Swanna Song, Sung Throughout Sinnoh

Nothing Important Happened Today

"I'm sorry, but this just isn't a great time," Kiwi told Gary sternly. "I'm sure he's fine but at the moment we haven't finished tests and it'd be better to just give us another day, please."

"A whole day?!" Gary complained.

"I understand how you feel, but..." She sighed. "Call later tonight, okay?"

Before Gary could say a word, the call disconnected! "Oh, come on!" Gary frowned. "What a load of bull! I even waited 'til morning!" I'm just yelling at a blank screen in the middle of the Pokemon Center, Gary told himself. I should just use the Pokedex and transfer him over. If that'll even work, anyway. Or I'll just wait like I was told. Something could still be wrong. Besides, it's not like there's nothing else I've gotta be doing while I'm here. Had the library been open last night I'd have been in there, then. Gary stood up but then sat back down. My mom... he thought. With a sigh, he added, Or should I just wait 'til I get this Badge? He was still holding the phone receiver, looking at the blue screen of the computer. Shaking his head, he punched in the number to call his mom and then held the receiver to his ear.

The ringing went on four times before the screen changed, and his mother appeared. She rubbed at her eyes and yawned before her face held a sharp glare. "GARY!" she shouted out.

Gary's eyes widened. "Mom?" he started. "What-?"

"I HAVE TO HEAR FROM ROBIN'S MOTHER THAT YOU AND ROBIN WERE NEARLY POISONED TO DEATH TRYING TO SAVE A BUNCH OF RATS?!?!"

"Uh, oh..." Gary remembered what happened at the Jubilife Condominium. Shoot, of course. Robin! Gary knew he was in trouble, now.

"Uh oh? Uh oh?!" his mother raged on. "Is that all I get is an uh oh?! I don't even get one single phone call from you! Robin called his parents immediately! Here you show up, days later! Where have you been??! Are you okay??" The anger in her face faded some, but not much.

"I'm sorry, mom. I'm fine. We're fine. We were just trying to save some Pokemon from an exterminator. He was trying to kill a whole building full-"

"An exterminator was trying to kill a bunch of filthy rats and you two were nearly killed!!" his mother let off at him. "Me and Rob's parents are certainly going to sue the ass off of that guy, and his company, and the building, but my main concern right now has been you, and you haven't reached out to me once!"

"I've-" Gary stopped himself. Don't Gary! Don't!

"You've what? Been too busy trying to get killed to call your own mother to let her know you're still alive after nearly being gassed to death??"

Gary could only swallow nervously.

"Why did you call? Hm? What is it today? A new Badge? New Pokemon? Someone die? What?" She stared at him expectantly.

Gary stared at her with some surprise, wondering if she regretted saying that. "Geez, mom... Real nice."

"I don't wanna hear that from you!" she shouted. "What good news have you ever brought me? 'Hey mom, I'm not dead, yet, but I oughta be with what I survived this month,' is usually the best I can get out of you! And now, who knows when you'll decide something is worth informing me about! Badges this, Pokemon that, all at the risk of your life. There's only one call I ever wish for from you, because hearing that you're just alive is killing me!"

"What do you mean...?" Gary didn't understand what she was saying.
"You saying you're alive and continuing on this journey is just me waiting weeks before you call me again, every waking second of each of those days wondering if you'll ever call me again. Do you think this is a life worth living?"