Riley.

Aaron sent out...

"Eeve! Vee!"

He sent out an Eevee. Eevee swished its tail around, grinning playfully.

"Um, how does an Eevee fit with the whole foresty/bug dynamic?"

Aaron narrowed his eyes. "I don't tell you how to live your life."

Gardenia took notice of the change. "Begin!"

I didn't let it bother me. "Aron, Headbutt!"

Aron recovered from being thrown up by Paras, and dashed at Eevee with his head out.

"Eevee!" Snap of the fingers. "Use Double Team!"

Eevee split itself into four different copies, and Aron barreled straight through a fake Eevee.

"Now use Shadow Ball!" Aaron smirked, as if he had me.

The other two Eevee copies went back to the original, who opened its mouth. A black ball of energy began forming. When Eevee closed its mouth, it lobbied the ball at Aron.

"Protect!" I yelped.

"Ar!" Aron put up a protective green shield, and the ball bounced off and onto the roof.

Aaron jumped back as the ball exploded on the ceiling. "Ay! Watch it, that ceiling's made of glass!"

Perfect, a distraction. "Aron, use Metal Claw!"

The ceiling distracted both Aron and Eevee long enough to give Aron a chance to attack. Aron's foot glowed as he ran to Eevee, then he slashed at it.

Eevee leapt back a few paces. "Eee!" It squeaked.

For a "well-seasoned" gym leader, Aaron was doing terribly. I actually felt pretty confident.

Aaron grimaced. "Cheap shot. Eevee, finish this Aron off with a Dig attack!"

Again with the Dig? I thought as Eevee dug underground. "Aron, stay on guard!"

Eevee stayed under a hell of a lot shorter than Paras did, but when Eevee popped out and tried to throw him up, he jumped out of the way.

"Tackle Eevee!" I knew we had to be wearing Aaron down.

Aron tackled Eevee back into the hole it dug. Eevee climbed back out, but Aron kept tackling it back in.

Aaron looked mad. "Enough of this crap! Eevee, use Attract!"

Before Aron could attack it again, Eevee winked at him. Two big, pink hearts came from its eye as it winked, and hit Aron. Aron stopped cold in his tracks.

"What're you doing?" I asked, oblivious. "Attack, Aron!"

Aaron laughed. From the sidelines, Volkner yelled, "Aron can't! He's fallen in love with her!"

Of course. Before Eevee could attack again, I returned Aron to his pokeball, and sent Riolu back out.

Riolu cracked his knuckles. "Hyoh!" He cried out.

Gardenia noted him. "Begin!"

"Riolu, use Force Palm!" Had to defeat Eevee before Aaron could throw down the Attract card again.

"Eevee, get out!" Eevee had yet to get out of the hole yet. Riolu had to make his move.

Riolu moved double-time, charging as he ran. He hit Eevee with his paw, letting out a wave of green energy. Eevee was blown out of the hole, to Aaron's feet.

Aaron bristled. "Eevee!" She was wilted at his feet.

"C'mon, Eevee!" Little Aaron cheered from the sidelines. "Get up!"

Just before Gardenia could declare Eevee unable to battle, she pulled herself to her feet.

"Eevee!" She yipped.

I clenched my fists. Riolu was still bouncing around, ready to fight. I wonder why I had waited so long to switch him back in.

"Eevee, use Quick Attack!" Aaron growled. His true colors were really coming out.

"Riolu, you use Quick Attack, too!"

They dashed at each other, but Riolu had the energy and power to send her back flying. Aaron caught her, unconscious.

Gandenia nodded. "Eevee is unable to battle!" She announced. "The winner is Riolu!"

I grinned. "One down, buddy!" I laughed.

Aaron glared at me as he returned Eevee. "We'll see. Paras, time to shine!"

Paras came back out. It was now two on one. I felt great about our odds now that Eevee was out of the picture.

"Begin!"

"Paras, Stun Spore!" Aaron didn't give me the first attack this time.

Paras squeaked, releasing yellow dust from his back. Riolu coughed when it hit him.

I wracked my brain to fit the move to the effect, until Riolu fell to his knees. Just like...

"Hyunn!"

...Just like Amber told me Astro had, when Volkner's Pikachu paralyzed him.

Aaron grinned. I grimaced, reaching for Riolu's pokeball.

"Riolu, retu-"

"Hyo!" Riolu protested. He forced himself back to his feet. "Hyo!"

An uproar from the small audiance.

"You go, Riolu!"

"Yeah!"

"Get some, chicken legs!"

Riolu began charging a Force Palm attack the way Astro would, paws on top of each other, flat facing the opponent. As if he were charging it long-distance.

Aaron chuckled. "I commend your Riolu's guts. But guts can only carry paralysis so far. Paras, Fury Cutter!"

Paras dashed at Riolu on his little legs, but Riolu let out a shout, and released his Force Palm. But then, he fell to a knee.

Meanwhile, a singed Paras twitched. Electricity crackled all over his body. As if he were paralyzed...

"No!" Little Aaron howled from the bench.

Big Aaron gasped. "Shit," He swore. "Paras, use...use Fury Cutter! Paras!"

Paras couldn't move. Riolu forced himself to stand. He looked over his shoulder.

"Hyuh!" He barked. As if ordering me to finish this.

I nodded. My heart pounded.

"Riolu, let's finish and get that badge!" I said. "Use Quick Attack!"

Riolu took off running at Paras, throwing his entire body at the bug-type. Paras was sent back flying, à la Eevee, to Aaron's feet.

Paras didn't get back up.

Gardenia waited a full ten seconds to do anything. Then, she whispered, "Paras is unable to battle. The winner is...Riolu...the the victor is Riley..."

It took a few moments for it to sink in. But then, my friends burst into cheering. Little Aaron was in tears, and Gardenia wasn't too far away.

Aaron sighed, picking up Paras. "That was a hell of a battle, friend." He returned Paras to his pokeball.

A Few Minutes Later.

"To acknowlege a hard-fought win in the Eterna City pokemon gym, I present to Riley the Forest Badge. I assume that this is your second badge?"

I nodded, pressing the green symbol into the second slot in my badge case. "Yes, sir."

Aaron had asked all of my friends to leave the gym for a short moment so he could present me with the Forest Badge. Even the kids, too. Don't ask me why they had to leave.

Aaron smiled. "The road will only get harder from here, kid. Never let the dogged determination you showed me in our battle ever fade away. You've got potential written in your name."

"Uh...thank you." I didn't quite understand what he meant by written in my name.

I replaced my badge case in my backpack, and he showed me to the door. Aaron and Gardenia rushed back inside to cry about Aaron's loss, while Astro tackled Riolu in a hug.

"You did so great!" Astro laughed. "Taking down Eevee and Paras one after the other! I'm so proud of you, buddy!"

I felt somewhat insulted. "Ahem." I cleared my throat.

Tess laughed. "You were great out there, Riley. Don't let Astro bug you."

"Yeah, congrats!" Flint buzzed in.

We all buzzed about my new badge as we walked to the Pokemon Center, even Dee. Astro even carried Riolu on his shoulders. But, Amber...

Amber was acting weird. She couldn't meet my eye. She kept glancing worriedly at Astro, as if something bad had happen.

I left Riolu and Aron with Nurse Joy at the Pokemon Center, and we went out to look around the town. Volkner kept up the apparent tradition of buying us lunch, and we got to eat what I suppose were sandwiches.

Eterna City was pretty weird. But, I liked it enough.