Hey guys sorry about the LONG break there! ^_^ I've been trying to keep up with the story but no words were comming to me so I hope this will suffice for now!
Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon either...

A Short Journey 13

A couple of weeks did both Aurora and Riley great good. Riley became stronger in his battling skills, confidence, and well stronger. Aurora made a friend other than a Pokémon and one that she can trust. They became very close, one closer than the other. Aurora taught Riley to speak to his Pokémon and how to listen to them, he was still getting the hang of it… but he was learning none the less. By the third week Aurora decided that it was time to leave Iron Island to Canalave City for Riley's last rematch.

"Aurora, are you sure that we should leave? I mean Iron Island is great isn't it? We can go off and run in the morning, train until dark and talk until midnight every night!"

Aurora glanced behind her to look at Riley. "You hate the morning runs I thought. Besides we can do those other things all over Sinnoh! We don't have to stay here at Iron Island."

Riley ran to catch up to Aurora. "I lied! I love the morning runs, and sure Iron Island doesn't have very much vegetation, I agree. You can't beat home!" Riley opened his arms wide and had a huge grin on his face.

Aurora smiled and ducked under his arm to continue their walk around Iron Island. "It isn't just that there aren't forests or anything. I'm just not used to staying in one spot for long… This is the longest I've stayed at an island at one time. It may be home to you Riley but my home is everywhere."

Riley's smile disappeared. "Am I keeping you here, Aurora?"

She turned around and looked at Riley. "Yes… I mean no… Well… I was only staying here for a few days initially, but then I ran into you here. So I've been giving Rowan my info through the Pokémon center's PC. So you're the reason I'm still here."

Riley's head dropped a little with his hat's brim covering his face. "Oh… I don't mean to be a burden to you Aurora… Honestly…"

"Oh Riley!" Aurora pulled him into a big hug. "How can you be a burden to me? It's just a little weird staying in one spot is all! Besides I really want to see your gym battle with…" She pulled away from Riley. "What did you say his name was again?"

"Derek…"

"Wow such bitterness… Other than him always making you lose, what did he do to you?"

Riley felt the blood rush into his cheeks and tilted his head down a little to hide it. "Nothing…" Aurora took it as shame for losing so many battles.

She let out a long depressing sigh. She took Riley's shoulder and guided him to the ferry service. "C'mon now Riley… We're going to settle this conflict once and for all!"

Riley began to panic a little. "What? So soon, but why?"

"Because you'll never live it down until you beat the living daylights out of…"

Riley rolled his eyes. "…Derek…"

"Derek! Thank you… Yes until you beat Derek… You know… I knew a Derek once in my past… He was quite a cocky trainer. He thought he could win them all. He did until he met me of course!" Aurora broke into a run with Riley dragging behind her. She finally let go when it turned into a race.

In between breaths of air Riley thought of what could happen in all sorts of scenarios. If I win Aurora might want to travel with me some more… However if I lose she might feel stressed and like all of her hard work to help me was for nothing… Also what if I win and she thinks me to be a show off and she won't want to travel with me… Then if I lose she'll be so happy that she'll have another excuse to stay behind again… But what if I am burdening her? How can I still travel with her at all? She's seen it all I bet… so what if she doesn't want to go with an amateur like me? Many of these thoughts seemed to toy with his mind even after they boarded the ferry.

Aurora breathed in heavily. "Isn't the sea air great when the wind blows right in your face? I love it!"

Riley sighed and looked down into the water. "Yeah… It's great, really great…"

Aurora looked curiously at him. She laid her head down on the rail to see Riley's face better. "Is anything the matter Riley?"

He shook his head. "No, just thinking about the gym battle…" Aurora looked at him for a while then stood up on the rail and Riley panicked at the sight. "What are you doing?"

She smiled and spread her arms out. "You can't live in thought Riley! You have to live in the now, then at night is when you can think. In the now is where you need to really focus Riley!" She leaned backward and did a small flip back on the deck of the ferry.

Riley ran to her side. "Okay, okay, okay… Just don't do that again! You nearly killed yourself and gave me a heart attack!"

Aurora rubbed the back of her head embarrassed. "Ha! I'm sorry Riley I needed to make a point and get it across!"

Riley shook his head. "You definitely made your point!"

"Good!" She smiled then took his arm and dragged him to the lower level of the deck. "How many badges do you have Riley?"

Riley was a little more confident in his answer this time. "I've gotten five badges!"

"Riley that's great, you've gotten five badges? Which ones do you still need to get?"

Riley let a proud smiled cover his face. "I need the one in Sunyshore city, Snowpoint city, and Canalave of course!"

Aurora's face was beaming! "I can't wait to face you off in the battle park!" She was still dragging him around below deck. "Oh look there it is!" She let go of Riley's arm and ran to the window that exposed the sea.

"She's past the Pokémon league?" He walked up to her and glanced out the window briefly. "… What are you looking for Aurora?"

She let a sigh of defeat escape her lips. "Oh… Apparently it isn't here… I'll tell you after the gym battle okay?"

Riley too gave a sigh of defeat. "Alright then, I'll wait… Hey Aurora?"

"Yeah Riley?"

Riley bit his lower lip for a second. "After the gym battle… because I know you're working for professor Rowan… after the gum battle will you travel to the Pokémon league with me?"

Aurora was beaming. "I'd love to Riley! These things tend to be more fun anyways with company around." She leaned into Riley slightly, "I'll go with you Riley… You need lots more training before you get that far though… Trust me!"

Just suddenly the ferry jerked and shoved them to one side and nearly fell to the ground. Once they realized that they had just docked they gathered their things and made their way to the gym in Canalave city.