Amber.

Five Months Later.

(April)

"Amber! I bet you heard from your mom didn't you? Palmer's finally tying the knot with Mom!"

I laughed into my Pokegear. "Yeah, Momma told me when your mom asked her to be matron of honor," I admitted to Dee. "When's the wedding?"

"June, during the Grand Festival," Dee bubbled. "Mom and Palmer planned it so I can still be a bridesmaid. God, I can't believe it, I'm finally really gonna have a dad!"

I had been home for four months, but it had been five since our friends split up. Tess had left Flint and Volkner so her and Dee could escort me home, and nobody had heard anything from Riley since he stormed out. He didn't have a Pokegear, so I couldn't even tell him sorry for anything.

It had been five months without Riley or Astro, and I hated every second of it. I hadn't even spent a day without Astro since I was five, and Riley...

"Amb? You okay?" Dee snapped me back from thinking of them. "Did you hear me?"

"Sorry, no..." I admitted.

Dee huffed. "I told you, Tess and I are gonna pass through Veilstone on our way. Do you wanna go with us?"

"Oh," I answered. "Yeah...yeah, I'd love to."

Dee blew a raspberry. "I know what you were thinking about, Amber. Are you still upset?"

"How would you feel if...if something happened to Tess?" I snapped. "Don't talk to me like it's a broken toy or something!"

"Amber, calm down. You know I didn't mean nothing bad. But, would you like me and Tess to drop by when we pass through Veilstone? We can all go out, go shopping, I'm fine with whatever."

A little calmer, I smiled when I thought about seeing the twins again. "...Yeah, I'd love it, Dee-Dee. You still remember where the house is?"

Dee laughed. "We can just call or something and get directions. Tell Max that Barry's been bugging the crap outta his dad until they can hang out."

"Yeah. Bye, Dee."

"See ya, kid." Dee hung up. I closed my Pokegear and put it back on the charger.

A wedding... I hadn't done anything much since I came home. Something as big as Dee's mom getting married, that was something I could get excited about.

"Amber!"

"Amby!"

Max and Michelle burst into my room without knocking, Max leading Michelle by the hand. By then, Max had turned eight and Michelle turned four.

I rolled my eyes. "Maxwell, how many times do I gotta-?!"

"Mom said you gotta watch us!" Max interrupted. "Somethin' about Dad, she had to go to that building and see him!"

"Take us to Paulie's house!" Michelle squealed happily. "We wanna play with Paul!"

I scowled, thinking about Max's rude little purple-haired friend. "Did Momma say you can play at Paul's?" I asked.

"Uh, well-"

"What about Paul's parents? Are they at work? Or is Reggie working? Because if you think I'm gonna walk you all the way down to the gym-" I knew all the questions that'd get him to drop it.

Max pouted, his blue eyes crinkling unhappily at the sides. "You're really mean, Amber, y'know that?" Michelle looked just as disapointed.

I stuck my tongue out at him. "Good, I'm a good big sister, then."

"You're a crap big sister!" Max huffed, dragging Michelle out of my bedroom and to the living room. Without Astro around to tease, Max had gotten really chummy with Michelle.

I should've been worried when Max told me that Momma had to go to the Galactic Building, or that something happened at work, but I wasn't.

Riley.

Veilstone City.

"Are you sure you don't wanna patch things up with Amber while we're here, Riley?"

I shook my head. "No...not really. Her dad'd chew my head off, anyway, I don't think he liked me much."

Five months later, I was fourteen years old, and starting to go through puberty. I shot up like a weed, almost taller than Lucian; my voice cracked and warbled like a sheet of aluminum foil; and, worse of all, my face was constantly broken out. And that was on a good day.

But, I was still living. My ankle healed fairly well(with Lucian practically mothering me about it), and eventually, I stopped blaming myself for Riolu and Astro being stolen, and Lee dying. And it was fantastic, not to feel that burdon on me anymore.

Lucian returned grinning, with sodas for me and Cynthia and a room key sticking out of his pocket.

"Nurse Joy said that there's still plenty of time for me to sign up for the contest," He told us cheerfully, handing us each a soda. "You two can go put your things away."

"In a couple minutes," Cynthia answered, popping the tab of the soda. "Where do you guys wanna go today?"

Lucian chuckled lightly. "Well, I could try my hand at the Game Corner, if it weren't for you two..." He joked.

Cynthia rolled her eyes. "What do you even know about gambling?" She challenged. When Lucian opened his mouth, she sharply added, "Besides what you've read about Texas hold'em!"

"Tess and Volkner know how to count cards, they love card games," I stated.

The whole time we'd sat in the Pokemon Center, I'd felt really weird. Like there was something in Veilstone City that wasn't supposed to be there.

Cynthia eventually dragged me and Lucian outside to the street, and my head began to thud dully with the beginning of a migraine. The unease from earlier was eating at me, trying to scream at me.

I held my hand over my right eye, groaning. "Ohh, my head..."

"Riley?" Cynthia and Lucian asked. Lucian added, "Is everything alright?"

I nodded, closing both my eyes. "Yeah, I-I'll be fine." I honestly felt a little nauseous. "It might just be being back in the sun."

That was noon. We all went out, got lunch, and screwed around the city like regular kids and...whatever classification Lucian went under.

The entire day, my stomach was clenched in a tight knot of...anxiety. It must've been how Lee always felt, anxious about a feeling I couldn't understand was there.

On our way back to the Pokemon Center, we passed in front of Amber's dad's office, the Galactic Building.

As I passed directly in front of the door, my headache intensified unbearable. I closed my eyes and cried out, and as I shouted, I heard a painfully familiar voice.

"Riley! H-help us!"

"Riley!" I heard Cynthia squeak. I'd stopped walking, and fallen over, but I hadn't even noticed. Lucian tried to set me back on my feet.

"Riley, are you okay?!" Cynthia asked.

Dismissively, Lucian shook his head. "He needs to sit down, inside, now."

I got to my feet, and they took me inside. Lucian went to the front desk.

"Excuse me, our friend doesn't feel well," He explained when she gave us a dirty look. "May we sit here in the lobby for a few minutes?"

The receptionist frowned disapprovingly. "We normally don't allow kids in here, but I guess if you don't just loiter around." After a moment's hesiation, she added, "He better not throw up, though, because I'm not using that sawdust crap."

Lucian faked a laugh. "Ha...thank you, ma'am."

By then, I was already in one of the plastic blue chairs with my head almost between my knees, I leaned forward so much.

Cynthia rubbed soothing little circles in my back. "How long has your head been hurting Riley?" She asked worriedly. "Do you need to see Nurse Joy...?"

"No!" I howled. "I just...it's gonna be fine, don't treat me like a damn invalid."

Cynthia sighed unhappily. "If you didn't feel good, you didn't have to come out with us, you could have taken a nap or something...is that all that's wrong?"

I sighed. "I don't know, I...I think I heard Astro call for help..."

"Impossible. You're hearing things," Lucian instantly dismissed my statement, taking the seat on the other side of me.

I clenched my hands in anger, pulling fistfuls of my own hair. "It's not impossible! I know what I heard, Lucian!"

"Quiet down!" The receptionist barked.

We all shut up for a few seconds. Another wave of pain and nausea went through me, and my body tensed. I grunted in pain.

"R-Riley!" It was Astro's voice, most definitely. The connection was weak, like a bad radio signal, but I heard him. "We're in here, please, Cyrus, he-Riley!-Riley!"

"Astro!" I grunted through clenched teeth. I had no idea what he was doing or what was happening to him, but he was very obviously trying to convey both to me.

I felt a heavier arm across my back, presumably Lucian's. "Oh-oh, wow, God, I think we ought tl bring Riley back to the-"

"No! No! Astro!" I looked up and spotted a door leading further into the building, shot up, and ran.

Lucian tried to grab me, and so did Cynthia, but neither were fast enough. I dashed through the door, and heard the receptionist scream into a phone, or intercom, or something.

"Emergency! A teenager with knowledge of subject 27876 has intruded into the building!"