“They already called off the block on me. I can continue to get my Badges,” Gary said glumly to the computer screen.

  “What?! When was this?!” his mother shouted at him from the other end of the screen. “Did you see the video that was put out by Team Solace? The threat that’s been issued by them? Why would they just let you go?! You finally could come home and drop all this! I thought this was finally all over!!”

  Gary sniffled a bit. “I saw the video. They had me all day long interrogating me and asking me things about Team Solace. They believe I’m no criminal, but that I could be being targeted, so they let me go under the condition they’d be keeping tabs on me for my own protection and safety. I gave them ideas of the Gyms I’d likely be participating in. I only have two more Gyms left.”

  Gary’s mom shook her head. “I can’t believe there’s still Gym Leaders doing this crap. The smart ones quit already to be safe!”

  “I was trying to find one but the police said it was recently closed. And I would have had to go back the way I came. I guess I got lost on the way to-” Gary’s eyes lowered from her, remembering he had been trying to find a Gym by a hot spring that Looker had told him about, but he never found it, instead bumping into Aly, and later an innumerable amount of Shaymin, and then the monster, followed by the Legendary Reshiram and Zekrom. But he couldn’t tell his mom all of that, of course. His eyes returned to her. “Well, that Gym is shut down so I’m making my way to another. It’s really far away, in a really bad, snowy area. But hopefully I can-”

  “I want to know what you’re going to do about this plan of theirs, Gary. It sounds really scary. It’s like they’re using you as bait!”

  “I know,” Gary whispered, looking away again, thinking about the video the police had shown him. There was silence between them until he sniffled harder. His nose was only slightly runny but it was consistent. “You’re right.”

  His mother looked worn down, rung out, and ready to crash. Her eyes were defeated, baggy, and pleading. “I really thought my prayers had finally been answered,” she spoke with a broken voice. “I really thought you’d been forced to just come home, finally. I thought I’d finally have my son back. But no. Not even terrorists chasing you down is enough to scare you. Not even that monster out there. Nothing! All this because you wouldn’t listen to me. What in the world will it take, Gary?” Her head fell, one hand covering her eyes.

  The woman’s weeping tore Gary apart, leaving him speechless as his own eyes watered and then closed, unable to watch anymore. He was dying to end the call, wishing he could call her with good news for once. Wishing the news he had for her would be considered good to her. But what do I ever have to tell her that she wants to hear? he asked himself.

  Nothing, was his answer. He tried to sniffle quietly, but it wasn’t without a slight sound. Mom... This must be so hard for you. I get that. But I- Suddenly, his eyes opened with realization. “Mom! Wait! I do have good news! That monster! I can stop it! I might know of a way!”

  Gary’s mother straightened up, her face furious. “Oh for fuck’s sake, Gary stop it!! That’s enough already, Gary! I don’t wanna hear any more of this shit! I don’t wanna hear about making wishes, bringing back the dead, Pokemon, Badges, monster hunting. I don’t need to know anything but the fact that you’re alive! All I want, and all I care about, is you coming home! You’re not even taking care of yourself! When’s the last time you had a haircut?”

  Gary swallowed, staying quiet.

  “That thing is exactly what Team Solace feared, and it’s doing what Team Solace said a Pokemon would do. It’s destroying our livelihood, our economy, our peace. It’s just pure evil. This will be the end of the world. There’s even rumors that there’s more of them living underground. They’re gonna blow up the entire Sinnoh Underground, but what’s the point?” Her eyes were down as she let out a short, weak laugh. “It’s too late now. This is the end. I’m gonna die alone, without my son. My son will die before me. I will outlive my own children, and my husband, and die all alone in this house.”

  Sniffing up hard again, Gary said sharply, “Mom, if you’d just listen to me! I can stop this thing myself! I spoke to a special detective named Looker. He asked me a lot of questions about-”

  “What else did the police say? I want to know everything!”

  Gary breathed out impatiently. “It wasn’t the police. I spoke to a detective. Detective Looker. After telling him about my encounters with the monster, he has a theory about what’s going on.” He stopped talking. Wait. Just how much have I confessed about the monster to my mom? She doesn’t know everything. He wondered how to proceed with this.

  Gary’s mom was now squinting suspiciously at her son. “Exactly how many times have you seen this thing, Gary?”

  I guess this is it, he accepted. I have to say something now. Mom. “Mom.” He stopped again.

  His mom raised her eyebrows expectantly. “Yes? Gary? How many times have you seen this thing? Are you still running into it?”

  Closing his eyes, ready for the worst, he whispered, “Yes.” He cleared his throat, knowing he couldn’t stop now. Once he was able to look at his mom again, he spoke more determinedly. “Yeah, Mom. And there’s been so much that’s happened that you wouldn’t believe. I’m not gonna waste time explaining it all. Heck, I can’t even keep track of it all anymore. But I do know, I’ve been in bad spots. Way worse than I can admit to you, and you don’t wanna know, trust me. But, I’m still alive. And the detective has a theory as to what this is all about. It’s about my sister, that that monster killed.”

  His mother didn’t say anything to this, just staring at her child.

  “Mr. Looker believes that-” How do I even put this? Gary questioned, going over everything Looker had told him and trying to put it in order and make sense. “Looker told me that due to my... interactions with the monster, and the fact she killed my sister, that it created a bond between us. Between me and the monster. Because the monster used Melissa to heal herself from injury, in doing that, she inadvertently created a link between us that has only grown stronger every time we meet.”

  The silence returned, Gary just breathing hard and nervously, his eyes locked on his mother’s. He knew he had to keep going. “We, me and the monster, have been seemingly having some kind of telepathic connection where we can see in each other’s minds or something. And if I can master this connection, maybe I can use it to track her down and kill her somehow. I can avenge Melissa by using the thing this beast created in killing my sister to begin with. I know it sounds nuts, Mom, but-” Gary’s eyes widened. “Mom?”

  Tears slid down the woman’s cheeks from her full eyes.

  “Mom! Mom, I know you don’t want to hear this kind of stuff. I know this sounds like a fantasy and nonsense. But I think there’s something to this! I have experienced the connections with that monster. I don’t know how much I believe in it, but it’s enough that I’m telling you about it now. Besides... it’s all that we have now. I’m betting everything on this.”

  He took in a sharp but silent breath through his nose while thinking for a minute, his eyes on the keyboard. “If this fails, it may be the end - for the whole world. She’s too powerful to fight, and she’s even got Legendary Pokemon on her side. It sounds crazy but it’s like - the world is left in my hands to save.” He cringed on the inside at how cheesy that sounded. “I never wanted this, Mom. But if there really is something I can do, to stop this; if this journey was all along meant to be about stopping her. If this was,” he paused to swallow, “my destiny, then that makes everything worth it. Doesn’t it?”

  Gary stopped, wanting to look up at his mother, but afraid of what he’d see. The fear of how his mother might respond got him to speak up. “I could save - no, we, Melissa and me, could end up being the heroes of the world.” This isn’t helping, Gary, he thought. You’re only gonna make things worse. Shut up while you still can. “My sister, she’s a part of this all. Together, me and her have a chance to kill her murderer! My sister can rest in peace-!”

  “Gary!! Stop!!” Gary’s mother sobbed harder than before. “Just stop it already damn it.”

  With a hard snort, Gary was finally able to look up. He regretted it instantly, seeing his crying mother with her hands over her face. “I shouldn’t have said anything, Mom. I just thought you deserved to know this. I know we don’t speak much. All we do is argue when we do speak, so communicating with you is hard, but I had to say something about this. I needed you to know. I can stop talking now. I can leave if this is too much.”

  His mother wiped at her eyes and sniffled hard. After exhaling, she breathed in through her open mouth. Her weary eyes stared at Gary. “You said this detective told you that you can stop this monster because of some magical bond that was started by killing Melissa? That it’s because she’s your sister that you can stop this monster?”

  Gary nodded, feeling the tears flowing down his own cheeks. He forced a smile in an attempt to comfort his mother.

  She didn’t return the act. “I need - I need to call you back, Gary.”

  Gary’s mother’s squeaky voice was all the boy could think about, long after the call disconnected and he was left with just the blue screen of the computer. Mom... was all he could think.

  *

  “By next month, Team Solace’s ultimate plan will be launched,” Ray of Team Solace spoke solemnly from a video on Gary’s phone. The background was extremely brightly lit, as if the man were in Heaven, a holy glow covering everything behind him. “This plan will be devastating to the wellbeing of many in unimaginable ways, but all will be explained live before it begins. Consider this an attack on humanity, fueled by the evils of Pokemon, that only our young Gary, can put an end to. By coming to his senses and doing what it takes to save the entire world as we now currently know it before it transforms into an unfortunate necessity... Friends, I encourage you to do your best in opening the child’s eyes to the truth before it is too late for a number of you. The games come to an end now.”

  Ray leaned in closer to the camera, keeping a dead-serious look on his face. “Mr. Gary, damn it that I still don’t have your last name. Tread carefully where it’s cold until the sun rises on the shore where the games will be announced. It will be our new point of starting. Seven, sharp. You tend to keep company, but this is a private invitation. No trespassers allowed, and this includes the authorities. The repercussions for not following through with these instructions to the letter would be devastating.” The video cut off.

  Unlike the other videos from Ray where he was able to easily make jokes and speak with flair and charisma despite speaking on terrorism and death, here he was subdued, serious, and focused. The change was frightening, and the contrasting bright light somehow added to the unease.

  Gary lowered his phone and snorted up snot. This was the sixth time he watched the video. The first four times was a couple of hours ago when being interrogated by the police. The authorities told me they believe his message may be layered in clues about when and how to contact him, but I don’t understand a thing in it. If it’s for me, why make it so confusing? What’s the point if I can’t even fulfill what he wants out of me? How am I supposed to reach this guy even if I did want to join him? What was that thing he said about the sun rising? It was like a riddle. What was he talking about? This is insane! I’m not a - detective! Looker! He may have some ideas. I messaged him just last night.

  He quickly went to Pokebay and saw he had private messages to read. Before seeing what he had received, he saw the chat was active.

  MargaretFisher: So you dont ,e fish?

  Twirliagirl: the latest ep of the Kantonias was amazing!@!

  SwordFights: I ewa fine before I ate it so I think so

  SwordFights: I use to

  MargaretFisher: *like fish?

  Br1dg3gAngKdot: I caught a Dunsparce the aother day. I was so disappointed

  Deinomight: Anyone wanna battle over symulator?

  MarysLamb: No. I wouldn’t say that. I love them. It’s hard to explain ha ha.

  Gary went to his private messages and was surprised to see that he not only had messages from Looker, but also many other people from the website. He went straight to reading what he got from OrangeIChamp.

  OrangeIChamp: WOW! I’m not sure where to start! I took me about an hour to calm down and put my thoughts together, so I hope this all makes sense wen you read it. I’ll begin with this:

  Let’s start with this incredible thing that took place! Shaymin was there, (and congratulations on an AMAZING capture by the way. I’m glad Shaymin is safe and well) but Reshiram and Zekrom had no business being there. I know a little about Resihram. I’ve even seen one before, many years ago, but that’s not important to my point right now. I don’t like operating like this, but I do have an idea to explain this phenomenon, because if there’s anything I am entirely sure of, Zekrom and Reshiram both appearing was no accident or mere chance. And I think it sums a lot of things up.

  But first! Going back to what you said before, where she had the chance to just kill you but said she won’t kill you until she knows what it means. She even said you both are ONE!! We can be certain now that Claire doesn’t want you dead, and is aware of the telepathic bond you both share!! And doesn’t want you dead until she knows what that is. She is an intelligent self-conscious being capable of complex thought! But this puts you in danger. One of you has to master this ability first, and that will probably result in the defeat of the other.

  Now, what does this all have to do with Zekrom and Reshiram, you ask? Do look them up, but to brief you, Zekrom is a Legendary Pokemon linked to the compelling and determined ideals of man, while Reshiram is to representation of the truth for humanity. Now the problem with this is I’ve never heard of them being drawn to the truths and ideals of Pokemon! It’s only ever been human beings that they’ve appeared before! But Claire isn’t “human,” at least not in the conventional sense. This throws me for a loop in how we’re meant to interpret her existence, and what it means that she is able to draw out a Pokemon like Zekrom. I think that because of this telepathic power between you both, your opposing passions and desires seems to have manifested one’s ideals, and the other’s truths, creating an unseen power. A lure, if you will, that drew: for you, Reshiram and for Claire, Zekrom. And furthermore, this could be the best news we could have imagined! Gary, if this means what it looks like to me, Reshiram having chosen YOU! This means that YOU are the outlet for undeniable, indisputable TRUTH!! It means between you and Claire, is a battle of what she personally desires for versus your drive for the exposure of whatever the truth may be.

  The debate of truth against ideals is about as old as it gets, but I don’t see how anyone can state that someone’s feelings about something could ever be more important or hold a candle to the facts of the situation. Facts over feelings is a theme that is becoming more and more lost these days. Gary, you could very well change the entire world if Reshiram were really by your side. So long as you are fighting to reveal facts, Reshiram will never leave you. Or maybe, and this is a highly unlikely maybe, but what if there could be a way for Reshiram and Zekrom to live peacefully with one another. In other words, the creation of a world where undeniable truths, and differing ideals thrive together, without conflict. Maybe there’s enough room on this planet for such a free existence, though I suspect there would be an unforeseeable consequence in even that kind of harmony. There is no such thing as perfection, after all. Not amongst humans. Not amongst anything in this reality. Just how much change is too much? Arceus knows. Maybe, in allowing ideals, we can face our perceived faults that come with life, instead of simply burying them. Maybe there’s something even an old fogey like myself still can learn about accepting change.

  Sorry about that. I think I was getting a bit too introspective there for a bit LOLing loudly. Forgive me. Rather, how about what happened with young Riolu! She was able to break through Claire’s barrier?? That’s ASTOUNDING!!!! I’m completely flabbergasted!! If I had to guess, Riolu used Feint attack, with can even break though protective moves like Protect and Detect and other moves. Whatever that barrier Claire uses is, it must have qualified! Riolu infiltrated the infiltrator! This is incredible news! I would say you need to keep Riolu with you at all times! Try to evolve it and use the power of Lucario to its full potential! Lucario could be the key to helping you stop Claire!

  Good morning, Gary. Just thought you should know, people are starting to point out in the video Claire made, that there seems to be at least THREE other beings in there with her! And that does not include the late Three-Sixty. Does June have any thoughts on this or anything new? I’ll update you as more information comes to me. Please do the same.

  Gary reread it all again, trying to think of what he should say back, and then, still amazed at it all, read it one more time before giving his response. He turned off his phone and with a hard sniffle and swallow, looked out the window of the Pokemon Center.

  Prof. Eep’s machine was out sweeping the dirt road for all sorts of trash, living or not. U.L.T.R.A. was about eight feet tall, a solid machine in blue and black that rolled smoothly by means that couldn’t be seen underneath it. It was an elaborate build that was hard to envision even while staring at it, with different sections and compartments, a mix of steel and glass and maybe even plastic segments. It looked like a purposeful mess. A design any average person couldn’t possibly understand but only a genius could. It was a beautiful calamity of intended uses. As it rolled along, a black plastic tube would come out on occasion from a random opening and suck up some trash from the ground before going back in. It even vacuumed an Alolan Grimer as it tried to escape. Everything the machine collected could be seen in the glass compartment at the center of it.

  June had been outside of the Pokemon Center watching U.L.T.R.A. do its job, absolutely pissed. She complained that a Gym Leader could never do something like this. At some point she left.

  Gary looked down at his phone to see Scientist Gary had sent him another message. They had been chatting for a while, Gary explaining everything that was going on. The man even tried to call him at one point but Gary lied saying he was unable to talk at the moment.

  Lebaron88: It doesn’t look familiar to me at all, sorry lol

  Gary just nodded, staring at the photo he sent Scientist Gary of the weird, golden badge he had received from Robin and seen a few other times now.

  Gary4Mewtwo: No biggie! Just was curious. Thanks.

  Gary set his phone on his lap and closed his eyes, breathing out. It’s just garbage. I don’t even know why I still have it. I’ma just throw it out.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “It’s gonna get really cold there, Gary! Even colder than here!”

  “Huh?” Only slightly startled, Gary turned to June.

  She stood in her red, puffy coat, the inside of the hood decorated in white Cottonee cotton. Her hands wore red mittens, and in one of those hands was a white beanie. “New Snowpoint City!” Her lips pressed together as she frowned. She seemed bothered by something, looking off to the side. Inhaling deeply, she returned to him with a smile. “Did you know it was just Snowpoint City before the Team Solace attack on Mt. Coronet nearly obliterated it?” She sat next to him on the bench. “Mt. Coronet was the connection between a lot of cities and routes. They built themselves back up, led by Miss Candice and her insistence on using your ‘kiai’ to keep going and never give up. The notoriously treacherous mountain climb to Snowpoint City is now reduced to just a flat, snowy path.”

  Gary’s mouth opened to speak but he froze, noticing she was speaking a little slower, lower, and concentrated. Is it her hearing? he wondered. Did she realize she was speaking a little loudly earlier? Am I overthinking? Blinking himself out of his thoughts, he sniffled and then asked her, “Key, eye?”

  “Yeah, kiai. Like inner strength and stuff. Why do you even wanna go there? Isn’t there a closer Gym? Something a little easier to travel through? Warmer?”

  Nurse Joy swatted at a fat fly on the front counter that seemed to be ignoring the electric bug zapper that was designed like a Politoed with its mouth gaping open, the tongue glowing light blue to lure in victims. Disturbingly for Gary, her partner was a Shedinja! They both wore a matching white nurse’s hat with a green cross on it.

  Gary didn’t respond to June, instead swatting in disgust at the front of his face several times at a couple of persistent mosquitos. Annoyed, he shook his head and stood up, using one hand to type on his phone. He ran the other hand through his hair uncomfortably, feeling certain that things had to be crawling through it. As a page loaded on his phone, Gary’s eyes shot over to Shedinja and with a hard sniffle, he sneered before looking away. He scratched at his neck as he read what his phone now displayed. “Oh. Kiai.”

  A notification from Scientist Gary came in.

  Lebaron88: Yo check this one out lol

  Gary didn’t watch the video, the thumbnail showing a man in a blue polo shirt with a look of dismay on his face. Behind the man was a fake background of a school whiteboard. Three more videos popped up, all of them with the thumbnail of the same guy but in different clothes.

  June was staring at Gary with a raised eyebrow. “Is that your pal with the same name you told me about?”

  “Yep,” Gary muttered, rolling his eyes with another sniffle at the end. “The one always sending me cringey memes. I’m not watching-” Gary waited as even more videos were coming in. “-another ten of these?!” He turned off his phone. “No way!”

  June laughed. “Did he really send you ten of those just now?”

  “He’s the worst! I’m telling you! Uugh!” Gary raised his free hand to cough roughly several times. “Ugh. Excuse me. And he didn’t know a thing about the badge.”

  “It’s probably from some - new game or popular book you don’t know about.” She slapped at her neck and rubbed it. “Are you catching a cold? You’ve been sniffling a lot. Going to New Snowpoint really isn’t gonna help.”

  Gary stood up and turned to the window again. U.L.T.R.A. was out of sight. His mind dwelled on something from a pair of dreams last night. He didn’t recall actually seeing much more than a big blur, if anything at all. The dream left him holding more of a memory of a feeling. But a feeling of what? He had no answer for that. Snowpoint, he kept to himself.

  He turned from the window to a new pair of black gloves and a new black ushanka with a gray fur inside, both sitting on the bench. He got his black backpack off the ground and onto his back, and then put on his new hat and gloves.

  “You look good in your new gear!” June complimented, putting on her beanie. “Your new coat will keep you toasty, and it’s looser on you. I know you said you hated how tight the other coat was, but it looked great on you! I’m glad I got to see it on you real quick before you donated it.”

  Deciding to ignore her rather than respond, he looked beyond her. “Thanks for everything, Nurse Joy!” he called out, his eyes glued on Shedinja, and he quickly left.

  “Take care guys!! It was a pleasure!!” Nurse Joy called back.

  “Bye Nurse Jooooooy!!” June waved both hands and followed after Gary.

  Gary inhaled the cool air - and his breath was cut short seeing a large waterbug walking along the dirt road. A strange sound slid out of his throat, entirely inhuman and created by nothing but pure, unadulterated fright. He slid around it entirely as it kept creeping along, unbothered by anything.

  June also let out a short shout and moved away from it. “Think we’ve overstayed our wel-”

  “Griiiiiiiiime!” Both kids screamed as an Alolan Grimer appeared and slurped the bug up with its bright-blue tongue. “Grimer!” it spoke to them and then slid away, leaving behind a green trail of itself in the process.

  Gary and June looked at each other, and Gary frowned. “You ready?”

  Giving a slight giggle, June said, “Yeah. You sure you don’t wanna make goo-goo eyes with Nurse Joy before you leave? I’ve never seen you lacking so much interaction with a Joy before. Hm.” She snickered, but then her face changed, her eyes widening with regret and her smile wiped clean. She looked away. “Oh... I-”

  Gary just raised a hand, silencing her. “It’s fine.”

  “Are you sure?” she asked hesitantly. “Are we even thinking the same thing?”

  “Hitmonchan, right?”

  June breathed out. “Gary...”

  He just lowered his head, but a smile crossed his face. “Pain in the ass. Ha.” He started to walk ahead.

  “You know, Gary...”

  Gary kept moving. After a bit, he stopped to look back. “What? What is it?”

  She hadn’t moved one step, but now went up to him with a smile and shook her head. “Nothing. We can talk later. When we get out of this place.”

  Gary nodded, and his eyes fell on June’s black bag. “Yeah. I think we do have some things to discuss, actually.” Turning away from her, he continued, leading the way out of Insect Town; making their way to New Snowpoint City.

  *

  “HE WAS NO GOOOOOOOD!!” Claire raged out.

  The camera whipped around sharply in a blur, then the video froze, zooming in on an unclear visual of things that looked potentially human. Or at least potentially living.

  The famous, spooky music from the sci-fi show The Excadrill Files played.

  Lebaron88: They saying theres more tha one of your girl down there but hits video is terash. You cant see anything lol

  Gary swallowed uncomfortably, snot going down his throat. He left the chat without replying. What’s he mean by “your girl”? Does he think this shit is funny or something?? The fuck is wrong with him?! Gary was breathing harder now. Not only was he stuffy, now he was pissed off. I am so tired of that guy! he told himself. I’ve had it! I can’t stand him, honestly. But somehow, I feel like I’m stuck with him. At least for now. One day I’ll be rid of him. When I leave this region, I’ll delete this app.

  But more importantly, I don’t think I’m ready to face this possibility of multiples of these monsters. It would only make killing the one who killed my sister meaningless, essentially. Gary sighed out. What do I do?

  Gary, June, Raichu and Electivire were taking shelter in a cave from the wildly blowing snow, freezing their butts.

  Electivire paced the floor, punching and swinging his fists, growling and snarling. Random sparks shot from his body randomly.

  Raichu sat by the entrance drawing things unclear in the snow with his tail.

  Gary was going through his private messages on Log-A-Graph, reading bizarre texts from strangers.

  Roaring80s: Did Claire really kill your sister? Are you out to get vengeance lol?

  MexicanoMorano2020: Papi r you really the Gary who fights Senorita Claire? Diablo maricon!

  MariaRega92?: Hey are you single? Not for me but I have a daughter. Sheonly 15, gonna be 16 but thats a month away.

  There was a photo of a beautiful girl pushing one side of her flowing, golden hair up against her smooth, smiling, model face.

  MariaRega92?: Shes beautiful isn’t she?

  Gary shut his phone off quickly and looked up at June with a snort.

  June, sitting quietly a few feet away with her arms wrapped around her knees, looked up quickly at him, her eyes wide. “Huh?”

  “Why don’t you have a phone?” he came up with quickly. “I think you told me this before but I forgot!” Gary was really just covering up for the fact he just had a rather attractive girl’s picture on his phone.

  “My parents didn’t want me to have one because I’m too young,” she spoke slowly, looking confused.

  Gary waited, snorting again, but June never added to this. “That’s it? But that doesn’t make any sense. Plenty of kids our age have phones!”

  “They said I could have one when I turned sixteen. I just never really questioned it. I trusted my parents’ decisions and tried hard to give them as little issues as I could.” She stopped and giggled. “At least, I think I did.” She laughed lightly and cut it short. “I’m really glad Probopass is doing well back home.”

  “Oh, yeah. Probopass. I forgot about that guy.” Before Gary could say more, his phone vibrated. “Mom? No way.” He got to his feet and stared at June with wide eyes.

  “Oh. Let me step out and... get some air,” she joked nervously. She stood up and then froze, her eyes meeting Electivire’s, and she nervously touched her hearing aide in her left ear. Her eyes lowered and she walked out quickly into the wind and snow. “Come on, Raichu!”

  “Raichu.” He looked back at Electivire and the bully snapped at him with a “Vire!” Crying out, the rodent leaped out of the cave in a flash.

  We still never had this talk, Gary thought, his eyes on Electivire. After this, we have to. The three of us.

  Electivire kept his eyes on the entrance at first, and then looked back at Gary.

  Gary answered the call but didn’t speak, keeping his eyes on Electivire.

  With a grunt, Electivire also left the cave.

  “Hello?” Gary heard his mother.

  “Hello. Mom,” he answered distractedly. He sniffled a thin trail of snot sliding loosely.

  There was some sniffling on the other end of the phone. “Gary. It’s your mother.” Her voice sounded a little faded from a poor connection.

  “Yeah. Mom. Hi. Are you okay?”

  More sniffling. “I can’t hear you too well, but no. I’m not okay, Gary. But I can’t keep going on like this, either. Not anymore. Not after what you told me about Melissa.”

  “Melissa? What do you mean? What’s going on with Melissa?” Gary practically shouted, making sure his mother could hear him.

  She took a deep breath. There was silence, and then another breath was taken. “I have to do this. I have to do this,” his mother repeated. She went quiet for a few seconds. “You said craziness about you and this monster having some kind of psychic connection or something, right? Was that what you said? Did I hear that right?” She was speaking a lot louder.

  Gary nodded. “Yeah! Because she killed my sister, Detective Looker believes that by draining her life like she did, she connected herself to me as well by blood or something! And that the reason I have this connection and not you or anyone else in our family, is because I keep running into her, strengthening the bond!”

  His mother breathed out heavily. “Oh, Gary.”

  “I know, it sounds ridiculous, but there might-”

  “Gary, it does sound ridiculous! But more than that, it’s impossible! It’s just wrong!”

  “Mom, come on! This isn’t about what’s morally right or wrong! This is about the truth! Mom, what I’ve discovered is gonna change - everything we know about the world! It’ll turn what we know as philosophy into a science! Using our blood relation as proof, me and Melissa, I can-!”

  “Melissa isn’t related to you!” There would have been silence on the phone if not for the sound of Gary’s mother sobbing now.

  Gary had to grip his phone tight to keep from dropping it. And to feel something real to know he was awake. His hand was trembling hard.

  “Gary.” She gulped before speaking again. “I’m sorry we never told you. Melissa is adopted! You’re me and your father’s legitimate child, but Melissa was adopted before you came into the picture. She never even knew this herself! She was too young when we took her in!”

  Her voice was breaking up, but Gary could make out what she was saying, though he couldn’t believe what he was being told. He felt ready to burst from the pressure of questions and emotions filling him up, but he couldn’t get a single sound out. His nose was running, but he didn’t care to sniffle or wipe at it anymore.

  “I’m sorry we didn’t tell you, but we just couldn’t do it. But it only gets worse. There’s more, but you should know. You have that right. I have many faults and regrets and I hate how it all turned out! I live with loads of guilt! I’m so sorry to have to do this here, like this, but you know, if you had just come home, like I told you from the very beginning! If you had just listened to me! We wouldn’t be here discussing this over the fucking phone!!”

  “You-!” Gary wanted to scream, curse, rage, tell his mother off, but in the mix of it all, he was unable to let out anything coherent. Just spaced out words and grunts. “I-! Wh-wh-wh-what?? You-!” He swallowed, feeling ready to throw up. “How dare you-! You-” He stopped for a moment. “Wha-what else is there? What the hell else?!”

  His mother was quiet on her end.

  “MOM!” Gary pleaded, tears filling his eyes now, his vision entirely a blur.

  “Gary, there’s no other way to say this. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

  Gary’s lips were trembling too hard for him to get out another word.

  “I’m - to blame for your father’s suicide.”

  After that statement, Gary wasn’t even breathing anymore. He didn’t even realize he had dropped to his backside right away. He just kept replaying her last words in his mind, trying to make sense of them. They were an alien language, incomprehensible. They just had to be!

  “Gary? Gary, can you hear me? Are you there? Gary!”

  “What did you say?” he managed.

  “I can’t hear you, Gary! Can you hear me? Are you there?”

  Gary opened his mouth to repeat himself, but then he wondered if he really wanted to hear it again. He would only ask if he knew he had heard her entirely wrong, and that her answer would be completely different and nothing like what he had imagined. But he knew what he had heard clearly enough. His lips closed and he licked his salty snot and swallowed.

  “Gary! Gary? Are you there? I can’t hear you! Can you hear-?”

  “I’m here,” Gary responded. “I - I heard you!” he let out louder. “What do you mean? What did you do to my dad??”

  “Your father committed suicide because he thought something was going on between me and a man you may remember. Do you remember Marcus? The doctor?”

  Gary’s eyes widened. “Marcus...” He remembered him almost instantly.

  Marcus did a number of checkups on Gary and his sister for years until one day, they just stopped seeing him. His deep-blue eyes stood out on his face.

  But what about him? Did something happen between him and my dad? Suddenly, Gary recalled whenever Marcus was brought up by him or his sister, his father would get really irritated and stop the discussion aggressively.

  “Yes. Remember the little Scottish guy? He checked-”

  “Yeah!” Gary cut her off, wanting her to get on with it.

  “Your sis- Melissa, was sick with an illness, and your father was trying to find a cure for it.”

  “She was... Melissa was sick? When? From what??”

  “Marcus told me he didn’t know what it was, but that it was similar to leukemia, but it wasn’t leukemia.” Gary’s mother’s voice lowered a little as things got harder to speak about. “She would get very ill. Weak. Her skin would bruise for little reason.”

  Gary was shaking his head. Was she really sick all that time, and I never noticed? Her own brother?

  Gary, Melissa, and their father were roughhousing years ago. The dad grabbed Melissa by the arms and spun her around in a huge circle, Melissa screaming with delight. When he let go, the fun was over.

  Melissa was screaming, one hand gripping her arm, blood between them.

  The dad’s right hand was also stained in blood. His face was frozen in shock at this before turning to face his horrified son.

  Gary shook his head, thinking of other times when Melissa would get injured at school, or just seemed to get sick out of nowhere. Was that all it? Her sickness? Right in front of me and I never noticed? Did she look a little skinnier when she last called home? He felt sick at this thought.

  “When she actually died... Killed... I was kind of numb to it already,” Gary’s mother continued. “Having not heard from her in so long, I was in constant fear her illness had taken her from me. I had already expected she was dead before it actually happened. It’s why I even let you go on your journey at all, honestly. Something in losing her broke me, and I let you go, and spent so much time and energy regretting it. But there you are now, in Sinnoh, gone for the second time. I couldn’t keep you. Not with all you had been through. Not after losing Prof. Oak. But I should have done more to keep you here. Maybe you could have just snuck away and I wouldn’t feel as guilty.”

  Gary just couldn’t process all of this. It was too much. His head was a car tire going 100 mph. But, wait, he realized. “Am I sick, Mom?” he asked shakily. “Am I going to die?”

  “Marcus said you were fine. We all were. And what she had didn’t seem to be contagious, thankfully.”

  Gary breathed out quietly and gratefully. “But - why did you two keep this a secret from us? Why did you let Melissa go if she was ill?”

  “Your dad never intended to send her out on her journey without a cure. He left on his own quest to find a way to save her. Why did I let her go? Ha. Because I’m a terrible mother? Because I had given up hope of saving her from an illness Marcus swore me not to tell anyone about to not cause a public panic until he knew more about it?” Her words were getting stronger now as she berated herself. “Because I wanted my daughter’s last days to be happy? Maybe they’re all the same thing.” She laughed, but it was a laugh Gary was familiar with. A laugh full of pain.

  “Marcus told me first about the leukemia thing because he had feelings for me,” Gary’s mother spoke in disgust. “Some nerve. He told me without even telling your father! They were good friends! They even went to college together! He betrayed your father’s trust because of his feelings for me, thinking it would go somewhere. Saying he could find the cure! Fucking disgusting! Sick!” Her voice was full of anger now. “I told your dad about everything, and he didn’t take it well at all. Went after Marcus in a rage and kicked his ass. What really got him pissed was that Marcus admitted his feelings for me. But then he told a lie. Marcus said that me and him - slept together. You know what that is, right? Sex?”

  “Yes, Mom,” Gary mumbled, his brain melting from the drama flowing through the veins of this story.

  Her voice started to come back down. “He came home saying he didn’t believe what Marcus had said, yet he still questioned me about it. And he was nasty about it, too. He even got in my face. I was offended he’d treat me that way and in a stupid moment of anger, I went along with it. I had intended for it to come off as clearly sarcastic but my anger overtook me and it became more of me trying to hurt him. It was a stupid slip. The wrong tone of voice, and that’s all it took and I fell into it and ran with it. And that’s what ruined our marriage. We weren’t intimate again after that, even though I had told him the next day I was lying. He didn’t believe me, and I don’t blame him. We did our best to keep things normal in front of you kids, but we didn’t even sleep in the same bed for months. Things did get better between us, but it was never the same. He couldn’t get Marcus out of his mind, even though he said he believed nothing happened. The cure for Melissa; his need to clear his mind... That’s why he left.”

  Gary sat staring at the cave entrance, watching the snow, any warm feelings straining out of him, leaving him colder than the wind blowing around him. It could have toppled him right over and he’d just remain on his back and die without a care. But his eyes were on something that wouldn’t let him do that.

  “Gary, I’m sure you’re feeling all kinds of things right now. I know this was a lot.” There was only silence until his mom sighed.

  Gary frowned, but he kept silent. I just know that wasn’t a sigh of impatience! How dare she after revealing all this! He kept staring at the lightning bolt outside of the cave that was hovering over the ground, bobbing silently.

  “Gary, are you there?”

  He couldn’t take the impatience he was definitely hearing in her voice. She has no right! He sniffled hard. “I’ve got to go.” He sniffled again. “I’ll call you back later.”

  The lightning bolt went away.

  There was a pause. “Okay, Gary.”

  Gary hung up and set his phone down. After breathing out, he inhaled angrily and called out, “You done listening in on my call?!”

  There was no sound or movement at first. Finally, June’s head appeared, peeking in nervously. She slowly walked in, her eyes wide and innocent. “Gary... I-I just got back and froze up. I didn’t hear anything. I thought I’d just check in. I didn’t mean...”

  Raichu was next to peek into the entrance, discomfort on his face, his lightning bolt tail returning above. He followed in after June, sticking behind her.

  June sat, keeping her eyes and head low, Raichu mimicking her.

  The three stayed in silence.

  Gary reflected on everything he had just heard from his mom. Was that real? he wondered. Did she really just tell me all that?

  Melissa’s... not my sister?

  She - my mom, is responsible for the death of my father? She drove him to suicide??

  Gary wrapped his arms tightly around his knees and buried his face, praying to never have to leave from the protective bubble he put himself into.