A New Life Through The Eyes Of Kanto: An Autobiography

Gone In The Wind

"No way..." Tera whispered, glaring at me, squinting hard.

"You," I said in a low voice, my eyebrows narrowing.

"Tera!" Tammie cried excitedly, running towards her. She wrapped the Gym Leader in a hug, Tera weakly hugging back, not removing her eyes from me. "Tera, you've finally returned! I'm so glad to see you're back, my love." She kissed her on the cheek.

Tera didn't turn from me.

I continued eyeing her right back.

"Tera?" Tammie asked, noticing Tera wasn't paying attention to her. She turned to look at me, and then turned back. She looked back and forth a few more times and stopped at Tera. "Tera, do you know Gary?"

"YOU?!" June shouted, shocked. She got to her feet. "Of all people, you are the BUG Gym Leader? You're a Gym Leader?! WHAT?!"

"...Or perhaps his friend?" Tammie inquired.

Tera turned to June and her face got even angrier. She turned back to me. "What are you doing here??"

I swallowed and didn't say a word. This can't be, I thought. Of all people, not her. Not her. Anybody on Earth but her! I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

"Are you here to battle for the Hexapoda Badge?" Tera questioned, her southern accent deeper than ever, stepping away from Tammie and towards me.

I inhaled deeply and glared at Tera. "You're the Gym Leader of Viridian City? The Bug Gym Leader, at that?"

"I can't believe you're here," Tera growled. "You! Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"Trust me, I had no intentions of coming to Viridian for my final Badge," I insisted. "If I had time, I'd go to another Gym, but I don't have time for that. I need your Badge. Now!"

Tera turned to Tammie. "Did you two battle already?"

Tammie nodded. "Yes, but what's going on here? How do you three know each other?"

Tera turned to me, giving me a nasty look. "This guy has been a bother to me for quite a while. I keep running into him, and he irritates me every time I see him. He's just a puny Trainer with no skill, no talent, and a laughable fear of bugs."

"It isn't funny!" I raged.

"It's an absolute riot," Tera retorted. "And now you've come to the Bug type Gym to earn your last Badge."

"You're the pathetic one!" June cried out. "You don't even like Bug types! Why are you a Bug type Gym Leader?"

Tera ignored June, focused on me.

"Okay, I don't understand what's going on here," Tammie said sadly, her arms wrapped around her shoulders as she watched with concern.

"I'll battle you tomorrow. You already lost here for today. If I could, I'd just reject you entirely, but I can't. I must accept all challengers. Return tomorrow and you can battle for the Hexapoda Badge and lose. Until then, get the hell out of my Gym."

I stared in disgust at Tera. "Gladly." I turned to June. "Let's go."

June didn't look away from Tera, but walked after me.

I walked towards Tera, keeping a good distance away from her, still stunned to have found out that she was the Bug type Gym Leader of Viridian City.

Our eyes were glued to each other as I got closer to the Gym door.

"Bye..." Tammie called out in a low, cautious voice.

June and I exited the building, June slamming the door hard behind her. "Do you believe that?!" June screamed angrily, stomping the ground. "Her name is Tera, and she's the freaking BUG Gym Leader here! A GYM LEADER! Of all the things, she had to be the one! That rotten little brat! I mean, I can't even believe this is happening! Gary, she's who you have to beat before you can enter the Pokemon League!"