Game Over?

A Frightening Affair

Hey, hey, hey! Guess who's back? Anyway, meet the partner Pokemon, Shin.

Note: I always wondered how they would have known who was who if everyone was Gijinka. So just ignore that part for now. I'll get it eventually. By the way, they still have their tails, okay? That's what a Gijinka/humanoid is, right?

Game Over?

Chapter One: A Frightening Affair

"Courage. I only have it when you are with me."

Shin stared longingly at the entrance of Wigglytuff's Guild. He really wanted to go in but...

"Hm..." He paced back in forth in front of the grate. His golden eyes shone with nervousness. This had been bugging him for a while now. Should he go onto the grate? Should he go around it? Should he just not go at all? Well, not trying would defeat the purpose of even coming here, his brain told him. He wanted to make an exploration team. To travel the world, to see amazing things, wonders and marvels. This was his dream. But there was just something odd about that grate...

Shin shook his head, blue hair fluffing about. "No. I refuse to be paralyzed by this any longer!" He took a hesitant step towards the wood covered hole. His hands began to shake with anticipation. "This is it. I have to steel my courage today." Another step and he was on the grate.

"Pokemon detected! Pokemon detected!" a voice yelled from below. Shin tensed up, his tail sticking straight out. He stood up taller, trying to stay where he was. It was easier said than done.

"Whose footprint? Whose footprint?" another voice called. This one seemed even louder than the one directly below him. And a lot scarier, too.

"The footprint is Shinx's! The footprint is Shinx's!"

What? How do they know who I am?! Shin scrambled backwards, away from the entrance. He jerked his head left and right, looking to see if anyone was around. Oddly enough, no one was. "That was..." Shin gave himself a minute. "... shocking." His heart rate slowed and he realized, yet again...

"I-I can't... I can't work up the courage to go in, after all..." Tears welled up in his eyes. "I told myself this is the day and still..." Wiping his eyes, he pulled a chunk of stone out of his bag and, while staring at it sadly, sighed. "I thought," he started, pretending that the stone could very well understand him. "holding onto my personal treasure would inspire me..." He placed it back into his bag gently, sighing again.

"I just can't do it! Ugh!" He kicked a pebble near him, sending it off the cliff that held the Guild. "I'm such a coward! Why can't I just do it?!"

Angry at himself, he stormed off.

XxXxX

Shin grinned happily at the sight before him. His friend, Krabibi the Krabby, and his family were blowing bubbles again. Krabibi waved to him. Shin smiled faintly and waved back. The red haired boy paused, cocking his head at Shin. Then, he started blowing bubbles again. He usually came out around sunset so Shin was glad he'd made it in time to see. The bubbles caught the sun's rays from the waves...

"It's so beautiful," Shin breathed. He looked back at Krabibi. His friend wasn't looking his way anymore. "Hah, I'm sorry Krabibi," he muttered. "I couldn't do it." His friend blew a few more bubbles and they slowly formed into bubble letters. Shin gasped in delight.

"Oh!" The bubble letters wrote out a message, since Krabibi couldn't speak himself.

YOU CAN DO IT!

Shin smiled, yelling out a thank you as Krabibi swam back to his cave.

This is where I go when I feel sorry for myself. But it makes me feel good to be here, like always. Shin noticed a Shellos slinking into Beach Cave out of the corner of his eye. Her bright green and yellow clothes clashed with the sand's color causing Shin's head to ache. Turning, Shin spotted another figure. This one was lying on the sand.