A New Line Through The Lives Of Kanto

Split Rationality

Gary was sitting in the phone booth by himself in the Pokemon Center.

The building was empty aside from Nurse Joy.

Even June had opted to step outside for a while.

Gary stared at the blank screen of the computer. Better sooner than later, I guess, Gary told himself. Were you really gonna leave this town without addressing this?

Maybe, he admitted. But it wouldn't last forever. This has to be done. But, geez. Grandma, Auntie and her? This is ripping a bandage, here! Or perhaps it's a slow pull. Gary grabbed the cool phone receiver and tightened his grip until it warmed up some.

"HEEEEEEEEEELP!!! WHAT IS THIS THING???" Melissa bellowed for her life.

Gary found himself unable to move. I don't know, Melissa! I don't know! But... I know it's not human!!

The thing's hair on its head sparked, like with electricity, before, all by itself, the hair reached outward as if it had come alive, seperated into numerous, grouped, skinny bundles! The hair reached out and connected with Melissa's face.

She screamed at the top of her lungs as her body was lit by the blue lightning, and her body jumped.

The being looked off to the side, revealing a neck that was exceptionally long and curvy, like a serpent. The skin area surrounding the eyes were spaced apart from them. Only the top and bottom of the eyeballs met with the skin on the face. The sides of the eyes did not. There was dark space between the skin and eyes in that area. Specifically, dark, rectangular space. The black pupils of the being were mostly all that could be seen in the eyes, a purple iris barely visible around it at the very tips.

This what you're gonna tell her? Or him? Gary pushed in the phone number he knew by heart. The ringing made him pull the receiver away from his ear. It was an effort to breathe.

The empty, blue screen finally gave way to the face of Gary's mom. The woman looked a wreck. Her eyes were red and tearfilled, her face covered in dried tear lines. She was shaking just holding the phone in her hand. "GARY!"

There was whispering and shushing in the background.

"Mom? Mom!!" It was all Gary could come out with as his heart thudded against his insides. "Mom!"

"Gary! Where have you been?! You're okay!" She wiped at her face as tears flowed down her eyes.

"Yes, mommy, I'm okay! I'm alive! I'm here!"

"Where is here?! Where are you right now, Gary?!" she screamed.

"Mommy, wait! I'm in Dark City, but-"

"You need to get your ass home right now!" she demanded. "I need to know what happened to your sister! Why didn't you call me?!! How could you wait so long??!"

It hurt Gary's soul to see his mother openly just crying in front of him. He swallowed and squinted hard, struggling not to break down and cry with her.

There was a commotion from outside of the Pokemon Center that Gary could hear, but he ignored it.

Suddenly, his aunt and grandmother appeared from opposite sides of the camera.

"Hello, Gary," his grandmother spoke gently, smiling.

"Gary, hi! My gosh are you okay??" His aunt wore such a sympathetic smile. "Are you hurt?? What happened to your face?!"

"Just the life of a Trainer..." Gary lowered his head, embarrassed by his appearance. "Anyway, I'm just fine." He inhaled and faced the screen determinedly. "You all know, don't you?"