Astro.

"Alright, you guys, battle!"

I was more than ready to put that uppity Pikachu bitch in her place. How dare she growl at Amber back at the Pokemon Center!

I began charging for a Force Palm before Amber said anything.

"Astro, what're you...Astro, I didn't say use Force Palm!"

Volkner snapped his fingers. "Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"

Pikachu dashed at me on all fours, dodging when I let the Force Palm loose. She tackled me in the stomach, knocking me on my back.

"Now, use Iron Tail!"

"Astro, dodge!"

I rolled out of the way before Pikachu smacked me in the stomach with her tail. I got back on my feet, and resorted to physical matters.

I swept my foot under Pikachu's feet, trying to knock her down. I could see that if I pinned her down to one place, I could use Force Palm and it'd be over.

"Astro, what're you doing!" Amber was losing her patience with me.

Pikachu dodged my leg, and I ended up back on the ground. Oh well for that.

"Pikachu, use Electro Ball!" Volkner ordered.

Pikachu raised her arms up. "Pikaaaaah!" A glowing yellow-ball appeared between her paws. She threw it up, smacking it with her tail. "PiKAHchu!"

"Astro, dodge it!" Amber cried out. "Listen to me, Astro!"

Instead of dodging, I tried turning Pikachu's power against her. I caught the ball of energy in both paws, and sent it back at Pikachu with a burst of Force Palm energy. It exploded on contact.

When the smoke of the explosion cleared, Pikachu was still standing. Shaky, but standing.

"Use Quick Attack!"

Both our trainers chose Quick Attack as the next course of action. Pikachu and I threw ourselves at each other at ridiculous speeds, but I stood my ground and knocked her on her tail.

"Now, Astro, use Hidden Power!"

I began charging for a Hidden Power attack while Pikachu and Volkner were reacting. But, as an orb of Psychic energy formed in my paws, I felt a surge of pain in my right leg. Then the left. I fell to my knobbly kne every nerve in my body screaming as if they'd caught fire.

"Astro!" Amber cried out.

"What happened?" Tess asked from the sidelines. "He's sparking all over the place!"

Volkner laughed. "Static," He explained. "Pikachu's special ability. Paralyzes the opponent on contact. While Astro's paralyzed, Pikachu, finish him with a Thundershock attack!"

I tried to get up, to move, but I couldn't. The static hurt too much to move. Then, Pikachu shocked me with an electrical bolt, finishing me off easily.

"Astro, get up!" Amber ordered me. "You've gotta get up! You've gotta fight!"

"I can't!" My mind screamed angrily at her. "It's over, Amber! I can't fight!"

A silence hung in the air as Flint Volkner proccessed what I said.

Finally, Flint annouced, "Uh...A-Astro is unable to battle. The winner is Volkner."

I heard Amber's sneakers slap the grass as she came to me. "Astro! Azzy, you okay?"

The static seemed to recede a little. When I made myself sit, it hit again, sending a shiver up my spine.

"I'll live, I guess."

Amber scooped me up in her arms, and I closed my eyes. As everyone closed in, all of their worry thudded painfully in my brain...

"Dee, Tess, either of you got a Paralyz Heal?"

"Sorry, Amb..."

"Hang on, let Flint grab my bag. I got plenty of nedicine yesterday when we got to Sandgem."

"Did you hear Astro yell, Volk? I heard him. Christ, he sounded like a teenager like us, what's with that?"

Amber explained how I could use telepathy as she gave me the Paralyz Heal. As a treat, she gave me an Oran Berry from her own bag.

I could feel their surprise, Pikachu's regret, Amber's worry...

"Amber, let's get going. I don't...I don't feel good."

Riley.

Canalave City.

"Well, Riolu, here we are."

Riolu looking around the crowded port, holding one of my fingers in his small little paw.

I kneeled down to be on his level. "Would you feel better in your pokeball until we leave the city?"

He shook his head fiercely, still looking scared. He'd never been away from Iron Island, just like me.

We went around Canalave City for a few hours that morning, looking at various seaside vendors. I didn't have much in my wallet, so I didn't buy anything big.

I decided not to take on the gym. It seemed too intimidating, and I decided I ought to build up experience at others before taking that challenge.

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do while traveling Sinnoh. Collect badges, yes. Take on the Lily of the Valley Conference? Yes. But for what? What would I really accomplish if I didn't have my heart set on anything?

Eventualêly, Riolu and I left Canalave, heading on to Route 218. The wilderness made Riolu relax a little, and so I relaxed.

Riolu was such a timid thing. It just broke my heart. He had always been that way, and I knew I would probably rely on my Aron more than Riolu on my journey.

This is going to be hard, going it alone. God, I hope I make friends soon, or I'll kill myself from boredom.

Tess.

En Route To Jubilife.

We spent all day walking to Jubilife City, like Astro requested, with Amber's two little boy friends.

Volkner and Flint told us that they'd be leaving us there because the closest gym was in Oreburgh City, but Amber got them to stay a night to watch them in the beginners' Contest to kick off the contest season.

I felt a little left out. I wasn't planning on becoming a coordinator; I was planning on taking on gyms.

"Volkner? May I ask you a question?"

That night, we all camped out. Amber, Flint, and Dee had gone to bed early, and me and Volkner were sitting around the remains of our campfire. It was really late.

Volkner looked up at me. "Hm? Yeah?" Pikachu, in her sleep, twitched her ears in her lap.

I stared into the fire, biting my lip. "Well...in a few days, when we all go our own ways...could I go with you and Flint? Please?"

"What?" Volkner laughed. "I thought you'd wanna go with your sister, and Amb. Why'd you want to hang with us?"

I felt a blush creep up my face. "I don't want to be a coordinator like them...I want to battle. I wanna be stronger than anyone else, and I know you do, too. I'd fit better with you two than with them, you know?"

Volkner was flabbergasted. That had been the most I had spoken to him or Flint all day.

"That's...that's cool, I guess," He finally told me.

I shrugged. "I'm sorry I asked. I won't bring it up again."

"No, no. I get you. I left home because I wanted to be stronger...why don't I ask Flint and see about it? It's not like you're Dee. She's kind of-"

"Abrasive?" I finished, laughing. "Yeah." I looked at my watch. "It's getting late...we oughta go to bed..."

"Yeah. G'night, Tess."

"G'night, Volkie. Don't let the Drowzee bite."