Gary sat in the woods, his back on a tree trunk, listening to the sounds of the Kricketot that he couldn’t see. The grass rustled for hours, Gary paying attention to it less and less as time went on. His mind was elsewhere entirely.

“It seems like trouble follows you wherever you go, huh, kid?” a female officer laughed loudly.

“What kind of a thing is that to say at a time like this?!” an Officer Jenny barked.

The other female officer looked frightened, stepping back. “I’m just sayin’, he’s got a history in Kanto with this thing!” she shrugged, raising her hands up defensively.

Officer Jenny huffed and turned back to Gary.

Tears dripped out of his eyes every few seconds as he cried silently, sitting on a couch in Prof. Cynthia’s lab.

Officer Jenny sat next to him. “Gary, are you sure you don’t need some more time to think this story over? A good night’s rest can do wonders for the mind.”

His head down, Gary could see Officer Jenny’s smooth legs, but it might as well have been a hairy ape in a skirt next to him. There was only one thing his mind could focus on.

Gary sat in silence, not moving, barely breathing. Even blinking didn’t happen for extended periods. He was remembering so much. What was there to say? What was there to do?

“I know we’re dealing with some crazy monkey thing but I honestly think this magic Poke Ball thing that catches humans is going too far,” a male officer whispered to Officer Jenny privately. The two were standing outside the lab doors. “I mean, he’s saying it can fly, it can shoot electricity and plasma beams out... Now it’s got Poke Balls?? Or, what, Human Balls, should we call ‘em?”

“First of all, this creature is not some monkey, okay?” Officer Jenny whispered back. “Second, there’s witnesses from the attacks in Kanto, as well as a couple from the attacks recently here. It’s got to just be a Pokemon.”

“Capturing humans? Is it a human Trainer?” the guy snickered.

Officer Jenny sighed and shook her head, looking down. “Poke Balls don’t even do anything to humans. They have a paralyzing effect on them for a moment, but that’s all. The kind of... technology that would be involved in something that catches a human...” Now, even she let out a low laugh and looked up, smirking. Her head shook slowly.

“So you don’t believe that part,” the male grinned sinisterly.

“I-it... It’s just that that’s impossible!”

Even from far off on the couch inside of the lab, Gary was able to hear them just fine.

What sounded like a loud splashing of water came out from a far distance from Gary.

He didn’t react beyond his eyes shooting off as far as they could reach in the direction of the noise, but seeing nothing.

More grass rustled, bushes shook, and calls flew through the area.

Gary didn’t care. It could have been bugs, ghosts, and vampires. As long as it wasn’t that creature that had kidnapped June, he wasn’t as concerned as he normally would have been.

One of the monster’s hands reached out, and something flew out from it.

A ball flew through the air, heading for June, the top half a blue-gray color, the bottom a pale shade of green.

June, still covering her ears, gasped and stood up, taking a step back.

The ball hit her and hovered in the air. It opened, and an orange beam came out, hitting June and making her glow the same color.

June 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 of the ball went from white to black several times. Finally, the black remained with a PONG!

Gary shuddered, hearing that PONG! so loudly. Hearing the echo as if it were going on in real time, right in that moment. What was that??! Gary questioned loudly in his head. It doesn’t make any sense. It wasn’t just... some kind of cage! It was... a ball! A Poke Ball! But it totally...wasn’t... No... No... It wasn’t! That’s the thing! It wasn’t a Poke Ball! But it looked just like one! So... what was it??!!

“Maybe you should go back home.” After the police had left Prof. Cynthia’s lab, Prof. Cynthia stayed sitting next to the boy, trying to convince him to go back home, but offering her lab to him to stay at for as long as he needed. “Gary, you’ve been through so much. With Team Solace, this monster, and all of your losses... I think maybe it’s time to take some time off. Even permanently. There’s no shame-”

“NNO!” Gary turned to her, tears running down his cheeks. “I promised I’d become a Pokemon Master!! I promised I’d be the very best Trainer! I promised... Promised I’d capture all one thousand Pokemon!” He shook his head. “I promised that to my mother.” He stood up swiftly and then wiped at his eyes quickly. After a hard sniffle, he told her, “There’s something out there. Something bad. And it took away my sister, and my... One of my best... My... One of my best friends! Don’t ask me to put all of that behind me, ma’am!”

Prof. Cynthia stared at him with one hard eye, her revealed eyebrow narrowed, the other half of her face covered by her dull-blonde hair.

“I have to keep going. That thing has to die for what she’s done. I can’t allow it to determine my fate. It’ll have to kill me, if anything, first. I won’t let her stop me. Monster, Pokemon, human, that thing’s out there and it threatens life on this planet. If the police can’t stop it, I will!”

Prof. Cynthia didn’t respond, her glare tight on the boy’s face.

Calls rang out through the woods louder than before. The rustling of the grass was more prominent than ever.

Gary, consciously not wanting to be taken from his thoughts, closed his eyes tightly.

“-Team Solace’s leader, Isaac, remains on the loose,” a newswoman said on TV, Gary and Prof. Cynthia watching from the couch together. “With the help of some arrested members working with authorities, it’s believed the bombs planted within the Kanto region were all found and disarmed, though interrogations are still continuing for a reportedly missing alternate form of explosive energy reported to be present by witnesses. In other unfortunate news today, the continuous disappearances of Baby Pokemon seems to continue, and are under consideration of being labeled as abductions. The latest reported incident took place at Solaceon Town’s Day Care, ran by Angie, who-”

Gary’s eyes shot open as creatures flew into his private spot, and he jumped to his feet, his teeth bared, eyebrows narrowed, and fists ready to swing.

A pair of Misdreavus, along with several other creatures, flew through the night. Little critters scampered by on the ground, too. They all were getting away from something.

Gary’s teeth tightened with anger, his eyes on the flying critters. Bugs, aren’t they? he believed. He swiftly dug into his pocket and came out with a Poke Ball. With an angry shout, he tossed it like he was aiming to harm a Pokemon more than anything else.

The Poke Ball hit one of the remaining little flying creatures and opened, sucking it in by a red beam. As the others vanished into the night, the Poke Ball hit the ground, the white button blinking red and quivering on the ground.

PING!

Kricketot. The Cricket Pokemon. A Bug type Pokemon. It communicates using xylophonic sounds that it creates by shaking its head and rubbing its antennae. These sounds are fall hallmarks.

“Gotta be in the family of Kricketune. Bugs,” Gary muttered with disgust. He looked away from the ball and into the now silent, empty area. When he looked back to the Poke Ball, it was also gone. With Professor... Gary’s thought trailed off. His eyes began to water. Prof. Oak...

From inside of the helicopter, Prof. Oak grabbed at Isaac, one hand on his shoulder, the other holding the wrist attached to the hand holding a gun!! The two men fell out of the helicopter, screaming as they tumbled all the way down, still trying to get control of the gun.

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THUMP!

Prof. Oak landed first, right on his back. He choked out in a nasty-sounding groan before he sprawled out and remained still.

Gary sat down softly and his shoulders slumped. With a hard swallow, he thought, Team Solace... They took...

Hitmonchan was on his side, lying still.

Gary knelt down beside his Pokemon and grabbed his shoulder, shaking him hard. “Hitmonchan!! Hitmonchan wake up!” Gary started panicking and then wildly shook his Pokemon’s body with both hands. One fist after the other, over and over again, Gary was now slugging Hitmonchan’s face, tears rolling down his own face nonstop.

Everything from me... Tears fell from Gary’s eyes, sliding down his cheeks. Team Solace. I’ll kill you all myself!

The sounds of more creatures in the woods got even louder, small movements making their way around Gary, hard to see in the dark.

Gary ignored all of this as tears filled his eyes and stayed there.

Sitting on top of Gary’s screaming sister, Melissa, was the monster. She had her hands on Melissa’s throat, wailing back at her in a wild, unnormal voice. Her hair sparked with blue electricity and reached outward in numerous, separated, skinny bundles. The hair connected with Melissa’s face.

Melissa screamed at the top of her lungs as her body was lit by the blue lightning, and her body jumped.

The blonde of Team Solace kept her blue eyes on Gary and shook her head. “Kid, you’ve no idea what Hell you’ve let go loose on this planet... We almost had her down. If you’d just killed her! We were just trying to save the poor girl.” As she sneered at him, her eyes suddenly began to shimmer behind tears. Her face swiftly went into panic. “No one is ready for this!”

A loud, raging screaming erupted through the woods, silencing the ever-increasing sounds nearby. Gary was huffing and puffing, standing on his feet, his hands in fists. He looked into the sky, his head turning around. Letting out another furious shout, he swung a fist at a tree. The pain wasn’t that bad to him, and he considered continuing.

The monster’s hand reached out, and something flew out from it.

A ball was heading for June, the top half a blue-gray color, and the bottom was pale green.

June, still covering her ears, gasped and stood up, taking a step back.

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

June 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 of the ball had a white button that went from white to black several times. Finally, the black remained with a PONG!

Exploding into another loud rage, Gary swung with his other fist at the tree trunk, using his right hand to follow up for another blow. Remaining creatures unseen got away from him noisily as he kept on punching the trunk. His face was a mix of sadness, anger, and confusion, tears running down his cheeks when he finally stopped. “JUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNE!!!!” he howled. “JUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNE!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGH!!!!” Gary finally went silent, listening to his echo. Within seconds, there wasn’t a sound to be heard. The quiet was gone as he screamed yet again, this time out of fear. He stumbled away from the creatures that had appeared around him. “Huh?” Familiarity set in, and he breathed out a sigh of relief. He frowned, but this faded as he realized something.

Primeape was staring at his Trainer, concern in his eyes. “Prrrrrime?”

“Hooooot! Hooooot,” Hoothoot was flapping his wings, also eyeing Gary from the ground.

Ralts squeaked out.

“Geez, what are you three doing out here?” he snapped at them.

“Primeape!”

“Hoooooooot! Hoot!”

Ralts’ horn glowed light blue. He then shuffled towards Gary, Primeape and Hoothoot then following. He wrapped his little arms around Gary’s leg and shuddered as if cold, curling up against his Trainer.

Primeape and Hoothoot watched this act gently and then eyed their Trainer.

Sneering, Gary had the sudden urge to kick Ralts, hard, far away from him. His leg twitched as he fought back this sudden, vicious desire, and then tightened, going entirely still. Staring at the little Pokemon with widened eyes, Gary didn’t move. Wait a minute. I don’t wanna kick Ralts, Gary thought, feeling himself relax some. What happened to me just now? he wondered. I felt so... angry!

Ralts kept one arm on Gary’s leg as he looked up at him and gave a couple of squeaks.

Gary kept his eyes on him, staying quiet. I guess it’s not really that surprising, considering what’s been going on, he said to himself. But still... He raised his eyes to the sky and then closed them. He inhaled strongly through his nostrils and then let it out. I really don’t feel like myself. Maybe I do need some time off...

Melissa’s body hit the ground, lifeless.

Melissa...

The ball hit June and opened, an orange beam pulling her inside of it.

June... Gary shook his head. Staring at Ralts, he knelt down and pulled the small guy closer, making Ralts squeak out in response and return to hugging his leg. He extended his other arm, and Primeape and Hoothoot got closer. Gary’s arm wrapped around them both and he pulled his Pokemon in closer. “You guys, a lot has changed for us. And I can’t promise it’s not going to get any worse, but we’ve also come so far.” He let go of his Pokemon and focused on Hoothoot and Primeape. “Especially you two. You’ve been around the longest, and we’ve been through it all, haven’t we?”

“Prrrriimmmmme...” Primeape said in a low growl.

“Hoooooot,” Hoothoot followed up.

“We may not have Charizard with us right now, but he’ll be back soon. But in the meantime, we’re still a team!” Gary grabbed his remaining three Poke Balls and held them out, a white beam releasing the Pokemon.

“Sci! Zooor!” Fashioned appeared, taking up a cool but threatening pose.

“Claaaam!” Clamperl cried.

“Pidgeo!” Sabrina cawed, flapping her wings as she stayed in the air.

“Guys, there’s no need to speak if we aren’t going to do it together. As you know, we’re now in the Sinnoh region,” Gary spoke sternly. “My journey has always, always, been to catch all Pokemon in the world. All, possibly well over one thousand. Even if there’s a million! The number is growing yearly, new species being found, and it comes down to confirmation by the scientists on what these new creatures are. Animal, or Pokemon. Whatever Pokemon there are, I want ‘em all. And I want to learn about the differences, even within the same species. Furthermore, we have two reasons that we need to get stronger, together, as Pokemon, and Pokemon Trainer. For one, we can’t capture powerful Pokemon without being strong, ourselves. Secondly, we have our other goal which is just as important: defeating Trainers who themselves have powerful Pokemon. I’m trying to become a Pokemon Master, and that means catching and raising Pokemon to defeat others with the same goal. I know it’s a lot to ask,” Gary balled his fists, “but I’m depending on each and every one of you to help out! Not just doing your best in battle, but when it’s time to swap,” he stared at Primeape, “to keep up the work, train at the Lab, and help one another out. That clear?”

His Pokemon all responded positively to this.

Gary nodded. His eyes never left Primeape. “We’re starting on a new journey...” Gary couldn’t help but remember when he first met his Primeape as a Mankey, over a whole year ago...

Having just caught his new Mankey thanks to the help of his then disobedient Charmander, Gary discovered that the woods were now on fire from the Fire moves Charmander chose to recklessly use.

This enraged the neighboring Mankey living there, and while Charmander abandoned them, Gary and his Mankey were left to be beaten unconscious by the other Pokemon.

My... Starter... Mankey... Gary remembered when he had accepted that Charmander was gone for good.

“Primeape?” Primeape said, cocking his head at Gary.

Gary smirked. “We’re starting fresh, again, for a while. You’re the leader of the pack.”

“Pri-i-iiiimmmmme-aaaaapeapeape!!” Primeape leaped in the air determinedly, punches swinging into the air above.

Gary wanted to smile somewhere deep down inside, but he couldn’t, his heart twinging uncomfortably at what he’d just said. No surprise, he told himself. How can I smile at a time like this? How, when there’s still...? “There’s one more thing, guys,” Gary spoke seriously, his voice getting darker.

Everyone turned to him in confusion, startled.

“This is more than just a journey getting Badges and catching Pokemon. There’s a monster out there that is doing terrible things around the planet. It seems to be against mankind, and is believed by some to be some kind of new Pokemon. But I don’t think that’s what it is. I hope it’s not, anyway. Either way, it kidnapped June, and it’s after all of us, next. We have to stop it, even if that means killing it.”

His Pokemon’s eyes were wide, the Pokemon silent.

A loud rustle grabbed everyone’s attention, and they all turned to see something appear from the darkness.

Red eyes glowed in the dark. “Lectivire...” The red in Electivire’s eyes went away, and they hardened on Gary.

Gary stared back with a frown, but he nodded. “Guys, we’re not just on a journey this time. This... is a hunt.”

Electivire nodded back.

Gary looked off to the side, at June’s large black duffel bag sitting next to his own backpack. He walked over to them and got his bag on his shoulders before lifting June’s bag by the strap and hoisting it onto one shoulder. “Well.” He looked at the seven Pokemon, but then remained on Electivire. His eyes went down to Electivire’s arms wrapped in bandages, and then rose to his face. “You ready to go?”

Electivire didn’t answer.

There was now a new rustling in the woods that made everyone look. The sound got closer, but nothing was revealed.

A Pokemon? Gary wondered.

The grass was moving, the thing within getting closer to them.

The... monster?? Gary considered. Primeape. Get ready! Gary’s fists clenched.

The grass right in front of them shook!

“PRIMEA-huh?!” Gary stopped his call.

A little animal exposed itself to the group. It stood at only about two feet tall. The thing was mostly blue, with black legs and a black chest, its face covered in mostly black like a mask. Its red eyes were glued to Gary’s.

Gary swallowed, staring uncertainly back at it. “A Pokemon,” Gary muttered.

Riolu. The Emanation Pokemon. A Fighting type, Baby Pokemon. This Pokemon can read an energy called Aura that all living beings carry; a kind of spiritual energy. It uses this ability to read emotions and intentions.

Gary’s eyes widened. A Baby... A Fighting type... No...

Riolu spoke in a grunt. It walked forward, one slow step at a time, keeping eyes on Gary.

“PRIIIIIIIIIIME!!” Primeape leaped forward, unprovoked, and socked Riolu in the face!

Riolu yelled out and hit the ground. Growling angrily, it sat up but didn’t stand.

“PRIMEAPE!” Gary barked.

Primeape was breathing hard. He looked back angrily. “Prime?”

Riolu got up and shook its head. Letting out an exhausted breath, it looked back up to Gary and raised a paw out to him. It stumbled forward weakly.

As soon as Riolu got up to Primeape, trying to get by him, Primeape kicked it right in the chest, sending the Baby flying backwards. He then jumped after it.

“RETURN!!” Gary recalled Primeape to his Poke Ball. “We have to have a talk about your leadership after all,” Gary said in a low voice, but kept his eyes on the downed Riolu. He reached into his pocket and walked past the other Pokemon, stopping at Riolu.

Groaning, Riolu struggled to open its eyes.

Gary pulled his hand out of his pocket in a fist and knelt down on one knee. In a swift movement, the Poke Ball inside of it was enlarged, and he held it out to Riolu. Without a word, he gently tapped the Baby on the head, and the Pokemon was pulled in by the red beam.

The red button blinking, the Poke Ball shook.

And shook.

And shook.

PING!

“Easy. Just rest up for now,” Gary said, watching the glowing ball vanish from his hand.