“June, I said I was sorry about ten million times,” I grumbled sleepily. “Can you yell at me in the next three hours when the damn sun comes up?”

“Don’t you talk to me like that!” June barked.

“I won’t talk to you at all!” I shouted. “Just let me get some damn sleep! It’s freaking late!!”

“I will never forgive you for what you did, Gary!”

“Yeah, I know, June! You’ve told me this for the past few days already! I swear, it’s like, with all that damn jabbering coming from out your big mouth, it’s been taking us longer than ever to reach Interough City! We should have been there!”

“What did you just say?!”

“It’s hot enough as it is! Maybe if you’d shut up for an hour, we might get somewhere!”

“Ooooooo… Garyyyyy…” June was fuming, her face red with rage, her fists shaking under her chin.

I was so tired, but this sudden argument had me feeling just a little bit more alert, now.

We had been traveling for three or four days, but we still hadn’t reached Interough City, despite the fact that we should have definitely reached the city by now.

June was still understandably furious at me over the whole incident regarding her and Electivire’s past leaking out to Courtney, thanks to me.

I understood her anger, but I was only human. I could only take but so much, and right now, I felt like I had held my tongue for long enough.

A dark sky hovered over a surrounding forest, the area more humid than it was actually hot. It was very muggy and a damp feeling hung through the air from the rain that had stopped a few hours ago.

The air was filled with tiny bugs I couldn’t see in the dark, but I could feel them bumping into my face and buzzing in my ears, making my skin crawl. I desired to dig into my sleeping bag and hide from all of the insects until I woke up to continue traveling, but I couldn’t with June screaming at me. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to sleep now!” I snuggled into my sleeping bag despite the heat, and I immediately knew that I wouldn’t be inside of it for long. I had to inhale and exhale deeply just to breathe! And I was right. I wasn’t in there long, but it had nothing to do with my lack of air. My sleeping bag was yanked down past my head and I looked up at a glaring June. “What is wrong with you?” I demanded.

“You! You are what’s wrong with me!”

“Then why don’t you just beat it! I’m not forcing you to stay here, June!”

“You’re always treating me like crap and putting me down and being mean to me! But when Ella comes around, you’re suddenly all shy and stupid!” June snapped.

“Hey!” I struggled out of my sleeping bag and got to my feet angrily.

“Then you go and tell Courtney something you knew damn well I didn’t want her knowing!” June had clearly lost control, because she reached her arms out and shoved me back.

“Whoa!” I stumbled over my feet, shocked at her action, and I landed back on the ground.

“I can’t stand you!! I CAN’T STAND YOU!!!”

“Well, I can’t tolerate your stupidity any longer, either!” I grabbed my sleeping bag and stood up. “Maybe I treated them differently because they weren’t complete idiots like you! Maybe they showed some level of intelligence and sensibility! Even Courtney is a little more rational than you!”

June gasped long and loud. “How… dare you!!” She ran at me before I could move and shoved me back down. With a loud, hurt cry, she kicked dirt up at my face.

“Hey!” I covered my face and sputtered.

“I’ve had about enough of this! We are through!” June stormed over to her huge bag on the ground and lifted it up, slinging it over her shoulder.

“Don’t speak as if we were something.” I crawled over to my book bag and shoving my sleeping bag inside of it, trembling from the fight I was in. Not out of fear, but just the adrenaline alone was making me shake uncontrollably. When I got into serious fights, both physical and verbal, with anyone, I’d tremble as if afraid, whether I actually am or not. Often my back will also start to ache badly as well. I slung my bag over my shoulder.

June and I stared furiously at each other for a moment, not saying a word.

“You’re truly nothing to me, Gary!” She shook her head hard. “Uuuugh! Even saying your name fills me with disgust!”

“Oh, just get out of here and go back to Kanto or something! I’ll be just fine out here by myself!” I waved my hand at her and turned my back on her, walking away.

“I never asked if you’d be fine! You can spend the rest of your life lost in this forest eating twigs and making friends with the worms for all I care!”

“Better company than you!”

“Yeah! You should be with your kind!”

I couldn’t think up anything good to scream back at her, so I just mumbled something obscene that I wasn’t angry enough, or brave enough, to let her hear, and I continued stomping angrily through the trees, away from June. Good riddance, I thought. Geez. That chick is freaking nuts! The biggest mistake of my life was grabbing that girl’s hand back in Gringey City. I should have left her on the floor and had the cops take her crazy ass back home. That girl should be in a mental institute or something. The nerve of that chick to put her hands on me and push me! She’s lucky I’m not any less of a person, or-

My thoughts were interrupted by a voice.

“Hm?” I stopped walking and looked around, but I couldn’t see anything. “Hm.” I continued to walk, returning to my enraged thoughts. I guess no good deed truly goes unpunished. Try and help a poor crying girl out and she turns out to be a total weirdo. I came to another stop, and I could feel my anger fading away until it was completely gone!

Another cry came through from the woods.

As my eyes scanned the area, I began to feel sad. June… What have I done? “Oh, no,” I murmured, and I turned around behind me. “June!” How could I speak to my friend like that? I thought sadly. After all this time traveling together, I could really just speak so heartlessly to somebody I care so much about like that? My anger must have gotten to me and blinded me. I hope she’ll forgive me! “June!” I called out. I ran back to where I had left her, as quickly as I could.

The clearing was now empty.

June was nowhere in sight.

I couldn’t even hear any footsteps. I cupped my hands in front of my mouth. “JUUUUUUNE!! I’M SORRYYYYYY!! COME BAAAAAAAAAACK!!!” I listened for any noise.

Silence.

“Oh…” I whimpered tearfully. “June. I’m so sorry…” Tears ran down my cheeks. She deserves better than to be traveling with me, anyway, I told myself. She’s such an awesome person. So sweet. So kind. And very beautiful. She shouldn’t be traveling around with the likes of me. A heavy feeling filled my chest as I turned around and headed back down the path I had turned away from. I just hope, maybe, she heard my apology, at the very least, I thought as I wiped at my eyes. She should know that I’m truly sorry for what I did. I’ll miss her. I miss her, now. I miss how she was almost always in a positive mood. I even miss that beautiful fire in her eyes when she was in her worst moods that ignited her entire body into one enormous, gorgeous flame. I miss how she was always so eager to check out places I wasn’t interested in going to, and how disappointed she’d be when I’d insist on us continuing on. I guess I really took her for granted. She never had to stay with me.

A couple of noises called out through the trees.

The tears stopped flowing from my eyes and I sniffled one more time as I lifted my head and focused around me. She never had to stay with me, I considered, my eyebrows furrowing angrily now. And she should have been left ages ago if she was so tired of me. Why am I feeling so sad about this? I shouldn’t be! Nobody told her dumb ass to travel with me through Kanto, nor attack my mommy and get me chased out of town and have to fly to the Unova region. Women are freaking nuts! Especially June. What a mental case! Thank goodness that loon is out of my life. Once I cool down, I can finally get some sleep and then head-

Something leaped out from the trees, stopping my thoughts and making me scream. A small creature floated in the air above my head.

“Hey… I know you…” I squinted in the darkness at the Pokemon, trying to remember where I had seen one before.

Suddenly, another one of the Pokemon appeared. This was joined by another, and then another, and then one more! They all cried out to me with a smile.

Shuppet. The Puppet Pokemon. This Pokemon is known to feed off of various, negative emotions, including anger and sadness, which increases this Pokemon’s strength and health.

“Shuppet!” one of the Shuppet said.

“A bunch of Shuppet?” I questioned. I stared down at my Pokedex and then gasped, looking back up at the Pokemon. “You guys are why I’ve been going through mood changes just now!”

The Shuppet all laughed.

I growled at them all. “Beat it! I’m not in the mood right now!” I stared at them as I dwelled on the sentence I had just chosen to use. “And stop messing with my mood!”

The Shuppet all laughed hysterically.

“What?! I’m funny? I’m a funny guy to you, now?” I screamed at them, losing my cool. “Is it the way I talk? What? Is it my lisp? What? I’m a clown? I amuse you? I make you laugh? I’m here to freaking amuse you?! How am I funny? How the hell am I funny?! What the hell is so funny about me?? Tell me! Tell me what’s funny!!”

The Shuppet all busted out laughing louder than ever.

My anger was through the roof at this point. Now was definitely not the time to be messing with me. If these Shuppet wanted to see me in a rage, then they were gonna get it. “Unfezant!” I grabbed his Poke Ball and held it out, sending out my Pokemon. “Get rid of these things! Use your Air Slash attack!”

“Feeeeezant!” Unfezant flapped his wings once, but before he could actually attack, the Shuppet all glared at Unfezant darkly, their eyes turning completely black.

“Shuppet!”

“Shuppet!”

“Shuppet!”

“Shuppet!”

“Shuppet!”

“Fez! Fez! Unfez! Fez! Feeeeez!”

The Shuppet all charged at Unfezant and tackled him, Unfezant crying out from each blow he took.

“Sucker Punch!” I realized.

Unfezant collapsed in a heap on the ground, shaking hard. His eyes opened and he weakly got up to his talons. Panting heavily, he glared up at the Shuppet.

The Shuppet all stared back at him, their eyes now back to their normal mix of colors.

“Shuppet!” one of the Shuppet said.

The group all began to spark, electricity outlining their bodies. With a collective cry, they hit Unfezant with Thunderbolt.

Unfezant squawked painfully before dropping to the ground again.

“Unfezant!” I called out to him. “Get up! Come on!”

“Feeeeezz…” Unfezant moaned. He was knocked out!

“Unbelievable!” I exclaimed, staring up at the Shuppet. I returned Unfezant and stared down solemnly at his Poke Ball. Are we even ready for the Interough Conference if we can’t handle a bunch of Shuppet? I looked up at the Shuppet as they stared down at me eagerly. The Pokedex said they gain strength from negative energy, I remembered. Have they sapped so much from me that they’re overpowered? “Screw this!” I ran past the group of Shuppet and deeper into the woods. “JUUUUUNE!!” I screamed out desperately. I needed to find her. I wasn’t mad at her anymore. I didn’t care about our stupid fight. It wasn’t worth all of this! I wanted the Shuppet to leave me alone. I wanted June back! But would I be able to find her? “JUUUUUUUUNE!!!”

The voices of all the Shuppet rang out from close behind me.

I picked up speed, but one of the Shuppet appeared right next to me. “AAAAAHHHH!!” I swatted at it, but the Pokemon vanished. As my head turned to focus ahead of me, a Shuppet was there with a serious look on its face.

“Shuppet!” it spoke out.

I covered my head, screaming, and charged forward, running right through the Ghost type, refusing to stop. “JUUUUUUUNE!! JUNE, PLEASE! WHERE ARE YOUUUUU?!” I lowered my arms and lifted my head, looking around for her. I’ll never find her, I knew. She’s really left me for good this time. Even after these damn Shuppet are gone, I’ll still be alone. I could feel my eyes watering as I tiredly gasped for air. “What do you guys want from me??” I shouted back at my pursuers. “I’m not mad anymore!” Tears were rolling down my cheeks. “Just shoo! I can’t take this anymore!”

The Shuppet cruelly laughed behind me.

I could feel the desperation and sadness leaving my body. “GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU CREEPS!!!” I barked furiously.

The Shuppet laughed again, delighted that my sadness had once again been replaced with anger.

These freaks are gonna drive me insane! I thought desperately, feeling my anger departing now. I can’t keep running from them! I may have to try battling them again! “Aaahhh!!” I slammed into something and heard a cry as I fell to the ground.

Someone gasped, staring at me with wide eyes.

“June!”

Stolen novel; please report.

“Gary!” she squeaked.

“Shuppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!!”

June and I turned to the sound of the Shuppet and screamed.

There were possibly ten Shuppet now, all of them flying towards us hungrily!

June hid her face behind her bag, closed her eyes, and shrieked at the top of her lungs.

I was trembling hard, and I tried to grab a Poke Ball from my waist, but I couldn’t free it as my sweaty fingers slipped off of it repeatedly.

It was too late, anyway. The Shuppet had us now.

“Shuppet,” one of the Shuppet that seemed to be leading the horde came to a stop.

The Shuppet behind it stopped as well. None of the Shuppet were staring at June and I anymore. They were all looking beyond us, into the sky.

June lowered her bag from her face and stared fearfully at the Shuppet.

“Shuppet. Shuppet…” The lead Shuppet turned around and floated away from June and I, into the woods.

The remaining Shuppet followed it without hesitation, and the group was gone in seconds.

My eyes wide, confusion filling my head, I turned to June.

She breathed a sigh of relief and turned to me. “It was time.”

“Huh? Time?” I asked. “What do you mean?”

June sighed and looked behind her, up into the sky.

I also turned and stared at the sky.

It was no longer black, the sky now a dark shade of purple, the color lighting up with each passing second as the sun began to rise.

“Time for them to get a life,” June panted with a smile. “They won’t be bothering us now that the sun’s up.”

I didn’t say anything, still trying to catch my breath. My head turned back to where the Shuppet had left us.

They were nowhere in sight.

“You were being chased by them, too,” I said to June. “You were being chased by a group of Shuppet.”

June turned to me and nodded. “I guess they live out here.”

We both stared at each other silently, without any emotion on our faces, without a single word spoken.

I finally looked away from her and back up at the sky, the orange ball of the sun rising steadily higher. I never got any sleep, I thought wearily, and then I snickered. My eyes lowered, and they instantly widened. “Look!” I pointed.

June stared in the direction I was pointing. “Hey! No way! Do you think…?”

Downhill from where we both sat was a huge city! It was filled with activity from people and Pokemon. It looked like a festival was taking place!

“It must be Interough City! The Interough Conference!” I exclaimed. My eyes were removed from the city and I stared at June.

She was already staring right back at me, a small smile on her face beneath her teary eyes.

“June…” I said softly.

She sniffled and closed her eyes, tears flowing down her cheeks rapidly. She covered her eyes with her hands and began to cry. “Never mind me, Gary. I’m okay. Just…” She inhaled deeply. “Good luck at the Interough Conference, okay? I really did enjoy traveling with you.” She cried even harder but got to her feet. Her back was turned to me as she continued to cry. Inhaling noisily again, she silenced herself and bent down to pick up her bag.

“If you want to leave, I understand, June.” I stood up hesitantly, my eyes on her.

June sniffled again and lifted her bag by the strap, slinging it over her shoulder. “Gary, please. Don’t give me that crap!” She turned around, an angry look now on her face. “You know damn well-!”

My hand reached out to her face, stopping right in front of it. “June, I don’t want to argue. I only want to apologize.”

June’s mouth closed at what I said, and the anger on her face vanished quickly.

“I was wrong in every way. I was wrong to tell Courtney what I did. I was wrong to say what I said to you. None of it was true. Not one word. I regret it, and I understand if you think it’d be best for us to just go our separate ways. If I could take it back, I would. I’m sorry I treat you the way I do sometimes. You deserve a whole lot better than that. You deserve more than the crap you take from me. I just want you to know that.”

June’s mouth was open a little, her bottom lip quivering. She pursed her lips together and tears instantly shed from her eyes, down her cheeks. Her bag dropped to the ground and she took a couple of steps towards me, wrapping me up into a hug. “Gary, I don’t wanna go! I wanna keep traveling with you! Wherever things go from here on this journey, I want us to experience it all together! We’ve been through so much. I just wasn’t sure you still wanted me…”

I cringed on the inside at her choice of words, my body giving a slight flinch.

“But, after what you just said…” She pulled back from me, gripping my shoulders, and she stared into my eyes happily, smiling. Sniffling, her eyes filled with more tears. Her head gave a slight nod as her face moved just slightly towards mine.

“The fight was stupid, June,” I said, looking away from her shyly and towards Interough City.

June nodded. “It was.” She hugged me again, even tighter than before, and I hugged her back, feeling her shiver in my hold. “I… I… I… I…”

I squinted down at June as I held her, waiting for her to finish her sentence.

June was staring at the ground, her head against me. “I… I…” She lifted her head and stared into my eyes again. Her hands moved back to my shoulders and she gripped them strongly, shakily. She swallowed, and another pair of tears rolled down her face. “Gary. ...I…”

I nodded, smiling slightly. “It’s okay, June. Relax.”

June shook her head hard. “No. You don’t understand…” she said in a low voice. Her fingers dug into my shoulders. “I… I…”

“I’m sorry, too, June,” I told her. “I’m sorry more than I’m able to put into words, too. But, I understand. It’s okay. I’m sorry, too.”

June stared back at me, and several tears slid out of her eyes, her lips quivering harder than ever.

“You’re sorry,” I told June. “That was what you were trying to say. Right?”

June stared at me weakly and then lowered her eyes with a sigh. “Yeah… That…”

*

I walked into the body scanner, which was essentially a huge, metal box, and stepped out through the other side when it chimed softly.

A man waved a black, metal tube up and down the front of my body, and then behind me, and finally at both of my sides. He then proceeded to pat me down, grabbing and slapping at my arms, stomach, back, and between my legs.

Hey, back off, man, I thought uncomfortably.

June’s pat down didn’t seem to be any more pleasing for her, either. She walked away from security and over to me, grumpily hoisting her bag onto her shoulder.

I smiled and shrugged at her, grabbing the straps on my backpack.

“I understand that they’ve raised security measures at the Pokemon League after what happened in Kanto with Team Solace, but that was really not okay!” She rubbed her shoulders with her hands and turned back to the group of security officers who were checking another young kid who looked nervous.

“What happened?” I asked.

“I just don’t like people touching me like that!” June complained loudly.

A couple of the security guards turned to stare at June.

“June, don’t get in trouble. Let’s just go, okay? I have to register.” I grabbed her arm and tugged her after me.

The building we were standing in was enormous and located right in the middle of Interough City. The floor was made of wood polished so brightly, it was comparable to a diamond. At least thirty elevators with silver doors lined one long wall. Escalators led up to higher levels, and even more escalators were on the higher floors. There were counters all over the place containing either a man or a woman, all wearing black and white suits. Tons of people of differing ages were walking by or standing in one of the various lines in front of the counters, their Poke Balls on their waists, some people with a Pokemon by their side. Everyone seemed excited, whether they were speaking with someone else, or were by themselves. Other people were eagerly talking on the phone in the phone booths.

I stopped on a line behind a shorter kid and turned to June. “Kind of exciting, eh?”

“I must say, this is really impressive.” June was scanning the building, spinning around repeatedly in slow circles.

“And we made it with plenty of time to spare. We’ve still got a few more days before the competition even begins!”

June came to a stop and stared at me with a gentle smile. “This is gonna be so different from last time, you know?”

“Yeah…” I reflected on the Kanto League. No more Robin, I thought. Who’s my competition this time? Courtney. Ella. Trixa. Ruko… Ruko. I have to beat her. Him… Somehow. I have Charizard with me this time. I have my Kanto Pokemon. Not that my Unova Pokemon can’t beat him, but I have even more backup and am not limited in my options. If I do have to face him at this competition, he’s not gonna make it past me again. This is it. Time to show what I’ve come all this way to do. It’s time to beat everybody here.

“Gary?” June poked my shoulder.

“Huh?” I shook my head and turned to her.

“The line is moving. Don’t lose your spot.”

“Oh.”

The line hadn’t moved much at all.

I took a couple of steps forward and was back behind the kid in front of me again.

“Yeeeaaaaaaah! WOOHOOOOO!! Unova Conference, here we go!!” The first person in line walked off, cheering excitedly and pumping his fist in the air as he jumped about.

Several people on line smirked or laughed openly at his joy while some just rolled their eyes and shook their heads.

A couple of people glanced at him for a second before lowering their heads without any enthusiasm.

“The Village Bridge, located in the Unova region between Routes 11 and 12, and which was home to many people, was destroyed about two hours ago when a collective group of raging Pokemon decided to attack from out of nowhere, as earlier reported.”

My head turned to the sound of the voice, my eyes landing on a television hanging from the ceiling several feet away from the counter I was waiting on line in front of.

A man with curly black hair was speaking from a newsroom in a chocolate suit that matched his skin tone. “It is now being revealed that this attack was led by a Garchomp leading a violent gang of what is being reported by witnesses as being between eight and twenty other Garchomp. Civilians believed at first that they were witnessing fireworks when the Pokemon, accompanied by an airplane beside it, flew through the sky. It turns out that the Garchomp were using one of their most powerful moves, Draco Meteor, and the houses that were built on top of the bridge were immediately burned and exploded, along with the destruction of the bridge itself. Seemingly connected, five Garchomp were found dead less than an hour ago by police, a little over one hundred miles away from the attack, their body temperatures down to freezing. The plane spotted was nowhere to be found, but it is still being looked for by authorities. Witnesses have stated that the colors of the plane match those associated with Team Solace, having a silver top half, and a black bottom half.”

Murmurs rose from the line I was on, and the building got slightly quieter as some people stopped to turn to any one of several of the TVs in the building displaying the same news report, which also drew the attention of others walking by.

“The sad irony of this attack is that, the history of Village Bridge states that over two hundred years ago, the bridge was built by settlers due to a flooding that washed away the houses along the banks. The houses were rebuilt on top of the bridge to keep the town safe. Matthew Ick, whose family had a history with Village Bridge, dating back to even when the bridge was first built, and has been in charge of the bridge’s upkeeping, has yet to be found, but we’ll be sure to keep you updated on any further information as it becomes available to us.”

“I can’t do this,” someone muttered on the line I was on. A young man walked off the line and his pace picked up with each step as he walked away.

A few people on line were staring at the TV screen in shock, their hands over their mouths.

Others on line lowered their heads and shook them silently.

Not everyone in the building seemed to have heard the news as they walked by nonchalantly, some of them happily, some chatting with whoever they were with while others just moved along, lost in their own thoughts.

“Uuumm… Next, please,” the man behind the counter who was taking care of my line said uncertainly. He clearly had just heard the news and was disturbed by it.

“-his house became overrun by Durant,” the newsman was now saying, a smile on his face. “He thought it would be smart to capture a Heatmor to take care of the situation. He got rid of the Durant, but ended up burning down his entire house.”

I turned to June, who was staring at the floor. Inhaling deeply, my eyes closed, I exhaled through my mouth. What am I really doing here? I asked myself. What are any of us really doing here? There’s evil taking place out there by the hands of Team Solace, and we’re here to battle one another? Is this really appropriate? To celebrate our love and support for Pokemon when the world is under attack like this? My eyes opened and I looked up at the ceiling of the building so far above me. Is this such a bad thing? I questioned myself. To be here, when such evil against Pokemon is taking place, to stand strong, with people I don’t know, and some who I do know, to show my love and support for Pokemon? Is this not what we should be doing? Displaying the good in Pokemon while others are out there determined to show their faults? This is a good thing! Team Solace will be stopped, someday, but in the meantime, we might as well shove it in their faces that Pokemon are still loved. Team Solace hasn’t taken over. They haven’t convinced us all that Pokemon are bad! They’ll never change my mind. Ever. If it’s a tug of war for how Pokemon will be viewed, then I’ll never lose my footing, for the sake of the Pokemon. I know some people will hate Pokemon no matter what, but everyone is entitled to how they feel about things. But what Team Solace is doing must be stopped. It must be fought against.

People in the building were talking happily, children running with a carefree attitude, humans and Pokemon talking with each other determinedly, Pokemon chasing each other playfully, unaware of the humans in the way until they bumped into them and then continued running around as if nothing happened.

Team Solace can’t stop this, I told myself firmly. This is the way things should be. Humans and Pokemon, together. Yeah, things get tough in this world. Sometimes Pokemon are too powerful for their own good.

I remembered the Aggron blowing up the train in the subway in Nimbasa City.

Sometimes, Pokemon have natural instincts that put human lives in jeopardy.

I recalled being chased off a cliff by a Cacturne in the Desert Resort.

But the same thing goes for animals. Dogs, snakes, sharks, lions. All potentially dangerous creatures. And, of course, human beings. Too smart for our own good. Nobody, and nothing, is perfect. Team Solace is truly blind to not be able to understand this. Me, June, and all of us Pokemon Trainers will be here, at Interough City, in celebration of Pokemon. We won’t back down from what we believe in. We have a voice and nobody will silence us. The Interough Conference will take place and reach its completion without interference. And, one day, Team Solace will be shut down once and for all! I looked down at my belt with my six Poke Balls on it. Yeah, I smiled. Together, me and my Pokemon. We’ll-

“Gary, are you gonna move, or what?” June’s questioned startled me.

“Huh?” I turned to her with a start, and then I noticed the line behind us.

Everyone was staring at me impatiently.

June motioned ahead of me with her arms.

“Next, please!” a voice called.

I turned around and saw that I was several feet from the counter, with no one in front of me! “Oh! Sorry!” I ran up to the counter and smiled. “Sorry about that, sir.”

“Not a problem,” the man nodded kindly. “You must have a lot on your mind, I’m sure.”

I let out my breath tiredly. “You have no idea.”

“I’m sure! So, I’ll just need to check your Gym Badges, and then you’ll need to place your Pokedex on this screen, please.”

“Right!” I dug into my pocket and pulled out my eight Badges. My hand opened wide.

The man pulled out a black wand with a blinking yellow tip and waved it over the Badges. The wand beeped lightly, and then he put the wand under the counter and nodded at me. “All clear.”

“Great! Now, the Pokedex.” I dropped my Badges into my pocket and then pulled out my Pokedex and placed it on a small screen that sat on the counter.

The black screen glowed yellow and beeped once.

The small laptop in front of the man beeped several times.

I slipped my Pokedex into my pocket and waited eagerly. The confused look on the man’s face immediately made my heart start to beat quicker and harder.

The man looked from his laptop, to me. “Pardon me, but, you haven’t registered to compete in the Unova League.”

My mouth hung open, confused. “Well, yeah. That’s why I’m here right now,” I laughed nervously.

The man shook his head. “No, I mean, you never registered to compete in the Unova League itself. As in, you can’t register for the Interough Conference because you never registered for the Unova League. Without registering for the Unova League first, all of the Badges you earned don’t count.”

June gasped behind me.

It was as if every bone in my body had just shattered. I didn’t even feel able to stand on my own two feet.

“I’m sorry, but you can’t compete in the Interough Conference, Gary.”

I knew exactly what he was talking about.

He was right.

Back in Kanto, when I began my journey, I was registered to compete in the Kanto League, courtesy of Prof. Oak preparing me and my friends beforehand.

When I got to Unova, I just jumped right in and started collecting Badges...

Without ever registering for the Unova League!

The entire planet was spinning now.

I gripped the counter to keep my balance and I swallowed hard, feeling ready to puke.

“I’m sorry, but I have to take the next person in line,” the man said to me.

“But, wait! My Badges!” I pleaded. “I went through so much and won eight Badges! I can compete!”

“Not without registering for the Unova League,” the man told me sadly. “I’m so sorry.” He looked behind me. “Next, please!”

I refused to move, gripping the counter even harder, my hands now aching me. Even after the person who was next in line stepped up, I held my place.

June had to drag my stunned body away as I stared at the man behind the counter tearfully.

He gave me one last pitiful glance before tending to the person in front of him.

My body dropped and I sat on the floor.

The Trio Badge.

The Iron Badge.

The General Badge.

The Bolt Badge.

The Quake Badge.

The Brawl Badge.

The Toxic Badge.

The Shadow Badge.

They all accounted for nothing, now.

Breaking out of my mom’s house.

Attacking Prof. Oak.

Sneaking into the Unova region.

Capturing all of these new Pokemon.

Retrieving my old Pokemon from Kanto again.

All the battles me and my Pokemon had gone through together.

It was all for nothing.

And now.

There was nothing more for me to do in the Unova region.

My journey had come to an abrupt.

Unexpected.

End.