Pokémon: Midnight Blue

The Events of Cinnabar: Part 2

"Hey!" a voice on the sidelines yelled out at me, "What the hell is your problem? Okay, so you're the better trainer, you don't have to be a class-A asshole about it!"

"Well, who are you to say so, Kylie?" I snapped a glare over in the direction of the voice, and my tone began to shift into hysteria as I spoke, "I shouldn't have to explain myself to you. You've never listened to a word I have to say. It's always been that way. I've never been able to say a word to you about anything that's going on in my head because you've never given a damn in the last ten years! It's always about Robin, isn't it? Robin's everyone's priority, Robin's the guy everyone pays attention to, and Brian's just that guy who hangs out with Robin, right? That's the way it's always been!"

"Whoa, Brian," Robin spoke up, "Take it easy, man."

"Take what easy?" I snapped at him, "The ten years that I've lived in your shadow? The ten years that I've constantly had to identify myself as 'Robin's friend?' There's only one person in the world who ever saw me for who I am and who I could be. Letta. She's the only person who knew me as 'Brian Phoenix.' Not 'Robin's old buddy!' She was my hope of becoming something better. She helped me become my own person. And you have the gall, the arrogance, to tell me to forget about her? How dare you, Robin! Is my life really so unimportant that it's all the same to you whether I'm happy or not? You have no right to call yourself my friend. And I refuse to refer to you as such anymore."

"Stop being such a drama queen, Brian," Kylie scoffed.

As if by reflex, I yanked a Pokéball from my belt, slammed it on the ground, and shrieked, "Silence!" at the top of my lungs as Gyarados exploded from its capsule and delivered and earth-shattering roar. "For once in your goddamn life, Kylie, you're going to listen to me. I'm tired of coming in second behind Robin. No matter what it is, I always have less talent, less skill, less drive, less potential than Robin. Well, guess what? We can't all be gods like Robin! I finally found something that I'm better at. And my being better at it is going to be what will lead me to happiness. I'll be damned if I let Robin take away this one thing I have left to live for! But I'm sure none of this matters to you. As always, anything I say to you is completely worthless. Why? Because most of your time consists of having your nose shoved three feet up you precious little boyfriend's ass!"

"Okay, that's it!" Kylie shrieked back, "I'm shutting you up once and for all!" Kylie pulled a Pokéball from her jacket and flung it at me. "Marowak! Thunder Punch!"

Marowak emerged, sailing towards Gyarados with an electrifying fist leading the way. Gyarados noticed soon enough and moved out of the way. The fury inside of me was indescribable.

"How dare you!" my roars were blood-curdling, "What makes you think you can lay a finger on my strongest Pokémon? Gyarados, Hydro Pump!"

Gyarados blasted Marowak with a flush of water, and the Bone Keeper Pokémon fell out instantly. I looked over at Kylie, the anger inside of me still blazing, and I noticed she was reaching for another Pokéball.

And for the next five minutes, I completely lost whatever sliver of sanity I had left.