“I’m telling you, you’re gonna looove Burgh. I promise,” Kai told June’s Galvantula excitedly, her own Galvantula standing close to June’s. “Some say he’s a bit strange, but in reality, he’s a total sweetheart and absolutely adores Bug types! I pretty much idolize him. I’ve never seen his butt, though. I’m pretty sure it can’t compare with Emmet’s, though. Emmet is soooooo cool. Like, oh my gosh, you can’t even understand how he, like, mmmmmmm!!!!” She let out a bizarre squeal as she raised her arms and brought them tightly together in front of her, shaking her head excitedly. “Emmet also has an adorable brother, Ingo! But Emmet is just too super kawaii! We absolutely have to meet them both! But after Burgh! I want to meet Burgh, and all of his Pokemon, and absorb his body. ‘Kay bye.” Kai picked up her pace and walked ahead of the two Bug Pokemon.

The two Galvantula turned to each other and then moved quickly to keep up with Kai.

I turned to June, who was by my side.

June looked to me and shrugged her shoulders.

I wasn’t eager to catch up with Kai and those two disgusting insects that were following her, but June jogged after Kai, and I picked up my pace very slightly.

It was the day after we had met Kai. She had talked nonstop to June and I back at the Pokemon Center. That was, until June and I got back our Pokemon. She insisted on seeing June’s Bug and Ghost types, so June sent out her Galvantula and Rotom. Kai let out an explosive, joyful scream and she wrapped her arms around Galvantula. On her knees, she spoke to Galvantula eagerly, praising her, noting how well taken care of she looked, how bright the colors on her body were, and how healthy she appeared.

Galvantula enjoyed the attention and seemed to maneuver in a happy manner.

Kai got up and went over to Rotom, bouncing around it in circles, gaping at it with an enormous smile on her face. She spoke on how spooky and yet adorable Rotom looked, and asked June how she had caught it. Before June could answer, Kai was talking up a storm again to Rotom.

Even Rotom seemed a little unsettled by this woman’s enthusiasm and flew behind June, peeking from behind her head, smiling nervously. June spoke to Rotom, trying to comfort it, and Rotom spoke back, its body sparking, and it gently shocked June with electricity.

June laughed and fell to her knees, her hair standing up high.

Kai watched this scene in awe until Rotom stopped shocking June, and then she curiously walked over to them.

June then explained that she likes when her Pokemon give her a jolt from their electricity, and that her and her Pokemon can communicate with one another.

Kai, stunned by this claim, inquired more about it, and June told her about how she could always speak to Pokemon and hear their words. The Pokemon Ranger then decided to send out a few of her own Pokemon, which included Galvantula, Dunsparce, a Butterfree she bragged to me about owning, reminding me that she didn’t have one the last time we had met, and of course, Sewaddle.

June spoke to all of them, engaging in joyful conversation, the seven of them laughing with each other.

Kai watched in admiration.

I had backed up as far as humanly possible, watching the creepy insects from afar.

June and Kai’s Galvantula seemed to get along well with each other, staying close by each other’s side and glancing at one another on occasion. A spark zapped from both Pokemon every couple of minutes, meeting right above their bodies.

The absurd occasion lasted all night, and eventually, we decided we’d go see Burgh tomorrow.

I didn’t sleep well that night. I hadn’t intended on meeting Kai ever again for as long as I lived, and yet, somehow, June and I had managed to meet her in Unova. And what’s more, she would be following us to meet Burgh. No way are we going to Nimbasa City, I told myself. If this Emmet guy is there, and Kai is going there to meet him, I’m totally not going there.

June turned in her bed in the room me, her, and Kai were sleeping in.

Kai had been mumbling in her sleep, nonstop, since she had fallen asleep.

I glared at her a little, turned my back on her, and closed my eyes.

Soon after the three of us had finished eating breakfast in the cafeteria earlier today and went to locate Burgh’s Gym, Kai filled in her and June’s spiders about a ton of things, starting with who she was, how she met me, the adventures we had gone through when we were traveling together in Kanto, Bug Pokemon she’s seen all over the world, her aspirations and work as a Pokemon Ranger, her desire to finally own a Capture Styler, which was a sign of a high ranking and well trusted Pokemon Ranger, something about a Casteliacone, and Emmet’s butt.

As we all walked, a woman slowly crept by us wearing a long blue coat reaching down to her black shoes, her long, black hair covering most of her disturbingly pasty white face. She was hunched over, a hump on her back reaching well over her head, but she looked to only be about thirty years old at the most. She didn’t have a cane with her, and she wore sunglasses despite the lack of sun in the gloomy sky, the dark clouds promising rain.

I squinted at her as she walked by. Weird, I thought to myself, remembering the pale, humpbacked man with sunglasses that I had run into when entering the Pokemon Center with June yesterday. I kept my eyes on her, looking back.

“This is it!” Kai shouted suddenly, taking my attention.

The two Galvantula walked past Kai, stopping a couple of feet from her, and turned to look up at a strange building.

“This is the Gym?” I asked.

“Yes, I’m sure of it! Look!” Kai pointed at an old wooden post.

The sign read: Castelia City Gym

I looked back up at the building. It looked old and not well kept. Tree branches poked out of broken windows of the three story building on every floor, vines hanging down. The white paint was peeling and chipped all over and looked filthy, various plant life growing all over it. The roof of the building wasn’t on top of the building properly, leaning to the side a little.

“Come on! There’s no time to waste! I’m coming, Burgh!” Kai yelled gleefully as she ran to the front door, grabbed the knob, and pushed the door open, making it groan deeply. She disappeared inside, the Galvantula duo following behind her.

June and I turned to each other, a nervous look on our faces.

With a sigh, I turned back to the building. “Let’s just get this Badge,” I said, taking a deep breath. “Then we can ditch this crazy chick and get out of this town.”

“Don’t be mean, Gary,” June said, crossing her arms.

I rolled my eyes. “You can’t be serious right now,” I muttered, and walked towards the open door. The moment I entered, my skin began to prickle from the sudden change in temperature.

The sound of water dripping rang out from several different areas of the room.

“Hey, it’s warm in here,” June commented.

I rubbed my arms and then removed my jacket. “Yeah, it is. It’s pretty humid in here, actually.”

“Muggy is a better word,” June stated. “It has a gross feel in here. And why is it so dark? I can’t see too well in here.”

A shrill shriek ahead of June and I made us both gasp in fright. “Kai!” We both ran ahead.

“YAAAH!” I screamed as a loud buzz like from a bee rang through my right ear. I swung in the direction of the buzz frantically, but kept on running through the darkness, squinting to see my way.

The room we were in looked crowded with materials, but I couldn’t quite make out what they were. I could make out splashes of random colors here and there, but they were small and almost unnoticeable. Trees lined the entire Gym as far as I could see, reaching high up to the ceiling, a few webs on some of the branches. The ground seemed to be made entirely of dirt.

“Kai?” I called out as I spotted a figure several feet away from us.

June and I stopped in front of the person.

“Bugs!” Kai turned to face us, beaming.

“Huh?” I asked, squinting at her. “Bugs?”

“Yeah! Bugs! Everywhere!” Kai was overjoyed. “This entire place is a bug haven! The temperature, the moisture, the darkness… The entire atmosphere is designed for bugs!”

I frantically looked around me and realized within seconds that Kai was right.

The spider webs in the trees contained shadows. Shadows with multiple, skinny legs. The objects littering the place were tables and chairs, all were covered in dirt and webs.

What is that? I wondered as I looked at a circular object that hung from a tree branch.

A fluttering creature flew in front of my face and I freaked out, backing up with a horrific wail, batting my hands in my face. “I’ve had enough!” I screamed angrily, embarrassed. “I want out of here!” I looked around, unsure of where I was in the dark, wondering where the way out was.

“But we haven’t seen Burgh, yet!” Kai complained.

“I’m not too convinced anyone lives here anymore,” June said uncertainly, her voice getting quiet with noticeable fear.

“He has to! This is the Gym!” Kai insisted.

“I don’t care what this place is. I want to go!” I said impatiently. Loud buzzing noises filled my ears and I felt several, tiny creatures bump into my face. “FFFFRRRRAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!” I bellowed, smacking at my face and backing up, stumbling into something behind me. I looked down at the dirty table I was now sitting on and saw something looking back at me.

A HUGE spider! The beast cried out and reached for me.

I screamed like a maniac and leaped off of the table, running.

“Aww! A Spinarak!” I heard Kai say lovingly.

I didn’t give a damn what it was. I ran from it, swiping at cobwebs in the way, running to where I hoped with all my heart was the exit. I hadn’t been running for too long before I saw something that made me freeze.

Something humongous hung from the ceiling. A light shone down upon the object that resembled a white ball of yarn.

I squinted up at it. “What in the world is that?” I whispered in horror.

Footsteps ran after me, stopping near me.

“What is that?” June asked, a nervous tone in her voice.

“It looks like cocoon,” Kai stated in amazement.

“That thing is bigger than a human.” My heart was beating quickly now. “It can’t be a cocoon… Right?”

“I have to get a closer look!” Kai was mesmerized by the object and walked closer until she was directly underneath it. She reached up towards the object, but she wasn’t even close to touching it, even when she jumped.

The two Galvantula walked away from June and I but stopped several feet away from Kai, looking up at the large thing.

“Kai, please, be careful!” June warned. She turned to me. “Gary, maybe we should get out of here.”

My eyebrows furrowed. “I’ve been saying that for a little while now. This thing wasn’t by the entrance, so let’s just head in the opposite direction.”

“Okay,” June nodded. “Kai! Come with us. We’re leaving.”

“I can’t leave! I have to see what this thing is! This object is the work of some kind of insect, I think.” Kai kept jumping, trying to touch the strange object.

“Just leave her,” I mumbled quickly, my heart thumping at Kai’s words. “She can stay here and find Burgh on her own. That’s not our concern. We can’t make her come with us. Please, June. Please. Can we just go?” I was begging at this point.

June looked at me, and then turned back to Kai, hesitantly looking back to me. She sighed. “I’d feel bad if we just left Kai like this.”

“She wants to stay here,” I insisted. “She isn’t traveling with us. She’s just here to meet Burgh, and he doesn’t seem to be here. We’ll come back for her if we find Burgh.” I wasn’t being honest about that last sentence. I, personally, was never returning to this place again. I wanted out! NOW! “She’ll be happy here, anyway. All of these nas-” I cried out shrilly as a loud buzz rang in my ear and something landed on my cheek. I swatted it away and spun around in a furious circle. “I’ve had about enough of these f-!!”

A sudden noise from the cocoon grabbed my attention, and I turned with a start as it exploded!

“BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!” A huge creature burst from the cocoon, screaming! It was a gigantic spider!!

“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!” June and I shrieked.

I turned to run, but the spider, the size of an adult human, landed on my back, forcing me down hard! I cushioned the landing on the dirt ground with my arms and struggled under the weight of the heavy insect. “Get it off of meeeeeee!!!!” I screeched as loud as I could, terrified.

“Who are you?!” June screamed at the bug.

The monster hissed at June and then lowered its head to me.

A sharp pain stung the back of my neck as the spider bit me. I screamed in agony, tensing up my neck, my eyes shut tight as I waited for the venom to sink in and kill me in a slow, painful death.

“What are you doing?” June called to the spider in a scared voice. “Get off of him!”

Footsteps approached me and I opened my eyes as the steps stopped near my face.

Kai’s black boots met my peripheral. “Hey, wait a minute!” Kai said happily. “You must be Burgh! We found you! How did you build that cocoon? Oh my goodness, this is a dream come true! You’re amazing!”

“WHAT?!” I turned my neck around and looked up into the face of some kind of creature.

“That’s Burgh?” June gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.

The creature raised two pale hands and pushed aside its hair, revealing its face.

I gasped in disbelief.

It was a man! But not a visibly sane one. He stood up, removing himself from me, and I could see he wore an all brown, tattered outfit, including a cape on his back. The cape was cut up and at first glance, in the dark, after he had burst from his cocoon, the cape had spread out and fluttered behind him, making it appear that he had multiple brown arms, like a spider. His face looked like it hadn’t been washed, shaved, nor seen the light of day in months, if not longer. His eyes were sunken deep into his face, the skin looking tired, old, and scary, dirt all over it, stubs of hair all over his cheeks, a messy beard under his nose. The guy’s arms fell to his sides, and his long, filthy brown hair covered his face again.

I got to my feet quickly, backing away from him.

We both stared at each other silently.

I swallowed nervously.

“Burgh! Burgh! Burgh!” Kai bounced up to Burgh.

Burgh turned to her and hissed, raising his arms in the air.

June gasped and took a step back.

Kai laughed. “It’s really you! Burgh! Can I look at your butt? Please? I even have a camera with me!” Kai tapped her bag with a wide smile. “Just one picture. Come on. Please?”

“Kai, cut it out,” I whispered to her.

Kai didn’t seem to hear me. “So, how about it?” She opened her bag and dug around in it. “I know I brought it with me.

“Kai, please,” June whispered, slowly approaching Kai and gently grabbing her shoulders, trying to pull her back.

“Get off of me!” Kai struggled, freeing herself from June. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!”

I took a slow step back.

Burgh turned to me, making me freeze in place.

Wow. When Kai said he was a bit weird, that sure was an understatement, I thought. This guy is crazy! “Um, it was nice meeting you, but I think me and June are going to leave,” I blurted out. “You can enjoy your time with Kai. Come on, June!” I stumbled backwards fast, but stumbled over a chair, landing hard on the ground. “Oooww!” I moaned painfully as I grabbed on the filthy chair and managed to my feet.

Burgh advanced on me quickly.

“Found it!” Kai exclaimed, pulling out a shiny black camera, waving it in the air.

“Kai, this isn’t the time!” June yelled.

My breathing picked up as I struggled for air in the humid room, my face feeling filthy with perspiration and dirt. “Wait!”

Burgh didn’t stop as he got closer, extending his arms out for my throat, a low hiss that was quickly getting louder, escaping from him.

“GO!” Before I knew what I was doing, I threw a Poke Ball at Burgh.

The Poke Ball opened and out came my Drilbur.

“Drilburrrrr!” Drilbur faced Burgh.

Burgh stopped in his tracks and looked down at my Pokemon. He slowly reached up with his hands and parted his hair, staring solemnly at Drilbur.

Drilbur looked back at him, and after a couple of minutes, turned back to me. My Pokemon returned back at Burgh.

Burgh slowly lifted his eyes up to me.

“I-” I stopped talking, breathing heavily, and then, “I challenge you to a Pokemon battle!”

Burgh stared at me without saying a word. His face showed no real emotion. His eyes went back down to Drilbur, and then they looked up at me.

I looked around the room nervously, unsure of what was going on.

Burgh’s arms dropped and his hair fell over his face as he backed away from me several feet. “Three Pokemon,” he mumbled in a voice I barely understood. “Three.”

“Huh?” I said, more in shock than from not hearing him clearly. “Yes! Fine! Three-on-three is fine for me!”

Burgh nodded. He raised one arm and pointed it at Drilbur. “Scolipede!”

A rumble made me look around, and before I knew it, a towering monster appeared from the darkness, stomping up to Drilbur. It stopped right in front of him.

Drilbur stood his ground as he faced his exceptionally tall opponent.

Scolipede. The Megapede Pokemon and the final stage of Venipede. This Pokemon is extraordinarily fast. Coming into contact with this Pokemon can lead to a lethal poisoning.

So is that all for the rules? I wondered. Three-on-three? Is there a time limit? Can he and I both switch Pokemon? Does it not matter? Something buzzed by my ear, and I ducked down in disgust, swinging my hand at my ear. Screw it! I thought angrily. I just want out of here! “Alright! Drilbur, use Earthquake, now!”

Drilbur leaped into the air with a strong cry and landed on the ground, quaking the Gym.

Burgh stumbled around, crying out in a low voice as the floor cracked and split, a line where the ground was splitting headed right for Scolipede.

Scolipede was thrown off of its feet as the line reached it.

I was bent over to the ground, my hands holding me up.

“Scolipede, come on! You can do it! Get up!” Kai urged on Scolipede.

“Hey!” I scowled at Kai.

“What?” Kai shot back, glaring at me.

“Go, Drilbur! You’re doing great!” June clapped on for my Pokemon. She turned to me and smiled.

I let out a sigh and looked away from her. I just wanted to get out of here. I didn’t really care who cheered for who.

Scolipede got back up, shaking its head.

“Poison Tail,” Burgh said in his low voice.

Scolipede’s tail glowed purple and it ran quickly, whipping its body around and smacking Drilbur with its tail.

Drilbur rolled along on the ground, his eyes closed in pain, and finally stopped, laying on his back. His arms were sprawled out at his sides and his cheeks were a deep purple.

“Drilbur’s Poisoned!” Kai applauded. “Finish it off now, Burgh! DO IT! DO IT!”

I growled, glaring at Drilbur. “Get up! Use Earthquake again!”

“Venoshock,” Burgh muttered.

Drilbur shook his head, trying to focus on attacking, and he leaped into the air.

Scolipede sprayed a green glob at Drilbur as Drilbur stomped the ground, rocking the field and throwing Scolipede down again.

Drilbur yelled out horribly as he was coated in the disgusting looking attack that oozed over him.

“That’s it!” Kai pointed out in joy. “Venoshock does double the damage if the Pokemon taking damage is already Poisoned. Drilbur is done and Scolipede wins!”

“Will you shut up?” I barked at her. “I’m trying to pay attention here!”

“Don’t be mad because you’re not kawaii like Burgh and his Bugs. You’re gonna lose. You’re one Pokemon down.” Kai stuck her tongue out at me.

“No! Not yet! Look!” June pointed at the battle.

Drilbur was sitting, breathing heavily, looking exhausted, but not yet beaten.

Scolipede was on its side, not moving.

“Scolipede is out, not Drilbur!” June declared. “HA!”

“We won?” I asked in disbelief. “We won! Yes! Drilbur, you did great!”

“Drilbur…” Drilbur gasped with exhaustion.

“Noooooooooo!!!” Kai raged at me. “You idiot! How dare you!! You are soooooo judged now! Just you watch!”

Burgh was looking down at his Scolipede. He stepped up to his Pokemon and bent down. A low whisper could be heard from him.

Scolipede stirred and stood up. It shook its head and then lowered it sadly. Burgh placed a hand on the back of the grotesque Pokemon as it slowly crawled away, disappearing into the darkness and trees.

Burgh returned to his spot and pointed at my exhausted Drilbur. “Shelmet.”

Something leaped from the branches of one of the trees and landed in front of Drilbur with a cry.

Shelmet. The Snail Pokemon. Shelmet protects itself by hiding in its shell from predators, not being the fastest of Pokemon, and can attack as a defense by spitting a poisonous, sticky liquid.

“Drilbur, hang in there and let’s try the Fury Swipes!” I told him.

Drilbur got up, shaking his head hard, and his claws glowed white as he leaped at Shelmet.

“Protect,” Burgh said just above a whisper.

A turquoise shield appeared in front of Shelmet, protecting it from the Fury Swipes attack as Shelmet closed its shell around its body.

Drilbur landed and flinched in pain from Poison.

“Hm. Then use Slash attack!”

“Protect,” Burgh repeated.

Drilbur swiped at Shelmet with one glowing claw, hitting it hard.

“Shelmet!” Shelmet cried out as the attack hit it, forcing it back.

“There we go! Using Protect once guarantees it will work, but if you keep using it consecutively, the chances of it working are reduced every time.”

“I think Burgh knows that already, Gary!” Kai said rudely. “You’re gonna lose, and you’re getting judged, and I’m totally getting pictures of myself with Burgh’s butt and his Bug Pokemon after this battle is over. ‘Kay bye.” She turned and walked away from us all, waving me off. After only a couple of feet, she swiftly returned to her original spot, watching our Pokemon intently.

“Why are you so obsessed with people’s butts?” June asked Kai.

“No, not people’s. Just Emmet’s. And Burgh’s. And Grimsely’s,” Kai replied.

“Grimsley?” June asked.

“Shut uuuup!!” I was in a fury at this point.

They both turned to me, eyes wide, and kept quiet.

“Drilbur, use Hone Claws!” I returned to the battle, baring my teeth.

Drilbur swiped his claws together as they glowed white and he increased his Accuracy and Attack strength.

“Giga Drain,” Burgh spoke.

Shelmet’s body inside of its shell glowed a bright, light green, and a beam fired out at Drilbur.

Drilbur cried out helplessly as the Giga Drain sapped his energy, and he collapsed.

“YES! TAKE THAT!” Kai celebrated. “Now your Drilbur is out, and Shelmet’s energy is restored!”

June sighed. “She’s right. Shelmet wins.”

“That was great battling, Drilbur. You deserve this rest.” I returned Drilbur to his Poke Ball and instantly sent out my second Pokemon. “Pidove!”

“Pidove!” Pidove flapped his wings, staying afloat.

“Alright, Quick Attack!” I started.

“Protect,” Burgh spoke.

Pidove’s Quick Attack was fast, but not quick enough, and he ended up bouncing off of Shelmet’s Protect.

“Bide,” Burgh told Shelmet.

Bide? That gives me a few turns to attack before it can send back all the damage I delivered, I knew. That’s reckless! ”Use your Air Cutter!”

Shelmet’s body was outlined in white.

Pidove’s wings wrapped around his body and then opened wide, several ‘X’ shaped, light blue bits of energy flying from his body and slamming into Shelmet.

Shelmet flashed white where the attacks hit him, signaling a Critical Hit.

“Air Cutter, once again!”

Pidove attacked once more, Shelmet’s body flashing white where it was hit, showing that once again, the hit was critical.

Shelmet groaned as it closed its eyes against the attack.

“Do it one more time, Pidove!”

Pidove attacked again with Air Cutter, and Shelmet called out helplessly as it was tossed back and finally dropped.

“Pidove did it!” June leaped in the air repeatedly.

“Yes! Pidove, good job. Just one more Pokemon to go!” I congratulated him.

Pidove flapped his wings and sang out with pleasure.

He battled so well! I noted. No memory issues or anything crazy. Maybe we’re over that wall?

“That was so unfair! You did the same move over and over!” Kai complained. “O. Ver. Over.” Kai stared at me blankly for a moment. “A little bit longer, and you would have been finished,” she finally spoke, her glare returning. “I hope you don’t think you’ve won, because Burgh is about to come through with the surprise of your life! Burgh just can’t lose! Burgh, you can’t lose! You can do it!”

Burgh approached his Bug Pokemon and knelt down, petting its body gently, whispering words to it.

Shelmet’s eyes opened and it stood up, looking up at Burgh. It nodded and walked out of view.

Burgh returned to his spot and once more, he pointed. “Karrablast.”

“Karrablaaaaast!” A tiny little creature flew from the darkness, taking me by surprise.

“Whoa!”

Karrablast. The Clamping Pokemon. It is small in size, but big on energy and delivers a surprising blow to its opponents, taking on foes of all sizes.

“Alright, Quick Attack!” I pointed.

Pidove flew at Karrablast, toppling it over.

“Now, use Gust attack!”

“Slash,” Burgh mumbled.

Karrablast ran towards Pidove, the top of its sharp head glowing white.

Pidove flapped his wings as Karrablast leaped into the air, blowing the opponent back.

Karrablast tumbled on the ground but leaped back up, eagerly hopping on the ground.

“Air Cutter!” I went quickly.

The Super Effective hit took Karrablast by surprise, evident by the look on its face as it stumbled back, struggling to continue battling.

“Swords Dance,” Burgh said.

Karrablast’s head glowed purple and it did a rapid spin on the ground, causing a little wind to blow through the field. It stopped and cried out, “Karrablast!” at Pidove.

“Yes! That’s the spirit, Karrablast!” Kai encouraged it.

“Pidove, be careful!” I warned him. “Let’s end this with Quick Attack!”

“Endure,” Burgh instructed Karrablast quietly.

Pidove soared down for Karrablast and slammed into it.

Karrablast growled strongly, holding onto Pidove as best as it could, resisting the hit that should have taken it out.

“Yes! Endure! Burgh always has a way around things!” Kai said confidently.

“Pidove, another Quick Attack!” I told him. I knew that Endure worked like Protect. The more times it works, the less chance it has of working the next time.

“Pidove…” Pidove looked around, ignoring Karrablast. He looked down at the ground and pecked it gently.

“Pidove?” I questioned, confused. My eyes then popped in realization. “NOW?? NOOOOOW?!?!?!”

Of all the times for Pidove to be forgetful, now was not the time!

“Oh, no,” June whispered, raising a hand to cover her face.

“HA! It won’t even obey him!” Kai laughed. “How very sad. Oh, if you thought you were being judged before, the judgment has arrived, now!” She laughed at me.

I grit my teeth and leered at her.

“Slash,” I heard Burgh say.

I turned around to see Karrablast swipe at Pidove with its glowing head.

Pidove slid along the ground and remained still, stunned by the hit.

“Slash.”

Karrablast hit Pidove with another Slash.

Pidove called out wearily as he soared and landed at my feet.

“Pidove! Can you get up? We’re just one hit away from a win!” I called down to my forgetful bird Pokemon. “Quick Attack!”

Pidove gave a brave, determined face as he used his wings to push himself back up, shaking hard. He turned around to Karrablast. “Pidoooooove!”

“Yeah! Now let’s do this! Quick Attack!”

Pidove let out an angry cry and soared towards Karrablast with stunning speed.

“Finish it off!” I pushed on. “Do it!”

“Endure,” Burgh said.

Karrablast braced itself for the hit.

Pidove got closer.

“Karraaaaa…” Karrablast said, eyeing Pidove.

Pidove suddenly slowed down and gently landed. He looked up at the ceiling then soared away from Karrablast, landing on one of the tree branches nearby. He gently cooed.

I fell to my knees, staring weakly at Pidove. Is this thing kidding me right now? I thought with a mix of fury and weariness, unsure of how to react.

“Slash,” was Burgh’s next word.

Karrablast ran away from Burgh and leaped high into the air, its head glowing white, and it knocked Pidove right out of the tree.

Pidove dropped with a loud, long scream.

“My Pidove!” I ran to my Pokemon and scooped him up in my arms.

“Doooove…” he moaned weakly.

I sighed and closed my eyes. “What am I gonna do with you, Pidove?” I grabbed his Poke Ball. “Thank you for your work... I mean it.” I returned him to his Poke Ball and went back to where I had run from.

“Only one more Pokemon to go,” Kai said smugly.

“That’s right,” June agreed, turning to Kai. “One more to go.”

Kai shot June a dirty look. “Your boyfriend is totally not going to win.”

“She isn’t my girlfriend!” I growled at her before June could respond with her reddening face as I grabbed my last Poke Ball. “Go, Cottonee!”

“Cooottonee!” he said as he appeared from his Poke Ball.

“Cottonee, use Stun Spore, now!”

“Cooottoneeeeee!” Cottonee’s body shook off a golden powder onto Karrablast.

The feisty Bug type was Paralyzed, shivering as if cold while Burgh watched on. Suddenly, Karrablast’s skin went drastically white. In seconds, its own skin slid from its body!

I inhaled sharply.

“Shed Skin Ability,” June and Kai said in unison, Kai happily, June seriously.

“It removes any Status issues!” Kai spoke with June.

“It heals the Status of a Pokemon.” June spoke with Kai.

The skin of Karrablast laid on the floor and Karrablast stepped forward, looking brand new, fresh, colored skin on its body. But the Bug was still tired and breathing hard. “Karrablast!”

“Bug Buzz,” Burgh told his Pokemon.

“Leech Seed!”

Cottonee moved first and a seed flew from his head, landed on Karrablast, and vines wrapped around the Bug type, sapping its energy.

Karrablast fell and struggled, unable to free itself. “Karrablast…” The seed and vines around it vanished in the next instant. Karrablast was beaten.

“ALRIGHT!” I exploded.

Kai shrieked as if she were being stabbed.

June cheered.

I ran towards Cottonee and wrapped my arms around him. “We did it, Cottonee! We did it! Yes! YES! We won!”

“Coooottoneee!” Cottonee snuggled into me.

I enjoyed the feel of his soft body in my arms and against my face. “Badge number three!” I sighed as I released him. “And most importantly, I can finally get away from these bugs!” I laughed. “Thank you, Cottonee!”

“Cottonee!” Cottonee nodded.

I turned to Burgh.

He was standing still, looking down at his Karrablast.

“Well, I won, Burgh!” I called to him. “I’ll be taking my Badge now and getting out of here, please.”

“We are totally not friends anymore, Gary!” Kai stormed over to Burgh. “Don’t worry, Burgh. I support you until the end. Gary’s totally not cool!”

“Ugh. Do you have to be such a sore sport?” June snapped at Kai. “I mean, I understand supporting your favorite person, but why do you have to be like this?”

“Because,” Kai crossed her arms, glaring at June.

“Because why?” June demanded.

“’Cause reasons,” Kai answered, turning away from June and facing Burgh.

“Huh? Reasons? What reasons?” June asked in confusion.

“Reasons,” Kai said shortly.

“Can I have my Badge, please, sir?” I interrupted impatiently.

Burgh hadn’t moved from his spot, still seeming to be eyeing his Karrablast, although it was hard to tell with his hair blocking his face.

Karrablast finally opened its eyes and got up. It turned to Burgh and stared at him.

Burgh seemed to be looking back.

Karrablast then ran off into the trees.

I turned to Burgh, who now had his head up, facing my direction. A nervous feeling swept over my body, and I swallowed.

Something wasn’t right here.

I cleared my throat. “I won fair and square,” I said, my voice not as loud or strong as I had wanted it to be. “May I please have my Badge, sir.”

“If he doesn’t want to give you it, there’s nothing you can do about it,” Kai said, sticking her tongue out at me.

Something flew by my face and I cried out. “Fine!” I said angrily. “I just want out of here! Come back, Cottonee!” I returned my Pokemon and turned to leave. “Come on, June!” I only got one step.

“Badge?” a low voice spoke.

I froze, my heart beating quickly. “I said forget it,” my voice shook. “I don’t want your Badge. Thanks for the battle.” I took another couple of steps.

“I have no Badge for you,” Burgh spoke, his voice coming out slightly louder.

His voice made me freeze. “That’s fine.” My voice continued to quiver. Burgh had been terrifying me with his low, slow, creepy tone of voice. Now that it was getting louder, it somehow worried me even more. I took another couple of steps forward.

“I am not a Gym Leader.”

His last statement made me freeze again. I managed a hard swallow.

“I haven’t been a Gym Leader in years.”

My heart was in my throat at this point, and no amount of swallowing was forcing it back down.

“I am… not even human anymore. I am an insect,” Burgh spoke, his voice lowering to where I wasn’t sure I had heard him correctly. “I haven’t been a, human, in so long…”

My eyes widened. I have to get out of here, I realized, and made a mad dash forward.

I heard a loud cry from either June or Kai, and then a definite, pained cry from June.

My feet carried me faster into the darkness. I couldn’t see where the exit, or anything, was. The darkness, trees, dusty furniture, cobwebs and spider webs were everywhere. I swung at the vines and webs hanging close to my face as I struggled to escape the building, the buzzing of multiple insects ringing through my ears, the bugs touching my face as I smacked at them.

All kinds of bugs and Bug Pokemon swung by me as I ran past, crying out, hissing, terrifying me as I punched at them, frightened to touch them, but desperate to keep them away from me.

June. Kai, I thought as I ran. I have to get help. I need to get to-

*

There was a strange noise.

Owww… I thought groggily, my head throbbing in pain.

There was only blackness everywhere.

The strange noise, so close to me, was heard again.

“Gary?” I heard a voice say near me.

I tried to turn towards the voice, groaning, and at that moment, I realized that the strange noise was my groaning. My body felt strange. Restricted. Tight. “Ugh…” Slowly, my eyes began to open. “Ugh…” I closed them against the sudden light I unveiled against them.

“Gary! Are you okay? It’s me, June! Kai is with us, too!”

“Huh?” I opened my eyes and squinted in the light, trying to turn around to see June.

“Gary, please, relax. Try not to panic, okay?” June told me, her voice struggling to remain calm, but fear was obvious in it.

“What’s going on?” My head continued throbbing.

“It looks like we’re in a spider’s web,” Kai’s voice explained. “We’re wrapped up really good, too. I mean, really good! This is amazing work. I wonder if Burgh designed this web.”

“WHAT?!” My eyes shot open and I tried to sit up, but I was unable to move much. I looked down and gasped. My entire body was wound up in some kind of white fabric, from my feet up to right below my neck! “WHAT IS THIS???” I roared in a panic, struggling harder.

“Gary, please! Relax!” June begged.

“WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!?!” I let out as loud as I could.

“We don’t know!!” June’s voice was getting high with fear. “Don’t rock the damn thing!! You might attract whatever made it! Or whoever…”

I stopped struggling and started breathing harder, my heart feeling as if it were stabbing into my chest repeatedly like a blade. “H-h-how did I get here? Are you two stuck like this, too?” I turned my neck, and several feet away, I could see June to the right of me, wrapped up exactly like me. I could also see that the two of us were on an enormous spider web. The walls and ceiling of the room we were in were gray. Looking down, I could see that beneath us was a far drop down to a gray floor.

“Yes, we are,” Kai answered me.

I moved around to try and see her, but I couldn’t spot her against my restrictions.

“Don’t worry, I’m here, Gary,” Kai said calmly. “Spiders rarely attack humans unless disturbed. I wouldn’t be too worried about attracting spiders. Maybe we’ll meet Burgh!”

“Did he put us here?” I demanded.

“I don’t remember,” June admitted quietly. “My head hurts and my memory is kind of undependable right now. I hardly even remember your battle with him. But my guess is that Burgh definitely put us in this web.”

I closed my eyes and struggled to remember the last thing that happened to me before waking up here. The only thing that came to mind was angrily turning my back on Burgh to leave his Gym without his Badge. And then… My eyes shot open with a gasp. “Does that guy really think he’s a bug?”

“Insect, not bug,” Kai corrected me.

June gasped. “I remember that now!”

“He’s completely nuts! He said he hasn’t been a Gym Leader in ages! What’s going on here?” As more of my memory began to return, I realized that it was noticeably cooler in this room then where we had been when I had battled Burgh. The air wasn’t humid and it was easier to breathe here.

“We need-” June stopped talking. She let out a sudden, loud shriek. “HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLP!!!!”

“June! What’s wrong? June!!”

“June? What is it?” Kai called.

”SPIDERRRRRRR!!!! Big, SPIIIDERRRRRR!!!!!!”

“No! No! NOOOOOOO!!” I fought hard in the web, unable to control my fear. Not bugs!! Anything but bugs!! I screamed in my head.

“Oh, wow! Look! Tarantulas!” Kai said pleasantly. “Hello, little ones!”

I stopped struggling, afraid to move, not wanting to draw attention from the spiders, but my skin was now crawling, and I couldn’t tell if it was because of the spiders on me, or just me being disgusted.

“You’re a brown recluse, also referred to as the violin spider, Loxosceles reclusa, in the family, Sicariidae!" Kai went on. “Burgh sure has a nice collection of spiders!”

I felt something in my hair. I wasn’t imagining this!! Tiny legs crawled on my neck, up my jeans, and moved along my arms.

I didn’t want to scream.

I didn’t want to struggle.

Everything inside of me told me to remain calm and to not move.

I heard June’s blood curdling scream.

I heard Kai name more species of spiders as they filed in from who knows where.

A huge spider’s hairy body walked in front of my eyes, on my face.

“Uh, oh. This isn’t good,” I heard Kai say loudly over June’s yells. “That’s a louse, in the family of Phthiraptera. As a lover of all bugs, I must say, lice are no good in this situation.”

It was more than June’s screams.

It was more than the huge spider walking along my face.

It was more than Kai letting me know that there were lice running around.

It was a combination of everything we had gone through since we entered Burgh’s old Gym.

I shook my head like a maniac, flinging the spider off of my face.

I struggled my body as hard as I possibly could against the web.

I opened my mouth wide.

And bellowed as loud as humanly possible.