I was lying on my back, staring through the treetops at the moon that lit up the clearing beautifully.

The sounds of insects, birds, and various kinds of wildlife surrounded me, rustling the grass and flying by where dark clouds were hiding amongst the night sky, the moon revealing them just barely.

My stomach grumbled loudly, but I didn’t move a muscle. I had officially decided that today was the day I would stop eating for the rest of my life. My plan was to just lay here, motionless, until I died. Yesterday had been a failed attempt at this very same thing. I didn’t eat all day that day until night came, having gone over sixteen hours without food. At that point, I couldn’t take it anymore, and I ate and ate and ate and ate and ate. I was so hungry that even while stuffing my face with food, I couldn’t feel it satisfy my stomach, and so I just kept on eating. I knew I should have stopped eating for a few minutes, and eventually, I’d begin to feel full, but I was dying! I just had to eat! And so I continued to do so. I was so satisfied when I finally began to feel full, I wondered why I even tried to starve myself in the first place. And then, I remembered.

Melissa.

Dad.

All hope I had of ever finding my sister was now blown up.

Finally receiving the answer to how my father died was the biggest disappointment of my life.

At that moment, I knew that I should have just continued starving. Today is my last day on Earth, I thought. Or, maybe I’ll survive three days. That’s the limit without food or water, right? Three days? After three days, I’ll just die. It might be painful and difficult, but it’s better than the torment I’d have to live with after learning the truth about Melissa and my dad. How will I ever tell my mommy? Tears rolled out of my eyes and down my cheeks as I blinked. Something was coming towards me through the woods, but I didn’t budge, keeping my eyes on the moon.

“Gary?” I heard a voice that I hadn’t heard in a long time speak shakily.

I ignored it, staring at the moon that appeared to be so close to the planet I was resting on.

She walked closer to me, but stopped a few feet away, keeping her distance.

I began to wonder where June was. I hadn’t spoken to Courtney nor June since yelling at them in the Village Of Dragons a few days ago at Marcus’ house. I didn’t even care if they never followed me again. I was done with them, and I had considered myself traveling alone.

They both had followed me from a distance, and neither girl had said a word to me, wisely choosing to leave me alone to my thoughts. They were nowhere in sight for the past three days I had woken up, but I would always hear their footsteps and whispers behind me and I felt their presence.

I hadn’t turned around to view them, but knowing they were there was more than enough to agitate me. I just wanted to be left alone. Instead of whipping around and raging at them, I kept quiet and cried silently, sniffling every once in a while.

Tonight was the first time in about three days that one of the girls had said anything to me.

I preferred the silence.

“I’m worried about you, Gary,” Courtney spoke to me softly.

My eyebrows furrowed, knowing that Courtney was trying to engage me in conversation.

“I know that you’re going through so much right now, but I want you to know that I miss you,” Courtney told me. “I hate knowing that you’re trying to deal with this alone. I respect your privacy, but knowing you’re in so much pain draws me to you. I want to help you. I want to be here with you, Gary. You know I can empathize with you on the loss of family members.”

“You don’t know anything about what I’m going through,” I said in a low growl. “You’re your own person, and you handle things differently than me. Your parents died, and not in the same way my sister and dad died. You can’t empathize with me in any way. We’re completely different people. Just go away.”

“I can’t,” Courtney said in a low voice.

I didn’t say anything. I didn’t want to know why she couldn’t just get up on her two feet and get the hell away from me forever.

“You’re my friend. You can tell me to go away, but you can’t expect a friend to do that,” Courtney said. She slowly moved closer to me and got on her knees.

Against my will, my eyes moved over to her, and I stared into her tear-filled eyes. Upon seeing her eyes, even I couldn’t tear away from her, and my head turned to face her on its own.

“Gary, I love you.”

My eyes stretched wide as far as they could go, and I sat up with a start. I leaned back as I stared at Courtney as if she had just appeared in front of me out of thin air. My mouth hung open to stutter out a reply, but instead, no words were spoken.

Courtney snickered and cocked her head. “Gary! As a frieeeeeend!”

“Oh-I mean, yeah! I know! I just-”

Courtney burst out laughing. “I have my Andrew, Gary. I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” I glared at her.

Courtney smiled back. She opened her arms. “Come here, Gary.” She wrapped me up in her arms and rested her head against my shoulder.

I wanted her to get off of me, but, at the same time, I didn’t. In fact, the feeling I had of me wanting her to get off of me was a lie. I wanted to believe that I didn’t want her hugging me, but I wasn’t that stupid to believe that. I liked Courtney holding me like this. Funny feelings filled my entire body in different ways. Courtney’s scent was in second place to the feel of her arms around me.

In this heated season, she was wearing a pink tank top, and her bare arms were touching my arms in my red, short sleeved shirt. Our skin touching each other so intimately was giving me chills this warm night, and I was loving it, fighting off the urge to smile.

Courtney nuzzled her head against my shoulder and let out a gentle moan. “You feeling any better tonight, Gary?”

“No,” I lied, trying to remain as cold and unmoving as I liked people to believe I was.

Courtney lifted her head from my shoulder and stared sadly into my eyes. “Oh…” She lowered her eyes.

Good. Now get off of me, I thought coldly, looking away from her, trying to distance myself from her emotionally.

Something warm, wet, and familiar pressed against my cheek, and the sound that followed it confirmed what it was.

My eyes expanded and I let out a stunned gasp. I turned to Courtney in shock.

“How about now?” she asked me calmly.

I swallowed hard and sat there, frozen in shock at the kiss I had just received.

Courtney smiled and nodded. “Good enough answer for me,” she whispered, and rested her head against my shoulder again.

We remained like this, her head against me, my eyes looking down at her in disbelief, confused by what had just happened.

The silence I loved so much had returned, but this time, I would have preferred some kind of conversation to explain what had just taken place.

“June and I got into another argument,” Courtney informed me, speaking softly. “I don’t know exactly where she is, but I know she must be around somewhere.”

I didn’t say anything, but my eyes did finally move from Courtney and focus on the ground. I suddenly began to wonder how many bugs must be crawling on me right now on this warm night. Millions, I assumed, and my skin started to prickle and itch. With Courtney on me, I tried to ignore the disgusting feeling of bugs on me, trying to convince myself that it was just my imagination, but it wasn’t working. But I didn’t want Courtney to let go of me, either, so I handled the feeling for as long as I could.

“I asked her about Electivire again,” Courtney admitted. “I thought, maybe, with you so mad at us and our constant bickering, we could just talk about her Pokemon and try to build a better relationship. But, she went all crazy on me and looked ready to hit me, so I ran away from her and finally found you. What did she do to that poor Pokemon, Gary? Pokemon don’t behave that way for no reason.” She lifted her head.

I stared into her pleading eyes.

“What did she do to it, Gary? Did she abuse it? Did she mistreat it somehow? Does this have to do with her thinking she can read Pokemon? What happened? That Pokemon is suffering from something that she did to it! It isn’t right that she harmed this Pokemon in some way. I love Pokemon, and so do you, Gary. We love Pokemon! You have to share with me what she did to that poor thing. Whatever she did to it can’t be tolerated. What did she do to poor Electivire?”

I stared at Courtney for a very long time, and Courtney didn’t speak a word to me, patiently waiting for the truth about Electivire and June’s history together.

“I won’t say a word to her about it, Gary. I promise. But as a Pokemon Trainer, you can’t just allow her to do what she did to her Pokemon. You have to speak, for the sake of that troubled Pokemon. It’s not fair to Electivire. This is a secret, between me and you, Gary. What did she do to Electivire?”

I stared at Courtney, looking her up and down, and then I looked away. “It’s not as bad as you think, Courtney. It really isn’t that big of a deal.”

“Then just tell me what it is,” Courtney insisted. “June won’t tell me because she hates me, and you won’t even tell me. It must be a bigger deal than you say.”

I kept quiet, considering the situation I was now in. If June isn’t comfortable telling Courtney the truth, then how is it my duty to spill the truth? Then again, these two are constantly fighting, and it’s usually June acting stupid with Courtney for no reason. She just doesn’t trust her after all we went through with her in Kanto, but Courtney has changed. She doesn’t seem to be a liar anymore… Wait… The Legend Badge! I turned to Courtney. “You lied about having more Badges than you really did, Courtney,” I said, staring at her sternly.

Courtney nodded as her arms slid down my back and off of me. “I did. I don’t deny that one bit. I can’t, ha.”

“Why did you lie about that?”

“I have no good reason for lying to you about that, Gary,” Courtney told me seriously. “And the reason is unimportant, because it doesn’t change the fact that I lied. I guess I just wanted to seem intimidating and strong to you. Whatever. It was just me being stupid and trying to show off. That’s the truth, and I’m sorry for lying. I only had six Badges when I started traveling with you, and the Gym in Ghyst Town was my seventh after finding out the Flower Badge was fake, and the Legend Badge was my eighth Badge. I’m so sorry, Gary. I can understand if you don’t trust me anymore and want me to leave. I just wanted to kind of seem cool to you. Like, an actual challenge. It’s no excuse. I know.” Courtney looked away from me and wrapped her left arm around her right shoulder. Her right hand, in its black splint, rested gently on her lap. She gave a little shiver.

Sympathy for her took over and I reached out and grabbed her bare, smooth shoulder.

She jumped at my touch and turned to me in surprise.

My heart, and more, was going wild at the feel of her skin, and a rush flowed through my blood as I stared into her deep, captivating eyes. “It’s okay, Courtney,” I said hesitantly. “Just forget it.” I inhaled through my nose and exhaled loudly through it as well. I felt immediate regret telling Courtney that, but I shook off the feeling.

“No, Gary.” Courtney shook her head. “You don’t have to say that. I can tell you’re mad at me. I can go.” She started to get up.

I grabbed her other shoulder, which made my heart grip itself with excitement, and stared into her eyes seriously. “It’s okay, Courtney.”

Courtney’s lips began to quiver and her eyes filled with tears. “I’m so sorry to you, Gary. I’m so sorry I lied to you both!” She wrapped her arms around me and sobbed against my chest.

I hugged her and rubbed her back. “Courtney, don’t cry, okay? It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay! It’s not okay at all! I’ve tried to rewrite my image in your eyes, but I lied anyway for no good reason! You two can never trust me again!”

“Can’t I trust you, Courtney?” I asked her.

Courtney continued crying, louder than ever. “I can be trusted! I just made a little white lie. But, I can’t ask you two to trust me ever again!”

“I believe in you, Courtney.” My heart was being fired at my chest from the inside and reflecting back into the same cannon, just to be fired out again. This firing was happening by the nanosecond. Courtney crying was painful for me to have to deal with. I hated seeing her cry. It was heartbreaking for me. I had to hold back my own tears watching Courtney sob. “Can I trust you to keep a secret? I’ll tell you a secret, because I trust you, Courtney. But only if you really will keep it a secret.”

Courtney shivered in my hold, rubbing her head against my chest. “I can… But, why trust me, Gary? Why??”

“Because…” I paused, thinking on my words. I inhaled deeply through my nose. “I love you, too. As a friend, of course.” My heart’s already spastic beating increased dramatically. “I love all of my friends. I trust that you’re an honest person in your heart, Courtney.”

Courtney looked up at me and wiped at her eyes with her left hand. “Really? You do believe in me?”

I nodded. “I do, Courtney. I hope you won’t prove me wrong.”

“Never, Gary!” She wrapped her arms around me tighter than ever. “Never would I. Not to you. Never.”

I inhaled again, the smell from her hair weakening me, convincing me against other thoughts that were flowing through my head, and I swallowed nervously. My arms wrapped gently around Courtney’s body, and the feel of her slim body in my arms seemed to coincide with my decision to tell her the truth. “June evolved her Electivire before he was ready to evolve.”

Complete silence took over the clearing. The sounds of rustling grass, flying birds of the night, scampering animals, and buzzing, chirping insects, all went mute. It was as if the entire planet and all life on it had gone quiet to listen to me.

“When she was a Gym Leader, she was having trouble winning battles. She’s never won a battle as a Gym Leader. She was extremely disappointed in her Elekid, and later, Electabuzz. So disappointed, that when she did receive an Electirizer, she went against her Pokemon’s wishes and evolved him. He hates her for that. He knows June knew he didn’t want to evolve, but that she evolved him anyway. That’s why Electivire is so furious and angry all the time. He’s giving June the strength she wanted him to have all this time. It’s just kind of backfiring at her…”

Courtney didn’t say anything.

At once, sounds returned. Insects flew through the air and chirped and made other kinds of noises, creatures rustling the grass, animals running through the clearing, and a few large birds crying out and flying by.

With nothing more to say, and the feeling of regret heavy in my heart, I quietly breathed in and held my breath, staying silent, paying attention to the noises around us.

“I won’t tell anybody, Gary.” Courtney’s hug tightened. “I promise.”

I closed my eyes and silently let out my breath.

*

Courtney was by my side as we walked through the woods, every tree holding apples in their branches, some apples on the ground around us.

June was behind us both, following us silently.

The three of us were continuing on our way to Interough City. The Interough Conference would be taking place in a little over a week, and according to the Town Map, we should be there in about a week, tops.

This wasn’t what was on my mind, though.

I had spent the rest of last night with Courtney. Just me and her. It was weird. With her pleading eyes, sensual touch, and enticing aroma, I was even convinced to eat, and honestly speaking, I was glad to be eating again. Eating is a pleasure not to be passed up on.

I didn’t see June until I had awoken this morning.

She seemed to be both agitated and depressed, sitting against a tree trunk far away from where Courtney and I had been sleeping together.

I was surprised by how close Courtney actually was to me when my eyes had opened. One might have thought we were cuddling!

Right now, I felt so emotional, but not a single tear would come out from my eyes. I had done plenty of crying the day I had left the Village Of Dragons, and enough crying the following days before Courtney joined me last night. But today, the sun high above us in a blue sky filled with clouds, the temperature feeling somewhere in the high nineties, if not over one hundred degrees, the air muggy and disgusting, filled with gnats and other flying insects, I couldn’t force a tear out of either eye. Even though I was traveling with the girls, I felt like allowing tears to flow from my face. I didn’t need their sympathy. I just was feeling emotionally distraught and felt like I wanted to let it all out, alone or not. My body seemed to have other plans, not allowing me to do so. Perhaps I had run out of tears? How weird to be so unable to show emotion considering the things running through my mind; considering the fact that I wanted to drop to my knees and bawl in front of June and Courtney.

Am I really mad at my dad? I pondered. Yes, was the quick response. He left the family selfishly. But what do I really know about suicide? What do I really know about what was going on in my dad’s head? Marcus called suicide a disease.

“When a man can find the love of his life, have the kids of his dreams, love them all with all he has within himself, live a rather comfortable life, and still throw it all away… I find that, personally speaking, a mental illness,” Marcus had told me.

Maybe, I considered. But that still… Doesn’t make it right… Or fair… Finally, I could feel my eyes start to tear up again, but the tears suddenly began to back away behind my eyes again.

“Your sister is dead, Gary.”

The sudden realization that I was completely worn out from the massive collision of the news I had received from Marcus made me worry that I was probably going to be calm for a short time, like the calm before a storm, and that I might eventually explode in a rage or a wave of tears, any day now. I sighed quietly.

“Swoobat!”

“Swoobat!”

“Swwoooooooobat!”

“Swoobat!”

I looked up in confusion at the cries in the area, and I saw that we were now in a large clearing that was filled with Swoobat!

The Swoobat were all flying easily through the air, crying out softly at each other.

“No way! Look at all the Swoobat!” Courtney cried out happily.

“Wow!” June whispered from behind us.

We all came to a stop as we observed the Swoobat flying around.

Some of the Pokemon seemed to be in pairs, while others were flying about by themselves. The tails and noses of all of the Swoobat were shaking for some reason, and pleasant notes were traveling through the air.

I smiled as I stared at the Swoobat. For some reason, my body was suddenly filled with an overwhelming feeling of joy, any troubles I may have had at any point in my life, now set aside and replaced with peace and happiness at the sight of these happy Swoobat. I pulled out my Pokedex.

Swoobat. The Courting Pokemon and Woobat’s evolved form. They produce a variety of sounds from their tails, some of which have the power to destroy concrete. A courting male emits sound waves that fill anyone who hears it, with happiness.

Courtney turned to me with a smile. “Do you think we’ve found ourselves in the middle of a courtship or something?”

“It’s possible. We’re pretty lucky if that’s what this is!” I told her joyously.

“That’s exactly what this is!” June exclaimed, walking up to us eagerly and smiling at Courtney.

“This is so beautiful!” Courtney gushed, looking around at the Swoobat. “I can’t resist letting my own Swoobat be a part of this!” She grabbed a Poke Ball from her waist with her left hand. “Who am I to interfere with the chance of true love?” She enlarged the Poke Ball and tossed it into the air.

The Poke Ball popped open and out came Swoobat.

“Swoooobat!” Swoobat looked around happily at the Swoobat above him.

“Swoobat, go out and find that special someone, honey!” Courtney urged her Pokemon with delight.

Swoobat turned to Courtney. “Swoo? Swoobat!!” Swoobat flew around, his tail now shaking hard.

I wore a shameless, proud smile on my face. “I’m so glad we wound up here!” I turned to Courtney. “Imagine if your Swoobat finds a mate!”

Courtney beamed right back at me. “Imagine? My Swoobat definitely will find a mate! I couldn’t be any happier if Swoobat found the love of its life today!”

“He’s totally trying to find the one!” June pointed up into the crowd of Swoobat.

Courtney’s Swoobat was flying by numerous Swoobat who were flying by themselves, but as he stopped by one, it would turn its head and fly away. Courtney’s Swoobat seemed sad for a second every time this happened, but he would smile again and approach another Swoobat. After about five or so Swoobat rejected him, he started to keep his sad face.

The other solo Swoobat were starting to find mates, happily flying around each other in circles or finding a tree branch to rest on next to each other.

Courtney’s Swoobat stood out with the sadness he now was wearing on his face. Suddenly, he looked up and let out a thrilled cry. “Swwwwwooooooobat!! Swoooowoooowooooooobaaaaaat!!” He flew towards a Swoobat that was looking around and smiling at all of the other Swoobat.

This Swoobat that had grabbed Courtney’s Swoobat’s attention stopped looking around and its eyes seemed to focus on another Swoobat. “Swooo…”

Courtney’s Swoobat flew up to the Swoobat he seemed to like, and he flew around it, letting out a gentle cry, his tail vibrating harder than ever.

The Swoobat he was trying to attract didn’t pay him any attention, its eyes focused on the other Swoobat.

This third Swoobat was looking back at the Swoobat that Courtney’s Swoobat was attracted to, adoringly.

The tails and noses of both of these Swoobat were shaking as they stared at each other.

“Uh, oh,” June said sadly.

Her sad tone was destroying the positive feelings within me, and I turned to her in shock, surprised that anyone could sound so sad at such a wonderful time as this.

Courtney was also looking at June with pained sadness.

June looked ready to cry, staring at the Swoobat that Courtney’s Swoobat was so interested in. “It looks like that Swoobat is completely unaware of Courtney’s Swoobat, and has her eyes set on that other male Swoobat. That’s so sad. Your Swoobat seems to really like that girl.”

“What’s that Swoobat got that mine doesn’t?” Courtney questioned sadly. “Don’t give in, Swoobat!!” she called out. “You’re the better Swoobat! Show her you’re the true gem out of all of these Swoobat!!”

Courtney’s Swoobat turned to his owner and gave her a determined nod before facing the female Swoobat with a big smile. “Swoo-! Swoo?” Swoobat watched the female Swoobat in confusion as she and the other male Swoobat flew towards each other and met in the air, gently flying around each other in soft circles, crying out to each other happily, both of their tails shivering underneath them.

Seeing the two Swoobat so happy with each other made me feel warm on the inside, and yet, I couldn’t forget about Courtney’s Swoobat as he let out a sad cry and lowered his head. I turned to him sadly.

“Swoobat!” Courtney cried. “Oh…” She sighed. “No fair. My Swoobat really likes that other one… But is it fair to force love if that girl already has found what she likes?”

“Maybe she doesn’t know what she’s missing from your Swoobat, Courtney!” June suggested brightly. “Maybe a display of power is needed!”

“Power?” Courtney turned to June.

“Yeah! Maybe have him show off his moves and impress that girl with his strength! Girls love a little muscle on a man!” June giggled.

Courtney smiled brightly. “Yeah!” She turned to Swoobat eagerly. “Swoobat, show off a few of your moves for her! Show her that Gust attack of yours!”

Swoobat nodded at Courtney happily and ascended. “Swwwooooobat!!” Swoobat flapped his wings and created a gust of wind that blew through the area, grabbing many of the Swoobats’ attention.

The female Swoobat that Courtney’s Swoobat was trying to impress paid no mind to Courtney’s Swoobat and continued to snuggle with the other male Swoobat.

The other male was glaring at Courtney’s Swoobat, but was snuggling the female Swoobat back with pride.

“Then try your Acrobatics! That’ll really show off your power, Swoobat!” Courtney called out to her Pokemon.

“Swoobat!” Swoobat moved with blinding speed as he flew past the Swoobat of his dreams and the male she seemed so enamored with, using Acrobatics with as much power and speed as he could muster.

The female Swoobat had her eyes closed, leaning upon the male Swoobat, completely ignoring Courtney’s Swoobat.

The male Swoobat leaned back upon the girl, but his eyes were open, eyeing Courtney’s Swoobat angrily.

“I don’t think he’s grabbing the right Swoobat’s attention,” I said in dismay.

“I see what you mean,” Courtney agreed with disappointment. “The female is totally snobby.”

“Or Unaware…” June commented.

Courtney’s Swoobat continued flying around, trying in vain to impress the female Swoobat with his Acrobatics attacks. As he flew towards the pair once more, he let out a startled cry and flapped his wings frantically, and I immediately knew that something had gone wrong. In the next second, Courtney’s Swoobat crashed into both the male and the female Swoobat, knocking them both out of the air, and the three of them collapsed to the ground.

The other Swoobat in the area all looked down at the three Swoobat, their sweet notes no longer traveling through the air.

I instantly started to feel less relaxed and good about life, and instead more tense, stressed, and concerned for Courtney’s Swoobat.

The three Swoobat moaned in pain in the grass.

The other Swoobat in the area began to laugh and point with their wings at the three Swoobat.

“Oh, Swoobat,” Courtney moaned, resting her left hand against the side of her face and shaking her head. “Such a Klutz, as always. This isn’t gonna work out at all…”

Courtney’s Swoobat shook his head and managed to his feet shakily. “Swoooooo…” he said wearily as he stared up sadly at the laughing Swoobat. His eyes turned to the female and male Swoobat he had accidentally knocked down, and he cried out in shock. “Swoobat!”

The pair got up from the ground and shook their heads before turning to Courtney’s Swoobat angrily.

“Swoobat! Swoooobat!” the female uttered.

“Swoooooooobat!!” The male Swoobat flapped his wings and rose into the air. A dark ball appeared in front of him and sparked with dark static. “Swoobat!”

The Shadow Ball flew out at Courtney’s Swoobat and knocked him back, causing him to tumble repeatedly until he slammed into a tree. “Swooooo…” Swoobat moaned painfully.

“Swoobat!” Courtney called, and she, me, and June ran towards her Pokemon.

Swoobat was on his back, a dizzy look on his face. Once the three of us reached him, he shook his head and got to his feet. He gazed down sadly. “Swoobat…” His nose vibrated.

At once, a sinking, depressing feeling reached my heart.

“Swoobat, my poor Pokemon!” Courtney said sadly.

The cheerful noises in the area coming from all of the other Swoobat contested with the heart wrenching feeling in my heart. I wanted to feel at peace with everything in the world, but seeing Swoobat so miserable, I was in the middle of sadness and joy, wishing I could cheer up Swoobat so we all could be happy! I suddenly found myself smiling. “Don’t you worry, Swoobat! There’s plenty of other Swoobat in the area! Why not choose another one? Who needs that one?”

The four of us turned to the female Swoobat that Courtney’s Swoobat had been trying to attract.

The male Swoobat that had attacked Courtney’s Swoobat now had one of his wings around the female Swoobat, the two of them roosting comfortably on the grass. The female smiled happily and flapped her wings, flying away from the male, and the male cheerfully chased after her. Both Pokemon flew around each other in circles in the air, their tails shaking hard, the sight of pure love.

I smiled at the sight, almost in tears over the beauty of the two lovestruck Pokemon.

“Swoobat.”

I looked down at the distractingly sad noise beneath me and remembered that Courtney’s Swoobat was still there, his head down, and I spotted the tears falling from his eyes and disappearing into the dirt.

Courtney smiled and got down to her knees, rubbing her Swoobat’s back. “Swoobat, I can tell that you like that Swoobat a lot. I know you’re better than that guy she’s with, and she’s just not seeing it. It’s her own loss.”

Swoobat sighed in despair and lowered his head even further.

“Swoobat, let me tell you a little something about love, honey,” Courtney told her Pokemon. “If you really love something, you have to prove it. You can’t back down if it’s what you truly want. When it comes to love, things don’t just come to you. Sometimes, you have to go to it, and show ‘em what you’re really made of.”

Swoobat looked up at Courtney in awe.

“You have to fight for what you want, if you truly want it,” Courtney nodded. “Make her feel like a jewel, and show her that you’re worthy of being the one to make her shine for the rest of her life. She’s the one you want, right?”

“Swoobat!” Swoobat nodded.

Courtney stood up and took a deep breath, puffing out her chest. She pointed sharply at the Swoobat pair and winked at her Pokemon. “Then let her know, Swoobat! Fight for your woman!”

“Swooobat?” Swoobat looked up at the two Swoobat above.

The female seemed to be oblivious to what was going on beneath her, gazing at her love.

The male, on the other hand, was glancing back and forth between the female and Courtney’s Swoobat.

Courtney’s Swoobat looked up at the two Swoobat and he narrowed his eyes with determination. “Swwwwwoobat!” With a strong shout, he flapped his wings and flew into the air.

The male Swoobat turned around and glared at Swoobat. “Swooooobat!”

The female finally turned around and stared down at Courtney’s Swoobat. “Swoobat.” She squinted her eyes at him angrily.

“Swoobat, go get him!” Courtney ordered.

“Swoooobat!” Swoobat yelled.

“Use your Gust attack, now!”

Courtney’s Swoobat flapped his wings and blew a Gust at the opponent, forcing him to struggle against the attack to not get blown back.

The rival Swoobat suddenly flew forward, his body outlined in black, and he slammed into Courtney’s Swoobat.

Courtney’s Swoobat was knocked back and fell. His wings spread wide and flapped quickly, managing to keep himself from crashing, and he flew back up to match the other Swoobat.

The female Swoobat backed up, focusing as the two battled.

The other Swoobat in the area were also watching eagerly, their tails and noses no longer shaking, the pleasant noises in the woods now gone.

I suddenly felt a lot more… Normal… For lack of a better word. I didn’t feel so unusually happy and pleasant and emotional anymore. I wondered exactly why and when I had started feeling that way, and what stopped the feeling.

“That was Assurance that that Swoobat just used!” June stated. “That Dark type move is Super Effective to a Psychic type. Your Swoobat’s in trouble!”

“Ugh!” Courtney had an angry look on her face. “Swoobat, we’re not out, yet! Use your Air Slash!”

The other Swoobat opened his mouth and a white orb of energy with a pale, pink center charged in front of it.

From the orb, a pale, pink beam surrounded by a bright, white energy fired out at Courtney’s Swoobat.

“Dodge that Hyper Beam!” Courtney screamed.

Her Swoobat swooped underneath the attack and flew forward.

The Hyper Beam slammed into the ground near Courtney, June, and I, causing us to scream as a powerful explosion rocked the ground and blinded us in a flash of white light and dirt that arose from the impact.

I covered my face with my hands against the bright light, my eyes closed.

The other Swoobat all screamed and I could hear their wings flapping frantically.

Once the light started to fade, I peeked through my fingers as I heard a loud voice from a Swoobat, and I squinted, blinking away the flashes, and spotted a Swoobat flying towards another Swoobat.

The flying Swoobat’s wings were glowing light blue. He came to a stop in the air and wrapped his body with his wings. His wings then opened, and multiple light blue saw disc-like energy blades flew from them at the other Swoobat.

The opposing Swoobat cried out from the Air Slash attack, his body flashing white from where he was hit, showing that the attack was a Critical Hit, and he started to droop down in the air, slowly descending.

“Swoobat! You did it! Don’t stop, now! Shadow Ball!” Courtney cheered.

Her Swoobat flew towards the enemy Swoobat and charged up his Shadow Ball.

The other Swoobat in the area were all in the air, flapping their wings rapidly, watching the battle with great interest.

One Swoobat was high in the air above the rest, watching the battle with a stunned look, but I couldn’t be sure if that was the female being fought over or not.

The rival male Swoobat was hovering in the air, twitching in pain. No. Not twitching. He was Flinching! The Swoobat was stuck in the air, Flinching, unable to dodge the Shadow Ball!

“Swwwooooooooooooobat!” Courtney’s Swoobat tossed his Shadow Ball at the other Swoobat. The second the Shadow Ball flew from Courtney’s Swoobat, his face fell in shock, and he wailed out as his Shadow Ball curved! “Swoooobaaaaaat!!”

The attack immediately flew off to the side and slammed powerfully into a tree nearby him. The tree quaked a little, Courtney’s Swoobat looking up at the tree meekly. He let out a loud scream, the branches shaking over him. Before he could do anything more, several apples dropped from the tree branches and took him down.

I sighed and lowered my head, embarrassed for the poor Pokemon.

Courtney let out a cry and covered her face with her left hand. “My Swoobat! Ooooooohhhh!!” she bemoaned.

June could only shake her head slowly, a look of disbelief on her face.

The other Swoobat in the area began laughing hard at Courtney’s Swoobat.

The one Swoobat in the air above the others was the only one not laughing, looking down at the beaten Pokemon covered in apples.

The Swoobat that had been battling Courtney’s Swoobat let out a proud cry of victory and flew towards the Swoobat that was not laughing. “Swoooooooobaaaaat!” he called out victoriously.

That must be the female, I realized. But, why isn’t she laughing?

As if on cue, the female Swoobat suddenly smiled huge, and she burst out laughing! Then, she flew past the male Swoobat that was soaring to her! Laughing all the way down, she flew past the male Swoobat that had won the battle, and landed on the pile of apples covering Courtney’s Swoobat! Still laughing, she used her nose to nudge the apples off of Courtney’s Pokemon and then stared down at him.

Courtney’s Swoobat looked up at the female in confusion, getting to his feet.

The male Swoobat above stared down in confusion at them both. “Swoo…?”

“Swoobat?” The female Swoobat nudged her nose against Courtney’s Swoobat.

“Swoooowoooowooooooooooooooooooobat!!” Courtney’s Swoobat’s nose suddenly started shaking like mad, and he rose into the air, his tail shaking hard.

The female rose with the male, her tail and nose also shaking.

“SWWWOOOOOOOOOOOO???!” the male Swoobat that had beaten Courtney’s, screeched.

I smiled and crossed my arms, although I felt extremely confused on the inside. But, for some reason, I just didn’t care about my confusion. I was in just too good of a mood all of a sudden!

Courtney’s Swoobat and the female Swoobat both spun around each other in circles, crying out happily to each other.

The third Swoobat watched the two, his mouth agape, his eyes wide, his face holding horror at the sight he was viewing.

The other Swoobat in the area began to shout out excitedly and release a joyous noise from their noses and tails.

“Ha! Courtney’s Swoobat got the girl!” I exclaimed. “I don’t understand how, but it’s nice that he somehow came out the victor!” I laughed, pleased by the results.

“She thinks Courtney’s Swoobat is funny!” June explained to me. “He may have ended up losing the battle with that other guy, but the way he lost was so funny to her, that she was kind of taken by him!”

I raised an eyebrow, still not understanding, but still smiling. “I don’t get it,” I shrugged. “Must be a Pokemon thing, ha ha!”

“I wouldn’t say that, Gary,” Courtney giggled. “Women love a man who can make them laugh.” She winked at me.

I stared at her and let out a little laugh.

We all looked up at Courtney’s Swoobat with the female.

Above them both, the male that had lost out on the girl he had been battling over was now vibrating his tail and nose with a different Swoobat!

“Hey! Looks like that other guy got himself a mate, too!” June pointed.

“So everyone got themselves something special,” I nodded with satisfaction.

“Yeah…” Courtney whispered.

Something about her tone of voice made me look down to her.

Courtney was smiling at her happy Pokemon, but her eyes glimmered behind water, and I could see that she was no longer with us. She was somewhere else, lost in thought.

“Courtney?” My own smile faded slightly.

“Courtney, are you okay?” June asked softly.

Courtney blinked, and tears fell from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She inhaled a shaky breath and wiped her cheeks with her left hand. Her mouth opened, but no words came out. Instead, more tears rolled down her face. She closed her mouth and smiled strongly. “Swoobat…” she whispered.

Swoobat turned at his Trainer’s spoken word. “Swoo? Swoobat!” He turned to his mate. “Swoobat!” He then turned back to Courtney and flew towards her. He flapped his wings, hovering above her. “Swoobat!” he spoke happily.

“That’s not how you treat a lady, Swoobat.” Courtney gently shook her head, still smiling.

“Swoobat?” Swoobat said in confusion, smiling back at Courtney.

“You’ve just met the love of your life, silly,” Courtney said as more tears rolled down her face. “And, now, you’ve just left her alone up there.”

We all looked up at the female Swoobat who was looking down at Courtney’s Swoobat, smiling patiently.

Courtney’s Swoobat looked back to his Trainer.

“There’s really no big difference between love in the human world and in the Pokemon world, you know?” Courtney told her Pokemon sweetly. “You know what one of the most important rules in love is?”

“Swoobat! Swoobat!” Swoobat’s face seemed to get just a little more somber.

“You never keep a woman waiting,” Courtney winked. “You two have to go off and be happy together, for the rest of your lives, and have babies and stuff.” Courtney laughed.

Her Swoobat’s face went a deep red, and he looked up shyly at the female Swoobat.

She was smiling and looked away from Courtney’s Swoobat, her face also a matching shade of red.

Suddenly, the Swoobat in the area started to fly away in pairs, all going in the same direction, off the path and through the woods, their tails and noses creating such a pleasant sound through the trees. One pair would fly off slowly together, and a moment later, another pair would follow.

The male Swoobat that had been battling Courtney’s Swoobat left with his mate, flying by us, paying no attention to us, and they disappeared into the trees.

Only a couple of pairs of Swoobat remained, their eyes on their mates.

Soon, one of the two pairs of Swoobat flew away into the woods.

The female Swoobat that was alone flew in the direction that all of the Swoobat were flying off in, but she stopped at the trees and turned back, still smiling. “Swoobat!” she called out to Courtney’s Swoobat.

Courtney, me, and June faced Courtney’s Swoobat.

Courtney nodded at her Pokemon. “You have to go, Swoobat. It’s time.” She nudged her head in the direction the female Swoobat was waiting. “Get out of here and spend the rest of your life, free. With a beautiful girl. Make each other happy. Keep her safe, okay?” She winked at Swoobat with a small smile. “And be sure to always make her laugh.” Her lips quivered for a quick second, displaying the pain within her, but with a sniffle, she quickly brought back her smile.

“Swoobat!” Swoobat flew into his Trainer’s chest, and Courtney instantly wrapped her arms around him.

“Swoobat…” She buried her face against her Pokemon.

The last pair of Swoobat flew off together.

The happy noise that the Swoobat were making was now gone, only Courtney’s Swoobat and his mate remaining.

My heart started to sink in my chest, bringing sadness throughout my body. The sudden change of feelings within me caused me to shiver hard.

Courtney let out a gasp and a loud sob, and then she pushed back Swoobat and wiped at her face with her left sleeve.

“Swoobat?” Swoobat looked at his Trainer with wide eyes.

“NO!” Courtney said loudly, staring at her Pokemon sternly with tear-filled eyes. She shook her head slowly. “I love you.”

There wasn’t a sound to be uttered from any source at that moment. Not a single bug. Not a single breeze from the wind. Not a single breath from any of us. Everything now seemed frozen.

“They say, if you love something, let it go. If it was yours, it’ll come back to you. If it doesn’t, it never was yours to begin with,” Courtney told her Pokemon.

Swoobat stared at Courtney quietly, flapping his wings.

“You might see me one day, Swoobat,” Courtney said solemnly, sniffling as she cried quietly. “Fly the other way.”

“Swoo?” Swoobat gasped.

Courtney’s words stopped my heart.

June looked stunned at Courtney.

Courtney swallowed. “As fast as you can! Do you understand me?” Courtney screamed harshly at her Pokemon. Her voice softened and she became harder to hear as she gently croaked out to her Pokemon. “You don’t belong to me, Swoobat.” She opened her mouth, hesitating on her next words. “Y-you never did…” Her tears picked up their pace as they slid down her face. “I’m setting you free because I truly love you. Never return if you truly love me. Do you understand, Swoobat?”

Swoobat was in tears now, and he nodded at Courtney. “Swoobat!”

Courtney nodded. “Now, go.” She didn’t smile, but she did manage to stop shedding tears, staring firmly at her Pokemon.

Swoobat stared back at Courtney, and finally, he nodded at her once again. He turned his back to Courtney and flew to his mate.

Both Swoobats’ noses and tails vibrated as they faced each other, smiling with so much love, and together, they flew down the direction the other Swoobat had gone, not taking their eyes off of each other.

Just as I was starting to feel a little more positive, the moment was interrupted.

“Bat!” Courtney’s Swoobat slammed right into a tree, and the noise from the two Swoobat ended, along with the happiness that had started to fill me up. He slid down the trunk and hit the ground.

“Swooooooobat! Bat! Bat!” the female Swoobat laughed gleefully, and she nuzzled her face against Courtney’s Swoobat.

Courtney’s Swoobat smiled at her, and then he turned back to Courtney. His eyes began to tear up, and his smile broadened.

My own eyes began to tear up watching Courtney’s Swoobat, his eyes so wide and filled with happiness, love, and sadness.

Courtney’s face was once again streaming with tears as she smiled back at her Swoobat.

Her Swoobat turned away from her and smiled at his mate. “Swoobat!”

Together, they both flew off into the woods, the noises from their noses and tails bringing hope, promise, and happiness to my heart.

“I love you, Swoobat! Remember that! I’ll never forget youuuuuu!!” Courtney called after her Pokemon with a big smile. “Take care of yourself! Take good care of her! Goodbye, Swoobaaaaaaaaaat!!”

The beautiful sounds of the Swoobat faded away, and with it went the peace that had tried to make a permanent home in my body.

Courtney inhaled loudly with a saddened pain and she collapsed to her knees. She lowered her head and cried loudly.

“Swooooooooobaaaat!!” a Swoobat’s voice echoed out.

Courtney gasped and looked up, her face soaked in tears. “Swoobat!”

June looked into the woods where the Swoobat had all flown off, her arms crossed over her chest.

I looked sadly down at Courtney for a moment, and then I looked up to where the Swoobat had gone. I got down to my knees next to Courtney and slowly, hesitantly, I reached out my hand and placed it on her back.

June turned and watched as Courtney looked to me and smiled.

Courtney wrapped her arms around me and hugged me, and I hugged her back. She sighed against me. “Thanks for always being there for me, Gary,” she whispered. “Thanks for… Everything…”

I nodded, but I didn’t know what to say.

June stared at Courtney sympathetically for a moment, and then she turned her head away, looking mournfully after where the Swoobat had left us.