Chapter12: Training, Friendship and Concussions?

Riley had collapsed on his back from sheer exhaustion. He panted and panted, but couldn't catch his breath. "Why… Do… We… Have to… Run… Every morning…?"

"Because lazy bones, it is a good warm up! Now c'mon Riley! We have one more mile!" Aurora grabbed Riley by the arms and pulled him up only to have him slim from her grip and flop back down and hit his head on the rocks beneath him.

"Ouch! What was that about?" Riley sat up and rubbed the back of his head.

Aurora stood with her hands over her mouth and eyes wide with regret and sorry. "Oh my god Riley! I'm so sorry, are you okay?"

"Ow, that hurts. Of course I'm not alright! My head bounced! Urg…"

Aurora sat besides Riley and took an ice pack out of her bag and put it on the back of his head. Riley muttered a thanks and Aurora slapped his right arm. "Ouch! What was that for?"

"You lazy bones, if only you had gotten up when I tried to pull you up we'd be done by now! Now you have to risk a concussion." Aurora frowned at him and shook her head.

"Well I would've stood up if we didn't have to run so far!" Riley winced in pain as the volume of his voice made his head throb.

They sighed in unison and sat on the rocks watching the ocean. Aurora glanced over at Riley. "How's your head?"

"… Okay… But the noise hurts…" Riley never took his eyes off of the crashing waves. Each time the water made contact with the rocks he braced himself for a throb of pain that surged through his head.

"Can you stand?"

"I don't know…"

"C'mon let's see." Aurora stood up and took his arm and helped him up.

At first everything seemed fine until Riley began to lose his balance and almost fall. If it weren't for Aurora being there to catch him he would've fallen over for sure. "Alright, that's enough sit back down." Riley did and it was a rush doing so. "Riley look at me kay?" He did and Aurora seemed to gaze into him but she closed her eyes and shook her head. "I'm afraid that you do have a concussion Riley. C'mon, we should get you back to the Pokémon center."

"Whoa! Walking? Are you sure that's such a good idea?"

"Don't worry Riley, I'm here. I'll even call out Gardevoir to help, kay?"

"I guess… If I don't puke first…" Riley's face turned a slight shade of green and Aurora knew why.

"You're a little… Okay a lot dizzy from the head injury. It'll take me and Gardevoir to get you back." She called out her trusted partner and she already knew what had to be done. That was one of the perks of having a psychic Pokémon as your partner.

They each took one of Riley's arms and put them around their shoulders to keep him standing. Riley began to sway a little no matter how hard he tried to keep steady. The Pokémon center was almost there when Riley's eye lids began to fall. "Hey Riley! You have got to stay awake for at least two hours okay? Just try."

"Mmm, kay…"

Nurse Joy saw this sight when they entered and rushed to their sides. "Oh my! Is he okay Aurora?"

"Well just a few aspirins and a nap in a few hours and he should be okay. Don't worry Nurse Joy, he is in good hands! If we need your help we won't hesitate."

"Okay, I'll run and get the medicine then okay?"

"Thank you Nurse Joy!"

"Urg… Who let the Spearows out?"

"C'mon Riley… Let's get you to the room."

"Oh… Kay…"

Aurora couldn't help but to smile at her friend. They finally reached their room and Gardevoir handed Riley over to Aurora so that she could open the door. Aurora held Riley up by his arm around her shoulders and he could barely walk straight. Their destinations were different. Riley wanted to lie down but Aurora knew that he couldn't, so she dragged him to the chair.

"Here Riley, sit down here." She placed him in the chair and placed the ice pack on the back of his head.

"Ouchy…"

"Yeah that's what happens when your head bounces off iron filled rocks Riley." Aurora helped him hold the ice pack on his head as she knelt down next to him.

Riley was staring off into the distance, or the wall. She couldn't be sure. "Have I ever told you I love you…?"

Aurora stared at him shocked for a second, caught off guard by the loopy Riley's question. "Umm…"

Aurora was saved when Nurse Joy walked into the room with the medicine. Praise the lord! I can give him the medicine and he'll be better!

"Here you go Aurora. I'm sorry it took so long, but I'm backed up a little at the moment with many Pokémon to look after."

"Oh it's quite alright Nurse Joy. I'm sure that by tomorrow morning Riley will be better. Granted he will be in more pain by then, but he should be fine." Aurora gave Nurse Joy a smile and she returned the gesture and walked out of the room closing the door softly behind her.

"Riley? You have to stay up okay?" Aurora got up and got a glass of water for Riley. Once the water was cool she gave the pills to Riley to put in his mouth and took the glass of water. "There, you should be better in a couple of hours okay?" Aurora said softly as not to cause his head to throb.

"Let's play truth or dare!" Riley exclaimed and tried to stand.

Riley fell forward and Aurora and Gardevoir caught him and pushed him back down. "What? Riley, truth or dare works if you have more than two people!"

"We can call out our Pokémon!"

Both Gardevoir and Aurora sighed at their friend's gullible state. "No Riley. We can play… Umm…"

"Checkers?"

"Do we even have a checker board…?"

Riley shrugged his shoulders and put his head back to stare at the ceiling. "I'm tired…" Riley let out a large yawn and Aurora smiled sympathetically.

She put his head back up and put the ice pack back on the back on his head. "I know Riley… Just a couple of hours then you can go to bed, okay?"

"Mmmmmm…" He nodded his head slightly and mouthed the word okay. He was still staring off into the distance.

"How are you feeling Riley?"

"Tired… And a little numb…" He shifted a little in the chair to find a better spot.

Aurora took Riley's hand and made him hold the ice pack for a few minutes. She recalled Gardevoir and pulled up a chair for herself. Then she took the ice pack back. They sat there in silence for about a half an hour and Aurora made sure that Riley stayed awake. He didn't exactly enjoy it but he knew he had to.

"Hey Riley?"

"Hmm?"

"How are you feeling now?"

"Like crud. I hope that that aspirin works soon…" Riley glanced over to Aurora and caught her smiling at him. "What is it?"

"You're finally making sense!"

"Well the Spearow finally stopped flying." Riley smirked at that thought.

"Well, since we can't physically train, do you want to discuss battle tactics?"

"Why not…"

Aurora smiled and they sat there quietly talking about what to do in certain situations, and how to get out of a type disadvantage jam. They talked and talked throughout the rest of the night and Riley began to gather his wits slowly again. They spent the rest of the night just talking about random things until it was nearly midnight, then the room was silent for the rest of the night.