The wind blew hard against my face as I ran. The skull I had dug up yesterday was still fresh on my mind, as if I had only just found it and started running.

Falling asleep had been easy last night after the exhaustion of being chased down by rampant Whiscash, but staying asleep was the trick. Nightmares from both my encounter with Whiscash and the skull I found kept me in near constant terror at all times. Every time I was jolted awake, sweaty, sometimes even screaming, I looked out to the sea, fearing Whiscash was still after me. Even though I was sleeping in the wooded area that neighbored the beach, I couldn’t relax.

The gloomy overcast and warning of rain was welcoming to me as I made my way through the middle of the beach, the sea looking gray in reflection of the sky, as if it were considering rising up and drenching all of the sand, sweeping me off my feet and taking me out in the unknown beneath. I preferred this over a sunny day on the beach, however beautiful it would have been to view. This kind of weather was calming to me, and inspired thinking. I wonder how my mom is, I dwelled. I don’t really want to, but I should give her a quick call. She’s hurting having no one home with her. Her entire family is gone. She’s alone. I should let her know how I’m doing. As soon as I get to Celadon City, I’ll give her a ring. And my Pokemon! I still need to get in touch with Prof. Oak and find out what Pokemon I caught on that mountain. I’m sure it was something Psychic. My foot landed on the sand and went through a hole, stopping ankle deep. I pulled hard and my foot was freed. After shaking my foot off, I continued walking.

I wonder how many Pokemon Robin and Aly have caught so far, I continued. I need to find me some more. I was far behind everyone else the last time I spoke to the Professor. I wonder if Kiwi made it back to Pallet Town okay. So many things I need to speak to the Professor about. So many things. This sure has been a weird journey. I definitely am crazy for continuing. Where am I even headed right now? My bag slipped off my shoulder it was hanging from as I reached to open it and get the Town Map. My foot suddenly sunk into another hole. The sand went up a little higher than my ankle this time. “What the…?” I muttered, and positioned my other foot to balance myself as I pulled my foot out of the hole. I pulled my sneaker off and shook a little bit of sand out of it. As I bent over to put my sneaker back on, sand blew into my face from the cold wind, forcing me to close my eyes. Blindly, I tied my sneaker and stood up, wiping sand out of my face. It’s really getting cold. Winter time is approaching. It didn’t help that my jacket was still soaking wet. I had changed my clothes, but it wasn’t freezing cold outside so I didn’t want to wear my heavier jacket. I’d be alright. Rubbing my eyes was only making the pain from the sand in them, worse. Choosing to just squint through and wait out the stinging in them, I walked. They hurt and were tearing up, but I’d be better soon enough.

Celadon City, I reminded myself. But most importantly, Fuchsia City. Afterwards, I can be concerned with where my next Gym battle should take place at.

Now, both of my feet fell through yet another hole in the sand! What’s going on? I wondered, greatly confused. I placed both hands in the sand and struggled to force myself up, but I was stuck. I grabbed one leg and tried to force it out, but it wouldn’t budge. “What the hell is this?” Anger was starting to fill up in me as I pulled harder on my leg, trying to force myself up with all my strength. Is this quicksand? I began to fear. I wasn’t sinking, I soon realized, but what was going on? Finally, my right leg popped up from the sand, but without my sneaker. I reached in the sand and dug around before shortly coming up with it. I held it upside down and shook all the sand out of it before putting it back on my foot and tying it tightly. I need to get out of here, I thought as I pulled on my other foot. Something isn’t right here. My foot was rising out of the sand slowly. Almost out... “OOOWWW!!” I screamed.

Something was biting my foot!

“HEY!!” I pulled frantically on my leg as I felt something sharp digging into it under the sand! “GET OFF OF ME!!” I was yanking and pulling hard on my leg.

Whatever was underground began to pull back on my foot! It was trying to take me back down!

“NOOOOOOO!!” I pulled back on my foot. “LET GO!!” I began to kick at the thing, shoving my foot further down the hole to hit the creature and then pulling my foot back up. “Aaahh!!” I screamed as my foot came flying out from the hole and I fell back into the sand. Sitting up, I gasped.

My sneaker was destroyed! The toe of the sneaker, and all around the sides, were shredded by something very sharp.

I leaped up and made a mad dash for the woods. I had to get the hell off of this beach!

The trees were only several feet away.

The sand around me suddenly shifted and changed shape from underneath me! It gave way, no longer supporting me, and took the shape of a funnel. It was slowly spinning, sinking deeper down as it neared the middle of the whirlpool-like structure, stretching out several feet wide all around me, stopping just at the forest I was so close to reaching.

I screamed as I fell through to the middle, grabbing at the air desperately, and was submerged in it. Dropping, screaming all the way down as I grabbed at the side frantically and, to my immense surprise, quickly stopped sliding! My arms and legs worked hard, trying to climb back up, but only a couple of seconds later, I realized I hadn’t been the reason I had stopped sliding. My drop was just slowed down drastically as I was slowly sinking through the sides of the hole, sand pressed tight around me. I shot down sharply once again just as I grasped above me for help from anything, and grabbed onto something! I held onto it for all it was worth, my very life, but it broke and I continued to drop. I was screaming, falling through a thin tunnel which soon curved and had me sliding down in a different direction. Now bouncing into a separate tunnel which supported me poorly with a painful, rocky path as I cried out repeatedly before my head slammed into something hard and bounced me off onto a separate tunnel. Practically crying at this point, I was shot out of that tunnel and dropped to the ground in a wide, dark, underground cavern. I remained quiet, my body throbbing in various areas. When I felt my heartbeat start to decrease, my breathing return to normal... When I felt a bit less shaky... I slowly sat up and gazed at my surroundings.

Surrounding me were numerous tunnels leading to who knew where. This place was quite literally a maze. Above me was no visible escape method.

I slowly walked down one of the tunnels to see if there was any light visible at the end of it. Seeing nothing but darkness, I checked another tunnel, and then several more, but they all were just as dark as the last ones. “Where am I…?” I quietly asked myself. I was afraid to move anywhere anymore. I didn’t want to get lost here. I also didn’t want to encounter whatever had dragged me down here in the first place.

What was it? A Pokemon? Some kind of wild animal? A monster?

I realized something was in my hand. The thing I had grabbed as I fell through the hole! I held it up close to my face before screaming in horror and tossing the bone away from me.

A human bone! Or maybe it was from an animal. Either way, it was definitely a bone.

My mind instantly recalled the human skull I had seen in the sand just a day ago. Was there some kind of connection? Were they from the same person? I have to get out of here immediately, I knew. NOW! I turned around and froze. But how do I escape? As I thought about trying my luck out and just walking through one of the tunnels, I heard something creeping along from somewhere. I spun around quickly, trying to figure out where it was coming from. Things got worse when I had a feeling that there was another movement coming from somewhere else. As I looked around in a panic, backing up, I could hear the tiny steps from everywhere!

It was accompanied by a persistent noise. A chattering of some sort.

It reminded me of bugs for some reason. It was driving me mad and my skin felt like it was crawling. I was seconds away from screaming. My eyes widened and I gasped as, from out of every tunnel, something crawled out!

Two of them in some tunnels, three and four out of the others. They looked weird, but intriguing.

I reached for my Pokedex and aimed it at the little things.

Trapinch. The Ant Pit Pokemon. They are patient hunters and set traps to capture their prey, though they can feast on virtually anything, including dirt. They spend time digging holes and tunnels underground.

“No way!” I said in excitement, which quickly faded when I realized that these things might just be a bit dangerous.

They had enormous jaws and they looked like they were sharp as well. They may have been what had chewed up my sneaker and nearly ate my foot, and they may be the reason I was even down here in the first place.

My heart leapt in my throat at the thought that maybe they were reason for that skull and bone I found earlier.

The Trapinch were all creeping closer to me, making their sickeningly annoying noise that was freaking me out.

Butterfree is my healthiest Pokemon right now, I considered. “Butterfree, I choose you!” I shouted, throwing its Poke Ball.

“Freee Freeeeee!” Butterfree said as it appeared.

I whipped out my Pokedex and looked through it briefly, checking Butterfree’s moves that I couldn’t remember this very instant. “Use Sleep Powder!”

“Freeeeee!” Butterfree flew overhead and covered the creeping Trapinch in a blue powder that glittered and sprinkled from its wings.

“Watch out, Butterfree!”I warned as a few of the Trapinch began jumping up at Butterfree, trying to bite at it.

Butterfree hovered higher and continued to sprinkle its powder.

All the Trapinch were asleep within a minute.

“Thanks, Butterfree!” I sighed with relief, smiling. “That was a huge help. Now, let’s try to get out of here, eh?”

“Freeeee,” Butterfree agreed.

I walked up to a tunnel, carefully stepping around a few sleeping Trapinch. “I just don’t know which way is the way out of here,” I admitted.

Butterfree stared at me for a moment before flying over to one of the tunnels and letting loose a cry with a set of light blue rings from its mouth.

“Hey, that’s Supersonic, isn’t it?” I asked.

“Freee Freeee.” Butterfree flew over to another tunnel and used the attack again.

“You’re using your Supersonic waves to try and find where the exit is!” I exclaimed. “You’ll be able to tell if it’s a dead end or not!”

Butterfree nodded and tried another tunnel.

We’ll get out of here in no time! I thought happily. “Please, try and hurry before the Trapinch wake up,” I begged Butterfree quietly.

“Freeee,” Butterfree said, and began to move a bit quicker.

After a short while, Butterfree had finished checking all the tunnels and flew back to me, its antennae lowered sadly.

“Do you mean… none of them lead out?” I asked in shock.

“Freee Freeeeee,” Butterfree responded.

“Then that means…” I started, staring up at the ceiling. “The only way out… is up…” My skin began to crawl at a sudden noise. I turned to see a Trapinch shake its head.

“Butterfree!” I shouted. Bad move.

My scream jolted several more Trapinch awake, who instantly nudged their friends awake. In a couple of seconds, they all were awake and angry. They charged at us immediately.

No time for Sleep Powder now.

“RUUUN!”

Butterfree and I took off down the closest tunnel, Butterfree leading the way.

The tunnel was dark and I couldn’t see much other than my Pokemon, if there was even anything else to see.

“Freeeeee!” Butterfree rang out gently.

The slithering, chomping, chattering, maddening, aggravating sound of the Trapinch neared us by the second.

“FREEEE!” Butterfree yelled.

Before I could stop, I ran right into a wall. “AH!” I stumbled back, my face feeling flattened, but shook it off and extended my arms, feeling the wall in front of me.

“FREEEEE!” Butterfree screamed from my left.

I turned to the left and moved forward, realizing the tunnel had made a turn. Butterfree must have been using Supersonic and knew we were approaching a dead end and had been trying to warn me, I realized.

We both went through this turn in the path, the Trapinch following with ease, right behind me, a few leaping forward to nip at my ankles, just missing. There was no time to turn around and fight. We needed to keep running forward.

But if this tunnel didn’t empty out to the outside, just how much longer would we be running for? I questioned.

“FREE FREE!” Butterfree cried out.

“Another turn?” I called out to it. I ran into something much softer than a wall this time. I heard Butterfree scream out as I ran into it. “Sorry, Butterfree. Why’d you stop?” I then saw them.

Just visible through some dim, foreign source of illumination, I could see the gang of Trapinch in front of us. I turned around and saw the Trapinch behind me. “Ugh,” I said angrily. What were we gonna do now?

Butterfree sounded out of breath but kept its gaze on the Trapinch in front of it as I focused on the ones in front of me.

All the Trapinch suddenly leaped forward all at once.

Butterfree and I screamed as they flew at us, jaws open, ready to feast.

One’s jaws opened directly in front of my face, ready to take half my head off with one bite!

“AAAAAAAHHHH!!!!” I screamed. Not from the Trapinch, but because I was falling! A hole opened up underneath me, sending me down swiftly, forcing me in one direction and sharply to another, side to side, all over the place. I could barely keep up with what was happening as I tumbled down one tunnel after another, screaming all the way down to a solid rock bottom. “OOOOOWW!” I rubbed my butt.

“FREEEEEE!” Butterfree was soaring down the hole towards me.

“Butterfree!” I jumped up and backed away slowly as the Bug drew closer towards me. My legs and butt were hurting, but I seemed to instinctively avoid Butterfree, an uneasy feeling swimming inside of me.

Butterfree flapped in front of me pleasantly.

I smiled and my breath came out in relief. Cautiously, I gazed at where we both now were and soon noticed something that resembled a bug of some sort. Or maybe a slug. It made a terrible little noise that creeped me out almost as much as the Trapinch. I looked up through the hole we fell through, wondering how much time we had before our pursuers followed through, and then I stared down at the weird thing in front of me. “Did you save us?” I asked it.

It simply flapped its tiny white wings briefly, making its bizarre noise.

I pulled my Pokedex out to see what this thing was.

Dunsparce. The Land Snake Pokemon. They dig away from people at extreme speeds and are difficult to capture. They can fly very briefly and only get but a few feet high at best.

“A Dunsparce?” I read. “Hm… Says here you’re a Normal type Pokemon. Why did you save us? I mean, I appreciate it and everything, but, why? You’re supposed to be shy of humans like me.” I chuckled.

It responded in its weird chittery language.

“Sorry, I don’t understand,” I shrugged. “But, can you get us out of here? I know those Trapinch will be here in a matter of seconds.”

Dunsparce made its noise and began to dig a hole in the wall using its tail, moving backwards inside of it.

I got on my knees and watched the Pokemon easily tunnel through. “Now to figure out how I’m supposed to get through there,” I said out loud. I turned to Butterfree.

It stared back at me quietly, flapping its wings.

“Hey, wait!” I stood up and grabbed a Poke Ball. “Dugtrio, go!”

“Trio Trio Trio!” Dugtrio announced.

“Dugtrio, I need your help to get out of this place. You have to burrow through this and follow Dunsparce,” I pleaded.

“Trio!” Dugtrio said happily.

I smiled gratefully. “Thank you so much.” I turned to return Butterfree to its Poke Ball.

“FREEEEEEEEE!” Butterfree screamed as I turned around.

I understood why automatically.

“Return, Butterfree!” I called, not taking my eyes off of the few Trapinch that stood on the ground, glaring up at me.

Another Trapinch fell from a small hole that was freshly dug from the ceiling while two more fell from the hole Dunsparce had dug previously to save me and Butterfree.

I went to Dugtrio and wrapped my arms around him tightly. “GOOOOO!” I bellowed.

In an instant, the Trapinch jumped at me as Dugtrio immediately dug through the wall, making a larger hole, following Dunsparce.

Dirt flew into my eyes as the mole Pokemon worked forward rapidly, digging effortlessly. Dugtrio are one of the fastest Pokemon when it comes to digging. We just had to make it out of this!

Squinting as I glanced behind me, I saw that the Trapinch were taking nips out of the bottoms of my sneakers! I tried tucking my legs in, but my knees were getting caught in the dirt walls of the tunnel Dugtrio was plowing for us, which ended up hurting me, and resulting in slowing us down, so I had to let my legs dangle. “You can do it, Dugtrio!” I urged. “GO!”

Dugtrio plowed ahead as fast as he could.

Dunsparce was far out of sight, but it left a tiny tunnel behind it, guiding Dugtrio through to the surface.

I closed my eyes against the dirt constantly flying in my face. “AAAAHHH!!” I felt a bite in my leg and kicked and swung it frantically, slamming it into the wall, knocking off the Trapinch as it cried out.

“TRIOOOO!” Dugtrio plowed faster and harder through the dirt.

“We’re almost there, Dugtrio! Don’t you give up!”

“TRIO TRIO!” Dugtrio replied back, continuing to move.

I opened my eyes briefly and screamed as a Trapinch appeared a couple of feet in front of Dugtrio!

“TRIOOOOOO!” Dugtrio plowed right into the Trapinch’s waiting, open jaws and knocked it out of the way.

“Nice job, Dugtrio!” I told him.

“Trio Trio Trio!” Dugtrio said, plowing through the dirt. “TRIOOOO!”

I saw light. Light! “We’re almost there!” I held on even tighter to my Pokemon and closed my eyes against a huge chunk of dirt that hit my face. Suddenly, I was flung forward and tossed off of Dugtrio, sent flying through the air! “WHOOOAA!!!” I flipped and landed fairly softly on my back. Still groaning, I sat up and gasped as I saw the grass under me! We were in the woods! “GRASS! I made it!” I cheered. I turned to Dugtrio and held out his Poke Ball. “You’re a lifesaver, Dugtrio! Get back where it’s safe. Thank you!” I returned him to his Poke Ball.

“Trio!” Dugtrio responded happily as he was returned.

I was ready to collapse to the ground when a stream of Trapinch leaped out of the hole Dugtrio and I had just gotten out of! Countless numbers of the enemy Pokemon were leaping out of the hole and then diving back in, snapping their jaws loudly the entire time.

I backed away until I hit a tree and just watched in fear.

They continued to fly out of the hole for another couple of minutes before they had all fallen back in.

I was breathing heavily, staring at the hole, waiting for more Trapinch to leap out.

“Nice to meet you,” a voice said behind me.

I gasped, leaping up, and turned around to see a young woman.

She had dark blonde hair and was several inches taller than me. She wore an outfit involving tight, black short shorts and a matching, tight, black shirt underneath her short brown vest that stopped right below her chest, and a matching brown ranger hat with a black ribbon wrapped around it. She sported brown gloves and a rope was wrapped at her waist, slung around a brown belt. A brown bag hung from her shoulder. Her feet rested inside long black boots just past her ankles. An odd looking creature sat on her hat. She stared at me curiously. “So you were the one who they caught,” she said. “You can thank my Dunsparce for saving you, ‘kay?” She pointed at Dunsparce who sat on the ground.

“That’s… your Dunsparce?” I asked in shock.

“Well duh isn’t she cute?” she asked, speaking rapidly. She knelt down and grabbed up Dunsparce, hugging the thing tightly. “She’s like a plushy!” The woman let out a sharp, weird squeal of joy and let go of her Dunsparce, then stood up and glared at me. “If you don’t like Dunsparce, I’m judging you. In fact, if you don’t like Sewaddle, I’m judging you. No, if you don’t like Bug Pokemon and Ghost Pokemon, I’m judging you.”

“Wha…?” I asked. This woman was straight up bizarre.

“Those are the rules. Sorry,” she replied, crossing her arms, staring at me impatiently.

“Rules…? Look, thanks for saving me, okay?” I turned to her Dunsparce. “Thank you very much, Dunsparce. You saved my life for sure! I really appreciate that. I owe my life to you.” I turned to Dunsparce’s Trainer and smiled with a nod. “Is there anything I can do to repay you?”

“Yes,” she replied seriously.

“What?”

“Do you like Ghost and Bug type Pokemon?” she repeated.

“Um… Ghosts are cool…” I said slowly, confused. “I have a really bad phobia of Bug type Pokemon, though…”

“I’m judging you,” she spoke sternly, a cold look in her eyes as she sneered at me.

“What does that mean…?” I asked.

“It means you are now judged,” she said. “Bug Pokemon are like, the coolest okay bye!” She raised her hand to my face and walked away from me.

I stared at her, lost for words.

She stopped and turned back around. “Okay you like Ghost Pokemon at least so you gain points for that, but not liking Bug Pokemon is totally not cool. What is wrong with Bug types?”

“I just don’t like them…” I said, almost wishing I were back in that pit with the Trapinch than being bothered by this crazy woman. That feeling went away immediately. I was grateful, but this woman was nuts. “I’m trying to work with them, but I still am not a fan. We can’t all like the same things… What does being ‘judged’ mean, anyway? I mean, like... what are you talking about?”

“You’re being judged for not liking Bugs,” she answered, not giving me any real answer. “I have casted judgment upon you. What are you doing to work with them? How are you going about it?”

“Well, I own a Butterfree.” I held out Butterfree’s Poke Ball, and the beam shot out, sending out the butterfly.

“Freeeee!” Butterfree cried.

“WOOOW!” the woman exclaimed. “BEAUTIFUL!!” She took her bag off and reached inside. She turned to Butterfree and extended her arm, holding out a berry in her other hand.

Butterfree happily squealed and rested on her arm, nibbling eagerly on the berry from the lady. My Butterfree then turned to the Pokemon on the woman’s head and greeted it.

The Pokemon replied back in a friendly manner.

The woman smiled and scratched Butterfree’s chin. “Do you like my Sewaddle?”

“Freeee Freeee!”

“See-what-tle?” I pulled out my Pokedex.

Sewaddle. The Sewing Pokemon. They fashion out their own clothes to wear, but their first clothes ever are from their final evolved form, Leavanny. Sewaddle create a leaf hood to hide from predators whilst sleeping.

The woman turned to me. “You don’t even know what a Sewaddle is? I’m judging you,” she snapped.

“I’ve never heard of it,” I shrugged.

“They’re from the Unova region, when I’m from,” she explained.

“Unova…” I repeated. That was where Prof. Oak got Kiwi’s Pidgey to learn Heat Wave, I remembered.

“Your Butterfree is fairly well raised, I guess,” the woman told me, eyeing my insect Pokemon. “Very beautiful.” Her face softened into a loving smile. “Aren’t you adorable? Yes you are! Is your Trainer taking good care of you?”

Butterfree let out a cry and flew high into the air, floating over me.

I winced, my face breaking uncontrollably into disgust, but I tried to just relax.

“You look so uncomfortable around Butterfree,” the woman remarked.

“Free?” Butterfree said, and immediately flew away from me, landing on a nearby tree, its antennae dropping in sadness.

“Hey!” I spoke sharply to the woman before making my way over to Butterfree. “Butterfree, it’s okay. I still have my phobia. You know that. You know I am still working on it. You know I’m trying hard, right? It may never go away, or may take a while before it ever does, but you’re still my friend and I’ll always love you. I still want you close to me, always! Ignore that lady. She doesn’t know a thing about us. We’ll always be like best friends, right?” I grit my teeth and forced myself to extend my hand to Butterfree.

Butterfree stared me in the eyes, its antennae perking up a little.

My hand began to shake as I slowly, gently, brushed my hand against its face, staring intently back at it before removing my hand.

“Freeee!” Butterfree said happily.

“That was horrible,” the woman said behind me.

I turned to her angrily.

“You look like you’re going to puke or pass out touching your own Pokemon.” She shook her head, glaring at me. “How can you build a relationship with your own Pokemon if you’re afraid of it?”

She was officially wringing out whatever little patience I had left in me. “I’m a Pokemon Trainer! My goal is to capture every Pokemon in existence and befriend them all. I’ve come a long way to get over my fear of Bug Pokemon and it hasn’t come along too far so far, but it isn’t over. It’ll never be over! I’ll continue to raise my Butterfree and any other Pokemon out there, Bug or whatever type, and we’ll be friends and grow stronger. We’ll do it together! Who the hell are you anyway? I appreciate your Pokemon saving my life and everything, but you have no place butting in on my relationship with my Pokemon! We’re perfectly fine!”

She continued to give me that dirty look. “Whatever. My name is Kai,” she introduced herself. “I’m a Pokemon Ranger.”

“You’re a Pokemon Ranger?” I repeated, my tone easing up considerably.

“That’s right,” she said with a prideful smile. “Soon enough, I’m sure they’ll promote me to owning a Capture Styler. Do you know what that is?”

“Yeah,” I said quickly. “It allows you to control a Pokemon without actually having to capture it in a Poke Ball. Only the most experienced and well respected and trusted of Pokemon Rangers owns one of those.”

“Yeah.” She frowned again. “Thanks.”

I shrugged. “Just saying…”

“Anyway, as a Pokemon Ranger, I of course love and care all Pokemon,” she went on. “So, seeing you so uncomfortable with your own, it’s my job to butt in.”

“I suppose…”

“But, I can see that you two really do have some kind of a relationship going on. And it’s a good one. So I guess it’s alright. But seriously, get over your fear.”

“Yeah, right…” I muttered. “Anyway, thanks again for the help.”

“Of course. I heard the screaming and ran here as fast as I could. I work nearby here, inspecting the Pokemon and nature in this area and when I ran here, I saw the enormous hole in the ground, and all the other holes, and I knew there was trouble here. You see, this is a beach, not a desert.”

I hesitated before speaking. “Um… yeah… I could tell by the ocean…” I replied slowly.

Her eyebrows furrowed. “I’m saying that Trapinch have absolutely no business out on a beach. They live in the desert. They’re Ground type Pokemon.”

“Oh… So what are they doing here?”

“That’s one of the things I’m investigating. I’m under the impression that a Trapinch was released by a Pokemon Trainer. You Trainers really need to be careful where you release your Pokemon, you know. I mean, if you’re gonna go and do something as careless as releasing a Pokemon, for crying out loud, release it in its natural habitat, or give it to a Ranger, or a Nurse Joy, or an Officer Jenny, or a shelter. There’s so many options! Gosh!”

“You mean, all those Trapinch are from Pokemon Trainers?”

“No,” Kai shook her head. “Well, I doubt it very much, at least. I suspect that only one was released.”

“But there’s an entire family of them down there! Two could have been released or something and they’ve been breeding like mad ever since!”

“Maybe,” Kai said uncertainly. “Personally, I think one was released. Pokemon have ways of finding friends and family, you know. I feel that someone may have released a Trapinch, and it made the best of its situation. Somehow wandered onto the beach. Who knows how far it traveled to get here? Then, maybe it let off a scent, or a noise, or some others means to find friends like itself. Maybe those friends found this location and relocated and now live here. It’s not unheard of. In Unova, there were no Pokemon from other regions able to be located there. Suddenly, something went wrong when other regions were transferring Pokemon to scientists in Unova and several of them escaped. Now, we have a wide range of other region Pokemon in Unova as well.”

“Wow. Then, I guess you could be right.”

“Yep,” Kai beamed proudly. “So, my Dunsparce helped you out, huh?”

“Yes, it did,” I nodded. “It totally saved my life down th-”

“She.” Kai pointed a finger right at my face.

I kept my eyes on it and said, “She. She totally saved my life down there.” I looked Kai in the eyes. “Sorry.”

Kai nodded with her solid face and lowered her arm.

I sighed and forced a smile, ready to get away from this cook. “Thank you both again.” I nodded at Dunsparce.

Dunsparce replied.

“By the way, my name is Gary.” I extended my hand and Kai shook it. “Well, Kai, thanks once again.”

“Not a problem,” she said. “Prob. Lem. Problem.”

My mouth opened to say something, but I closed it and decided it was best if I just left. “See you around.”

“Hold on, Gary,” she called as I began walking away.

“Huh?” I stopped.

“Where are you going?” she asked me.

“I’m heading to Celadon City.”

“You can’t go there.”

“What? Why?” My voice rose at her.

“As you know, I’m working in this area,” she explained. “The Trapinch problem isn’t the only thing I’m investigating. You going through here alone is not a good idea. I’d recommend you take a different path to get to Celadon City.”

“After all the time it took me to get here? I’m almost there!”

She sighed. “If you insist on going to Celadon through here, fine. But I’ll have to escort you.”

I stared at her with my mouth hanging open. “But, I have my Pokemon with me! What could be so dangerous out here?”

“Hopefully you won’t have to find out, but it’s really bad, Gary. I cannot allow you to go through there alone. I’m sorry. Or, you can wait until I find out exactly what the situation out there is and how to solve it.”

I can’t believe this crap, I frowned. “Fine,” I gave in. I was so close to Celadon City. I couldn’t slow down now. I needed to keep going forward. No matter what. “Lead the way.”

“And maybe I can finally see if I can meet Eusine!” Kai gushed.

“Eusine?” I then remembered Aly had mentioned wanting to meet Eusine as well to me and June when we ran into her and her Ivysaur in Celadon City. “That’s the guy who’s searching for some Pokemon, right?”

“He’s looking for a Suicune!” Kai shouted excitedly. “He wants to earn its respect and bond their hearts together to be one. He wants to work alongside the great, Legendary Pokemon Suicune!”

“Suicune...” I pulled out my Pokedex and searched it.

Suicune. The Aurora Pokemon. This mysterious Legendary Pokemon is said to be the embodiment of the North Wind. It travels around the world at rapid speeds and has nearly never been seen before. Few still doubt it even exists.

“HA! Suicune exists alright!” Kai claimed. “Eusine even said he saw it before! Eusine is amazing! He’s gorgeous! He’s totally the coolest thing walking this planet! Oh my gosh, what about Grimsley?”

“Grimsley?” I asked.

“YES! Of the Elite Four in Unova!” Kai squealed. “Well, he was anyway, but he completely ruined everything good in his life due to his gambling problem and was ultimately replaced by someone much less sexy and incredible and awesome and oh my gosh you know? He is totally just.” She paused. “AAHH too much to even think about!”

I stared at Kai and began to wonder if maybe I should just go back to Saffron City and work my way around to Celadon instead of having her escort me.

“Anyway, are we going or not?” Kai asked.

I sighed. I can’t go back now, I told myself. I have to keep moving forward. My head lowered in defeat. “Okay, Kai. Let’s go. But, first...” My sneakers, one destroyed, the other just worn, were kicked off. I knelt down and took my bag off my back and then removed my sneakers. I pulled out a fresh black pair from my bag and put them on. The destroyed sneakers were shoved in their place and I got up and zipped the bag close, slinging it over my shoulder again. “I’m ready.”

“Oh, and one more thing,” Kai added.

I stared at her with exhaustion.

“You have to let your Butterfree travel around with me so I can be around her,” she demanded.

“Her?” I repeated.

“Oh my gosh you don’t even know the gender of your own Pokemon?” She tossed her hands up in frustration. “You are just.” Her head shook rapidly. “Oh my gosh just oh my gosh. Unbelievable. You. AAHHH. Just wow.”

Keep moving forward. Get it over with, I urged myself. “Go ahead, Butterfree,” I grumbled.

“Freee?” Butterfree flew towards Kai softly through the air.

“Butterfreeee!!” Kai called out joyfully, running to my Pokemon.

I watched as she and Butterfree danced happily with each other, Sewaddle jumping up and down with them, and I couldn’t help but smile a little.

Kai turned to me. “Alright then, Gary. Let’s get you out of here and into Celadon City.” She walked ahead of me, chatting to my Butterfree quickly, Dunsparce crawling along on the ground at her feet.

I stood there for a moment before walking forward to follow them, but then stopped and turned back to stare at the beach.

I stared at the holes throughout the sand.

I stared at the water.

I turned around and noticed Kai, her Sewaddle and Dunsparce, and my Butterfree were nowhere in sight. I could still hear Kai talking rapidly ahead. “Hey, wait up!” I ran after them.

Running after my new, definitely temporary, traveling partner.

Running after her creepy Bug and Grass type Pokemon that sat atop her head, Sewaddle.

Running after her Dunsparce that saved me and my Pokemons’ lives.

Running after my Butterfree.

Running into an altercation I never saw coming.