A New Life Through The Eyes Of Kanto: An Autobiography

Feelings

I couldn't stop staring at my Dimensia Badge. It was so fancy and cool. The design seemed impossible, looking like it was made of glass with smoke swirling around inside it. I twirled it with my fingers, trying to understand the craft and material of it. "Incredible, eh, Charmeleon?" I asked, holding the Badge out to it.

Charmeleon smiled proudly at it and nodded with a pleased grunt.

I put the Badge back in its case and slipped it into my bag as I recalled calling Prof. Oak just last night to tell him about my win at Obsidian Gym, but he wasn't around for my call, and Prof. Sketchit didn't pick up either.

The following conversation with my mom led her quickly into tears over the joy she had for my accomplishment. "I am so glad you're doing so well, babe," she had said. "It sure did take you a while to get that Badge, though. It's been a few weeks, now. Even Melissa only took a few days to get her first Badge." That's my mom. Always putting a damper on good news somehow. Making sure to rub things in. Constantly comparing things. Never can just let it be.

I struggled not to argue with her and not be too offended. When I mentioned my Charmander evolving, she suggested I get rid of the "dangerous Pokemon," and that erupted into a huge argument. I could understand her feelings. Her baby was almost killed thanks to Charmeleon, but she was still making things a lot more uncomfortable and upsetting than they had to be. Charmeleon is my friend and partner. What happened is in the past, and I preferred to just leave it there.

As I stared at the map, I wondered if this long trek to Gringey City was actually longer than taking the path through Mt. Moon to get to Cerulean City, especially with Vermilion City being pretty close to Cerulean. Gringey City was between Celadon City and Fuchsia City, and from Obsidian City, Gringey was a fair distance. Fuschia and Celadon were closer, but there was no direct route to either city from Obsidian.

Hmm, I thought to myself. After I finish in Gringey, I have a couple of options. Go back to reach Fuchsia City, then reverse back all the way to get to Celadon. Or maybe I could just go to Celadon, then Saffron, which is nearby, then walk all the way down to Fuchsia. I began regretting my choice to go to Obsidian. This was getting too confusing.

An odd noise in the bushes caused me and Charmeleon to stop walking and turn.

With its feet sticking out from the grass, sitting up, its head visible above the grass that surrounded the middle portion of its body, was a snoring Pokemon.

My eyes widened in realization and my heart beat in shock.

It was an Abra!

I knew all about Abra. It was one of my favorite Pokemon. A Psychic Type. My absolute favorite type of Pokemon. How could I resist this chance?

Abra's body then glowed white, and in the next instant, the Pokemon had used Teleport and was gone.

"NOOOOOOOO!!" I shouted. I took one step forward before I dropped helplessly to my knees, close to crying. "I can't believe this crap!" I got up, my anger building up in me, and stormed along the path, continuing on my way to Gringey City. My anger faded soon, sighing to relieve myself of the last remaining bits of disappointment within me. I had no strategy for capturing that Pokemon. I couldn't catch it if I had actually tried.

Charmeleon was walking by me, giving me a confused look.

"That was an Abra," I explained to Charmeleon. "They're extremely rare and can use moves like Teleport to escape a battle or capture, even when they are asleep, which they due to about eighteen hours a day."

Charmeleon nodded quietly, looking ahead.

Animals ran and flew around us as we maneuvered through their environment, but there were no more visible Pokemon. Some robins, bees, and even a little field mouse, all went by us at some point, but strangely, not one Pokemon for me to capture.