Flint.

"Surge, please, just let me do something about that cut. I'm the spawn of a Nurse Joy, just let me-!"

"It's Volkner, not Surge," I corrected Mark under my breath. "And if he says he's fine, leave him alone..."

Volkner and Mark were the last inside the Moomoo Milk cafe, Volkner shaking his head hard. Lee shrugged out of his leather jacket, and slid into a chair at a table with a black laptop bag hanging off. Dee and Riley brought extra chairs so we could all sit together.

"Sit, guys," Lee ordered. "I don't care if you gotta drag chairs over. Sur-I mean, Volkner?"

Volkner slumped in one of the wooden chairs. Tess and I sat on either side of him, sharing a nervous glance.

"Yes?" He used the same tone he used to use with his big sister.

Lee folded his hands together. "Alright, you kids, I want answers." He didn't sound like the same guy Riley hung out with too much. "How did you run into those grunts? And did any other stray attacks hurt you? Mark, damn his protests, and get a freaking band-aid."

Mark rubbed his hands together, heading upstairs to the rooms for rent. "Yesss." That sounded almost creepy.

Hearing Lee's order, Volkner groaned. He facepalmed in frustration.

"We-we were walking up the route, hoping to make good time," Volkner spluttered out. "And they just-I dunno, ambushed us, and we got chased up to that cliff. Really, if I hadn't panicked-"

"Quit sayin' stuff like that," I cut him off. "We were all scared stiff! What difference would it have made if you hadn't been panicking? We were about to get shove off a cliff, you wouldn't been an idiot not to panic! Jesus, get over yourself!"

Volkner glared at me from the side. "Shut up, Flint."

Mark made it back downstairs, holding what looked like a first aid kit. "Got it, Surge."

"Idiot." Volkner rolled his eyes.

We paused the interrogation and watched Mark. He took out a thick cottonball and a bottle of rubbing alcohol.

"This...is gonna sting," He muttered, pouring alcohol on the cotton. "But, you look like a tough kid."

Mark grabbed Volkner by the back of the head, holding him by the hair. He dabbed the cottonball on the cut on Volkner's cheek. By then, it had stopped bleeding.

"Aah!" Volkner seethed, trying to move away. "Dammit, that hurts!"

"Well, a cut this size, it'll get infected if nothing's done. Sit still, brat."

Mark dabbed at the cut a few more times, then took a big-ass band aid out of his first aid kit.

"Lee's told me you three have had trouble with Team Galactic before this," He said quietly. Mark let go of Volkner's hair, smoothing the matted blonde mass down with his thumb. "Sorry, didn't mean to pull."

"How did he know about..." Volkner raised his eyebrows. "Riley!" He barked, sounding mad.

Riley shrugged. "Well, thought that he'd like to know," He muttered. "Sorry, I guess?"

Mark smoothed the band aid over Volkner's cheek. "Well, what happened then?" He sat down in a chair to Lee's right.

The bandage blended in with Volkner's pasty skin. He felt it with the pad of his thumb, scowling.

"Well, it didn't really have anything to do with Tess or Flint," He admitted. "We were...were caught and locked up in a cage, until a Galactic Commander came. She wanted me to join them, 'cause I'm good working with machines."

"And she said you'd made yourself an enemy of Team Galactic or something," Tess added in. "Right, Flint?"

I nodded. "Something like that," I confirmed. "But, why's any of this important? We're just kids. What sort of evil team is so bad that kids can pose a threat?"

All of this seemed to go in one ear and out the other with Lee. He had a faraway look in his eyes, focusing down on the table.

"Did he even hear any of that?" Dee huffed, rolling her eyes.

No response. Amber asked hesitantly, "Lee...?"

"Volkner's right." Lee sounded like he was mumbling to himself. "This has nothing to do with you. The commander recognized who his family was, knew about his talents with machines...but, why a kid?"

"Exactly!" I agreed. "Maybe they wanna buil-"

"Mark?" Lee folded his arms in his lap, leaning back. "Team Magma was pretty open about their motives, weren't they?"

Mark nodded, biting his lip. "Yeah, but Lee, if Team Galactic is willing to attack children for talking back to they, they won't hesitate to kill-"

"I think you kids oughta stick with the five-"

"Six!"

"-with the six of us. For now." Lee flashed a grin, but it didn't look genuine anymore. "You saw how me and Markie saved you."

I swear I thought Dee would protest, but when I glanced over, she was glaring at Lee. Her mouth was a pursed line, and her eyes were full of hatred.

Volkner scoffed. "N-nine people, traveling together?" He shook his head.

Lee rolled his eyes. "You have a choice, brat," He told Volkner. "Don't sass me. I used to train with your dad."

"You used to train with the lieutenant?!" I gasped. Volkner's dad was really cool.

"Ha! Hell yeah, I did!" Lee laughed. He was relaxing back into who he usually was. "Mark and I were goin' through Kanto with a friend, and when we stopped by Lt. Surge's gym, he trash talked me about doing contests. Said it wasn't 'manly' enough for a twelve year old."

"What'd you do?" Amber leaned forward, arms around Astro in her lap. "Didja battle him?"

The prideful look Lee gave her was priceless. "What? No. I didn't let one pigheaded gym leader make me lose my cool."

"I lost my cool," Mark admitted. "Raichu was tough to beat, but my Nuzleaf did me proud that day. I'll bet your pokemon're tough."

The mood had completely changed, although Riley was eyeing Lee uncomfortably. Sent a chill up my back.

"...My sister says I could really be a certified genius, if I used my head off the battlefield," Volkner droned when I tuned back in. Only he could be so bored over being a genius.

I snickered at him. "That's like telling Buck to shut it; ain't gonna happen."

Naturally, Volkner hit me. Smacked the back of his hand hard into my stomach.

"Shut up, Flint!" Volkner hissed at me.

That drew a laugh from everyone, which made me glad. The serious moment had passed.

"So, anyway, come with us if you want," Lee repeated himself. "I'm planning on mentoring Amber and Dee on coordinating, so I'm sure Mark could do something with the rest of you."

"What about the rain?" I asked. It was still pouring outside.

Volkner glared daggers at Lee. "I am not getting soaked again."

"It'll stop, eventually. Tends to do that most of the time, y'know." Lee crossed his arms. "We can't do anything else today, anyway. It's already almost four."

Volkner heaved a heavy sigh. It was obvious Lee wasn't going to let him squirm out, because Tess and I had no protests.

"This will be..." He sighed again, slumping. "...interesting."