AOF: Alternately titled "Aaron W.'s Daycamp for Wannabe Pokemon Characters".

Tess.

Shortly After Group A Left Eterna.

"Flint...you really shouldn't badmouth Volkner like that. At least not behind his back."

Flint rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Why shouldn't I? You know it's true. He has no reason to train. Volkner could take his sister's gym right now, and it's not fair."

He threw himself over an armchair. I sighed.

Flint may have been best friends with Volkner, but even best friends get jealous.

Flint was jealous of how Aaron had recognized Volkner instantly, because of his family, and had treated him like an equal and snubbed us into the dirt as if Flint and I were dirt. I hadn't been offended, but Flint had.

I didn't like seeing Flint upset. He was a fairly easygoing guy, so it was usual to see those gray eyes looking so sad.

"I just wish I could be famous, too." Flint's voice came out quiet.

I frowned, and patted his hair as I walked by. "I know, Flint. But, remember, Volkner doesn't like it any more than you do." I sat on a couch.

Flint snorted. "Yeah, right. He soaked up that asshole's attention like a sponge. Volkner's a spoiled little daddy's boy, and it isn't fair. I hate it."

"I know it isn't. But, Volkner's our friend. So, as stupid as it makes me sound to say this, you just have to grin and bear it."

Flint sighed. "Story of my life, Tess. But thanks."

I hated seeing Flint so upset. I went and bought him a lemonade from the drink machine, because I knew it was his favorite drink.

Flint was a really nice guy. I loved being his friend; he had such a warm personality. But, jealousy? Bitterness? None of it was his style at all.

Before long, Volkner came back. He looked excited.

"Guys, Aaron said he'd love to have us train with him! We gotta be at Eterna Forest by noon today! C'mon!"

Flint blew a raspberry. "It's ten-thirty in the morning, bro." He still sounded miserable.

"I wanna get there early. Check the forest out. C'mon, Flint." Volkner grabbed Flint's hand and tugged. "Help me out, Tess!"

Great. Now I was involved in the power struggle. I held Flint's over hand.

"C'mon, Flint," I urged. "Everything'll be fine. We can go hang in the forest. Maybe you'll feel better by catching a new pokemon."

Volkner either didn't catch whst I said, or didn't care. Flint slumped, but stood up. The bones in his back cracked as he picked his backpack up off the ground.

"...Whatever. Fine, I'll come along."

Later.

In Eterna Forest.

"Great to see you, guys! I left the kids with their moms, so there's no sweat about them getting hurt."

Aaron came striding into the forest about 12:30, in a clean yellow t-shirt and jean capris with yellow tennis shoes. Eevee was with him, looking clean and powerful, like he had bathed her.

Volkner stood up. We'd been sitting near a large mossy rock, waiting. He wasn't wearing his blue hoodie; the forest was so hot, he just wore a black tanktop and jeans.

"Good afternoon, sir," He greeted Aaron.

Pikachu jumped up on his shoulder. "Pika-pi!" She chirped.

I didn't want to feel rude, so I stood up and nodded. "G-good afternoon...Aaron," I greeted him.

Flint groaned. "Heeeey..."

Aaron frowned. "What's wrong with Little Bit? That's not the little fireball I saw in my gym."

"I'm fine." Flint stood up. "I'm just tired, is all."

"M'hm..." Aaron pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Well. In any case, welcome to Aaron Wilkerson's Day Camp for Wannabe Pokemon Characters!"

"...Don't you mean pokemon trainers?" I corrected.

"In any case. Flint, Tesserae, I want to see pokemon out of their pokeballs. How do you expect to be better trainers if you don't have your partners at your sides?"

Flint and I sent out Sneasel and Chimchar without a single protest. Sneasel scowled at Aaron.

Aaron turned up his nose in pleasure. "If you don't hate me now, you will after this is over. And you only have yourselves and, to an extent, Volkner to blame."

At Sunset.

"We...we're really cowardly, Flint. Aaron and Volkner are gonna be mad."

Flint laughed. "So what? If they can find us, they can't yell at us."

Aaron proved to be a brutal taskmaster. He ran us ragged practicing giving orders, battling each other...he had us climbing trees at one point, whatever that may have accomplished.

Eventually, Flint and I ran off around five and climbed into a tree just to escape. Volkner took everything Aaron threw at us with style, but he was a stronger man than I. Or Flint.

Flint and I were laid out on the tree branches, fanned out and thick enough to comfortably hold both of us. I curled up on my side.

Flint had really gotten his color back, which made me glad. Angsty, depressed Flint was not my friend. Happy, sarcastic, bubbly Flint was my friend.

He tapped my cheekwith the back of his hand.

"Tess," He called. "Tess, wake up. The sun's going down. Don't go to sleep."

"Mm. I'm awake." I opened my eyes and turned on my back.

We had a little thing going where we would watch the sunset together each night. Normally Volkner would watch with us, but he was on his crazy masochistic, Aaron worshipping phase.

Flint sighed. It wasn't a sad sigh; it was a happy sigh.

"Do you know why the sunset is red?" He asked.

I expected a lame pun, but still asked, "Why?"

Flint folded his hands on his stomach. "Volkner told me this," He explained. "Out of all the other colors in the light spectrum, red travels the farthest. And that's why, at sunset, the sun looks red."

I nodded. "That's...cool," I responded.

We watched the sun go down. When it was almost dark, Flint added, "I wish I could be like that."

I turned on my side to face him. "Like what?"

"Red light. Strong enough to travel farther than all other colors and make itself seen. I wish...I wish I could make myself like that. To be seen."

"Flint..." That confession broke my heart. "Stop putting yourself down. Even Volkner will tell you, you're a great guy. Sweet, funny, caring...bit of a drama queen, but we love our little queen."

Flint laughed. "Don't call me a drama queen!" He protested. But, I saw his big, toothy grin.

We stayed in that tree all night. Around eight, Volkner called Flint and asked where we were. When we woke up in the morning, we found Volkner sitting at the base of the big old tree, snoring softly.

He had stayed there all night, waiting for us to come down.