I sat, staring out into the world. Apocalyptic rains fell in torrents from the heavens, dark storm clouds threatened the world with their thunderclaps, and there was me – sitting under the cover of a cavern in the rock face, waiting for the storm to pass.

I shivered, wrapping my bare arms around my hunched up legs. I could see the condensation from my breath as I exhaled. I closed my eyes, praying that the storm would give up its wrath to the sun.

My black tank top and jeans were saturated from the monstrous rainfall and clinging tightly to my cold skin. It felt like an age since my watch had become waterlogged and the small hands had given up counting the hours, minutes and seconds that passed.

I looked downwards at my black fabric belt. Six Pokéballs were clipped onto it, hanging for their lives. I touched the red metal objects gently. My precious Pokémon were all I had. Sneasel, Machoke, Magneton, Breloom, Arbok and Pidgeot meant the world to me, and I had given up my world for them.

I glanced upwards again, shifting my gaze to the landscape. High up in the mountain cavern, I could see for miles around. The windswept valleys and mud-coated plains were familiar sights as I had spent the last week crossing them to get to this point. But what was the point? I felt as if I had achieved nothing.

I held my rucksack at my side. It had once been a funky, trendy bag covered in bright patterns of stars, but now it was faded and torn from constant usage and covered in the dirt of travelling. I pulled out a little wooden chest and opened it on its silver-plated hinges. Inside, my treasure chest was lined in violet velour, and pinned to the fabric were eight metal badges. This is what I had sacrificed my life of luxury for – eight badges. I remember the gym battles well. My Pokémon and I had fought hard to win these medals, but now, they meant nothing. What good were badges when all that mattered was surviving?

Right now, I don't even recall why I decided to make it my life's work to collect these stupid brooches, all I remember is wanting to leave home for good, to get away from the tyranny of family life that I had resented so much. Right now, I'd give anything to be back at home, sitting by an open fire with a cup of hot cocoa to warm my frozen body as I sat back and watched from the comfort of home as 'nutcases' risked their life to reach the Pokémon elite, only to wind up defeated and downhearted. Right now, I am one of those madmen.

The past week of torment and torturous terrain was all for the Pokémon League, if I was ever going to make it. Not that I cared anymore. I'd discovered something more important than battle glory – I'd learnt to survive, and that was what it was all about. Those stupid badges didn't matter to me at all!

I knew now that I couldn't wait it out any longer. The storm raged and I knew it would never cease. Unclipping a Pokéball from my belt, I tapped it against the soaking rocky floor. A burst of white light emerged from the ball as my Pokémon appeared before me.

"Pidgeot," I said. "Let's go home."

Victory Road was designed to break trainers, and that is what it had done to me. I felt my spirit weakening by the minute, and it was at that point when I knew I was not cut out for the shallow 'glory' that is fame.

I stood up, emerging from my hiding place and walking out into the cool rain. I lifted my weak body onto my Pokémon's feathered back and we departed from the final frontier forever, flying back across the horizon towards brighter pastures.