Amber.

A Half Hour Later.

"Alright, boys, I'd like to know exactly who my daughter's been hanging with. Could you, right there, please tell me who you are?" Momma pointed at Riley.

Now that it was out that I liked Riley(not that he knew), I felt embarrassed to have my mom directly address him. Astro jabbing his elbow into my ribs didn't help. I heard Momma sit on the couch, behind us.

I buried my face in my hands. "Momma, please don't..." I complained.

Riley laughed. He sounded as uncomfortable as I felt.

"I-it's no trouble," He told me. "Who I am? I, uh...w-well, Mrs. Daniels, m-my name is Riley...I'm, uh, thirteen, and I'm from Iron Island, an isl-"

"The famous mine where people go to train their pokemon?" Momma asked.

Riley gulped. He flushed a little pink. "Y-yes, ma'am. There's also a town there. My dad, he...he owns the mines. An-and I guess I will, too, when I get older."

Momma chuckled. "You're very polite, Riley..." She murmured. "It's perfectly fine to relax, sweetie. I wouldn't kill any friend of Amber's. My husband, though..."

She leaned forward and rustled Riley's messy black hair, like she would do to Max. Riley tensed up, drawing a sharp breath.

"Amber, would you pass me that last slice of pizza?" I did. "What about you, sitting by Tess? You've been quiet."

Flint smiled politely at my mother. It was the first smile I'd seen from him that didn't make him look willing to slash somebody's car tires.

"You used to babysit me, Mrs. Daniels!" Flint laughed. "Remember? Flint and Volkner, Sunyshore City?"

Momma frowned, brushing a lock of strawberry blonde hair behind her ear. "I don't think so."

"Aww, c'mon. When we were all four years old!" Flint started moving his hands around as he spoke. "I think you were pregnant or something, I remember you looked sort of fat."

Riley, on Flint's other side, all but punched him in the rib. "Flint, you idiot! Jesus, you don't call a lady fat, like, ever."

"I said she was fat! Besides, it's alright if the lady was pregnant."

"You are literally the biggest idiot. I just lost at least ten brain cells."

Surprisingly, Momma laughed. She laughed really hard at Riley and Flint.

"I actually was pregnant with Max when we lived in Sunyshore City, Riley," She told him gently. "But, it was very sweet of you to try to correct him."

Riley hesitated, but he smiled a little at my mom's comment. Flint smiled a little too, but had that playful look in his eyes again.

"S-sorry about saying that, ma'am," He apologized.

We were quiet for a little bit. Then, Tess' Pokegear rang. We all stared at her.

Tess' pale face was beet red. "Sorry..." She mumbled. She stood up, and headed towards the kitchen. "Let me take this."

Tess.

In the Kitchen.

I half-ran into the kitchen, pulling my Pokegear from my jeans pocket and answering the call.

"Where the almighty (expletive deleted) are you guys?!"

I sighed, in relief. "Good morning to you, too, Volkner," I greeted him cheerfully. "You seemed real tired last night. So, we didn't wanna wake you up. Went to the department store again. Amber's family moved into a house here a couple of days ago, so that's where we are."

Volkner stifled a loud yawn. "Her family?" He echoed back. "Where's the house? I'll come over, too."

"Great!" I gave him directions to Amber's new house. "It's the blue house. Can't miss it."

"Alright...see you there, Tess."

Volkner hung up, and I smiled faintly at my Pokegear as I closed it and headed back to the others. He was a lot nicer sleepy than wide awake.

Fifteen minutes later, Volkner stumbled through the living room door, black t-shirt half-tucked into his jeans and his blonde hair a nappy mess.

"Hello, losers," He muttered, taking a seat on the carpet next to Flint.

Flint snickered. "Dude, you look like crap."

"And you smell like crap," Volkner shot back like lightning. "So shut up." He scratched his head.

Amber's mom, still on the couch, half scoffed and half laughed. "Just who is this one?"

"Volkner Surge," Six voices answered in unison, including Astro.

Volkner blinked his blurry blue eyes at her. "'R you Amber's mother? Er, ma'am?"

Amber's mom laughed. "Yes, I'm her mother. Amber, sweetie, your friends are absolutely adorable."

Amber blushed again. "Moooommaaa..."

A Half Hour Later.

We didn't spend too much longer at Amber's new place, because me, Volkner, Riley, and Flint were all ready to battle the gym leader. We left at 12:30, got our pokeballs, and left.

The gym wasn't too far off, but it looked sort of...well, generic. Not quite moved in yet, like Amber's house. There was a simple sign saying "VEILSTONE CITY GYM". Four young men were standing out front, talking.

The same four that had battled at the Pokemon Center were standing in front of the gym, but I had only seen the younger two, Aaron and Lee, before then.

And Lee's friend Mark was literally the finest piece of ass I had ever laid my eyes on.

Mark was tall and really tan, wearing only baggy jean shorts and no shirt. I swear to the almighty Lord God, I could have done my laundry on that man's abs. And his hair was a gorgeous orangey-blonde color, and his eyes were the prettiest shade of seafoam green...

"Uh, Tess, sweetheart, please rehinge your jaw." Riley put his hand under my jaw, and gently pushed my mouth closed again. I might have swallowed my tongue without his help.

Lee, previously in deep conversation with Aaron, looked up. "Riley! Hey, bud, you look a hell of a lot better!"

The other three turned to look at us, Aaron raising a silvery-blonde eyebrow.

"Well, I should've guessed you guys would end up here..." He sighed, grinning a little. "Especially the little general over there." He nodded to Volkner.

The tall, purple-haired dude cleared his throat. "Are you kids here for a gym battle?" He asked politely. "I'm the Veilstone gym leader, Reggie."

Not Riley, not Volkner, not even Flint responded. I knew Riley had seen Reggie in battle before, but not the other two. I sighed.

"Yes, sir, we are here for a gym battle," I answered. "Me and three of my friends-the three boys." I pointed each of them out. "Volkner Surge, Flint Stone, and the tall one is Riley Davis."

Aaron and Lee watched the boys carefully. Mark sort of sized Riley up; I guess Lee had talked about Riley a lot. I never understood why Lee had such a fascination with him until just recently.

Reggie clapped his hands together enthusiastically. "Great!" He headed towards the gym door. "My first challengers. Follow me."