Her Mistake

Chp 3 Broken Strings

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Sinnoh (A week after the game)

There was nothing Gary Oak liked more than taking a hot shower after a long day of work in the field. He found it relaxing and it also gave him a chance to gather his thoughts. Years ago, when he had decided to follow his grandfather's footsteps, he didn't think he would have to do so much work.

Even though he had lived with a world-renowned researcher all his life, he had underestimated how much work actually went into taking care of Pokemon and research. As it was, he had to wake up at the crack of dawn, get ready and be out in the field with his superior. Then spend the whole day tracking and observing Pokemon in their natural habitat as well as take notes meticulously.

When the day ended, he had to spend hours going through those notes, take care of the Pokemon at the ranch as well as read up on the existing materials. More often than not, he wondered if he had made a mistake when he decided to stop being a trainer.

Whenever he was plagued by those thoughts, he would take out the recording of his match against his rival and relive it. That match in Johto never failed to remind him of what it felt like when a trainer was one with his Pokemon.

The stadium was packed that day. It had been a fight they were both waiting for; Ash and him. They were both ready and willing to prove how far they had come since their rivalry began. Even as they stared at each other with confident smiles, Gary Oak knew his rival was just as nervous as him. And it was not just about stage fright either, both of them had enough experience to deal with that.

They were the only two from the six people, who began their journey to become Pokemon maters on that fateful day, who didn't walk away from their path. Ash and him, they were the only two who had achieved something and they were both proud of it. They liked to be antagonist against each other, but deep down, Gary had a feeling that Ash respected him just as much as he did him.

Sometimes, he dreamed of their battle. It always felt real to him. The way adrenaline rushed through his body. The thrill he felt when they faced off. The desire to prove himself. He knew his Pokemon felt the same too when they gave their best. It had been a battle of high and lows, of will and grit. It was a battle of smarts and spirit. And for Gary Oak, it was the battle of a lifetime.

He had known he was defeated long before his pokemon fell. He couldn't say how or why, but for a few moments, it was as if he and his Blastoise were one and the same being. He could feel its desire to do its best for him. He could feel its pain and fatigue. That feeling... He had felt it for a fleeting moment but Gary knew it was real.

It was one of the reasons he had decided to be a researcher. He had not been able to find anything about it anywhere. When asked, his grandfather had smiled mysteriously and told him to figure it out. It had been years since then and he could not say he was any closer to figuring it out.

Stepping out of the shower and tying a towel around his waist, he paused in confusion. "When did I change the music?" He could not say he had heard that tune before. A flute was playing. It was compelling, slow and melodic. As he walked out of the bathroom, Gary felt it was haunting and beautiful.

A startled scream left his mouth when he noticed yellow eyes from the window. "What the..?" He muttered. "Hey..." He turned to walk towards the window but stepped on a book and stumbled. He thought that the lights flickered but given their location, he didn't think much about it . And when he got his bearings, the creature with yellow eyes was no-where to be found.

"Maybe it was some Pokemon from the ranch," He muttered as he got up. "Now, how did you get here?" He wondered staring at the book with brown binding. "I should really tidy up this place." He flipped the book and searched for a title. Finding none, he sighed and decided to look at it later. He didn't want to be late that day.