Underdog (Pokémon Fan Fiction)

Chapter Five

            I looked down at my Pokégear. According to the clock, it was midnight. I watched the clock while I walked, having nothing better to do. It had been around two hours since I left Falkner, but I hadn’t walked very far- just slowly. The clock blinked. 12:01. A new day. A new life.

            I had decided to wait until day break to let Gigi back out. It had been two, almost three days since she’d been out of her Pokéball, and I didn’t want her to freak out and run away in the dark where I couldn’t find her. At least, I hoped that it was Gigi in the Pokéball and not a real Ariados or something. I really would not put that past Falkner.

            I found a relatively decent clearing in the woods and sat down, opening my bag. I pulled out my old shirt and, using the Zephyr Badge, cut it up. These Badge things are sharp! And we’re giving them out to ten year olds? Yikes. After I had the bloodied shirt looking like it belonged to a hobo, I tossed it on the ground along with the string and hair. I don’t know how to make this look believable because honestly, faking my own death is beyond even me. Really, the thought never crossed my mind until Falkner said to.

            I rooted through the bag, finding money, food, Pokéballs, potions, and a fake ID. A fake ID! Wow, Falkner really wanted me gone. The ID listed me as Jack Reynolds, a seventeen year old Pokémon Trainer from Unova. Why would someone from Unova come to Johto? Well, anyways, I was certainly tall enough to look seventeen, but I sure as hell couldn’t act it. I’m just a horrible liar in general.

            I scuffed my shoes on the ground and made it look like I was dragged away or some crap, and then walked off into the woods. I am going to get Falkner for this. He knew that I had to do what he said, if I wanted a chance at becoming a Trainer, so not only did he delight in it, but he also made it as horrible as possible. But it didn’t matter, I would defeat every gym leader in Johto, and then I’d come back and pummel Falkner. And then he would have to explain to the entire region what happened. After that, he’d be the outcast. Not me, not ever again. I would bring pride to my family.

            It wasn’t long before I became tired from walking, and because my ankle was sore anyways, I decided to rest. After searching hopelessly for a place to sleep, I just sat down in the middle of nowhere. Using ferns as a mattress, I fell into a dreamless slumber.

 *         

            “Just one more minute,” I mumbled to myself. “Then I’ll let her out.” Gigi’s Pokéball wobbled impatiently in response to my voice. Whether she knew what I was saying or was just bored in there, I didn’t know. But she certainly wanted out, pronto.

            It had to be at least ten in the morning by now. Twelve hours since…yeah. Hardly half a day had passed, and already I was starting to panic. That just spoke volumes about my future. Oh Arceus, what was I going to do? Maybe it’s not too late to sneak back in and make an excuse to the nurses…

            Except I knew it definitely was too late, because although Falkner didn’t have any leverage on me if I gave up on being a Trainer, he’d probably try to convince them that I was insane or something just to get back at me. He really was that kind of person when it came to me.  So I would just have to swallow my pride (cries of despair), grit my teeth (not burst into tears) and stick it out (hope I survived more than a day).

            I pressed the button on Gigi’s Pokéball and let her out before slumping to the ground. Hopefully she wouldn’t take her anger out on me, because honestly that was the last thing I needed right now.  For a moment, I saw nothing. Then I saw stars.