Bulbasaur was growing tired of these kinds of rooms.

From his chair, he had an excellent view of Marty as he rested on the bed the nurses had provided him. There wasn't any equipment hooked up to him this time. He didn't know why not.

"Has he been doing this for a while?" Zubat asked from atop one of the bedposts.

Bulbasaur nodded slowly. "It's never been as bad as this time. I don't know why." He winced slightly. "It's probably the poison."

"I don't think so", she argued. "His body isn't wasting away."

"What about his..." He tried to remember the term some of the nurses used earlier. "...respiratory system?"

"I've never heard of it." She looked down at Marty again. "Let's face it. We can't help him."

Bulbasaur shook his head. "I can't help his health. That doesn't mean I can't..."

He was interrupted by the approach of one of the nurses. "Well... sir... how are you feeling now?"

"His name is Marty", the grass Pokémon muttered.

"...uh... okay, I guess", Marty answered. "Why am I in here?"

"You passed out", the nurse answered. "Fortunately, we've figured out the cause." Without any further hesitation, she held up a clear plastic container that had been filled with a small amount of orange liquid.

Bulbasaur gaped.

"Pokémon antidote", she explained. "Specially designed by Pokémon scientists to take advantage of the typical Pokémon digestive system to eliminate the effects of toxins in their bodies." She shook her head. "It's not designed for human consumption."

Marty stared at the liquid. "Oh."

She held up a picture of what appeared to be a human skeleton. "This is the pharynx", she said, pointing at one of the areas between the head and chest. "When you swallowed the antidote, it formed a layer of coating upon the..."

"You have to be kidding me!" Bulbasaur shouted. "You mean... the antidote did this? Not the poison?"

Zubat looked at him with a hint of surprise. "You didn't give it to him, did you?"

"I... couldn't think of any other solution. I mean..." He gestured with one foot. "...he was poisoned."

"...removed it while you were asleep", the nurse finished, having not let the Pokémon interrupt her. "Your trachea and esophagus have been cleared as well. You're fortunate we found the problem before it completely blocked off your lungs."

"Okay..." Marty eventually said. "What does that mean?"

"It means you're going to be okay." There was a hint of a smile on her face, even though her eyes continued to show concern. "As long as you don't try drinking anything else from the Pokémart."

Marty nodded slightly.

"We'll be ready to release you in an hour. Until then, I just want you to relax, okay?" As Marty nodded again, she turned and walked out the door.

For a few moments, the room was quiet.

"I almost killed him", Bulbasaur sighed to himself. "I mean, cut his life even shorter. How was I supposed to know..."

"You made a mistake", Zubat replied. "The best thing you can do is learn from it."

"Is that enough?" Bulbasaur stared at his trainer with concern. "One mistake was all it took for him."

"Maybe so. But you're not dying, are you?"

"Is this the right room?"

As the room's three occupants watched, the door opened. The woman from the gym entered quietly, followed seconds later by her Starmie. "There you are! How are you feeling, kid?"

"I... guess they say I'll be okay", Marty replied.

"His name's still Marty", Bulbasaur grumbled.

"That's good to hear." Her eyes shifted upward slightly before she started again. "Listen... about our match... uh... I know you really wanted to get that badge, but... uh..."

"The badge?" Marty asked.

"...you know, your Pokémon put up a good fight and all, but... uh... I'm supposed to be awarding these to the trainers, you know. And... well... you were spending half the match coughing and all... you kinda left them hanging out there... so... uh... I can't really call it your win... don't take it the wrong way." She smiled. "You certainly raised them to be strong Pokémon, though. Tell you what. Stop by when you're out and I'll be happy to give you a rematch whenever you want. I'm sure you'll do fine!"

Marty stared at her blankly. She noticed. "Uh... sorry. I don't mean to be disturbing you. Just... come back and see me later, okay?" She gave him a wink as she walked out the door.

"...uh... and who are you?"

She turned around. "Oh, right. I didn't give you my name, did I? Well..."

The Starmie flew up in front of her face, crystal gleaming, with a few pointed gestures in Marty's direction. There was very little indication that she knew what it was trying to say, but she nodded. "You want to stay here with his Pokémon for a bit?" She shrugged. "Okay. Don't be long, though."

Seconds later, she had left the room, leaving all introductions unfinished.

Zubat tilted her head. "Odd girl. She was nice, though."

The Starmie floated over Marty's bed and hovered for a few moments. If its crystal was an eye, it could almost be said to be gazing at him. A scratchy voice was produced from no visible means. "He's not okay, is he?"

Bulbasaur sighed. "No", he admitted. "He was poisoned. He doesn't have much time left."

"I'm not referring to his health." Its crystal glowed lightly. "You must have noticed his memory problem."

This Pokémon was perceptive, Bulbasaur considered. "He lost his memory, too. He can't seem to recall anything from more than a few days back."

The Starmie turned to face him. "That's all?"

"I think..." Bulbasaur hesitated, reconsidering what the water Pokémon was saying. "Maybe not. I think... maybe his attention has been lapsing lately. He talks about doing things and forgets to do them. Things like that."

"Are you sure that's all?" The Starmie turned to face Zubat's direction. "If I'm reading him right, he doesn't have any memory of the match he just fought!"

"You can't be serious!" Bulbasaur exclaimed. "How can you even tell?"

"It isn't difficult. I'm a trained psychic."

Zubat could no longer perceive Marty's head from her position. The Starmie had taken up position directly above him, shining some kind of light from its crystal upon him as he slept.

She flapped over to alight upon the top of Bulbasaur's chair. "Honestly, I thought it was supposed to be a water type. It fought like one..."

Bulbasaur didn't turn to look at her. He was too busy staring at his master with concern. "I'm not sure. Maybe we can be multiple types at once. Two or three, or maybe more?"

"Two", the Starmie answered offhandedly.

"I wouldn't know", Zubat said. "So what exactly are you doing?"

"Don't distract me. Be patient."

"Tell us", Bulbasaur growled. "If you are doing anything to hurt him..."

It didn't answer. He sighed and sprawled out on the chair's seat, trying to make himself more comfortable as he waited.

"Even if this works", Zubat noted, "it won't be enough, will it? A month from now..."

"I know!" Bulbasaur didn't rise from his position or face her, but he was visibly angry. "You don't have to remind me!"

"What will you do when his time comes?"

"I... haven't figured it out..." His voice became depressed. "You and Beedrill go wherever you want, and I... don't know where I can go."

"You haven't planned things out, have you?"

"Why did any of this have to happen? I don't know... sometimes I think maybe he and I should have stayed with his mother after all..."

"His mother..." There was a hint of wistfulness in her voice, and then it was gone. "What is she like?"

"I've barely met her. He said goodbye, and we were off. I don't think she even knows where he's gone."

"So why would you think about staying with her?"

Before he could come up with a response to the question, Starmie spoke up. "I've done what I can. I don't think anything else I can manage will help him."

"And what was that?" Bulbasaur asked suspiciously.

"I believe I've stopped his memory from decaying further. For the moment, if nothing else." The Pokémon turned to face the other two. "By the time the deterioration becomes a problem, his memory won't be your biggest concern anyway."

Bulbasaur tried to take comfort in this. "So... he'll still be normal for a few weeks?"

"No." The Starmie tilted downward slightly. "You have a bigger problem. His memory consolidation no longer works correctly."

The grass Pokémon stared at Marty blankly. "Consoli-what?"

"There are three types of memory: sensory, short-term, and long-term. When he sees something, that's sensory. When he retains it long enough to think about it, that's short-term. Long-term, he remembers it for the rest of his life." Bulbasaur was having trouble following this explanation, but he nodded nonetheless. "When you consolidate, you store short-term memory as long-term. He's having trouble with that step, and nothing I've done has been able to correct that."

"What does that mean for those of us who aren't psychics?" Zubat asked.

The Starmie paused briefly to come up with a response. "Unless there is a sufficient amount of rehearsal... that is, sensory memory reinforcing short-term... how can I put this... in short, without constant exposure to a possible memory, he'll forget it in about thirty seconds."

Bulbasaur winced and shook his head sadly. Zubat continued asking questions. "What will he be able to remember?"

"Aside from the thirty seconds and the rehearsal... any long-term memory he still has should be fine. Except... well... I believe his long-term memory is almost entirely stimulus-response now." At the lack of any evidence of understanding, the Starmie tried again. "He's not going to remember things unless something reminds him of them." It turned to look at Marty. "He can probably recognize you on sight. If you aren't there, though, he'll have a hard time thinking about you."

She nodded. "I think I understand."

"Is there anything we can do?" Bulbasaur asked impatiently. "Can this be fixed?"

"I doubt it." The Starmie gave him a direct look. "The best thing for him now is familiarity. Go with him to a place that he remembers and keep him company, and he may be able to find comfort."

"But... what about our journey?"

"He's confused enough as it is. Continued exposure to new things will only make it worse." Its voice became surprisingly forceful. "Disregard what she said earlier. Do not challenge us to a rematch. He is in no shape to travel or earn badges, understand?"

Bulbasaur stared blankly at the other Pokémon. There was an uncomfortably long pause before Zubat answered for him. "I think he'll need some time to think about this."

"I am not giving up!" Bulbasaur protested adamantly. "All the way, or as far as we can go!"

Zubat turned around briefly to make sure that Marty was still walking after them. "Look at him. Can you honestly say that he has any hope of accomplishing anything else?"

He shook his head. "We were about to win a second badge! Who's to say we can't still get it? We can't stop until we're certain we can go no further!"

"You heard the Starmie. He needs familiarity."

Bulbasaur stopped and turned to face her. "Have you considered what is familiar to him?" He sighed, and his voice became contemplative. "He can't go back home. He has no memory of it. The only memories he has are of being a Pokémon trainer. If he has spent enough time in any places to remember them, they are buildings devoted to Pokémon training. And if there's anyone he's known long enough to remember... it's us." He smiled. "He needs us, and he needs to be a trainer."

After a short pause, Zubat nodded slowly. "Even so... if he can't remember new things..."

"He can", he said. "All it takes is... what was that word? Rehearsal? If it's the only way he can learn, then it's the way we'll use! All he has to do is keep trying!" He thought about this more deeply. "And to do that, he needs a reason to take the first step, and enough reason to keep taking them..."

They had reached the door of the building. Marty slowly pushed it open, and the three were once again bathed in sunlight.

Bulbasaur took in the sights in front of him. The streets of the town extended in several directions. People walked along these streets, some carrying Pokémon, some with Pokéballs, and some alone. Some were headed to the various buildings, some were entering or leaving the town, and some remained in one place for the moment. Everyone, doing their own thing, and occasionally meeting others along the way. This town was livelier than it had been the previous day, and everyone in the group noticed.

But it was Marty who spoke, slowly and unsurely. "...where am I... why am I here... I don't know why..."

Bulbasaur got the distinct impression that Zubat's expression would have been a glare in his direction, if only she had eyes. He looked at the town again, trying to get his bearings, and then looked up at Marty.

Marty was already returning the look, eyes filled with curiosity. "...maybe... you do?"

"And that's why we're going to keep going."

"You're serious", Zubat said flatly. "You're not going to let him not be a trainer."

Beedrill was still trying to catch up with the conversation, having been released from his Pokéball only a few minutes prior. "So... wait. He forgot how to battle again?"

"Not exactly." Bulbasaur looked up at his trainer's blank expression. "He can't remember how to do it unless he keeps doing it. So he's just going to need to keep doing it." He turned to look at Zubat again. "I think that's what Starmie said, anyway. Did I get any of that wrong?"

"It... sounds accurate", she said unsurely. "It still doesn't sound right, though."

"It's what he wants", he said defensively. "It's what he always wanted. We just have to remind him. That's all."

"How?" Beedrill flew closer to Bulbasaur. "He can't train... unless he trains first? How can that even work?"

Bulbasaur smiled.

The Rattata quietly scampered through the high grass at the side of the road, sniffing around in an effort to locate its next meal.

He wasn't the only one. At the first sign of a shadow, he darted deeper into the grass and crouched down, trying to avoid a fight. The Spearow responsible for this intrusion circled around, swooped lower and tried to take a closer look at its last known position.

Zubat dove into it from the side, using her outstretched wing as the point of collision.

"If that wasn't enough", Bulbasaur called from the path, "then give it a bite!"

He looked up at Marty. He was staring intently at the battle that was unfolding in front of him, but it was hard to tell if any of this was coming back to him. If nothing else, he seemed to realize that the Zubat in the battle was the one with whom he had been traveling, and thus was hoping for her success.

"Will this work?" Beedrill asked.

Bulbasaur's eyes didn't leave Zubat as she sank her fangs into the bird. "I hope so." He smiled. "It's the best way. If Marty won't be able to start a battle... then we will."

"He looks more like he's watching."

"Give him time. He'll understand the details again eventually. He has to."

The battle had come to an end, leaving Zubat uninjured and victorious. She returned quickly to their side. "Do we really need to pick fights like this?"

"Why not? Other trainers do it." Bulbasaur nodded sincerely. "This is exactly the same thing as Pokémon training. The only difference is that he's not telling us how to do it." He smiled in her direction. "It was your idea, wasn't it? Follow the rules, but act on our own?"

"If you say so", she sighed. "I'm not going to argue anymore. Just... if he gets any worse, he's your responsibility. Understood?"

He nodded sincerely. "Abandoning him is the last thing I intend to do."

The road they had traveled led in the direction of the sunrise. Bulbasaur had chosen their route out of town randomly, and it was becoming clear over time that they didn't actually know which way they were going.

"He has a map, right?" Beedrill asked.

"It won't work", Bulbasaur admitted. "I can't read. Can you?"

"Uh... no. I never learned anything like that." He pointed a stinger in Zubat's direction. "What about her?"

Zubat moved closer to the others. "Read?"

Bulbasaur tapped at Marty's bag with a vine. Marty took it off and opened it immediately. The grass Pokémon started digging through it quickly, finding some relief in the knowledge that his trainer hadn't gotten any worse at understanding the intent of his gestures. Finally he brought out the map and unfolded it using his claws.

"Okay", he said. "Can you make any sense of this?"

Zubat nodded. "It's thin, and appears to have been folded."

Bulbasaur blinked. "I meant the markings. Can you figure out what they mean?"

"What markings? I can only make out the folds."

"I guess not. I guess these lines are supposed to show..."

"Wait a minute", Beedrill interrupted. He moved closer to Zubat's face. "Can you see me?"

"You're hovering almost directly in front of me, slightly above and to the right, waving your right stinger in front of my mouth, if that's what you mean." She tilted her head for a moment, and then faced him again. "It's easier to fly when you're not in my way. Please move."

"Sorry." He moved. "I could have sworn..."

"I can't make any sense of this", Bulbasaur grumbled, folding up the map again. "We should just keep moving." He tried to grasp the map well enough with his vines to lift it back into the bag. Marty was quick to help him.

"...maybe you can't see colors..."

"I don't know that word", she answered. "Would you mind being quiet for..."

Beedrill nodded and kept his buzzing to a minimum. Behind him, Bulbasaur and Marty had finished closing the bag. "Okay", the Pokémon said. "Let's..."

"No", Zubat said in a near-whisper. "We're being watched."

Beedrill looked around. Nothing, aside from the wind lightly blowing some of the tall grass. "I don't see anything."

"I can hear it. To the..."

She didn't get a chance to finish, as the source of the noise chose that moment to reveal its presence from behind a tree. Indeed, a creature like this one wouldn't have had any luck hiding in the tall grass. It resembled one of the purple and yellow snakes that the group had passed or defeated as they journeyed along this path. Except the others weren't quite so... bulky...

The snake brought itself into a coil directly in their path. This did not reduce its ability to loom over Marty. Its mouth opened slowly, revealing fangs.

Marty could do little more than return its eye contact fearfully. Even with his various mental issues, he still knew a threat when he saw it. Bulbasaur slowly extended his vines and wrapped them around Marty's wrist, trying not to make any sudden moves.

The snake noticed. Ignoring the flying Pokémon to either side, it lowered its head to a level where it could eye Bulbasaur closely.

"Battle me", it said in a deep hiss.

Bulbasaur immediately dashed back the way they came, pulling on Marty's arm in the process. Marty didn't have a chance to run behind him, as the snake was too fast, slithering around the two and cutting off their retreat. Its expression didn't change as it gazed upon the grass Pokémon again, this time from ground level.

"Battle me or I eat you."

There was no doubt in Bulbasaur's mind now that it would have no problem fulfilling its threat. Then again, he had to wonder why it would bother to fight at all. He tested his options. "If we battle you, will you not eat us?"

"Trainers need Pokémon."

He hoped that was a yes. "Uh... guys..." he called hesitantly, "I think... we're going to..." A deep breath. "...battle it." He tried his hardest to not be nervous in the presence of the reptile. It wasn't working. "Uh... who's starting?"

Less than two seconds later, Zubat swooped in and caught the snake in the back with her wing. It grunted in pain, but it maintained its upright stance. Bulbasaur took this as his cue to back away and stay out of the fight until it was appropriate.

The snake turned an angry eye toward Marty, and then craned around to face the two flying Pokémon. "You were not called."

"Does it matter?" Zubat asked. "I'm first."

The snake nodded slightly, and then turned its head to give Beedrill a menacing look. This was enough for the young insect to back away. With some satisfaction visible on its face, it once again faced the bat, and its eyes began to glow. Zubat didn't seem to notice, aside from adjusting her trajectory to seize its body with her fangs.

A second later, it had coiled itself around in a manner that allowed it to return the favor with its own fangs. She cried out in pain, and the action forced her jaws to release their grip. With some struggling of the wings, she freed herself from its mouth, but she was considerably worse off than her opponent.

She was not yet defeated, though. She once again ascended into the sky, considering her next move.

The snake screeched at her.

Bulbasaur was familiar with this kind of strategy; after all, Zubat had done similar things several times before. If she made enough noise or was frightening enough, the opponent would be too intimidated to fight or defend correctly. But this was somehow different. Maybe not audibly, but he certainly wasn't expecting it to affect her like this.

She started flying around in random directions, almost ramming into the snake along the way. "Where is everyone?" she called out in a frightened voice. "I can't tell where you are! Someone take my place, fast!"

Bulbasaur looked behind him. Marty was covering his head, probably because Zubat had just flown over him. In another direction, Beedrill's expression was confused, as if he didn't know if he should have been helping her or not.

It looked like it was up to him, then. With little hesitation, he struck the snake with his vines.

The victim barely flinched, but turned to eye him angrily. "It is not your turn."

The grass Pokémon fought all of his urges to look away from the giant reptile. "She called for a switch. I am switching with her."

The snake was visibly unimpressed. "You cannot." It craned its head to look at Marty. "It is his order."

Several thoughts went through Bulbasaur's mind. Was Marty in any state of mind to be able to make this kind of decision? Were his attempts to refamiliarize his master with the process going against the rules laid out by other Pokémon trainers? Would this hurt their chances of entering the Pokémon League? And why was a wild Pokémon so familiar with these policies?

"You're right", he eventually admitted. "I acted out of turn. I'm sorry."

Without warning, the snake opened its mouth and spat a stream of liquid at him. He was too slow to dodge. The liquid stung and seemed to have a mild corrosive effect, but it was not forceful enough to knock him down or hinder his abilities. "A penalty", it said with a hint of a smile on its face, and then returned its attention to Zubat.

She was starting to regain her bearings, as was apparent when she made a dive for the snake. It ducked low to the ground to avoid her attack, before suddenly leaping into the air in a backward arc in a surprising show of agility. As it came down again, its tail whipped out and struck the bat, and suddenly she found herself wrapped in its coils as it landed.

"Fight it!" Bulbasaur shouted.

"You can do it!" Beedrill added from his position.

Zubat found it difficult to comply. She bit at its flesh, which compelled it to tighten around her body. She tried to frighten it, but it would not flinch. As the other three watched, the coils continued to grip her body, and she began to scream out in severe pain.

Bulbasaur couldn't take it anymore. "Let her go!" he shouted. "She needs to switch out!"

The snake looked at the human. "Does he agree?" It tightened around her again to punctuate its comment.

"He..." Beedrill started to say.

"You cannot." The snake smiled widely, revealing its fangs. "She is bound. She cannot switch until she is freed." Several seconds later, it relaxed its coils and slithered away from her, leaving her body upon the ground. "You may switch now."

Bulbasaur ran up to her body and nudged it. She didn't move. While she still exhibited symptoms of life, she was clearly unconscious and unable to battle. He gave the snake an angry look.

It didn't seem to notice. "Recall her. She needs rest." It was still watching the human intently.

Bulbasaur growled angrily and charged toward the snake. It noticed, turned its head slightly toward the grass Pokémon and screeched loudly. This was enough to stop him in his tracks in fear.

"Recall her or the battle ends."

He briefly considered this to be a sound alternative to finishing the fight, until he noticed that the snake's mouth was open, drooling in anticipation. That promptly ended any thoughts along those lines. Instead, he headed in the direction of his trainer.

Marty's expression was still confused and fearful, and he had yet to make any motion for a Pokéball.

"We have to recall her!" Beedrill shouted. "We can't let her be..." He gulped audibly.

Bulbasaur nodded slowly and surrendered himself to the obvious option. He extended his vines and...

...in a second, the snake was towering over him. "Do not attack."

"This isn't..." Bulbasaur started to explain before his voice cracked in fear. Without another word, he slowly moved the whip in the direction of his trainer, slowly enough that the snake didn't make any sudden moves, and tapped lightly against one of the Pokéballs on Marty's belt. If this didn't work, he thought...

It worked. Marty removed the Pokéball and looked at it thoughtfully. Then he cast it into the middle of the area, and Zubat's body was recalled into the device. Soon it was back in Marty's hand, and she was safe.

The snake stared silently at the two for a moment, confusion apparent in its eyes. Finally it spoke. "Next opponent."

Bulbasaur could only return the gaze. He considered his options. If he was the next one to fight...

The snake made an odd expression with its mouth.

Beedrill started to move closer from behind, his eyes upon Bulbasaur questioningly.

Bulbasaur nodded imperceptibly. He had one shot at this. He raised his voice suddenly. "Beedrill, use..."

The snake immediately turned its head and opened its mouth, spitting the energy it had been stockpiling at the bee behind it. Beedrill, who had been paying too much attention to Bulbasaur's instructions, took the attack head-on and was knocked to the ground, twitching in pain.

The adversary turned its gaze to Bulbasaur again. "No more tricks." It shook its head. "Recall him and fight me. Get recalled and he fights. Your choice." Its head lowered to glare at him. "Only one fighter."

The decision was easy for Bulbasaur. That one attack had almost completely laid Beedrill flat. Once again making no sudden movements, he tapped Beedrill's Pokéball. Marty obliged, more quickly than before.

Bulbasaur sighed. He wasn't going to be able to win this, was he?

Before he could decide on his next attack, his view was suddenly replaced by darkness. A calming darkness. If he didn't know better, he'd say he had been recalled into his own Pokéball.

...wait. What was Marty doing? Did he come to the same conclusion, and decide to flee? Was that the right thing to do? Was that even allowed? What would the snake...

...and there was the snake before him again. Its expression was completely bewildered as it stared at the human. Bulbasaur looked around...

...Zubat was lying on the ground, and she was still unconscious.

The snake glared at him again. "What is he doing?"

Suddenly another Pokéball landed beside the two, and Zubat was once again recalled. The snake turned its head in surprise at the sudden flash...

Bulbasaur decided that enough was enough. He tackled the snake as hard as he could.

The snake fell down, but rose quickly. "You..." it started to say, only to be interrupted as another Pokéball landed near it, releasing a still-weak Beedrill.

Bulbasaur turned his head to look at Marty. He was holding the other two Pokéballs in his hands, and his expression was that of frustration and desperation. The third Pokéball returned to his arms, and he started making the motions of throwing one of them again.

Before he could figure out what was going on, he found himself surrounded by a large purple tail as it wrapped around him tightly. Above him, the snake's expression was pure anger, and this was supported by the sudden pressure that tightened around Bulbasaur, causing him to wince.

A Pokéball struck the snake in the head.

"No!" The snake was yelling now. "You cannot be recalled!" It tightened even more.

Bulbasaur did his best to ignore the pain as he tried everything he could think of. Striking his captor with his vines, growling at it loudly, and even releasing some kind of mist from the plant bulb on his back. What kind of mist, he couldn't be sure, but it didn't have any visible effect on the large reptile.

Another Pokéball landed near the two, and Beedrill was recalled. He hadn't even had a chance to do anything, Bulbasaur realized...

"This is not a battle!" the snake roared in its deep hiss. "This is a farce!" And to punctuate its statement, it plunged its jaws into Bulbasaur's back. The pain was excruciating, and only ended when Bulbasaur drifted into unconsciousness...

...darkness...

...comforting darkness... taking his mind off the pain...

...he had felt something like this once before, on the day when he first met Marty...

...after he had lost...

"You're okay!"

Bulbasaur opened his eyes again to meet the large red ones belonging to his insect companion. "What happened?" he asked, trying to reorient himself.

Beedrill turned his head to look to the side. "I don't know. I went in and out of my ball a few times, and then that snake was gone and I was the only one there."

Bulbasaur followed his gaze to find Marty, who was continuing to eye a couple of Pokéballs with confusion. Around him, the room appeared to be similar to the Pokémon centers he had visited before. "What were you doing?" he muttered to himself.

Marty dropped one of the Pokéballs, and the emerging light took the form of Zubat. Her mouth was bent downward into a close approximation of a frown. "That went poorly", she stated bluntly.

"I think... we need to work on our switching", Bulbasaur concluded. "Among other things. That snake might have been right. Marty's the one who's supposed to be signaling us."

Zubat looked at the human as well. "Are you sure?"

"There's a reason why he didn't get a second badge."

She paused briefly, and then nodded. "Fine. If you think you can get him to do it right..." She looked around. "This is a center, right? Where are we?"

Beedrill supplied the answer quickly. "Uh... you were both hurt, and he didn't know where he was going, so I flew around until I saw one of these places, and then I had him follow me." He turned his head a few times. "I've never seen this place, so I guess I didn't go the wrong way. But... I kinda lost the path a few times."

Bulbasaur nodded and smiled. "Good work, then. Now, if we can figure out what..."

There was the sound of an opening Pokéball behind them. He turned in surprise. Marty's hands were now empty, suggesting that the opened device on the ground in front of him had been the other one in his hands...

And then all he saw was purple, with a yellow underbelly.

"What. Was. That?" The oversized snake was looming over them again, pure fury visible in its eyes. "Who do you think you are?"

Bulbasaur was too shocked to say anything. So was Beedrill. Zubat, however, managed to get a few words out. "He... captured you?"

"No!" It looked around itself frantically before returning its gaze to the smaller Pokémon. "The battle was over! You were helpless! You lost! I won! Why am I here?"

Bulbasaur was starting to get a pretty good idea of the reason. Marty had been throwing Pokéballs out at random. Was he confused, desperate, or trying to hurt the snake? Was there any way to tell? The important thing was that... he could have thrown an empty one, and if the snake had been hurt enough...

"Wait", Beedrill finally said. "So... you're one of us now?"

The snake gave him an incredulous look. "No! I am not! He is not my master! I will not obey!"

The bee's expression became even more confused. "Isn't there some rule that..."

"The rules?" In less than a second, the snake had successfully used its body to surround the other three from all sides. "They are broken! All of them! You ignored your trainer! You teamed up on me! You threw Pokéballs at me! You captured me after I won! I won! You did not win! You cheated!"

"...no..." Bulbasaur closed his eyes and shook his head. He had to face the truth. They hadn't won the battle fairly. "Believe me, I don't want to break the rules. I'm not like that... I'm trying to do it right... but... things keep happening..."

"I should eat you all! Right here! Right now! Say one reason why..."

"Uh..." Marty interjected quietly. "If you're all okay now... uh... can we go eat?"

Six eyes and an eyeless face turned to look at the human. His expression was surprisingly calm given the circumstances, and he was gesturing in the direction of the center's dining facility.

"...that is one reason", the snake conceded, its voice considerably less agitated than before.

Bulbasaur breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't the only one. "You were saying that he should tell us what to do?"

It appeared thoughtful for a moment. "I accept. We eat, and we talk."

Despite the argument that had been interrupted, the meal was not as tense as expected. Ekans, as he eventually introduced himself, had managed to wriggle himself into one side of the booth across from Marty, while the other three settled for standing on the table itself. The newcomer was a heavy eater, and everyone noticed. Bulbasaur considered that his actions would not have been entirely unreasonable if he had been on the brink of starvation.

"So do you go around eating every Pokémon you fight?"

Bulbasaur winced. Zubat could have asked that more tactfully, especially given the target.

Ekans didn't seem to mind. "I must eat to live."

"But... I thought you said something about the trainers..." Beedrill said.

"I did say." The snake looked at the human across the booth from him. "Trainers need Pokémon. I do not eat trained Pokémon. I feed on them."

"Umm..." the insect responded. "Isn't that the same thing?"

"No, it..." Ekans stumbled to explain himself. "Is that the right word? I do not eat them, I battle them, they lose, and the victory makes me strong?"

Zubat looked up at him. "That's not what it means." She paused. "But if that's your goal, I guess it makes sense."

Bulbasaur was lost in thought. We are predators, he reminded himself. Is there truly a difference between eating Pokémon and battling them? Aside from the fact that those who are beaten in battle tend to survive? This Pokémon doesn't seem to see one...

"Is he a trainer?"

Bulbasaur was snapped out of his thoughts to see the snake staring at him inquisitively. "...yes", he answered quickly.

"Is he?" The snake's eyes narrowed. "He did not order you."

"It's hard to explain." Bulbasaur turned to glance at Marty. "When I met him, he..."

"He used to be a trainer", Zubat interrupted. "Right now, he can't even live his own..."

"Don't say that!" Bulbasaur shouted. "He'll get better! He has to!"

"How? By making us do all the work?"

"I told you! Rehearsal!"

Beedrill shook his head and sighed. "I hate it when they do this." Ekans nodded slightly in understanding.

"If that's supposed to work, then why can't he even throw a Pokéball correctly?"

"Stop assuming he can't learn how!"

"Not in less than a month! When he dies, all that effort is going to waste!"

"I thought you said you weren't going to argue about this!"

"That was when a giant hungry snake wasn't thinking of eating us!" She gestured in his direction with a wing. "I'm not going to lie to his face! If he's a trainer, then I'm..."

"Stop."

Ekans did not appear to be angry, but his voice was fierce and drowned out the argument easily. The two arguing Pokémon followed his instructions immediately, turning their heads to face him. In a quieter voice, he continued. "You say he will die."

"It'll be a month from now", Beedrill responded.

"Less than a month", Bulbasaur corrected him.

"If you ask me, he's already gone", Zubat muttered quietly.

"A month at most." The snake took another mouthful of his food, swallowed, and continued. "A slow death. Poison?"

Bulbasaur nodded, and then stopped. "How did you guess?"

He didn't answer the question. "He does not order you. Why do you follow?"

"He's my trainer. He means everything to me. And... we promised to stay together."

The snake nodded. "The others?"

Beedrill was having a hard time starting, so Zubat spoke first. "They captured me. I'm just doing my duty."

"...they stung him... he keeps getting worse... I... I have to make it up to him..."

"...you did not..." Ekans began saying to himself, before cutting himself off and starting again. "I understand. You have reason to follow." He took another bite. "I do not."

"You said that a few times", the bee said in a suspicious tone. "But... you never say how. How can you get caught and then choose to ignore him and leave?" He raised a stinger in the direction of the others. "I can't. She can't. How can you do that?"

"I cannot leave. I am not released." He leaned across the table. "Yet I need not obey. Your orders mean nothing. His orders do not come."

Zubat moved directly in front of his head. "If I have to listen to..."

"It's too bad", Beedrill sighed. "We could use some help."

Bulbasaur looked at him, and his expression became depressed. "It's true", he admitted. "We're not doing very well. The last gym basically disqualified us. We're having trouble getting him to understand what we're doing. We're all new to being trained, and... honestly, with the things you've been saying, I think you know more about it than we do."

"And you're strong enough to beat all of us by yourself", Beedrill finished.

The snake's mouth curled upward into a smile. "I battle often."

"I only wish I could be that strong. But I..."

"They make a good argument", Zubat interjected. "Are you sure you aren't interested?"

Ekans's expression became more serious. "You say you need me", he replied. "Do I need you?" He paused for a second, and then finished. "Give me a reason to stay."

The other three looked at each other. Bulbasaur decided to be the one to answer. "I'm sorry. We can't. We don't have anything left to offer you."

As the snake gave him a curious look, he turned to the others and spoke quietly. "With that in mind, I think we need to release him. I don't know what he'll do, but... I think it's best that we don't make him mad again."

The other two nodded. He turned to face the snake again. "We've decided to..."

"I heard you", he interrupted. "Our talk is therefore over. Shall we go?"

With a small amount of effort, Bulbasaur managed to climb down from the table. Ekans slithered out gracefully, while the other two took wing above them. "I'm sorry for everything we did", Bulbasaur said as Ekans caught up to him.

"It is no trouble. You are releasing me." The reptile smiled. "Thank you for the meal. It is a fine apology."

"Hey", Zubat interrupted as she flapped down to Bulbasaur's level. "I hate to spoil the conversation, but aren't you forgetting something?"

Her attention was focused behind them. Bulbasaur turned his head to see the table where they had just been eating.

And Marty.

"Where are you going?" he asked with a confused expression.

"How could I do that to him?" Bulbasaur groused loudly to the bat flying next to him.

The group was headed toward the town's northern exit, the one Beedrill recognized on sight. With any luck, they could figure out a way to release Ekans, and then they could return here to rest for the night. The sun had already set, and the first signs of fatigue were showing.

"He's my trainer! He's the one who caught him! He should be the one who decides if we let him go or not! What was I..."

"It's an understandable mistake", Zubat replied. "Seeing how he hasn't made any decisions at all today..."

The grass Pokémon winced. "You really don't think he's going to get better, do you?"

"If he does, I'll take back my words." She shook her head. "Until he does, I can't say I have any hope for him."

"So how do you get stronger?" Beedrill asked. "Do you train a lot? How many battles do you fight?"

"The number is less important", Ekans replied casually. "Make them count. Pick a fight you can win. Yet pick a fight that challenges..."

"Hey, wait up!"

Bulbasaur turned to look in the direction of the voice. Another young human was walking quickly toward the group. His expression was particularly cheerful, as was his voice. "Marty! I thought I recognized you! How've you been doing?"

Marty appeared to be visibly confused. He glanced downward at Bulbasaur, then back at the other human. "I... uh..."

"I haven't seen you since Pallet! You've been training, right?" The kid looked at the various Pokémon that had come to a stop next to him. "And these must be your catches, huh? Out for a walk?"

Marty gazed down at them, and then nodded. "I... guess so... yeah, they're mine... I mean, they came here with me."

"Cool", the other human said. "Hey, I've got time. How about a match? Four on four?"

Bulbasaur once again noticed his trainer's eyes on him. Almost imperceptibly, he nodded to him. This seemed to be enough for Marty. "Uh... sure... they can fight, yeah."

"So we're fighting again?" Beedrill asked in a near-whisper.

"Looks that way", Zubat answered quietly.

Bulbasaur thought about this. Was this going to end well for Marty? They hadn't worked out the problems from the previous fight yet.

...this other kid seemed to know him from somewhere...

...Pallet. That was Marty's home town, wasn't it?

"Great! Let's head over there. I can't wait to see if you've improved any!"

"...uh... can I ask you something?" Marty finally managed as they walked.

"Sure. Go ahead."

"Who are you?"

Bulbasaur winced to himself. The other kid's eyes widened. "You don't... wait... you are Marty, right?"

Marty paused for a second. "I... guess I could be... I've heard the name before..."

"You don't have to act smart", the other kid said in a less friendly tone. "If you don't recognize me, just say it."

"...I'm not really sure... things happened... it's all kinda a blur..."

"Huh", the kid said with a grin. "I'll just have to make sure you never forget me again." He took one of the Pokéballs from his belt and cast it forward. "Machop, go!"

The ball opened, releasing energy that reshaped itself into the form of a small yet muscular gray Pokémon. Marty looked at it blankly for a while, and then turned to face his own Pokémon. The other three stared back quietly.

Bulbasaur tried his hardest to resist the urge to make the first move. He didn't want to prove Zubat right. Marty was going to be a trainer. And he was going to have to prove it... by doing it. This was his chance...

"...is anyone going to fight?" Marty mumbled to himself. "...uh... you, maybe?"

He was pointing at Ekans.

Ekans turned his head toward the others in confusion. "Why am I not released?"

Bulbasaur looked at him, and he slowly began to smile. "The trainer gives the orders. He wants you to fight. Get in there."

"Why? He is not my trainer!"

"Aren't you? I think he still has your Pokéball."

"This is not acceptable." Ekans shook his head. "I am not fighting."

"He said the fight was going to be four on four", Zubat chimed in. "We can't have four on our side if you don't fight, can we?"

"You are testing..."

"Please?" Beedrill's eyes stared at the snake eagerly.

Ekans once again looked between the other three, then at Marty, and his opponent, and the Machop that was watching him with interest.

"You have guts", he stated simply, and then moved to Marty's side. "Very well", he conceded. "A demonstration."

"Thank you", Marty said quietly with a smile.

"Let's make this a good fight", the Machop said with a grin.

"Be careful", the other kid warned his Pokémon. "He's a poison type."

Bulbasaur's expression went blank. He hadn't thought about asking those kinds of questions earlier. "Is that true?" he asked the other two under his breath.

"I still don't know anything about these types", Zubat said offhandedly. "I don't doubt that he might be poisonous, though."

Beedrill, on the other hand, didn't say anything. He was staring at his stingers again...

Bulbasaur shook his head slowly, returning his gaze to the impromptu battlefield. "It doesn't really matter."

"You know how to start!" the kid shouted. Machop nodded slightly and charged toward the snake. As Ekans prepared to weave out of the way of his attack, the fighter ducked low and delivered a firm kick to his lower coils.

The reptile winced in pain, but did not lose his balance. His gaze fell upon the smaller fighter, who was well within range for his counterattack.

"Uh... bite him?" Marty offered from behind.

Ekans hesitated for a second, and then made his decision. He lunged at the Machop and sank his fangs into its flesh. As Bulbasaur watched, he could see the symptoms of poison appearing on the fighter's features.

"...I'm not sure I would have bitten it like that", he grumbled.

Ekans released his opponent, allowing him to fall to the ground. "It is a brawler", he said. "Mere bites do not work. They withstand."

"Get up! Keep fighting!" The other boy shook his fist at the two battlers.

As soon as Machop unsteadily returned to its feet, it was greeted with a deluge of acid on his head. It dropped to one knee in pain, looking up fearfully at the snake that towered over it.

"Not good! Get out of there!" The opponent reached for his Pokéball.

Before he could manage anything, Ekans wrapped his body around the weak Machop and began to squeeze. "Your battle is over", the snake hissed in a surprisingly quiet and almost soothing manner. "You want to rest. Allow yourself to succumb."

It was hard to tell if the Machop heard him or not, but it lost consciousness anyway. Ekans allowed it to fall upon the ground roughly, and then moved away, watching the other trainer carefully.

"...good strategy..." the boy admitted, recalling the unconscious brawler and sending out his next choice. It appeared to be a small bird, armed with a vegetable of some sort. Bulbasaur wasn't sure what to make of the new opponent.

He should have seen the next move coming. After all, Ekans had done it to Beedrill already.

A powerful energy blast flew from the reptile's mouth and struck the bird a scant moment after it emerged. It was knocked to its trainer's side, where it slowly attempted to rise, using its edible armament as support. The other kid knelt down next to it, reaching for his Pokéball while muttering something under his breath.

"You still stand. Not bad." Ekans grinned at the bird and started storing something in his mouth again.

"Farfetch'd, now!"

The bird spun to face its opponent and threw an amount of sand in his face. Ekans was caught off guard and started thrashing around violently. The kid quickly recalled the now-named bird and sent out a third Pokémon. This one was...

...it bore a great deal of resemblance to Zubat. It was larger, though, with visible eyes and much larger wings. It started circling above Ekans, preparing to attack.

Ekans swallowed audibly.

Somehow, this caused his body to glow slightly, and in mere seconds, his bruises were no longer visible. Bulbasaur was surprised by this effect. Rather than return his attention to his newest opponent, Ekans opted to slither in the direction of his teammates.

"Running?" the other boy called. "That counts as an elimination, you know!"

The snake didn't seem to care. "I have done my share", he said calmly to the others as he reached their position. "Earn your win."

Marty looked at him briefly, possibly considering the other boy's words. His hand started to lift up, possibly to suggest the next...

"I want to fight him."

As Bulbasaur watched, Zubat flew up to Marty's arm, perched on it briefly, and pointed her wing at the larger bat. Marty nodded quickly, and she was off to face her counterpart.

"Golbat, start with a wing..." the other boy started, and then stopped in confusion. The two bats were flying upward, circling each other, screeching words that not even the Pokémon could understand at this distance. At this range, neither of them would be able to receive orders.

"What are they doing?" Beedrill asked.

"I cannot see clearly", Ekans reminded them. "Do they fight? Do they speak? Do they fall in love?"

The Golbat swooped around and struck Zubat with his wing.

"...definitely fighting", Bulbasaur concluded.

Zubat returned the favor with her own wing, and the battle was on. It was hard to tell what was going on from ground level, though. The swoops and bites were obvious, but any intimidation-based offense was completely inaudible.

Eventually the fight reached its resolution. With a final strike from the Golbat, Zubat started to fall toward the ground, showing no signs of controlled flight or consciousness.

Beedrill gasped. Bulbasaur did the same. "Quick!" he shouted. "We need to..."

...no. He wasn't going to take any chances. Even if it proved her right, this was for her own good. He immediately tapped the appropriate Pokéball on Marty's belt with a vine.

Marty reacted immediately, pulling it out and enlarging it in his hand. With a degree of accuracy Bulbasaur hadn't actually seen before, he actually managed to recall her form on the first try before she struck the ground. The Pokémon breathed a sigh of relief, while the Golbat returned to his trainer's side.

Bulbasaur was about to retract his vine whips when he realized that one of them had gotten caught. Looking up, he saw Marty holding a vine and smiling weakly in his direction. "Go ahead..." he said quietly. The grass Pokémon nodded and charged forward to face his opponent.

Golbat immediately bit him. Bulbasaur did his best to ignore the pain, shook him off quickly and whipped him as rapidly as he could with his vines. They didn't seem to be particularly effective hits, but Golbat was starting to show fatigue from the earlier battle. The bat screeched at him, but Bulbasaur didn't flinch and instead took advantage of his opponent's lower altitude by tackling him. It connected cleanly, and the bat lost consciousness.

"Good work", the other kid said, recalling him to his Pokéball, and then pondered for a second. With a quick shrug, he threw out the second Pokéball again, releasing the Pokémon that had been introduced as Farfetch'd.

Bulbasaur decided to take advantage of the bird's disorientation by spraying a fine mist into the air from the bulb on his back. Indeed, it was effective, and before the bird could land a single move, it had fallen asleep.

"...okay..." Marty could be heard. "Uh... use... um..."

Bulbasaur couldn't afford to wait for an order and give up his opening. He launched a few seeds at his opponent, gave them a few seconds to latch onto the sleeping bird's body and sprout, and then tackled it again. This was enough to finish the weakened opponent, and the seeds came loose before its inevitable recall.

Bulbasaur allowed them to latch onto his own body and release their gathered energy as the other trainer reached for the fourth and final Pokéball. "Charmeleon, go!" The Pokéball opened, releasing his final opponent.

It appeared to be a deep red lizard with a burning tail. It gazed at him with malice. And then... a hint of recognition...?

Realization struck Bulbasaur. Could this be...?

...the trainer had said he was from Pallet... and that he knew Marty...

...what was his name again? It... started with a B, maybe...

With renewed strength gathered from the leech seeds, Bulbasaur charged directly at the lizard. This was not a mere tackle, though. He did not brace for impact, and instead collided with him with enough force that even he felt the pain afterward. If he was fortunate, this would be enough to finish him.

It was not. The lizard regained its stance, and before Bulbasaur could react, he had been set on fire.

The pain was excruciating. He tried to extinguish it with a few quick whips, but it didn't help. With no other option, he turned toward Marty, hoping for...

...no. Marty would not be recalling him. He had always directly instructed Marty to act along those lines. If he was on the battlefield, his only hope of escaping the battle would be to leave the field, eliminating himself from the fight...

...only one fighter would be left... Beedrill...

...Beedrill would need all the help he could get...

...thus, the best solution would be...

Bulbasaur charged toward the lizard again and tackled him. This was the soundest strategy, he thought. If he was going to collapse, he was going to do enough damage that Beedrill would be able to finish the fight. He would just have to bear the pain of the inevitable...

...darkness... again with the calming darkness... soothing the pain...

...followed by light.

Bulbasaur took a moment to look around. Beedrill was standing on the ground near him, with Ekans a bit further away. Marty was at his side, a small smile on his face, as he held a wounded Zubat.

...they weren't in a Pokémon Center. They were still outdoors... which meant...

"...we won?"

"We sure did!" Beedrill replied happily. "All it took was a couple of moves and the fight was over!"

"...I missed it..." Bulbasaur couldn't bring himself to be unhappy, though. "...wait. I was recalled? How? Did Marty..."

"You were in battle", Ekans responded slowly. "You needed to return. I used your method." He gestured with his tail to punctuate his statement.

The grass Pokémon sighed at this. He had gotten his hopes up. Marty didn't remember how to handle that aspect himself...

"You put up a great fight out there", the other boy said from behind him. He turned to watch the trainer as he held his injured Charmeleon close to his body...

...holding a vial of orange liquid up to his mouth...

...he could now see it, a large stinger wound on the lizard's upper chest...

He turned to stare at Beedrill in shock. "You stung him? With poison?"

"Well... yeah", the bee replied. "We needed to win, and he left himself open, so I..."

"He will be fine", Ekans noted. "They always are. We get used to it."

Bulbasaur forced himself to nod. They had to be right. He had said so himself. And yet... the sight of the injury still bugged him...

"You did a good job raising your Pokémon", the boy said, interrupting Bulbasaur's thoughts. "We'll have to have another match soon."

Marty walked up to him slowly, with a bit of concern on his face. "...thank you... who are you, again?"

The boy frowned. "You're not playing, are you, Marty? You really... you should know me better than that!" He pointed at himself. "I'm Brandon, remember?"

"Brandon..." Marty repeated slowly.

"We live on the same street! We had a match just before we left! How could you forget?"

"...I... don't remember a lot of things..."

"Why? Is something wrong? You don't... this isn't one of those amnesia things, is it?"

"...I... don't know... my head hurts... all the time..."

The boy shook his head. "I can't imagine... no. You remember some things, right?"

Marty raised an eyebrow. "...what things?"

"It's kinda neat, how you're going through this, and yet you still remember the stuff that's important to you. Like... your training! You always told me you were going to the Pokémon League, and here you are, still working at it!"

Marty stared at him blankly. "...what's a Pokémon League?"

"Wait... you don't remember? Then... but you're out here... training..." Brandon shook his head in frustration. "What do you remember?"

Bulbasaur watched his trainer's eyes as they gazed at him and the others, before they set their sights on Brandon again. "...I don't really know... why I'm here... who I am..."

"Then... if you... wow... that's... what's wrong?" The other boy was having difficulty handling this. "Please! Tell me! If I can do anything to help..."

Marty didn't reply.

"Marty, please!"

"...Marty... I've heard that before..." He looked at the other boy. "Is that... your name?"

Brandon took a few steps backward. "You... you don't... you can't... no! How could this happen?! Why can't you..."

Marty stared at him for a few seconds, taken aback by his sudden shouting. With little warning, he knelt down to the ground. "...I really can't... why..." he whispered.

Brandon tried to take a few breaths. "...we promised... we'd both make it to the League... and face each other..." His expression suddenly became serious. "No. I won't give up. No matter what happens to you, I'll make it to the League. I'll do it for both of us, okay?" He knelt down at Marty's side. "Please, go get help. You need it. I... I have to keep going.

"I'll... I'll never forget you, Marty... even if you do..." His eyes began to water. "You were always... my friend..."

Bulbasaur stared silently at the emotional outburst, trying his hardest not to break down himself.

"If it's any consolation", a voice said from his side, "you have improved greatly."

He turned in surprise to see Brandon's Charmeleon looking at him. "Perhaps we will meet again, in battle or otherwise", the fire Pokémon added.

Brandon picked him up, and seconds later the pair was just a silhouette against the evening horizon.

"...I can't..."

Marty was pounding the ground with his fist angrily, tears streaming from his eyes. "Why can't I..."

Bulbasaur walked up to him, stretching out his vines to wrap around his master's arm. Marty looked up at him, and his expression softened slightly. "You... are still here..."

The grass Pokémon smiled.

Marty did not. He took a deep breath, which did nothing to stop the tears from rolling down his cheeks. "I have... something to say... come here... all of you... if you can understand me..."

Before Bulbasaur knew it, the other three were at his side. Ekans wore an expression of concern. Beedrill's eyes were moist, and he held Zubat in a manner that allowed her to listen, despite her injuries.

"...I... have no idea who I am... or where I am... or what I'm doing here... and I don't know if I ever will." A breath. "Mostly. Sometimes I think I know something... and I try to think about it... it ends up a blank... but it's just, like I should know it... and it could come back... but it doesn't.

"Like you guys. You guys like fighting... it's pretty obvious... you keep doing it. And... I remember that. I don't know why... but I remember so little... and I still remember that. And then... I wonder if maybe, I had something to do with it... and I try to figure out if I can do it... and I keep failing. And then I wonder... why did I try in the first place?

"I look at you... you all seem so vaguely familiar... like I used to know you. I probably did. I probably cared for you, and you keep caring for me... it's like... I don't know, maybe... if I could remember..." He stared directly into Bulbasaur's eyes. "I get the impression... we've probably known each other my whole life..."

Bulbasaur managed a smile in Marty's direction. Marty tried to return it, with only partial success.

"Is that true?" Ekans asked quietly. "How long have they trained?"

Beedrill sighed. "As far as I know... less than a week."

Naturally, Marty didn't understand. "...but more than that... every time I try... and fail... and I think maybe I'm doing this wrong... and I shouldn't be doing this... you guys, you always come with me... and bring me back. And I'm... I'm beginning to wonder... if I'm living my own life... or if I'm living yours...

"And now I think about it, and I realize... whatever life I've lived... it's gone now."

He took several more deep breaths, and his tears began to dry up. "You guys are all I have... if I ever had you... and I can't stop thinking that I did. And... you actually seem to know... what you're doing, and why, and all... so... I just have to say, before I forget anything else..."

He took one last deep breath, and his voice became completely serious as he stared at the Pokémon around him. "My life is over. If I had a purpose... it's gone. So... the only thing left to do... is help find your purpose. You can still have one..." He managed a slight smile. "Wherever you go... I'll follow. Ask anything of me... I'll give it to you. As long as you lead the way... I'll be there with you.

"...my journey is over... I think I'll go on yours instead..."

All four Pokémon stared blankly at the human.

"...is he serious?" Ekans asked.

"I think he means it", Beedrill said.

"Does he understand what he says?"

Zubat didn't say anything. She didn't have to. Bulbasaur was already getting a distinct impression of the things she would be saying. This is all your fault...

"No! Don't think like that!" he protested loudly. "Please! This is supposed to be our journey!"

Marty didn't understand him. And perhaps, Bulbasaur began to fear, he never would...

Every time I'm around you try to leave
But I'll be standing in your way