Gary watched Galvantula, not moving from where he stood several feet away.

Galvantula looked back, silent and still on top of a tree branch.

Raichu ate away at his bowl of food.

Magneton was floating by quietly, full on electricity Raichu had spared.

Gary swallowed uncomfortably, the hairs on the back of his neck bothering him so much, but he didn’t dare move right now. His body gave an involuntary shake in the cold air blowing. Even that slight movement he wished he didn’t make.

Galvantula stared at Gary patiently.

Suddenly, her feelers waved at him and Gary yelled out, leaning back. I can’t stand this thing, Gary gave in, and he returned her to her Poke Ball. Letting out his breath in relief, he rubbed the back of his neck and gazed at the others. What has my life become? Gary thought. I’m raising my own six Pokemon, plus I’ve got June’s four Pokemon, and one of ‘em, Electivire, won’t even stay in its Poke Ball and I’ve got to keep Raichu out to keep me safe from his outbursts. All while I train to get my eight Badges to compete in the League. And Electivire just walks off on his own to beat up wild Pokemon and destroy stuff.

A loud sound in the distance made Gary turn.

If he keeps that up he could start a damn fire! Gary sucked his teeth. Not like he has any Water moves! This is totally out of control! Does he even care his Trainer is missing? Another explosion made Gary jump despite how far off the noise was. Maybe that’s his way of letting off his emotions about June being gone. Magneton is impossible to read in general, but Raichu has been down and Galvantula is... well... just gross. But even she is lacking in energy. At least, I think. How am I supposed to take care of all of these guys at once, on my own?? Electivire is a whole team by himself!

Raichu sat with sad eyes and lowered ears, his huge tail moving in the dirt. When his tail raised, there was a big heart drawn at the ground.

Gary walked over to Raichu and sat beside him.

“Rai?” Raichu stared to Gary reluctantly.

“I miss her, too, Raichu,” Gary told him.

Raichu’s face got even sadder, and he lowered his head, his eyes closed, and sniffled.

“But this is why I need you, and everyone else, at their best, Raichu!” Gary went on. When Raichu didn’t react to this, he continued, “I need you ready to fight when we run into that demon again.”

Raichu looked to Gary, his ears perking up some.

Gary nodded with a focused face. “June’s okay, you know. And she’s counting on you to help her get back to us. We have to be at our best. You, and me! We can’t be the next victims, right? When we run into that thing, we’ll defeat her for good and bring her in and get June back. But not with that attitude you’ve got. Let’s do this for June! Let’s battle together! Get stronger!”

Raichu’s eyes widened as he looked away from Gary and into the bright blue sky above. He frowned with determination and turned to Gary. Tightening his little paws, he nodded. “Rai!”

“Right.” Gary stood up. He stomped one foot into the middle of the heart Raichu drew, disrupting the shape.

“Rai?” Raichu stared in surprise at the ruined drawing before looking to Gary again.

Gary smiled. “Let’s kick this thing right out of Sinnoh. Right out of the planet! Let’s show Sinnoh what Kanto can do, and save June!”

“Raichu.” Raichu then leaped into the middle of the heart himself and gave a stern smile. “Raichu!”

A loud shout was heard, followed by sharp cawing and then more shouts.

Gary turned to the sounds. “What’s that? Electivire?? Raichu!” He turned to the little Pokemon. “We’ve got to check it out! There might be trouble!”

“Raichu!” Raichu agreed, nodding.

Together, the two ran towards the noise, screams turning to screeches, shouts turning to raged yells. A commotion could be seen up ahead, but it was impossible to see clearly. It wasn’t long before Gary and Raichu were able to make sense of things.

An Arbok had its body around a Pidgeotto, the two of them on the ground struggling with each other.

Pidgeotto was pecking at Arbok, desperate to break free, cawing out for help.

In the trees above, another Arbok was being swatted at by a different Pidgeotto and sent flying out of a nest they both were in.

The second Arbok disappeared into the trees.

The second Pidgeotto then dove down to the first Arbok that had the other Pidgeotto Wrapped.

Arbok looked at the attacking Pidgeotto and opened its jaws, spraying out purple spikes.

Pidgeotto cawed out and dropped. As it got up from the ground, its face was revealed to be flushed purple, Poisoned!

The Arbok then opened its jaws and turned to the Pidgeotto it still had and hovered over its head.

“NOOOOOOO!!!” Gary pointed, and Raichu leaped ahead, cheeks sparking. “DO IT RAICHU!”

“RAICHUUUUUUU!!” Raichu zapped Arbok, but also got the Wrapped Pidgeotto caught in the blast.

Both Pidgeotto and Arbok collapsed.

“Get on out of here, Arbok!” Gary ordered. “Dinner time is when I’m gone! Not during! Better yet...” Gary reached in his pocket and pulled out a Poke Ball. “Poke Ball, let’s go!” He threw it at Arbok.

Arbok’s body swiveled and it knocked the Poke Ball to the side.

The ball hit the Poisoned Pidgeotto and opened in midair, sucking it in by a red beam. The ball hit the ground and shook.

And shook.

And shook...

PING!

In another moment, the ball glowed a bright white and vanished.

Gary’s jaw dropped. “That wasn’t... Grrrrr!”

Arbok stood up but was hunched over, breathing hard.

“We’re almost done here! Thunderbolt, Raichu!” Gary demanded.

Raichu’s cheeks sparked before sending out a bolt for Arbok.

Arbok opened its jaws and they were coated in electricity! It snapped down on the Thunderbolt, and a bright flash blinded Gary and Raichu as they yelled out, shielding their eyes.

When Gary lowered his arm, squinting to see, he yelled out!

Arbok had Raichu in its Wrap attack, strangling the Mouse!

Raichu’s cheeks sparked but he couldn’t concentrate, choking helplessly.

“Raichu! Use your teeth!” Gary wasn’t sure if Raichu even had any bite moves, but he didn’t know what else to do.

Raichu didn’t bite down, instead choking out painfully, twisting his neck desperately.

Arbok opened its jaws and dove down for Raichu.

“Double Team, Raichu!” Gary decided.

“Rai!” Raichu choked out.

Arbok bit into Raichu!

Raichu vanished in a puff of gray smoke!

“Chaaa??” Arbok looked around, confused, its catch now gone.

“RAAAAAAIII!!” Raichu was falling from the sky!

“RAICHU!!” Gary was smiling big with his mouth gaping wide, his Pokedex out. “That was a new move! Substitute!” He glanced over the Pokedex again, his mouth hanging open, staring at Raichu’s new move. Suddenly, he froze, unable to decide on the next move. He looked to the two battlers in confusion. “Raichu!” Gary!! Gary screamed in his head, his mind blank.

“Rai?” Raichu’s face became fearful as he fell towards Arbok.

Arbok opened its jaws wide, ready to catch him!

“Raaaaaaaaaaaai!!” Raichu wailed out.

“JUST THUNDERBOLT IT!!” Gary screamed.

Raichu’s cheeks sparked.

Something big leaped in and knocked Raichu out of the way of Arbok’s waiting jaws.

“ELECTIVIRE!!” Gary let out.

In the midst of all this struggle, the electrified Pidgeotto that remained woke up and squawked out in fright, flapped its wings and flew away through the sky.

Electivire’s body was covered in a glowing bright white light.

Arbok hissed at Electivire, leaning back.

Electivire fearlessly grabbed Arbok by the tail and spun in a circle, getting faster, faster, and even faster by the second!

“Chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!” Arbok cried, tears falling from its eyes.

“LECTIVIIIIIIIIIRRRRRE!!!” Electivire let go of Arbok.

Arbok flew into the sky, screaming the entire way, and with a twinkle in the sky, it was gone.

“Whoa...” Gary kept his eyes on the light that shined where Arbok was last seen for only a second, then turned to Electivire. “Electivire.”

“Electivire...” Electivire replied, smirking. He then looked away, his eyes now on Raichu.

Raichu was only just getting up. He shook his body hard and stared back at Electivire with a blank face. He looked unsure of what to expect next.

Electivire then snarled and punched a sparking fist into an open palm.

Raichu screamed and ran, ending up disappearing behind a tree.

Electivire then looked to Gary.

Gary didn’t move. Now what? I think I’ve had about enough-

Electivire then flexed his bandaged arms, grinning proudly, and he then laid down on his back. In seconds, he was snoring.

*

Gary sat at the edge of the cliff, staring across at the waterfall flowing down. The sound of the water crashing below, watching the water cascading down, brought Gary to his own tears. He wished to match the example being led by the waterfall. To either take the place of the flowing water and do the work for it, crying endlessly with comparable force and volume. Or, to just jump off the cliff, into the waterfall, and flow down with it to the bottom and see where it all comes to an end.

“PROFESSOR OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAK!!!!” Gary exploded.

Prof. Oak and Isaac fell out of the helicopter, screaming and trying to get control of the big, golden gun Isaac had.

THUMP!

Prof. Oak landed first, right on his back. He choked out in a nasty-sounding groan.

Isaac coughed out, landing on top of the old man.

Prof. Oak sprawled out and remained still.

Isaac groaned and rolled off of the professor, laying out flat himself. The gun hit the ground, falling out of his hand.

Gary stared at his hands.

Holding the exact same gun!

While officers and medical aides ran through the stadium, people getting arrested, others being yelled at to get on their knees, and bodies of both Pokemon and humans being checked for any signs of life, Gary stared at the body of a blonde woman.

She had a tight white romper on, and her little black gun was still in her hand. She had shot Prof. Cozmo not long ago, and was the same woman Gary had encountered when his sister was murdered by the monster. She was laid out on her front, her back to Gary, where he could see the lady’s cheeks hanging from the bottom of her romper.

The Infinity Energy capsule, Gary noted. It’s gone. But she took it, so where is it? Did she give it off to Team Solace already? What happened to her? Is she alive? As he looked away from her, something caught his eye from a distance.

Something golden that was sitting on the ground.

Gary stared at the golden gun he had found back at the Indigo League. He found himself admitting it was actually a pretty nice-looking gun.

It was really big, and had a black handle.

Even though he had tried pulling the trigger several times to make sure it wouldn’t fire off in his book bag, he was still terrified carrying an actual, deadly weapon around like that on his journey. Now, he was holding it! I have to figure out how to use this thing, Gary told himself. The location of the Gym must also have a Pokemon Center. But, a Pokemon Center in the woods... Will it have internet service? Yeah, it should. I can watch a video on how to use this thing when I get there. And then... Gary’s hands landed gently in his lap, and he imagined the gun going off and blowing his whole leg off, leaving him screaming to death. At the end of that thought, he sighed. His eyes closed. “And then, I can get revenge on...” He went silent. Taking a deep breath, and then exhaling, he thought, I can finally kill her. And them.

His mind flashed with images of the monster that murdered his sister. And then of Isaac, and Team Solace in general. I’ll get my revenge on them all, and put an end to this for good. Hang tight, Melissa. You’ll be able to rest in peace. Soon.

Staring at the gun, Gary snickered to himself thinking about how he snuck it through the recently tightened security before getting on the boat to Sinnoh. A risky trick he knew he’d have to keep in mind for the future.

*

The sky wasn’t even visible through the thick branches and leaves jumbled above, being denser now than before. It was still the afternoon, but it could have passed for evening easily.

After inhaling, Gary let out his breath in a weary, loud sigh. A Dark type Gym, so who do I bring? he thought. Not Charizard... I don’t have him, but who do I have again? Dark types. Dark types...

Absol stared Gary in his eyes.

Gary blinked repeatedly and looked away, trying to clear his mind. When his eyes returned to the spot he was sure he had imagined the Absol, he froze.

Absol was standing still, eyeing the boy.

An... Absol? Gary started shaking. Do they all behave like this? Do they always just stare in this way? Or is this...?

The already dark woods got even darker, as if night had fallen from space and took over the Sinnoh region. It was almost entirely black, shades of purple in the mix.

A breeze blew through the forest, chilling Gary to the bone so suddenly he cried out and jumped, wrapping his arms around him in his thin black jacket with the Mewtwo design embroidered on the right breast, and he swallowed. I’m not imagining this, he convinced himself. I’m here, in front of... He swallowed again, the acceptance he’d come to being unbelievable.

“Absol!” Absol barked.

“Absol,” Gary whispered. “How? My Absol?? There’s no way!” Gary shook his head and his eyes got watery. “You’re dead...”

In the middle of Viridian Forest with June, Gary looked behind him and screamed.

A Golbat flew in with a huge, gaping mouth and only three fangs.

“AAAAAAABSOL!!” Absol appeared in front of the attacker, and it sunk its fangs into her body! Before she even landed, her body went limp.

Absol approached Gary slowly, hobbling, limping.

Gary didn’t move away or towards the Pokemon, not sure of what was going on, or why he felt the way he was feeling. It’s just a wild Absol... That’s why this feels so nostalgic. It’s not... mine. It’s not... Melissa’s. I watched her die. Absol is dead.

Absol got closer to Gary, leaning down so low to the ground with each step that it looked like it wouldn’t get up.

Gary wanted to step back, but he was frozen in place, shivering in the sudden cold, and then another blast of air kept Gary chilly. It really is pretty cold out here in Sinnoh, Gary ended up admitting, keeping his eyes on the Absol.

Absol finally fell, landing on its side right by Gary, and something red began to flow down its body starting from two spots, but as the liquid met each other, they formed one and spread, drenching its fur. The Pokemon was breathing hard, trembling.

“ABSOL!!” Gary burst out and dropped down beside her, June’s bag’s strap falling off of his shoulder. He touched her body, away from the blood. “ABSOL!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE??!” Gary shook his head, unsure of what to do. My Absol is still alive!! She’s right here! he knew. How is this possible?? “Absol, I’ll save you! Hold on, Absol!” Gary reached for a Poke Ball within his black jeans pocket.

“Gary...?” a gentle voice called out weakly, echoing softly.

Gary turned sharply. His eyes widened and his mouth hung open in horror. He let out a terrified scream in the night.

Laying on her back, Melissa’s face was covered in scars, cuts, and little holes. “G-G-G-Gary...” Gary’s sister stuttered. Her body sparked with blue electricity once, and she flinched, but she never looked away from her little brother.

She isn’t even blinking, Gary realized. “Melissa...” He tried hard to swallow a huge knot in his throat, but he ended up choking.

Melissa held out an unsteady hand. It quivered as tears rolled down her cheeks. She coughed several times. “P-p-p-please...” she whispered shakily. “Gary. Help... me...” Her clear streaks of tears now became bloody, running down her face and neck. “I’m scared...” she croaked.

“MELISSAAAA!!” Gary stood up, his mind abandoning Absol for his blood. He reached her and knelt down, holding onto her shoulders. The moment he touched her, he screamed at how frail and weak she looked.

Melissa was now skin and bones, the skin on her face caving in, blood still rolling out of her eyes. “Gary... Gaaaaaaaarrryyyyyyy...” she was now rasping.

“MELISSAAAA!!!!” Gary pulled her into his chest only for her head to snap! off of her shoulders, and her body to collapse into a pile of bones and dust in front of him.

Melissa’s head was only a skull, tumbling shortly before stopping, facing the young boy.

Now staring at Gary wasn’t the head of his sister, but the head of the monster that had killed her. With her eyes all black, only the tips at the ends being purple, and no eyebrows, the hair on her head resting on the ground, and protruding cheekbones jutting from her face, blood still rolled down from the eyes. She blinked and the mouth fell open, the disgusting teeth revealed, and the fat, pink slug of a tongue slid out and hit the ground. She rasped out at him. “Juuuuune... Iiiiis... Deeeeeeead...!” The monster rasped in a voice that crackled and roared like from the raging flames of a forest fire dancing with the forceful jolts of powerful electricity, sounding as if she had multiple voices speaking at once, each one at varying tones and frequencies, all of them mad at him.

Gary screamed as he leaned away, crying hard, his face getting soaked. He didn’t understand what was going on, or how any of it could be real, but he knew this was absolute torture. This can’t be, he told himself, wishing it all would go away. Melissa! Absol! Gary shut his eyes and covered his face in fear, not knowing what to do, and cried his very life out, digging his fingers into his face. He clenched his teeth and cried with what he believed could be enough force for the water to flow through his eyelids with the pressure of a firehose. The way Gary felt, he could have cried until he was a dried out, shriveled up piece of fruit on the ground.

“Nothing lives forever.”

Gary fell over with a shout and looked up. Tears continued down his cheeks nonstop as he stared, stunned, into the smiling face of an old man in a white lab coat.

“That is the rule of life itself,” Prof. Oak told him. “It ends. These things happen, all the time, all over the world. Nothing lives forever. The rest of us have to move on and either make something or ruin everything. Nothing lives forever. That is life, Gary. The creation of, or the destruction of. Remember that, my boy. Nothing lives forever.”

Gary shook his head, silently crying the entire time. He felt exhausted and helpless, like there was nothing he could do, and nowhere he could go. He just wanted it all to end. What is all this??

“Nothing lives forever, my boy. Remember that. Nothing lives forever.” Prof. Oak suddenly held up a big, golden gun, gripping a black handle.

Gary gasped and crawled backwards in fright.

“Nothing lives forever, my boy.” Prof. Oak put the gun to his own head.

BANG!

Blood and bits of brain, skin, and other horrifying things splattered from out of the man’s head. Prof. Oak’s head was made into stew right before Gary’s eyes!

Gary whipped around and screamed, his back to Prof. Oak. He couldn’t stop screaming until he was out of breath. He inhaled, keeping his eyes to the ground, ready to scream some more, hoping anyone would hear him and come to his rescue. Someone real! Gary begged in his head. “IS ANYBODY OUT THEEEEERRRE??!!” A red light flashed around Gary and he went still, wondering what was coming next.

“Yes, I’m here,” a gentle voice spoke.

“Get away from me!!” Gary jumped around to face the newest horror, ready to kick out at whatever it was this time. He screamed as he realized he was surrounded! Taking in numerous breaths, he stared at the several Pokemon which were the same kind, as well as one unique Pokemon beside a human girl!

Prof. Oak, his sister, the head of the monster, and Absol, were all gone!

Gary’s eyes widened on the sole human.

The eyes of the singular Pokemon stopped glowing.

“Thank you, Sableye,” the girl smiled smally at the Pokemon. She maintained this smile as her eyes went to the surrounding Stantler, glasses on her face. “Hey now, you can leave the sweetheart alone now. I think that’s about enough now, don’t you?” She approached all of the Stantler and stopped at one. She was a few inches taller than all of the Stantler and patted this one’s head that had the largest antlers.

It responded pleasantly. This Stantler turned to the others, and together, they all walked off calmly.

Gary watched them as they left into the woods and then he turned back quickly to the young girl.

“Sorry about that, sweetie.” She spoke with a slight accent that was very pleasant, her voice just a little bit deep. While not a whole lot of emotion was on her face, just enough was present to read her welcoming mood. “You’ve gotta really be on your toes out here. This isn’t the place to be goofin’ around. Just kiddin’, sweetie.”

Gary didn’t say a word, or move a muscle.

“You must still be in shock. Guess the Stantlers’ illusions took you for a ride, huh?”

Gary swallowed, digesting her words, but he still didn’t speak or move.

The girl went over to him and held out a hand kindly. “Here. I’ll help you up.”

Gary stared at the hand, eyeing the dark nails, before taking it and getting to his feet. She felt cold to the touch, but something about touching her warmed Gary up on the inside.

“Now that’s better, innit? May I ask your name?” the girl inquired.

“I’m Gary. And, you’re beautiful!” Gary’s eyes widened in shock and he slapped his hands over his mouth. Whoa! He couldn’t believe what he had just said! Or, more accurately, he couldn’t believe he had said it out loud!

The girl’s pale, pale face went red, her eyes wide, and she gasped. “What?”