Riley.

I woke up roughly three days later, with a splitting migrane and very little memory of what happened. It had all happened so fast, in so little light, I'm not sure how Lee or Amber saw what happened.

I was laying in a bed, on my back, a bandage around my head. Like I said, my head was killing me. I could hear Lee talking, probably into a phone.

"No, I-I know I should have told you w-what happened. No, I...I'm fine, Dais, no need to worry. I'm a big boy, alright? I know we had some bad experiences in those ruins. But, Riley's gonna be fine; Nurse Joy said it wasn't a major concussion, no skull cracks, none of that. Yes, I know I should have never brought them into there! Stop shouting at me, Jesus Christ!"

Lee started raising his voice. I groaned, pulling the covers up higher, my eyes still closed. I think I preferred unconsciousness.

Lee hesitated. "Daisy, I think Riley's waking up," He murmured. "I'm sorry I yelled. Call me before you go to bed, alright?"

I heard the shuffle of socks on carpet. Lee was approaching me.

"Riley?" His voice was still quiet. "Bud? You up?"

I groaned again. "Where's the girls?" I asked. My voice slurred it a little, to sound like, "Whezzah girls?"

"I told them to go, take your pokemon and mine and get something to eat," Lee answered. I heard him pull a chair up to the bed. "Ugh...you scared the hell out of us, kid. Gave me a frigging panic attack."

I finally opened my eyes, and looked around. I was quite obviously in a Pokemon Center room, but not one of the ones Nurse Joy rented out to travelers. On the bedside table next to me was the egg I had won, sitting in its case.

"Where'm I...?" I asked.

Lee wrung his hands together nervously. "Nurse Joy put you in what she called a 'recovery room'," He explained. "Not quite a hospital room, but close. You had a concussion, and...oh!"

I looked around again. "What?"

Lee went to go get a bag he'd put at the foot of the bed. He pulled out a paper. "I got a friend, his mom is a Nurse Joy. Gave me some questions to ask you, see if your memory got frigged up."

"Oh." I tried not to groan again. I laid against the pillows on the bed, looking up at the ceiling.

"At me," Lee instructed. I forced myself to focus back on him. "Okay, what's your first and last name?"

"Riley Davis."

"Age."

"Thirteen years old, as of last April."

"First and last names of the girls you're traveling with."

"Amber Lynn Daniels, and Deadra Thompson."

"My first and last name? Full first name."

Sigh. I had to think a second, and my head hurt even more. "Urgh...L-Leon Higgins."

Lee frowned. "I don't like the hesitation," He muttered. "Okay, I'll give you a minute on this one. Do you remember what happened to give you that concussion?"

God, I could barely remember. I closed my eyes to think, irritating my headache even further. I groaned.

Lee lightly tapped my cheek. "Riley? Don't go to sleep...are you okay? Can you remember?"

"I'm thinking," I huffed. After a minute, I added, "Didn't...didn't I get attacked...?"

I opened my eyes, and saw Lee smile. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yeah," He admitted. "Astro was going to be attacked by the Unown, and you saved him. You know that was a stupid thing you did, right?"

I frowned. "Is Astro okay?" I asked.

"Yes, but-"

"Then it wasn't stupid." I felt so proud of myself.

Lee sighed. "I am not negotiating this with a thirteen year old," He muttered. "Riley, Astro would have been fine, either way. He almost took out Shift, for Christ's sakes, he can take care of himself. There's a difference between being courageous and being an idiot!"

He was loud again. I held my head against my hand, sitting up again.

"Are they all okay?" I asked. "Amber, and Dee, and Astro. Did they...make it out alright?" I was genuinely concerned, but I also wanted to change the subject.

Lee waiting a second, to cool off from chewing me out. Then, he sighed.

"Yeah," He finally answered. "Yeah, the girls are...fine. Astro feels guilty as hell, but they all made it out fine. They were worried about you."

I nodded, looking away. "Yeah...I figured."

Neither of us spoke for a minute. The door opened, and Shift bounded inside the room with Riolu on her back.

"Lee, we brought you back some pizza, I hope you like peppe..." Amber walked in, followed by Astro and Dee. Astro had a plastic cup and a bendy draw, drinking what I assumed to be a chocolate milkshake. "Riley!"

Riolu hopped off of Shift, climbing up on the bed. He wrapped his little arms around my leg, under the blanket, squealing happily. Shift jumped up on the bed, and nuzzled my cheek.

"Riley, you're awake," Dee said plainly, starstruck.

I nodded, shrugging. "How long was I out?" I asked.

Amber put a to-go box in Lee's lap, presumeably with pizza inside, and shoved him out of the chair. "Three days," She told me. "You were out three days. Missed a contest. I got another ribbon!"

I smiled. "Gr-great." Lee got up off the floor, swearing under his breath. "You didn't tell me that."

He dusted off his arms. "I didn't judge it, so it wasn't my business. I'm going to go leave and eat. Amber, Fallon and Strawberry?"

Amber pulled two pokeballs out of her pocket, and tossed them at him. Lee caught them, took the to-go box from Amber and saluted as he turned for the door. "I'm be back for my Umbreon later."

It sounded like he had left Shift with Amber more than once while I was out. I didn't question it.

"Riley, how do you feel?" Dee finally asked.

Astro swallowed a mouthful of milkshake. "Your egg is glad you're alright, bro."

Like most of Astro's remarks, I didn't register what he just told me. I looked from Amber to Dee.

"Another contest, huh?" I asked. "Congrats."

Dee rolled her eyes. "I asked you how you were feeling, you idiot," She griped. "Head hurt much?"

I nodded, reaching up and feeling the bandages around my head. "Y-yeah..." I admitted. "I do have a headache, I guess."

Amber grimaced. "We practically heard your skull crack," She told me. "Nurse Joy did an x-ray, though, and it's fine."

Astro gulped again. His cup looked half empty. "Where do you get off, doing what you did?" He demanded. "To save me, of anyone else!"

That quieted the room. Riolu, still hugging my leg, looked at Astro in shock. Shift, with her head in my lap, looked at Astro warily and growled. I scratched her head, not sure how to take the protection.

"Hyunn..." Riolu murmured disappointedly.

Amber and Dee both glared harshly at Astro. Astro glared back, his crimson eyes about ready to burn a hole through the girls.

"Astro..." Amber growled through ground teeth.

Then, Astro winced, closing his eyes. He held a paw up to his forehead, frowning more than I'd ever seen.

"Oww..." He complained. "Damn you, Riley. You gave me a headache."

Astro leaned heavily against my bed, the paw holding his milkshake shaking as he set thr drinknon the floor. He looked about to collapse.

I sat up straight. "Astro?" He didn't seem to even hear me.

This couldn't possibly be good. Amber gasped. "Azzy!" She scooped him up in her arms.

"What's wrong?" Dee demanded.

Riolu sat up, watching Amber with a frightful look in his eyes. Shift set her head back in my lap, not particularly interested.

Astro took heavy breaths. "I'm fine," He insisted. "I'm just...so mad." His voice, echoing from his mind, sounded strained.

A chill ran up my back. "Are you okay?" I asked. "Astro?"

"Shut up." Wow, he was really mad. "Shut up..."

We all watched him for a second, the strange Riolu that Amber held. Astro's breathing petered out to an even rhythm. Did he...fall asleep?

Amber sighed. "I'm so sorry, Riley..." She apologized. "You know he's...not so harsh. I gotta go lay him down-"

"Of course," I answered. My headache had lulled down to a very dull throb. "I-I'm feeling better. Th-thanks."

The girls turned to the door, Dee picking up the discarded milkshake. As they walked out, I heard her mutter, "Astro only said what we both were thinking, Amb."

"Shut up, Dee," Amber had replied. "At least Riley's okay."

Shift didn't lift her head until the door clicked shut. Then, she patiently waited for her trainer. Riolu stared blankly at me, still looking a little scared.

I smiled. "Hey, buddy," I greeted him. "Did you miss me?"