Swanna Song, Sung Throughout Sinnoh

Day Seven:

“I don’t understand why women have to tear each other down,” Ish said, shaking his head.

An incredible female body had just left wearing a dark romper, her back end shaped like a pair of giant fruit and moving like nobody’s business. She had been in line buying dog food and while waiting, several women behind her were glaring for any number of reasons.

Every guy in the store, working there or not, couldn’t take their eyes off, and Tiny ended up rolling her eyes when she got a glimpse at the scene and went back to working on the planogram.

“Like, men don’t act like that around each other,” Ish went on.

“Mm. Yeah,” Gary mumbled quickly, nodding slightly while doing price changes in the fish accessories aisle.

“If I see a guy who’s like, muscular or something, I just wanna work out more. But I don’t hate on him or anything. And I definitely don’t hate on myself.”

Gary didn’t say anything, continuing his work.

“Women just cause their own problems and then blame men. Being single is the wave. Get a girl and don’t be so committed. Look at me. Me and Mew was about to get married. Now look at me; single again. It’s all good, though. Watch. This is only gonna make me stronger. Hard On Thots is back, baby!!”

Gary smiled slightly, struggling to see properly behind tears.

“Whooooooooa!!” Lou was heard laughing. “Aaaaah, ya son of a bitch! You’ll never get me!!”

While Adam was ringing up customers, even he turned, along with the line of people, along with Ish and Gary, to see what was going on.

Gary just shook his head.

Lou was trying to feed Gary’s Carvanha, the net full of feeders inside the tank, but the old man was looking like he was losing the fight and would also be inside at any second!

Gary finally moved towards him, and not a moment too soon, as Lou was tugged in over the top!

*

“Hey, Angie! How are yous two?”

A young lady stood at the register with green hair stopping right at her shoulders. Her eyes were almost glowing in amber. She wore a blue apron in front of her outfit.

Beside her was a taller man, clearly older. His hair was purple, ending at his shoulders. His beige apron covered his clothing.

“Hey, Psychic Tiny! How’ve you been?” the lady named Angie asked in a gravelly voice.

“I’m fine! How’s the Day Care holding up?”

“We’re still trying to get back to a sense of normalcy, but we’ve become the backbone of Solaceon Town with all we had to go through thanks to Team Solace and the collapse of Mt. Coronet,” Angie sighed with a weary smile.

“Us and the Pokemon Center,” the man jumped in. “The welfare of Pokemon always came first, but we’ve really needed to pull together more than ever since the Mt. Coronet attack.”

The two smiled warmly at each other, the guy wrapping an arm around Angie.

“Oh, yous two are so cute!” Tiny gushed.

They both went red in the face.

Angie then turned to Gary. “So, who’s the new guy?” She walked up to Gary and placed her hands on her hips. “My name is Angie. I run the Pokemon Day Care in Solaceon Town, with my husband, Reggie.”

The man walked up and he extended his hand. “And that’d be me, Reggie! I’m a Pokemon Breeder!”

Gary shook his hand. “I’m Gary. Nice to meet you,” Gary forced out. He wasn’t in the mood to be talking to people.

“This is his last day, actually,” Tiny threw out there.

“Whoa! Really? But we just met!” Angie was shocked.

“Yeah... I’ll tell ya about it later,” Tiny smiled awkwardly.

Gary smirked and looked down, ignoring them.

Once Angie and Reggie got their several humongous bags of various kinds of Pokemon food and had left, Gary kept his eyes on them loading their truck before pulling off. He walked up to the counter and rested his side and arm against it.

“You okay, Gary?” Tiny asked.

“Yeah,” Gary nodded. He went over his thoughts for a few seconds before finally getting it right. “How old is that girl?”

“I’m not really sure.”

“She looks so young. Like, almost a kid! But that guy is definitely way older. I woulda thought they were siblings, how close they are. But that’s her husband?”

“Well, she must be older than a child, then, ha ha!” Tiny laughed.

*

“Someone must have dropped it,” Ish said, holding up a badge of some kind. “It looks like a face. Like the head of a White nigga.”

It was a golden object. The top was a bunch of yellow, the sides streaming down more yellow, even to the back of the object. It was like a pile of messy hair atop a golden head that had no face.

What an ugly... “Hey!” Something rang familiar to Gary, and he slapped at his sides. “Oh, damn it. I don’t have it on me. I know I have that same item! My friend gave it to me.”

“What is it?”

Gary recalled one of the several times he was in Jubilife City when Robin had tossed him an object he had found. He was sure it was the same item Ish now had. “We didn’t know what it was. It means nothing.”

“Then here.” Ish tossed it, and Gary caught it merely out of reflex, not actually wanting it.

“Why?” Gary considered just dropping it.

“I don’t care what you do with it. I just don’t want it.” Ish shrugged and walked away.

Gary frowned. “I don’t want this garbage.” He let it fall, not even watching it land.

*

“He was here just a second ago, getting all mad and raging about you getting rid of the thing,” Adam spoke about the manager, Marcy. He chuckled a little.

Before Adam and Gary was the Kabuto Gary was meant to take with him after he left today. It had once again gotten free of the tank and was looking anxious and ready to strike at a customer, but also aware of the two workers behind it. But due to the biological structure of the Pokemon, it was hard for it to look back and forth between the workers behind it, and the customer at the front.

“YO GET THIS THING ALREADY!! DON’T YOU GUYS USE POKEMON?? THEY’RE ALL OVER THE STORE!!” the buff man barked, cornered by Kabuto.

“These Pokemon aren’t for battle, sir,” Gary explained.

“I DON’T GIVE SHIT!! GET ME OUTTA HERE!!”

“It boogied,” Lou chimed in. “You see that? You see it?”

Gary growled lowly, annoyed by Lou.

“Oh my gosh is that alive??”

Gary squinted at the woman who asked such a stupid question before looking back to the scene.

Adam was holding a huge net in his hands by the plastic handle. Swiftly, he swung it over Kabuto and pulled it back, giving the man time to run away.

“MAN FUCK THIS PLACE!! I’M GOING TO POKESMART!!” He left the building.

Moments later, Kabuto back in its tank, Gary and Adam exhausted after struggling with it, Adam looked to Gary. “You’ve gotta get rid of that thing, ha ha ha.” His laughter was soft, yet creepy.

It disturbed Gary. He just nodded and muttered, “Yeah.”

*

“Yeah. So, my Growlithe already got his shot. But do I need to bring a muzzle there for the next shot or do they already have them there?”

“I’d say to bring it if you think he needs it, even just as a precaution,” Gary said with a kind, patient smile.

“But he doesn’t bite,” the lady insisted.

Gary’s face fell against his will. Then why are you asking me if you’ve made up your mind about this?! Gary fumed silently.

*

“My Kirlia doesn’t look as good as my neighbor’s and I need to know why that is,” a tall man with a pompous face and matching attitude demanded.

It doesn’t even look as nice as my Kirlia, Gary kept to himself from a distance, watching Lou handle the customer.

This Kirlia looked like any other for the most part, but seemed to lack in color, vibrance, and energy. Even its hair looked a strange bit of a mess, like it needed straightening or something.

“Well, it’s commonly said a Kirlia won’t truly shine in all of its potential beauty unless they are with a happy Trainer.” He then laughed a raspy laugh. “You know, I once knew a man who had a Ralts. Little cutie, right? And-”

Gary rolled his eyes and walked over to a bunch of gathered customers in the back. He didn’t need to hear another long, drawn-out story from Lou. “Anyone need any help?”

“Yes! Please!” one guy approached Gary immediately. “Do you have one live mice?”

Gary stared at him blankly. “One live mouse?” Gary stated bluntly, not caring how rude he sounded. “No problem, sir.” And he left to get the mouse from the back without caring how the customer took his attitude.

*

“I hate when people talk about their lives. I don’t give a shit about that,” a grumpy man was telling Gary, his purchased items in a bag already, waiting to be taken home. But the man didn’t leave! “I got my own problems. Guy just got hit by a bike. Ain’t my problem. Ain’t my issue. Leave me alone. Aight I see you busy. I’ll see you later.” And just like that, the man left!

Gary hadn’t said a single word the entire time. He stood silent and still, his eyes wide, staring at the door as it closed.

*

“If you commit suicide, you a bitch. Straight up,” Ish stated easily in the empty store while at the register, rearranging items on the shelf.

Gary kept quiet but continued listening while rearranging an aisle according to the ever-changing planogram. He wasn’t in the mood for deep conversation with Ish, which was usually an intriguing topic to challenge Ish on and learn more about the man by.

“That’s the most selfish thing you can do. I respect Sea, but I don’t respect suicide.”

“What if life is really just that bad. It’s not about others, but the pain you have.” Gary wasn’t going to give his opinion, but he gave in for some reason.

“Fuck that. You have to be strong. Others around you don’t deserve to suffer. You could be everything to someone out there.”

“But how do you know that?” Gary finally looked at Ish, stopping his work. “How do you know you mean anything to anyone? That you aren’t just shit to the world. It’s probably how those people feel. Like they’re nothing.”

“They get told they mean the world to so many people, but they still do it for attention and to be selfish.”

“No, Ish! That’s not everyone who commits suicide!” Gary said loudly. He could feel himself getting worked up, his heart beating so hard it hurt, and his body starting to quiver. “They do it because they’re suffering internally from self-hatred! I told you, it’s not always about thinking everyone else hates them! Sometimes, it’s just hating yourself! And what about those suffering medical conditions? You really think they don’t have a reason to want to die? Imagine suffering from an illness! Having no limbs! All the shit you take for granted! And fuck that! What about those just having a hard life? Everyone is built different and some people just need more! I just think that, sometimes, I might just get it! I might just understand it!”

Ish was quiet at this, staring calmly at Gary.

“Life is hard, man. Maybe you’re just built different. Or, maybe you just haven’t had the life others have suffered. But you can’t judge everyone, Ish. And I don’t think you mean the shit you say, either. You have said a lot of mean, cold-hearted, racist, and hateful things about the way you see the world, but I know your heart, and you act a lot different than your words. You’re a good guy, Ish. And I love you like a brother. I don’t know why you act so nonchalant about shit, but you don’t mean it and I know it. I’ve listened to you for a while, since back in Kanto, and I know you’re a better man than you speak. I hope you are, at least.”

“Yo, bro, I just speak the truth,” Ish responded swiftly with a shrug. “I don’t act fake for no one.”

Gary nodded. “And I love you for that, too. No matter what.”

Ish looked around the store and then went back to Gary. “Yo, come with me.” He then walked to the back.

Gary followed quickly, and the two ended up in the back room.

Ish pulled out his backpack and opened it. From inside, he pulled out a big, golden gun!

Gary’s eyes widened. “My-!”

“I picked this up in the woods before the police came.”

“You-!”

“I held onto it to see your intentions for it. To see if you’d ask for it, and to understand why you of all people would have something like this. You’re a good guy. I can learn a lot from you. You a real nigga.” He put the gun back in his bag. “I’ll give this back to you before you leave. Don’t worry. For now, just leave it with me.”

Gary nodded.

“You really know how to use that thing?” Ish asked.

“Pretty much. I have to kill that monster that took June from me.”

Ish nodded. “I hear you. I knew you had a reason. You a real one.”

Gary twitched his nose, but said no more.

“You know, Sea was unreasonable in leaving you,” Ish added.

Gary’s eyes widened again.

“She shouldn’t have left you. Everyone thought y’all was cute as fuck together. We rooted for y’all. That chick was unstable. But maybe there’s a chance for y’all.”

“Huh?” Gary gasped.

Ish now pulled out a white envelope. “She ain’t coming back for this, but maybe this pay stub can help you.”

Gary took it, looking down on it, and then he looked at Ish. “Ish...” he said shakily, his eyes watering.

*

Adam hoisted up packages with his hand truck and stopped to look at the sky. “Aaaahh... look. The sun’s coming out a little bit. Juuuust like my penis. Aha ha ha...” He then moved his stuff into the building.

Gary had stood up straight and looked at Adam with a stern look. What did that even mean?? I have got to get out of here! As he carried his materials inside, he saw that Lou was apparently done with his work and doing nothing but standing around. He continued past Lou, but wasn’t freed from him.

“How, how, how, how are you, you, you?” Lou chanted to the beat of an old song that was familiar to Gary.

Gary, sick of being polite and hiding his impatience, loudly sucked his teeth and stopped where he needed to unload his stuff. “Great!” he answered loudly and started pulling products out of a box.

“Very good,” Lou responded, completely oblivious to Gary’s attitude.

*

“I need two female crickets, and one male,” a lady customer was explaining to Lou, who was trying to explain that they don’t do that kind of stuff. “It’s so easy! All you have to do is take one and-”

“I’d had pizza and dried papaya,” Adam told Gary.

Gary was in the back, holding his bag of food as he tried to take his lunch break.

“When it came out, it looked like Thousand Island dressing, but with raisins in it. But this banana diet is working out great! Just drops right out! Easy clean up, too! Yeah I usually go once in the morning or just wait ‘til I get here. I’ve gone twice already. Just came out like swoosh, swoosh.”

Gary was glaring at his meal of McDonphan’s that he had been dying to eat. His appetite seemed to have disappeared, and his patience was going right with it as he shot Adam a dirty look.

*

“As long as my attitude has nothing to do with it, I’m good,” Lou insisted to Gary while mopping up some piss from a dog on the floor. “Long story short, they’re mad that I’m right and they can’t do anything about it. Customers be like: I’m rude. But I probably go home and knit sweaters for puppies. Go home and play with some kittens or some faggot shit.” He cackled in his old voice.

Gary laughed back while also checking around the store. Really, Lou? Just say something like that out loud without checking around you first? Gary thought. When is this day over??

Lou stopped mopping. “Alright, then. Done.”

“Do you need a sign for the wet floor?” Gary asked.

“I’ll hang the sign up on the ceiling,” Lou answered. “When customers walk in, they’ll slip and land on their backs and see the sign like: wet floor!” He laughed hard.

Gary laughed lightly. What??

*

“OW! He bit me!” Adam cried out as he was trying to get a Guinea Pig out for a family of a husband, wife, and their three kids. “I’ll bite your dick! Ha ha ha!”

The family stared at him, mortified, including the kids.

*

“I told my mailman, don't call me Frank anymore. Just call me Bill, ‘cuz that's all you bring,” an older White guy told Gary while being rung up at the register.

“Ha, yeah, ha ha,” Gary said weakly. Get me out of here! he groaned in his head.

“Just call me Bill, because that's all I get,” the guy repeated.

Gary stayed quiet, his head down as he rolled his eyes.

“Hey, listen to this one,” the guy added.

Oh, gosh! Gary thought in mental anguish.

“Then I told him, you can call me anything you want. Just don't call me late to dinner.”

Gary swallowed uncomfortably, not saying a word. Did he really just...?

“Did you hear that? I said, you can call me anything you want. Just don’t call me late to dinner,” the man repeated.

“Ha... Yeah... Ha.” Gary smiled weakly, unable to face the man. Did he just repeat the joke???

“Ha ha. You can call me anything you want-” the man went on again!

Gary screamed internally, going insane.

*

Gary, pretending to check the shelves, bored on his final day, stopped as he spotted the infamous Chinese man.

The awkward guy stopped, his eyes as wide as they could be, and he nodded. “How are you?”

Gary’s eyes got wider than the man’s, his mouth dropping in shock! “Yeah! I’m great!” Gary responded quickly, shocked.

The man nodded and then left.

No way! Gary couldn’t believe it! Of all days, on my last day, he decides to talk?! Gary smiled and let out a little chuckle.

*

“I’ve seen the change in your work. And I don’t think it’s because this is your last day. You don’t strike me as that type of person.” Gary finally stared back at Lou who had kept his eyes on the kid while speaking. “I know your breakup has you fucked up in the head. I know it’s not the same thing but hear me out.”

Gary, entirely fed up and ready to explode, dropped the four bags he had in his arms and then sighed loudly, staring at Lou impatiently.

“Don’t fuck up a good thing because it’s getting a little old. Don’t fuck up a good thing just because you’re getting used to it. That goes for anything. A marriage, whatever. Shit, this may not apply to you for years and years. But trust me.” He then started coughing hard. “Just trust me. Don’t fuck up a good thing.”

Gary looked at the old man with more patience and care, and he nodded. Something resonated with him. It didn’t apply, but something was there.

Lou walked away, actually working for a change.

Gary watched him and nodded again.

“Go get her, Gary.”

Gary jumped and turned to see Ish behind him.

Ish put his hand on Gary’s shoulder and gripped it.

Behind Ish stood Tiny. She smiled cutely at him, showing evident support.

Gary tightened his eyes at them and narrowed his eyebrows before giving a strong nod. His lips tightened against each other. “I’ll get her back, then.”

“And I’ve got you covered. You were here all day,” Ish promised.

“And there’s more! We all chipped in to get you some gifts for her!” Tiny gushed.

*

Gary stood in front of a tall building. He had rang Sierra’s apartment buzzer earlier. She responded, and so now he stood waiting for her. At either side of him, sitting on the stoop of Sierra’s apartment building, was a stack of flowers, a hill of chocolates, and a teddy bear taller than him. In the flowers was Sierra’s pay stub. His heart was dancing in his throat, and he knew he could never truly be ready to go through with this, but he also knew he had to, no matter the outcome.

Sierra... Gary thought sadly. Sierra. Sea... Gary was suddenly stuck, thinking about Sierra’s nickname. Something was in his head, now. Sea. The sea... Why is this still driving me so mad? Sierra. Sea. It’s just a coincidental nickname. Or, is it...? His eyes widened. Was Cas warning me about this? About what I did to Sierra yesterday? To be careful with her? Or... Gary looked down, thinking harder. Was it a warning about toda-? The sound of approaching footsteps yanked him out of his thoughts and he looked up and put on a big smile.

The inside door opened, and then the front door. There, in all her beauty, stood Sierra. She looked ready to speak, but instead was stunned by the sight before her, completely speechless.

Seeing her so stunned, his fears were gone. I can do this, he believed. “Sierra. I’m so sorry,” Gary started. “You’re everything to me. I love you. Give me another chance to show the kind of guy I truly am. I cherish you. I’m so sorry for how I was, but it was the alcohol!” He was going to continue saying he would never drink again, but for some reason, he just went silent. Shaking his head, he finally went on, “I know what love is because of you. I finally understand it. Or some aspect of it. I’d never say such disgusting things to you, Sierra. You know I didn’t mean to behave that way with you. I’d never do that.” His next statement was full of desperation and pleading: “I love you!”

Sierra said not one word, listening to Gary with a face that looked ready to start crying at any second.

Then, Gary fell hard to his knees, holding out his arms. “Let me worship you! Let me treat you as I always should have. I’m begging you, on my knees, to grant me your forgiveness. Remember that Cubone that had the fractured skull?”

Sierra’s eyes widened.

“You were the only one who said we couldn’t take it to a hospital first,” Gary continued.

“I knew they would put it to sleep with the condition it was in. The Cubone was suicidal after the loss of its mom... It had injured itself so badly its head was swollen and stuck inside the Marowak skull.”

“You believed it could be saved. And in the end, it was, wasn’t it?”

Sierra nodded. “The actual skull of Cubone was fractured, and taking the Marowak skull off could have killed it, but I knew releasing that pressure was the only way to save it before going to a hospital. But... But, I- I could have kill-”

“You believed Cubone could make it,” Gary cut her off. “You believed in Cubone. And that belief saved it. I knew you were right.”

“You were the only one who trusted in me...” Sierra’s eyes watered.

Gary smiled at this.

“And you were the only one to mock my scars,” Sierra whispered, closing her eyes, making a pair of tears roll down her cheeks.

Gary’s smile faded immediately, his arms finally falling.

“I don’t care if you were drunk. You said painful things to attack my character,” Sierra whimpered. “It’s not about that what you said can’t be forgiven. It’s about the fact you said them, and that I’m supposed to forget!” Sierra shook her head. “Forgive and forget is more modern than people think it is. I can’t possibly abide by it. I can’t look at you and excuse what you said!” she shouted now. “Or forget the look in your eyes when you said it. Call me sensitive, or whatever, but don’t you ever come back around here again, or I will call the police on you next time!”

Gary’s heart dropped out of his ass, through the stoop, and into the middle of the Earth to burn.

Another pair of tears fell out of Sierra’s eyes just before she turned and slammed the door shut behind her.

Gary was left stuck, staring at the closed door. He stood and walked up to the door on weak, trembling legs. His face and hands slammed against the locked door. “But... But I... love you...” he managed weakly, tears falling from his eyes, and he collapsed to the ground in a heap.

*

Gary stared at the two Great Balls in his hands.

One had a Carvanha in it, the other containing Kabuto.

As it turned out, Carvanha had tooth come out, something that Gary learned is a hold item called a Deep Sea Tooth. This item could be used to raise the Special Attack of Clamperl, or evolve them into Huntail. Out of the two evolutions of Clamperl, either Huntail or Gorebyss, Huntail was Gary’s favorite, so he was elated to have the very object.

But this only reminded him of another trade he had done. Drock’s Seadra for his Beedrill, to evolve Seadra into Kingdra, and then trade them back. But he never got Beedrill back.

Thinking about Drock, and her request to fulfill the trade agreement of her Kingdra, which Gary had raised since, in exchange for Beedrill, Gary continued to eye the two Great Balls.

“We’re friends, Kingdra,” Gary had told Kingdra. “We don’t leave each other behind. But, Kingdra… Don’t hold anything against Drock. It wasn’t her fault.”

Gary’s grip tightened.

“We’ll never leave you, Kingdra.”

*

Gary reached out very slowly, forcing his hand closer to his Beedrill after he had earned his first Badge from June back in Kanto. He patted Beedrill gently on his hairy head.

I have to see Beedrill again, but... at what cost? Gary wondered. Will I lose Kingdra in the trade back? Wasn’t that the deal? I was never meant to-

“Marcy got you these Poke Balls. Even wasted money on Great Balls for you. Just to make sure you get these guys outta here,” Ish told Gary.

“Great guy. Be nice if he showed up more often. Like, at all. Wasn’t he there earlier??”

Ish just nodded and shrugged.

Gary smiled at him weakly. Not because of anything Ish said or did, but just because he was over this experience and ready to leave.

“Just be careful, my nigga,” Ish nodded at him.

Gary stared at him sternly, nodding back. He shifted his backpack, keeping in mind that he now had his gun back. He knew exactly what Ish meant. The sun was setting behind him as he gazed at Ish and Psychic Tiny. He had said his goodbyes earlier to everyone at work except Marcy, who suddenly couldn’t be found.

Psychic Tiny and Ish were with him, standing just outside of Hearthome City, seeing him off.

Ish’s Elekid and Psychic Tiny’s Gastly were also there.

“It was a truly amazing experience. I can’t say enough about how grateful I am right now for this,” Gary said, smiling bravely but feeling ready to cry. “And you still owe me that battle, nigga. Don’t think I forgot.” His smile broadened.

This made Ish smile back, and he nodded. “You remembered that, huh? Well, I ain’t forget either, my nigga. I’m always traveling. You know me. Next time.”

“Next time, bro.”

The two exchanged their familiar handshake.

Gary and Psychic Tiny shared a big, long hug.

“I’m gonna miss yous,” she spoke.

“That’s not even a word,” Gary stated, smiling.

“Oh, you!” Psychic Tiny broke the hug and hit Gary’s chest, a mix of a frown and a smile on her face.

Behind Gary stood his Deino, Charizard, Snorlax, and Riolu.

Around them were June’s Electivire who had June’s bag, Magneton, Raichu, Galvantula, Pikachu, Manectric, Eevee, Blitzle, Ampharos, and Rotom.

With a nod, Gary turned, and he walked past all of the Pokemon.

The crowd of them followed right behind him with their own separate grunts and cries.

*

Walking through a thickly wooded area in the middle of the afternoon of the next day, Gary never felt more comfortable, in the safety of all of these Pokemon. June’ll be happy to see this, Gary thought. Or... she would have been... I can’t think so negative, and yet... He cleared his throat and a moment later, cleared it again.

His hands were deep in his tight coat pockets. At least I have my gun back. Next time I see that bitch; that monster... His breath was let out through his nostrils as he kept walking. He cleared his throat and then coughed. I’m probably catching a cold or something, he realized. He coughed again, harder this time, and suddenly a sharp pain gripped his skull, applied pressure to his brain, and forced tears into his now shut eyes. Groaning, he stopped walking and raised one hand against his head gently. “Ow...” Gary uttered. “Shit.” His other hand rose and he placed it carefully to the other side of his head. “What the-? Oooo!” His eyes practically popped out as he fell backwards from a tree he had walked into. Crashing down, his head only ached more. His vision was blurry from the tears and he wiped at his eyes. It hurts so bad! But even while thinking that, he could feel the pain receding, and after another minute where he was back on his feet and dusting himself off, his four Pokemon close to him and seeing if he was okay, the headache was already gone. “Just a headache,” he mumbled, frowning a little and rubbing his head with one hand.

He turned to the path ahead and started walking. “No big-” He squinted at an object on the ground ahead. A ball? Hey. A Poke Ball? Gary considered. Yeah. Some kind of... Great Ba- Stopping his thoughts, he also came to a stop, focusing on the object. That’s no Great Ball, he knew. That-

The object sat on the ground, completely motionless, and so familiar.

Gary was as still as the object he was staring at, the several Pokemon behind him also statues now. Several noises behind Gary ripped through the air, but Gary, recognizing the sounds, didn’t look back.

The sniffing didn’t stop.

Something big and yellow with black marks went past Gary and then stopped.

Electivire, Gary saw.

Electivire’s body started sparking, his mouth letting out growls.

June’s other Pokemon went by Gary, some even brushing by him without any concern. They all approached the object and stopped around it.

Electivire bared his teeth and snarled out, his body still sparking.

“HEY! STOOOP!!” Gary ran, his own Pokemon following, and moved through June’s group before stopping at the object. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he took in what he was seeing.

It resembled a Poke Ball. The top half of it was blue-gray, the bottom half was pale green, and the middle of it had a white button.

Gary’s brain could have split in half, and then each half melt away into nothingness at what he was seeing.

Her fat tongue sliding along her broken teeth, one of the monster’s claws rose, the fingers disgustingly long, the nails broken and sharp. Her other hand behind her then reached out, and the ball flew from it and through the air, spinning swiftly for June.

June’s eyes widened as she gasped and then took a step back.

The ball hit her and hovered in the air before opening, and an orange beam came out, hitting June and making her glow orange.

She screamed as she was turned completely into a shapeless, orange energy and pulled inside of the ball!

The ball hit the ground and rocked back and forth a few times, the middle button going from white to black repeatedly. Finally, the black remained still with a PONG!

It’s the same Poke Ball... Gary knew, staring at the object. The same thing that had captured June. The same one Ish had shown me that Prof. Cynthia had been found dead inside of, looking like chopped meat.

Gary knelt down in front of the ball, getting a better look. Hesitantly, his entire arm shaking, he reached out for it. June... June... was all he could think. Please... Don’t... Don’t... June... Please...

His trembling finger poked at the white button, and a purple beam came out.

The beam took the shape of a lump, and once the glow went away, it was revealed to be a human.

A girl!

Completely naked, curled up, the girl wasn’t moving, her red hair over her face. Her body was sliced, cut, bleeding, and looking numerous levels of beaten.

Gary couldn’t believe his eyes, and he couldn’t even say the name of who he saw. But he knew exactly who it was. There could be no doubt. Knowing this, he reached out, but stopped short of touching her. He couldn’t do it, a memory coming to mind from almost a year ago. The memory of touching his dead sister’s body, and that feeling of lifelessness. That something was missing...

No, he told himself. Gary. No... He swallowed a hard, thick lump, staring at her until he finally got the nerve to grab her shoulder and rock her.

It was upon touching her that he could finally speak, feeling her lifeless body.

Confirming the worst.

He finally screamed at the top of his lungs. “JUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNE!!!!!!!!!!”