told me how to disrupt Aura reading… he told me a funny story once, involving a Mothim, some honey, and some roughnecks…

That's it!

"Aerodactyl! Let's do this!"

I send out my Aerodactyl. He immediately takes to the air and scans the ground for his opponent.

Even far away, I can see Riley's eyes light up.

"Good choice!" He calls. "Now I can't use Lucario's Bone Rush and the Fighting advantage is cut somewhat! But don't relax quite yet!"

Oh, I'm not.

"Lucario, send an Aura Sphere at Aerodactyl!"

"Lucar!"

A blue ball of energy glows in Lucario's cupped paws, but I'm ready for it. The Aura Sphere comes rocketing toward Aerodactyl, but this time I know what to do.

"Aerodactyl! Fly up until you're out of the Aura Sphere's range!"

If Lucario's a rocket, then my Aerodactyl is lightning. Aerodactyl shoots up until he's but a little dot in the sky, and I command, "Now plummet down and prepare Ice Fang!"

"Ice Fang, Roarkie? That's not going to do—ahh! Close Combat, Lucario! Now!"

Lucario lunges at the Aerodactyl, fists glowing for the attack.

"Swerve and circle!" Aerodactyl does as he's told, and cleanly misses Lucario's devastating Close Combat. It howls with frustration. Good. Its defense and special defense have now been lowered two stages as a result of its using said move. Aerodactyl circles one more time, and just as he's between Riley and Lucario, I command: "Aerial Ace! But don't assault Lucario!"

"What are you…?"

He slashes the air mid-gust, sending two powerful jets at Riley and Lucario simultaneously. Riley is knocked back a bit, and Lucario buries his claws in the ground to keep from falling over. Riley flinches and tries his best to rub the dirt out of his eyes as fast as possible, but the Aura connection's broken—at least for now. Lucario just sits there, unsure of what to do now that he's lost the mental link with his trainer.

"Earthquake!" I bellow. "Hustle!"

Aerodactyl wastes no time, and the ground shakes violently. We have to brace ourselves as the field goes up in dust. When everything settles, my Aerodactyl is still circling above, not a scratch on him, and the Lucario is lying unconscious.

"One… two… three… Lucario is unable to battle! Aerodactyl wins! Lucario, return." He pauses for a moment, brushing some of the dust off his blazer. "There's more to battling than brute force. See how good you are when you use strategies? Brilliantly done, Roarkie!"

I blush a little. He complimented me!

"But this isn't over yet. Breloom, I choose you!" He sends out his little mushroom… kangaroo and it chirps with joy.

A Breloom?

What is he thinking?

I should be able to utterly destroy it. Don't tell me he's going easy on me…! I won't allow it!

"Breloom, use Swords Dance," he says coolly. He outstretches his hand once more, and a spark of blue flickers once, twice, but fades out. His Aura is still disrupted. Good. Now he won't know what I'm going to do.

"Use Aerial Ace, and this time, hit Breloom!"

One wing whips out, then two, and a deep slash appears across Breloom's chest. It screams in pain and falls to its knees.

Ouch. That looks pretty painful.

I feel sorry for it. The best thing to do is put it out of its misery and faint it, I guess.

"Okay, Aerodactyl. Aerial Ace, one more time!"

"Breloom! ThunderPunch, now!

Aerodactyl's retaliation gives the slow Breloom just enough time to hit him squarely in the jaw. Jolts of electricity course across the span of his head, and he lands, squawking loudly and walking on his silly tiny legs.

Breloom wasn't even hit.

Aerodactyl's muscles seize up suddenly, and he growls. He's paralyzed. Oh well. With some luck, I should be able to take care of the Breloom with one last Ice Fang.

"Use Ice Fang!"

Aerodactyl shudders and jerks, but is unable to move forward. Well. I guess I jinxed it when I wished for luck.

"Okay, Breloom, use ThunderPunch once more."

A brilliant flash, and then it's all over for Aerodactyl.

"One… two… three… Aerodactyl is unable to battle! Breloom wins!"

I withdraw him, and Riley withdraws his Breloom as well. I'm pleased with Aerodactyl, though. I'll have to work more with him.

"Rampardos, it's up to you now."

"Absol, bring me the win."

The horned creature lands in front of Rampardos. It looks fragile as a twig, yet there's strength and confidence in its gaze. I fumble a bit, thinking of what to do.

Gardenia's scared of Ghost-Types. I make fun of her a lot for it. But there's a Pokémon I fear, too. That's Absol. When I was just a little boy one Absol came down from Mt. Coronet and showed it to me. Of course, just being a kid who'd never seen one before, I got a kick out of the "fluffy white Pokémon" and played with it a bit. But my Mom freaked when I told her about it and a few hours later…

I shake myself out of it.

This is no time to think about what happened years ago.

It's just a random Absol. It has a trainer. It means no harm.

So I turn off the unsure part of my brain and search for a way to defeat it. Zen Headbutt won't work, but then I remember—it absolutely cannot take a hit. This early into the bout, Head Smash shouldn't hurt Rampardos too much.

"Use Future Sight," Riley commands.

"Head Smash!"

"Dodge!"

But it's too slow. Rampardos once again becomes folded in blue, and he rams full force into the creature. The impact even makes a crater in the dirt. The Absol stands back up, weak and shaking. There's blood dripping from its mouth and its back leg is skewed the wrong way. And its horn is… snapped in half…

So it REALLY can't take a hit. Rampardos gargles and looks down at it. He cocks his head and calls out to me.

"Rampa!"

I see. He won't fight it anymore. If he does he'll kill it.

"Riley, stop the bout!" I shout from my end.

"Eh? What's wrong?"

"What do you think is wrong? Get it to a Pokémon Center right now!"

"Roarkie… you're a sweetie. Stop being a sweetie. This is combat we're in! Focus on the match! She's not going to die or anything."

"How do you know that?"

"She's taken worse."

"Wait… so you let your team get this beat up?" I raise my voice in anger. "You should know when to stop!"

"And you should know when to keep going! For one with a battling style so brutal, you sure are soft!"

"Riley…"

"They won't get any tougher if you don't push them. She will be fine. Trust me."

"But…"

"Trust me."

"All right…" I'm not sure how I feel about this.

"Absol, use Perish Song."

"Okay, now that definitely will kill her…!"

But the Absol sings the incantation, in a pained, strained voice. With that, she finally gives out, and faints.

"One… two… three… Absol is unable to battle! Rampardos wins."

"Rampa…"

"Let me use a Revive on her at least…"

"There'll be no need for that!" Riley fishes a small machine out of his pocket and hooks the Absol's Poke Ball up to it. I cock my head, trying to figure out what that thing is. "Don't waste your precious items on the enemy. I've gotten this taken care of. Now, Roark, you've fainted half my team but only have three turns left before your Rampardos faints. Possibly less, if Future Sight takes a hard toll. What are you going to do?"

"I…" I have to trust him on his word that the Pokémon will be all right. Scared of it or not, nothing deserves to be hurt that badly. "I'm going to keep fighting."

"Excellent. Go, Breloom."

I raise an eyebrow at his odd choice to send out Breloom when it's already so injured.

"Rampardos, use Fire Punch."

At first he's hesitant to fight, but then he gets his confidence back and thrusts a great plume of fire at the Grass-and-Fighting-Type.

Gardenia would cry if she saw this.

"Breeeeee…." It moans, and it faints.

"One… two… three… Breloom is unable to battle! Rampardos wins!"

Future Sight activates and sends my Rampardos into epileptic fits of agony, but he manages to stay up.

Until he curls up into a little ball with his tail nestled over his head like he does when he sleeps.

Oh boy.

"Breloom's ability is Effect Spore," Riley explains cheerfully. "Your Rampardos is now asleep and has only two turns left before it faints. What do you do now?"

I curse beneath my breath. He took a fucking risky move, relying on an ability that doesn't guarantee sleep, but he did it. Let me guess. He recovered his Aura reading, and anticipated what was going to happen next.

Even if I use a berry to wake Rampardos up, I'll lose a turn.

Riley has two Pokémon left.

Checkmate.

That devious bastard.

That devious, brilliant, amazing, handsome bastard.

"Now, had you researched other kinds of Pokémon beforehand and learned about its possible Effect Spore, you could've given Rampardos a Chesto berry to hold and conceivably won this match. Never be frugal on using held items! Berries, for example, although difficult to find, can be grown quickly!"

Riley sends out his Salamence.

I wake Rampardos up, and lose a turn.

"Use Head Smash!"

"Use Protect! Good, Salamence! Now use Focus Energy!"

He doesn't even have to attack. Perish Song takes effect and Rampardos crumples to the ground.

"One… two… three… Rampardos is unable to battle! The winner is Riley from Canalave City."

I return Rampardos to his Poke Ball and sigh, kicking at the dirt as I approach Riley.

"You got me again." I force a smile.

"Why are you so upset? Yes, my Aura's working again." He winks at me and shows me the palm of his hand. A blue Aura glows strongly.

"Ah… you got me… again." I scratch the back of my neck. "It's just that… I've been fighting you all day, and I haven't won once…"

"But you were so close this time!"

"That just makes it worse!"

"Hmm…" He places his hand on my shoulder. My face heats up a bit. "You're so hard on yourself. You're as critical of yourself as your father. Lose a battle? TO IRON ISLAND! Make a grammatical error? TO IRON ISLAND! Burn your toast? TO IRON ISLAND!"
I can't help but giggle a bit. "R-Riley!"

"Ah, but Byron's like that, is he not? I bet the reason the iron ore's all played out in the mine there is because of his manic training! You two are so perfectionistic."

If I weren't wearing my helmet right now, I'd bet he'd ruffle my hair. And I'm kind of glad I am, because there's no way I would be able to handle that.

"Now, there's nothing wrong with wanting to win—by all means, do what you can to obtain it! But there is much to learn in losing, too. All experiences have something to offer. For example, your Larvitar is one step closer to becoming a mighty Tyranitar, right? I'll say one thing—this morning, you couldn't knock out any of my Pokémon at all! You're making fewer careless mistakes, and this is only in the span of a day. In this respect, you were excellent. Small victories are everywhere! You just have to look for them!"

"But I'm not very talented…"

"Who cares? Do it because you want to do it! Practice enough, and you'll meet up with even Cynthia's level eventually! And remember, I'm just good to you because I have way more experience. If I could count every tear I shed when I was learning how to battle as a young one I'd be swimming in an ocean. I'm a crotchety old man."

"You're ANYTHING but a crotchety old man! You're very handsome… uh… I mean, uh, that is to say, you're nice to look at. Er… not that I like to look at you or anything! You know, to girls!" I scrunch my eyes shut, flustered. That came out… awkward.

And… honest.

"Hmm… must be my personality, then, since I can't get a date!"

"Your personality is good too!" I blush, hard.

"Aha, you're so sweet. Maybe a little too sweet for your own good. My personality is good even when I'm being cruel?" He gives me a knowing smile.

"We have to get that Absol to Nurse Joy right away!" I remember, changing the subject.

Riley puts a finger to his lips and unhooks the Poke Ball from the machine. He presses the release hatch, and there's the Absol, looking good as new.

"Sol!" she chirps, as though nothing happened.

"A Pokémon restoration machine," Riley explains, "just like the ones they use in Centers, but smaller. I use it out in the field when my team is in a bad way and I'm too far from civilization. Come now," and he lifts up my chin so he forces me to make eye contact. I'm sweating with nervousness. "Did you really think I'd let my Absol suffer for so long? If I did, she'd hate my guts, and you don't want to make an Absol mad!"

"I was just… worried. Knowing you, you probably acted cruel to Absol like that to get me flustered and lower my guard…"

He beams and nods. "Smart boy. You have a lot of emotional energy like your father, but you can't make it work for you like he does. If you can't use your feelings to your own advantage, keep a poker face so your opponent can't tell. Know your opponent. Identify the enemy. Annihilate.

"You might find me terribly mean on the battlefield, but please, do remember I care for my team. Serious injuries like that aren't at all uncommon in high-leveled battles like this one, so I understand if it shocks you seeing it the first time. You have to keep in mind that Pokémon are much tougher than we are, and we have amazing veterinary technology. But we ought to heal your Pokémon, though, as well as my fainted ones. Since you've worked so hard all day, I'll buy you lunch."

"Eh? You don't h-have to do that!"

Why can't I talk to him like a reasonable human being?

"I insist. Let's go where you want to go."

"Ah…ah, okay!"

"Now, about your battling," he says as we walk back toward Rustboro. The wind is really strong now, and I can't wait to get inside and put on some chapstick or something. "Your offense is impeccable. But what I'm really impressed by is your speed! It's hard to make Rock-Types fast enough so they're up to snuff."

"You've gotta be fast when Gardenia's challenging you to battle every five seconds."

Riley chuckles. "She whipped you into shape, then. But what's not so good is your defense."

"Where have I heard this before?"

"Yes, your father says this a lot, doesn't he?" He smirks. "Maybe you'll listen to me, then. I have many exercises formulated in my mind for improving their defenses. We shall try them out soon."

"Oh…"

"But now that we know what's wrong with your Pokémon…" He stops and turns around to face me. The wind dies down, and all is quiet. "We have to find out what's wrong with Roarkie."

"Eh?" If the Absol incident didn't, this question takes me completely off guard. "I'm perfectly fine! What do you mean?"

"Oh, you know." He starts walking again, and I catch up with him. "You don't seem as confident as you used to. Your Aura—or at least, what I can get of your Aura—is shaken up."

"Oh, I'm just…" I manage weakly. How do I tell this to him? I can't dump all of my baggage on him at once. I can't tell him how I really feel about him… er, how I feel in general. My only option is to lie. "My work's gotten a lot more demanding. I'm very tired anymore."

"Yes, that's obvious." He grabs my arm, and his grip becomes viselike. "Perhaps Roarkie Pierrot is stressed out from work, or…" He leans into my ear, and my teeth chatter against my will. "… Or perhaps it's something else."

"Ah… ah…"

What is he trying to do?

What does he want from me?

I have nothing to offer.

But I'm saved as my Xtranceiver rings. I take it out in a flash and open it. I'm so spooked that I'm even willing to talk to Volkner… okay, maybe not that spooked, but at least I have a distraction. It's Gardenia. She's sent me an instant message.

Masterofplantpokes31 says: hey dork

Masterofplantpokes31 says: plants r better than rocks

PrehistoricFiend says: rocks are better than plants

PrehistoricFiend says: Fix'd

PrehistoricFiend says: What do you want

Masterofplantpokes31 says: i wanted to say hi

PrehistoricFiend says: Seriously

Masterofplantpokes31 says: wow ur nice

Masterofplantpokes31 says: did u get to hoenn safely

PrehistoricFiend says: No the ship sank and I drowned

Masterofplantpokes31 says: i dont like ghosts

Masterofplantpokes31 says: i ghost we cannot be friends anymore

PrehistoricFiend says: Good riddance

Masterofplantpokes31 says: haha fuck u

"Roarkie, who is that?" Riley leans over my Xtranceiver. I pull it away from him as fast as I can. "Is that how you normally speak to other Gym Leaders?"

"Only if they're Gardenia. Don't spy!"

"Oh, how gauche of me. I'll just keep walking and ignore you then."

"You don't have to…!"

Masterofplantpokes31 says: so where r u destroying the environment now

PrehistoricFiend says: Hoenn

Masterofplantpokes31 says: cute

PrehistoricFiend says: Rustboro

Masterofplantpokes31 says: what r u doing

PrehistoricFiend says: Hoping to eat lunch sometime

PrehistoricFiend says: You're not making it any easier

Masterofplantpokes31 says: so ur on a date with rileykins

Masterofplantpokes31 says: what happened to ur important mine stuff

Masterofplantpokes31 says: liar

I nearly drop the Xtranceiver, and I bite my lip until I can taste blood.

PrehistoricFiend says: No

PrehistoricFiend says: We are not dating

PrehistoricFiend says: Fuck

PrehistoricFiend says: Am I not allowed to eat

Masterofplantpokes31 says: haha ur adorable

Masterofplantpokes31 says: stop denying it

Masterofplantpokes31 says: candice thinks ur relationship is soooo cute

PrehistoricFiend says: YOU TOLD CANDICE WHAT

PrehistoricFiend says: CAN YOU KEEP YOUR FAT MOUTH SHUT FOR FIVE MINUTES YOU FATASS

Masterofplantpokes31 says: this conversation has devolved into petty insults now?

Masterofplantpokes31 says: ok if we r doin this then

Masterofplantpokes31 says: this is literally u

Masterofplantpokes31 says: HI IM ROARK

Masterofplantpokes31 says: I AM SHIT TIER GYM LEADER AND I JERK OFF TO FOSSILS

Masterofplantpokes31 says: BCUZ I WILL NEVER KNOW THE TOUCH OF A WOMAN

Masterofplantpokes31 says: wait

Masterofplantpokes31 says: *THE TOUCH OF A MAN

PrehistoricFiend says: Why did you tell LIES AND SLANDER to Candice

PrehistoricFiend says: She is even worse at keeping secrets than you

PrehistoricFiend says: If my dad gets wind of this I swear I will give you all the papercuts

Masterofplantpokes31 says: HA

Masterofplantpokes31 says: HAHAHAHA

Masterofplantpokes31 says: so u r dating lol

Masterofplantpokes31 says: i didnt tell her anything i just wanted to make u man up and admit it

PrehistoricFiend says: How many times do I have to say we are not dating

Masterofplantpokes31 says: then go ask him out

PrehistoricFiend says: Ok what do you really want

Masterofplantpokes31 says: bring me a souvenir

PrehistoricFiend says: Wow you don't even try to be subtle

PrehistoricFiend says: I was going to do that anyway

PrehistoricFiend says: If you shut up about Riley I will bring you a new plant poke

PrehistoricFiend says: Since you got me the Larvitar

Masterofplantpokes31 says: sweet

Masterofplantpokes31 says: but i warn you i have many grass types

PrehistoricFiend says: Not surprising

PrehistoricFiend says: Well I am officially starving

PrehistoricFiend says: This convo is now over

PrehistoricFiend says: See you later

Masterofplantpokes31 says: bye Roarkie

Masterofplantpokes31 says: have fun w/ ur sugar daddy

Masterofplantpokes31 has signed out

"What was that all about?" I mutter. Of course she just shanghaied me into catching something for her, but… I think a bit. Is a souvenir really all she wanted? Is she checking up on me? Does she legitimately think I can't take care of myself?

I'm not given a moment to ponder it further as the Xtranceiver rings again.

This time it's Flint.

"Sorry," I tell Riley.

He waves a dismissive hand, silently granting me permission to take the call. Pressing talk, I wait for Flint to speak first.

"Hey dude! Long time no talk!"

"Flint," I say evenly, "I know what you want, and the answer is no."

A heavy, audible sigh from the other end. "Won't you at least hear what he has to say?"

"No."

"Volkner!" cries Flint, away from the mouthpiece, but I can still hear him. "He's still pissed at you! Haha, dude, what the fuck did you do to him?"

So he has Volkner with him.

I must tread softly.

And carry a big stick.

Flint returns to the mouthpiece, pleading with me. "Come on, man. You know how he gets when he's depressed. As his best friend, I have to be a shoulder for him to lean on, but I also have to kick him the hell off it eventually! Do this for me? Pretty please?"

"No."

"Oh! Ouch! That burns! Look, he really wants to apologize."

"He won't mean it." My eyes narrow into slits, and I practically hiss into the receiver, "he's a selfish asshole who doesn't care for anyone but himself."

In the distance, I hear a strangled yell.

Flint must have me on speakerphone. Away from the mouthpiece, once more: "You done fucked up, Volkner! You made Sinnoh's friggin' Sweetheart hate your guts!"

Oh, I don't… hate him, exactly. At least he's not the one who thrust a pickaxe into my hand for shits and giggles.

But I don't think we can ever be friends again.

"Roark. Broski. Comrade. Luchadore. It's no big secret Volkner's an asshole, but he's a classy asshole. Can't you at least hear him out? You don't have to forgive him."

"No."

"Look… did he make you mad when he sprinkled salt on a Gastrodon?"

"He did what?"

"Did he insult you when he wanted to remodel your Gym?"

"No."

"Did he insult you when he insulted your battle skills?"

"No!" I snap. Riley gives me a long look, and I blush, lowering my voice. "He stole something very important from me."

"Can't he just give it back?"

"That would be impossible."

Flint pauses, and then he sounds very serious. "Is there anything—anything at all he can do to get you to listen?"

"Sure." I give a devilish smile. If he won't get the message right away, then at least I can toy with him a bit. "Here is what he must do. First, he must successfully breed a Shiny Cranidos with perfect IVs…"

"You're kidding me, right?"

"Nope. Then, he must journey naked up to Snowpoint's Temple, get said Cranidos blessed, and return south with the Holy Grail with a drink of purified water from the Fountain of Youth in it."

"Haha, oh god… Let me turn the speakerphone up a bit more. This is brilliant!"

"Next, he must swim the oceans from Sinnoh down here to Hoenn without spilling a drop of the purified water as he traverses them. No help allowed. Finally, he shall roll in mud and kneel down to me, kissing my feet as he self-flagellates with a spoon. He will then proceed to give me the Holy Grail, trade me the Cranidos for a Luvdisc, and he must forever keep the Luvdisc as his lead Pokémon from there on out. Then, and maybe then, will I consider forgiving him."

"So are you really that upset at him?"

"Of course not."

"Oh, cool. Then…"

"It's called 'sarcasm.' Look, Flint, I don't have anything against you, but you're really starting to try my patience. That's the offer and Volkner can take it or leave it."

"Okay, I'll ask Volkner what he thinks of it." Pause. "He says you're fucking crazy."

"Then tell Volkner he's dead to me and he should get the fuck out of my life!" I scream into the speaker.

Riley clasps me on the shoulder. I barely feel it, since I'm shaking with rage, but he nudges me just enough so we make eye contact and he gives me a pitying shake of the head.

"Sorry." I adjust my demeanor. "I didn't mean to blow up at you. You should probably stay out of this."

"Should I punch Volkner for you?" asks Flint.

Flint always has a way of making people laugh even when they're wallowing in the pits of despair. I can't help but give a snicker.

"If you want, I guess. But this is between Volkner and me. You already got Gardenia involved… I don't want the rest of the Sinnoh League trying to rebuild this burnt bridge with nothing left to use but the ashes, do you hear? Tell Volkner to stop calling me. I'm swamped with very important contract work for someone who actually has an inkling of respect for me, and I don't need anymore distractions."

"Well… all right, man. I tried. I'll punch him anyway. He has a very punchable face."

"I agree with you on that. Ciao."

I hang up and practically slam the Xtranceiver back into my pocket. I'm bristling with anger. Great. That's the last thing I needed. I turn around to look at Riley again. This time, he has his Absol out, and he strokes the crown of her head, a frown on his face.

"I am sooo sorry about that," I say, trying to save face with him, but he just rubs my back in a circular motion. Some of my stress and anger melts away, and I'm left with the fading embers of fierce passion.

"Representative of Sunyshore, correct? So you're having a spat with him. I had a feeling something was wrong."

I sigh and stare at the ground. We start walking again, Rustboro's skyline looming ever nearer. "Ain't that obvious? What's sad is we were friends until a few months ago."

"Oh? What happened between you two?"

"Let's just say he doesn't value me until he needs me, and even then I'm still just a tool to him. I mean, I… I always want to believe in the intrinsic good of people, but he set down the straw that broke the Numel's back, and, well, I finally got the courage to get away from him."

"Sounds like he needs to learn a good deal of humility."

"Oh, man, where do I even begin?" I cross my arms and grimace. "He's so sheltered. Biggest spoiled brat I've ever met, even though he's older than me. He always gets what he wants and he takes it for granted!"

"Hmm…" Riley pauses and strokes his chin, in deep thought. "So you're saying he isn't very grown up. Well, Roarkie, people come from all walks of life." I don't reply to him. "And sometimes people just grow up faster than others. You, for example, had to grow up early. You had to go to work and for you, it was mature or die. In many respects, I think being rich can be a bad thing."

"Funny coming from your mouth. You're the most mature guy I know!"

"Now, don't you go lavishing all this praise on me. What I'm saying is, it seems you have a hard time putting yourself in other's shoes. Gain a new perspective. Think about possible factors that could make others different from you."

He's right. It is hard for me to understand sometimes. But I just can't forgive him. Good guys Riley and Gardenia, trying their best to help, but blind to the truth.

"As a teenage boy I was quite impetuous myself… Give him some time, and he'll catch up to you eventually. You have to be patient! Patience, Roarkie—on your battles, on your relationships—don't get ahead of yourself."

"What are you saying?"

"Well…" He gives me his million-dollar smile. "You tend to leap before you look. You're better than your father in this respect, but only in the sort of way that Byron tends to leap into pits of boiling magma whereas you only leap into vats of battery acid. Now, I want you to pretend you're some neutral entity. You're not Roark anymore. You have no biases. Think. Isn't there any good in Volkner?"

And I do think, and Riley is right, yet again.

He's not completely selfish. I mean, he hooked up the automated coal transport system when I couldn't figure it out, and he went out of his comfort zone on a camping trip with Gardenia and I once even though he knew (and still doesn't know) nothing about the wilderness, just for us, and he did stand up for me when everyone else was mocking me at the Battle Frontier a while back...

Volkner is brilliant, but stupid.

I can't deny he hurt me deeply, though.

"So I think you should at least give him a chance."

"I…"

"… But I feel your inner grief, and how deeply the wounds cut. That's why I can't force you to be up and ready to speak with him right away."

"I…" I clutch my arms defensively to my chest. It's the only thing I can do. I can't hide anything from him. He can just read me, take in my Aura like it's goddamn soup. I plant my feet in the ground and try to stay strong. I can't let him know about this year. It'll end up hurting him more than me, and when he inevitably tells Dad, I'm sure he'll never want anything to do with me ever again. Just like that dream I had on Slateport's beach.

And then I'll be alone again.

If the only way I can keep the people dearest to me safe from the truth is to grin and bear it, then so be it.

"You understand me more than I understand myself…"

"Sol…" An Absol brushes by my side. I seize up in fear, but reluctantly pet her when she repeatedly rams my side with her head. Her fur is as soft as I remember an Absol being, but when I look at her she is a bitter winter, a lonesome thing becoming one with the sheer cold. A feeling of dread passes over me, but then I feel—I feel peace, I guess.

Riley's looking at me, and I can't read his face. It's a dark, knowing look, like he has access to some horrible revelation but won't take action about it. He's a Honchkrow and a Fennekin and a Xatu, he is, his wings folded across his breast because he's too consumed by his own fear, and he'll never fly.

But what do I know?

I'm just a rock, something to be kicked aside and crushed. When you take a hammer and crack me open, even my innermost secrets are unremarkable in the face of the beauty and the terribleness of the world.

But then he returns to his usual soft smile. "She likes you!" he declares. "I think she's thanking you for looking out for her!" We cross into Rustboro, and enter the Pokémon Center. "No, Roark, I wouldn't say I understand you. I know you, but I don't understand you."

"B-but your fancy Aura thing! You can just take a look…"

"It's not that simple, I'm afraid. I should tell you I know how to read minds. I can read Byron's, so I understand him, but as for the son… he's a conundrum." We heal our Pokémon in silence, until he picks back up. "The only thing I know for sure is you suppress things. All living things give off Aura, though, so I can only take yours in because it… leaks, per say. Not a very elegant way of stating it."

"So you can't read my mind?"

"Nope! I can barely register anything from you!"

"A bit of a creepy thing to tell a guy." We exit the Center. Rampardos and Lucario are out of their Poke Balls again, rejuvenated and full of energy. "I mean… do you WANT to read my mind? You won't find much there. I'm just a simple boy. There are rocks in my head too, ya know, ahaha… I'm not doing anything to prevent you from…"

"And that's what puzzles me!" He leans into my face, too close for comfort, and I gulp. "I don't buy you're just a 'simple miner boy from Oreburgh who really likes fossils and that's about it.' Surely there's something else to you… And that's why I feel like I've never really understood you. I want to understand why you think the way you do, experience the things you've felt and seen, I want to know what hurts you and what emboldens you, what…"

"Riley! That's enough!" I didn't mean to snap at him, but he's scaring me. "If you're looking for something interesting, you're not gonna find it! You said it yourself: when it comes to me, what you see is what you get."

"Ah… I got ahead of myself." The wind's almost gone. "I should've known saying something like this to non-Users would be intimidating. I just want to let you know there's no way I can infringe your privacy."

"Well, I appreciate you told me what you're capable of." I give a small smile. "I'm glad you're honest to me. But I'm not that deep. If you want to know something, just ask."

"Okay then. What do you feel about me?"

"Eh?" I freeze. All the questions in the world, and he had to pick THAT one.

"I want your complete, honest opinion on me."

"I…" My knees knock. Oh Arceus, how do I approach this? My head is swimming, and I quicken my pace, trying to get away from him, but to no avail. "D-don't mess around, Riley. You know how I feel about you. I've told you everything you need to know…"

"Oh, so you legitimately think I'm perfect even though yesterday you acknowledged I wasn't perfect? Or maybe Roarkie's feeling something else he can't quite own up to." He closes his eyes and beams.

I feel like shutting down, but I don't. "S-stop creeping me out. Let's get some food."

"All right. I won't pursue it any further. How does that café over there look?"

I have no strong opinion on it, so I just let him escort me inside. We sit in silence, until the waitress comes in to take our orders.

"Umm… burger and fries, and the nachos," I say lamely, hiding behind my ice tea to avoid Riley's piercing gaze.

"My Lucario would like the open faced roast beef sandwich and mashed potatoes," starts Riley. The waitress gives him a funny look. "And as for me, the hummus plate." This time, I give him a funny look. Why would he order humus for lunch?

"So… do you always order topsoil for lunch?" I ask him as the waitress leaves.

Riley cocks his head, so his hat topples over his face. "What? Wait… what?"

"You just ordered humus! You know, that layer of soil rich in decomposed material and minerals…"

"Oh." Suddenly, he bursts into laughter, maniacal laughter that causes everyone in the restaurant to stare at us. "Oh! OH!" Shaking with mirth, he can barely get out his next sentence. I shrink further behind my glass. "R-Roarkie… I ordered hummus, not humus! It's a M-Middle Eastern chickpea dip… ahahaha!"

"D-don't laugh at me!" I'm red as a beet and indignant at the same time. "It's not my fault I don't know your fancy foreign foods!"

"I-I'm sorry. It's just too c-cute and funny… ahahaha…!"

H-he thinks I'm cute? I'm pretty sure I outgrew that by the time I hit twelve…

"But do you really not know what it is? Is there any contact with the outside world in Oreburgh at all?"

"Ahhh… Why are you even friends with me?"

"Hmm?"

"I mean…" I cross my arms and lean back in my chair. "We're worlds apart. You're sophisticated and well traveled and probably know lots more important people you'd rather be with than me. And I'm just really nothing compared to you!" I grip my glass tighter.

Why did it have to be him?

Why did it have to be my Dad's male best friend?

Why couldn't it have been Gardenia, or, shit, Candice or something?

Why do I want someone I can never have like this?

Pay attention. Here's the third lie I've told myself: I don't know what I'm feeling. Hell, I could make a drinking game out of how many lies I tell myself because I'm such a damned coward.

Truth is, deep down I know maybe—just maybe—I might be falling for him—just a little (absol-fucking-lutely), but I hate myself for it.

I'm such a freak.

If I told him, what would I get out of it? He'd probably want nothing to do with me anymore. I already lost my Mom. I don't want Dad hating me too. And I don't want to lose my friends in the mines… what if they tried to hurt me? I know they would. And Gardenia says it's okay, but I don't know. Is she just teasing me? Is she being genuine? What about the rest of the League? Would they turn on me too?

I've worked so hard to get everything I have. I can't lose it. If I never admit it out loud to him or myself for my own greater good, then so be it.

"Are you okay?"

I snap back into reality and find I've practically shrunken beneath the table. I straighten up.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I mutter.

"Now what's this about 'people I'd rather be with?' I chose to be friends with you and Byron, and that is that!"

"It's just that… look at me." I furrow my brow. "I don't know how anyone could like me. I'm just… I don't know. I'm dirt poor. I'm too much of a nerd. I have bad social skills. I can't even… I can't even talk to you! And I'm homely and…"

Slap.

"Bad boy!" Riley snarls at his Lucario, paw outstretched at me. On my face, a red welt in the shape of said paw. I guess it's true what they say. They really can understand human language. "Roark, I'm sorry… I don't know what got into him…"

"No, it's okay." I nurse my cheek and give a smile. "I needed that, actually. So in a sense, he's a good boy."

"I'll find a way to punish him, although, I can't help but agree with what he's telling me."

"Huh?"

"Telepathy." He grins. "Want to know what Lucario and I think?"

"… Okay."

"The gist of it is… how dare you put yourself down like that! I won't deny you're different, but you're yourself, and I admire that about you! It's fine to like fossils and want to share what you know. I wish I'd be doing anything half as constructive as you most of the time!"

"R-really?"

"Although, it's probably a bad idea to overwhelm people with too many facts at one time, yes?"

"Uh… You really admire me?"

"Sure I do. See this hat?"

"It's pretty hard to miss…"

"Hah! I'd always liked this hat, but years ago I was too worried about what others would think of me, so I dressed 'normally,' so to speak. But I'd watch you and Byron, and see how you enjoyed the things you liked without much thought on outsiders' opinions, so I decided, if you can have that sort of courage, then so can I."

"Oh…" A smile tugs at my lips.

"Nobody else might like this hat, but I do, and that's all that matters. Your friends don't have to like the same things as you do or even agree with you, but if they won't accept you for who you are, they aren't your real friends at all! Besides, liking fossils is only one part of you. You have many qualities—you're kind, you're responsible, you're fiercely passionate about what matters to you… What isn't to like?"

"S-stop!" I blush yet again, for, like, the thirtieth time today.

"And so modest, too! And what makes you think you're homely? Oh… do you have a crush?" He winks at me, and my tongue-ties itself in knots. Not just a knot. Multiple knots.

"Uh… m-maybe?"

"I thought so! Well, whoever this person is, I'm sure he finds you appealing. There are always people who like your sort of look."

"Oh… okay… wait! What do you mean by he?" I come on way stronger than what is necessary, but Riley only shrugs and takes a sip of water.

"It was a slip of the tongue. My bad."

I'm not sure I believe him. Riley is, after all, this omnipotent eye that sees all due to his power. Then again, he did say he couldn't read me, but I just don't know. He's a mystery.

"Things always work themselves out. I don't want you to go insulting yourself anymore. A bit of healthy criticism is fine, but don't defeat yourself."

The food comes, and I feed Rampardos a nacho. He snaps it up, and I can feel the strong force he exerts even though he's not biting me.

"Hey, Riley?" I murmur after a bit. I swirl a fry around in ketchup, back and forth, back and forth.

Condiment pendulum.

"Hmm? What is it?"

"I was just wondering… have you ever fallen in love before?"

"Oh?" He gives me a look that suggests he knew I was going to say that all along. "No, I can't say I have, Roarkie."

"Oh… so you don't know what it's like, then?"

"Well, I don't think there's one good way to describe how love feels. I think it's something you just know based on intuition. But I'd also say that when you really love somebody, you really want to make them happy and see them grow into a better person."

"That's… interesting." I stop swirling the fry.

"What is?"

"I was just thinking about those letters you wrote me, and… it's just... it seems you've always been there for me. I want to… I want to be the same for you. I know you're much wiser than me, but if there's anything I can do to support you, I…"

"And now I have a question for you." I cock my head, but don't make a sound. He continues anyway. "Tell me, do you believe in destiny?"

"Destiny?" Okay, that's a random question. "Well, based on my own experiences, I've never felt like I've been 'destined' for anything, so not really. I think to say one's destined for anything is a little vain, to be honest. Are we not all the same in the eyes of Arceus, after all?"

"So, you don't feel like you're meant for greatness or infamy…?" His eyes blaze, and he's lost interest in his food. It makes my heart pound, knowing he's engrossed in what I have to say.

"Well, of course there are some things that can't be helped. Like if you're born poor, it's hard to get out of that rut, and you can't control if you lose a limb or something like that… but when it gets down to it, I believe completely in free will. I think no outside forces can mold you into who you choose to be."

"Hmm…"

"What do you think of that?"

"I'd say you're a little naïve."

"Oh… I…" I rub the back of my head and grin. "I get that a lot. But that's what I think."

"But what if your life was inseparably entwined with someone else's? What if everything in your life depended on that person? And what if you loved that person so much you would die for him or her?"

"Uh…" I stop and bite my lip. Then I close my eyes and smirk. "Sounds romantic. But even I'm not naïve enough to believe in that. But on second thought, I might just die for someone."

"Romantic… or a little bit dark? Anyway, as fascinating as this discussion is, we should eat before our food gets cold. We won't be eating until we get to Dewford tonight, you know. The Gym Leader there uses Fighting-Types. It'll be good for you to challenge him."

"Yeah, yeah. One more question."

"Yes?"

My smirk grows more pronounced.

"Can I try that hummus stuff?"

"Of course. But you owe me a fry in exchange."

"Deal!"

Riley is a strange person, but he is a good person. When I'm full of self-hatred, he makes me feel at peace. I know he's not without his faults, but to me he's everything I've ever wanted. Just being with him makes me happier than I can ever describe, and he doesn't even have to work at it.

And maybe that's why I love him so damn much.