Lee.

At the Pokemon Center.

"Here you go, Leon. Shift feels good as new."

Nurse Joy put Shift's old, weathered pokeball in my hand with a smile. I smiled back.

I had left Shift overnight at the Pokemon Center, to make sure she rested.

"Thank you so much, ma'am," I thanked her. "Was she any trouble?"

The nurse beamed. "She was no trouble at all. Have a good afternoon."

I pocketed Shift's pokeball, glad to have my pride and joy back. Daisy would be glad to hear that Shift was better.

I was gonna give Riley about an hour and a half to hang out with his friends before I took him to go ruin his life. That gave me plenty of time to plan on what I would and would not tell him at first. Had to go about it very, very carefully.

"Leon, sir?"

Lucian tapped my shoulder, and I snapped out of it. He had just dropped his pokemon off to be healed.

"Oh." I hadn't expected to be approached by, er, him.

Lucian smiled. He was a lot taller than me, but younger. Probably around sixteen.

"I'd just like to thank you for our battle today," Lucian thanked me. "It was a real honor to be able to battle such a distinguished coordinator."

I shrugged, looking away and blushing. I shifted the weight of the egg incubator in my arms. "I, uh...I'm not really that...well, you're welcome. But I'm not really 'distinguished' or anything."

That didn't shake Lucian off. "Although, I wish you could have used your Umbreon," He added. "Is she okay?"

I nodded. "Yeah," I answered. "Shift just needed rest. Battling Astro, then Flint...she took a real beating. I shouldn't've used her at all yesterday, but I'm just that stupid, I guess."

Lucian chuckled hollowly. Talking to him made me very uncomfortable. I needed a diversion.

The tiny being in my new egg shifted. The small movement gave me a brilliant idea.

"Hey, Lucian..." I started coyly. "I'm here in Sinnoh strictly on business, and when I get home, I'm going to be too busy planning a wedding to be raising this little guy here. Would you like to take this egg? I bet you'd do better than I could."

Lucian raised his pale eyebrows. "R-raise your egg? Are you sure?"

"Look, kid, you want it or not?" I could have worded that nicer, I'll admit.

Lucian nodded, long purple hair swishing against his shoulders. "Yes! I'd love to raise that egg for you. Than-"

"Don't mention it." I gave him the incubator, glad to have that off my shoulders. "I, uh...well, see you. I've got things to do."

I absconded the hell out of there, leaving the Pokemon Center. I had a good bit of time before I was to meet Riley, not to mention it was still morning, so I had plenty of free time.

First and foremost, I stopped at the side of a street and let Shift out of her pokeball. I kneeled down to give her a hug, and she nearly jumped on my, licking my face.

I laughed, gently pushing her off. "Hah, I missed you too, girl. Were you good for Nurse Joy?"

Shift nodded. "Um! Umbree! I petted her, and she nuzzled her nose against my hand.

My heart melted. "Hey, me and Riley won today. It was a hard battle, but Fallon came through. Woulda made you real proud."

I stood back up, and took Shift out to really explore the city for the first time. I even brought her to that poffin place I'd heard about. I baked Shift and Fallon some yummy ones, too. But they didn't like them as much as they did Hoenn's pokéblocks.

Maybe, I thought. Maybe, if Mark can get to Sinnoh, then he could make some poffins. Or bribg some pokéblocks, he can make some bitchin' pokéblocks.

Two Hours Later, In Lee's Hotel Room.

"It sucks that most experienced aura guardians are dead, because I'm still training, myself. But, I suppose that if you wanna learn, I'm as good a teacher as any."

Two hours later, I was pacing my hotel room, Riley sitting at the foot of the bed. Shift laid on the pillows, watching me cautiously.

Riley gulped. "Uh, died?" He echoed.

"You heard me." I took a bite of the cheeseburger in my hand. "I've heard a few stories, but not all of 'em. A couple of aura guardians have died pretty heroic deaths, protecting loved ones or whatever. Most fatalities come from younger guys and girls, stupid teenagers. Like you, or me."

Riley raised his eyebrows, blushing. "Hey, I'm not stupid!" He protested.

"You are for wanting to learn something dangerous like aura manipulation." I paused for a sip of my soda. "And I'm just as stupid for offerin' to teach ya. But, why do you wanna learn, Riley?"

He looked uncomfortable as I watched him struggle for an answer. Riley looked down at his blue, dirt-caked sneakers.

"Don't lie," I warned him. "You can't go back after you start on this road. Tell me, straight forward, what made you think, 'I want to do this'. If you can't think of anything, I won't bite your head off."

Riley raised his head a little. "I...well...I thought about wh-what you've told me. And I thought...if I could use aura to...well...I've done a little to protect my friends. And I wanna do more. So much more."

Interesting response. "What do you mean, do more?"

His tiny voice grew stronger as he spoke. "Until I bumped into Amber in the Jubilife City Pokemon Center, I never had any friends. Not like her and Volkner and everyone. And...when I saved her and Dee and myself from that Onix, it...it felt great. And, I wanna be able to...to keep my friends safe. So, if this is how to do it, you've gotta teach me how, Lee!"

My heart lurched at his answer. "And...you mean it?"

Riley raised his eyes to meet mine. "Y-yes, sir. I want to learn how to use aura to protect my friends."

That had to be the best goddamned friendship speech I'd ever heard. I put my half-eaten burger and my soda in top of the to-go box, and I put my hand on Riley's shoulder. He nearly flinched at the touch.

"Maybe you ain't so stupid after all, kid," I said with a smile. "That's close to what I said when me and my buddy Mark were asked. But, you ain't gotta be scared of me, alright? I'm a pretty nice guy, albeit a godawful teacher and rolemodel.

Riley relaxed, smiling. Yes, no doubt he had potention, deep down under that pullover and social anxiety.

Now that the tension eased a little, I went to the bedside table in the room. "You mind if I smoke, kid?"

He shook his head. "No, sir."

I pulled out a pack qnd a lighter from the drawer, and lit a cigarette. I inhaled reverantly on the filter.

"For cryin' out loud, kid, call me Lee," I pleaded, gray smoke billowing out of my mouth. "I ain't old enough to be called 'sir'."

Riley laughed, coughing a little. "Yeah, okay, Lee."

I caught that cough. "Shit, 'd I blow it right at you? Lemme open a window, don't want you dying young any sooner than you're gonna."

I dashed over to the window of the room, opening it. I took another drag, and blew it out the window.

"So, um, Lee?" Riley piped up. "I haven't actually learned anything, and I've been here, like, twenty minutes."

Shift, still laying on the pillows, snickered. I pointed at her.

"Pipe it down, girl." I pointed at Riley. "I'm gonna learn you a thing. Have I told you what aura really is?"

He shook his head. "No."

I continued smoking as I talked. "Aura is the energy of life. Every living being is infused with aura. It's like blood, or DNA-everybody's got it, althought I'm not quite sure what runs through your witchy friend Dee's ice cold veins."

Riley nodded. "So, it's something everybody's got," He echoed. "But, if it's energy, then it can't be tangerinable, so, how could it be 'manipulated'?"

"First, tangerine is a fruit. The word is tangible. Second, that's exactly what makes us aura guardians special. With training, we can touch and see and do all sorts of things with it. I don't know why only certain people can do it; I've ruled out genetics, because I've met full-fledged guardians all over the world. But, most people with a way with aura come from here, Sinnoh."

That was an awful lot for one breath. Riley looked blown away.

"That's...wow," He laughed. "How can I start training? Would I have to leave Amber and everyone else to travel with you?"

I lazily blew a few smoke rings out the window. "After that speech about protecting your friends?" I asked. "I wouldn't dream of seperating you kids. No, I've got a better idea. Get my laptop case, there on the nightstand."

Riley fetched my case. "A laptop?" He asked, confused.

"No, idiot. Unclip the front pocket. Should be two composition books in there."

He did as I said, and pulled out two black and white notebooks. One had frayed edges, and was visibly older.

I put out my cigarette, throwning the butt in the trash. I took the older notebook, opening it.

I grinned. "When I was your age, the man who trained me, a hell of a guy named Steven, he suggested I started a journal and record whatever I discover about aura. Previous guardians, ways of training, anything I could pass on to others." I handed it back to him. "I been dying to finally hand it off to a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, snot nosed brat like you."

Riley raised his eyebrows. "Wow." He looked down at the notebooks in his hands. "These are...pretty thick. How long have you-?"

"Five years," I answered promptly. "Since I was thirteen. And this is just what I learned those first two years. I got at least five more, back home in Johto."

"Wow." He looked back down at the older one. "So, I should take good care of them?"

"Well, I'd like them back in one piece, when you're done. But, take your time reading; as long as you're traveling with those coordinator girls, I'll be seeing you. I'm guest-judging on the main contest circuit, so I'll be nearby."

Riley nodded. "Umm...thank you, I guess. Thanks, Lee."

I dismissed Riley to go do whatever. I'd have a busy day the next day, with the Hearthome Contest finally happening. So, I'd need to mentally prepare myself to judge prepubescent teenage girls and boys(not to mention the occasional middle-age creep.

[[Journals, you say? I'd like to see those, myself. Maybe I could include a few lines or maybe a page or two when I submit this editorial?]]

Kenta, I really hope you're not allergic to nuts, because if you try a stunt like that, I'm going to (expletive deleted) kick yours through your stomach and into your throat.