Riley.
My blood boiled, seeing that machine drilling into the earth. That was what had riled the pokemon up so badly. That was why Onix had been so peeved.
A thousand memories flashed through my mind; a giant drill, a fight, a broken arm, Riolu nowhere to be seen...
The Team Galactic grunt turned around. He pressed a button on his control panel, and the machine stopped.
"Great," He grumbled. "A group of kids."
I heard Dee grab Snorunt's pokeball. Astro's fur bristled, ready to strike. Amber and Dee were ready to have my back.
"Why are you drilling here?" I demanded. "You're disturbing the pokemon! The ecosystem! Get the hell out of here!"
The aqua-haired freak laughed. "You think I'd listen to a snot-nosed brat like you?" He took out a pokeball. "Magby, use Flamethrower and make these kids scram!"
A small, red pokemon, a Magby, came out of the pokeball, and landed on the ground. She looked around, confused.
Dee took a step forward. "Aw, hell no!" She sent out Snorunt. "Snorunt, use Powder Snow!"
Snowrunt came out breathing out a powdery blizzard. Magby finally got the message, and obliterated it with a spurt of fire from her mouth.
"Burn 'em! Burn 'em all!" The grunt ordered. "Torch these meddling kids!"
"Snorunt, now use Protect!" Snorunt raised a barrier around us, deflecting the fire from himself.
Magby jumped up. "Mag-beeee!" She was obviously frightened.
"Riolu, use Quick Attack!" I knew it would be enough to finish that small thing off.
Riolu nodded and dashed out from practically under my feet, slamming himself into Magby at an unbelieveable speed.
Magby flew back, hitting her trainer in the stomach. They hit the base of the drill, and the grunt dropped his control panel.
"Oof..." He groaned. "You brats're tough!"
I grinned. "You're against three on one. You realky ought to give up."
The grunt got up, and looked around. His Magby was knocked out, at his feet. We were closer to his control panel than he was.
He turned tail, and ran off into the woods behind him.
My vision went red again. He didn't even take his pokemon with him!
"Why, you son of a bitch-!"
"Riley!" Amber grabbed me by the arm when I tried to chase after him. Dee grabbed the other. "Riley, stop, he's gone!"
"It's over! Stop!"
It was a few more seconds before I calmed down. I finally went slack.
"...That asshole..." I sighed. I lowered my head, and my navy baseball cap fell off. Riolu picked it up, looking up at me. He looked as frightened as he'd ever been, and I had a feeling it wasn't becausr of that grunt.
The girls let go of me. I went slack, trying to get myself back under control.
No more outbursts, Riley. You're a big boy. No more crying. No more crying.
When I got myself back together, I saw Amber aporoaching Magby. Magby had woken back up.
"Hello, sweetie," She cooed. Magby stiffened, and backed away a little. "Did that mean guy leave you alone? How rude!"
Magby relaxed her muscules. When she glanced behind Amber, at us, I faked a small smile.
Amber found Magby's pokeball on the ground, and Magby jumped into her arms, ready for a new life.
I smashed in the control, and then released my new Onix. I figured it wouldn't be so angry now.
Hours Later.
"Guys...I'm sorry I was so angry earlier. And yelling. Especially at you, Dee."
Dee slurped the last of her soup. "Don't be sorry. You evolved into a badass tonight, Riley."
We'd ended up camping in that cave that night. Dee made a great berry soup for our supper-who figured she could cook?-and we ate it sitting around a campfire. It reminded me-painfully-of home.
Amber nodded. "But, why were you so angry?" She asked. "And, how did you know that Onix would try to bring the roof in on us?"
"Not that we're complaining," Dee added. "'Cause you saved us all."
I shrugged. I looked around the area; our sleeping pokemon were scattered all around us, including Astro. Even he'd felt "worn like leather", as he put it.
"Me and Team Galactic..." I sighed glumly. "have a long history."
"Of what?" Dee arched an eyebrow. "Galactic?" Amber loojed like she needed a double take, too.
"I already told you my daddy owns the mines on Iron Island," I stated slowly. "But, a few years back, when I was nine, something...happened. It was one of the reasons I left home at so late."
"What happened?" The glow of the fire flickered in Amber's gold eyes.
I mustered up everything I could into my mind.
"Team Galactic wanted to dig into Daddy's mine. They thought...I dunno. That there used to be gold, maybe. And Daddy refused. And one day, I was out playing with Riolu, and...they attacked me. Beat me up. Stuffed Riolu in a-in a cage." My breath hitched. "They alnost took me, too. Team Galactic held Riolu for ransom. I'll never forget...all the months I spent waiting for my best friend..."
Amber glanced back, at Riolu and Astro, laying next to each other. "Is that why he's so-"
"S-seperation anxiety. I ha-have it, t-too..."
"Christ, Riley, you're crying. We shouldn't've asked you." I must have looked really pathetic if Dee was showing remorse.
Stop it. This is pitiful. My mind's voice barked sharply at me. I lifted the sleeve of my pullover to my face, and let out a single choked sob. Then, I wiped the tears away.
"I'm a big kid," I asserted. My voice wavered. "I promised both me and him, no more tears. I won't cry."
"Are you sure?" It only took two days for me to be reduced to a quivering pile of tears and shame. God.
"I'm okay. I promise." Another empty promise made. "Look, it's getting late. I'm going to bed. G'night, girls."
Amber grimaced. There was something more she wanted to ask.
"G'night, Riley..." She answered carefully.
"Yeah, yeah," Dee pitched in. "Night. Don't let the Drowzee bite."