Riley.

The Next Morning.

Mr. Cyrus wasn't home the next morning for breakfast, which was a relief. He scared the bejesus out of me; even the thought of Amber's dad still terrifies me, but now for another reason.

"Where are you kids going when you leave Veilstone?" Mrs. Daniels asked, trying to feed little Michelle part of a syrupy waffle.

None of us answered like away. Dee rended a waffle with her teeth, glancing at me.

"Well, Riley?" She asked me. "You've got the Town Map, right?"

I shrugged. "I dunno..." I admitted. "Maybe we should find and ask Lee where the next contest he's judging is."

Amber raised her eyebrows at my answer. "What about your gyms?" She asked. "You've only earned three gym badges! Don't you need eight?"

"The way his Riolu battled Reggie," Max babbled, "I don't think he's gonna get more than three badges!"

With incredible accuracy from the living room(where all our pokemon were eating breakfast), Astro hurled a piece of pokemon food at the back of Max's head.

"Say that again, you limp noodle!" Astro huffed. "I'll wreck you!"

Mrs. Daniels chucked as Astro got in a shouting match with the eight year old. "Maxie, don't be so critical of other people. Anyway, who's Lee?"

I glanced up. "Lee's, um, he's a friend," I explained. "Top Coordinator, from Johto. Doing some, uh, guest judging gigs for contests..."

Mrs. Daniels snapped her fingers. "Of course!" She laughed. "Lee, one of the Tag Team winners from that competition in Hearthome! I'll bet you're the same Riley, with that egg you carry around."

The arguing from Astro and Max stopped. The little blonde boy gasped.

"You're that Riley?!" He gasped. "I was rooting for the the whole time you battled Tess and that Kadabra dude!"

His sister groaned. "Max, both Riley and Lee were at the gym yesterday, you idiot."

"I didn't see him! I was watchin' Reggie beat all their butts!"

Max harping about the gym battles was starting to get on my nerves. Mrs. Daniels frowned at him.

"Maxwell Daniels, stop rubbing it in that Riley and their friends lost yesterday," She reprimanded him.

The little boy wilted under his mother's disapproval. "S-sorry, Mom..." He stuffed a chunk of waffle in his mouth, washing it down with a swig of milk.

Amber snickered at Max getting in trouble. I smiled at her laughing.

Mrs. Daniels shook her head. "Anyways," She sighed, "What I wanted to ask is, why don't you three go shopping for winter clothes at the Department Store?"

Amber almost choked. "What?!"

"Well, it is almost November," Her mother continued. "And your father may expect you to stay home and never leave, but I know you must love being a coordinator. Besides, Riley's bag looks a little light for such a long journey, and that pullover sure as hell won't keep you warm for long."

Dee scoffed. "I don't need any winter clothes, Mrs. Daniels," She said. "All I need's my one jacket."

It was a few moments before the question sank in. I slowly blushed, looking down.

"Take me...shopping?" I spluttered out. "M-M-Mrs. Daniels, I...I could never...sorry..."

I was really getting a little nervous about how much Amber's mom was trying to baby me. I mean...I was just one of her daughter's friends, I wasn't really worth all the trouble, right?

Mrs. Daniels laughed at my flustered reaction. "You don't have to worry about it, honey," She assured me. "If you're worried about money, don't be. Amber's father is paid pretty well."

Amber tugged excitedly at my longsleeved nightshirt. "C'mon, Riles..." She urged me. "We can go to the mall this morning, and you can have a rematch with Reggie this afternoon. What d'ya say?"

Amber was, well...really excited. Her gold-colored eyes did that sparkly thing you only hear about in crappy anime fanfiction.

I shrugged. "I-I guess, but...well, I don't need to get that much, alright?"

"Yes! Alright! Momma, you'll let me use your credit card, right?"

"Yes, but don't go overboard with the spending. At least Riley looks like he knows what a decent price is."

I groaned, covering my face with my hand as Dee wiggled her eyebrows at me. Astro and Riolu, in the living room with Daisy, loudly snickered as Mrs. Daniels discussed the concept of financial boundaries with her daughter.

My God, I thought. That little weirdo is corrupting my sweet, innocent Riolu.

Amber.

A Few Minutes Later.

"So, Riley! What d'ya think you want to get?"

We walked down the street from my house, my mom's credit card in my pocket. Riley was really shy about me buying him clothes.

Riley looked away as we walked, his face dusted a little pink. "I, uh...I dunno, maybe another jacket? Do you think I need one?"

I giggled. "Stop blushing, it's just clothes." I looked him over, noticing his messy black hair exposed to the world. "Why don't we start with a hat to replace the one you lost in Solaceon?"

"Huh?" He reached up, and touched his own hair. "I never noticed."

"How didn't you?" I laughed. It didn't hit me that he'd been knocked out when he lost his hat.

Riley shrugged. "Whatever." He pulled the hood of his pullover on his head.

Only took a second for me to pull it back off, howling, "Quit that! Jeez, your hair looks fine uncovered!"

My answer was a groan. "It makes me look like a hobo, Amb."

"You don't look like a hobo. You look like you." We turned down a corner. "The Department Store shouldn't be too far off. Come on, Riles!"

In my impatience, I threaded my fingers through Riley's, and tugged him down the street. He nearly fell down from the force of my pull.

"Whoa-oa-oa!" He cried. "Amber, slow down!"

His protests didn't affect me; I could see the tall Department Store building in the distance, and nothing short of God could have stopped me.

Tess.

"What are you wimps talking about, you don't wanna go back to the gym?!"

Volkner pulled his covers over his head. "Shut up, Tess. It's too early."

Flint groaned in response. "Reggie's too tough...you were there, Tess, that Staravia threw Sneasel around like a ragdoll!"

I couldn't believe it. Those two sadsacks were so engulfed in their own self-pity, they didn't even want to battle!

As I tried to pull the covers off their beds, someone knocked loudly at the door.

Just like when I tried to wake them up, the boys groaned. I rushed to the door, and cracked it open so I could stick myself halfway out.

Dee stood there in her old camoflage jacket, dark hair tied back in her high ponytail. She flashed me a small smile, greeting me with, "Hey, Tess."

I bit my lip. "Hey," I answered. "I don't...I dunno if me and the guys are gonna go battle Reggie again. You can go ahead with Ri-"

Dee put her fists on her hips. "What?" She demanded. "Riley's gone off clothes shopping with Amber. What, Riley's off with his girlfriend, now those idiots are chickening out?"

I shrugged, murmuring, "Getting beat so easily sort of...messed up their pride."

Her smile turned into a disgusting grimace. Dee threw the door open and pushed me out of the way, charging inside.

"Wake up, you damn maggots!" She hollered, throwing the covers off of the guys. "What's this I hear, you martyrs feeling so sorry for yourselves, you won't even go after that badge? And why the hell do you sleep in your boxers with my sister right the hell there, you perverts?!"

That woke them up. Volkner sat up groggily, scratching his head and pushing shaggy bangs out of his eyes.

"Reggie's insanely tough," He mumbled shamefully. "You saw how bad he thrashed Pikachu."

Flint pulled his skinny chicken legs in to sit Indian-style, looking down. His sad, gray eyes looked tearful.

"Poor Buneary didn't stand a chance..." He murmured.

My sister wasn't convinced. "You think just because someone's strong, you pissants have any right to give up?" She growled. "Screw that! I don't know why I even let Tess travel with pussies like you two!"

That remark sparked a fire in Flint. He balled his hands into fists.

"We're not pussies!" He protested.

Volkner nodded, scowling. "Yeah! You don't have to be a bitch!"

Dee picked up Flint's backpack from the foot of his bed, and hurled it at him, barking, "If you want to prove your spine's made of stronger stuff than paper, then get your sorry selves out of bed, and go beat that plum haired gym leader to the ground! Otherwise, you'll each find one of my combat boots so far up your hamster holes, you won't walk straight for a week!"

I have to admit, despite her harsh tone and vulgar choice of words, I really admired my sister for how she motivated Flint and Volkner. I'd never seen either of them get up and dressed so quickly.

AOF: I love writing Dee as a boss ass bitch.