So maybe Violet's Gym hadn't scared me as much as I had originally made myself believe. It really wasn't that bad of a place, the more I thought about it. For sure, it was much better than Goldenrod, where I was still sitting, just remembering where all I had been to get to this point.

One of the little girls in this Gym spoke to me, asking who I was and what I was doing sitting in her Gym. "The name's Shaun, and I'm questioning my sanity," was my response, coupled with a shaky laugh. She looked at my pale face and gave a very wary grin, going on about her Leader or something. I don't really remember anything about her except for her outfit: a miniskirt and a pink shirt so tight I could count each of her ribs.

That feeling of something not being right washed over me again, and in an attempt to quash my fears, I looked back at where I had been just a week earlier, in Azalea Town...

No one had warned me about Union Cave, but I was strong and made it through there easily. Mareep had a lot of fun electrocuting bats the whole way. When we made it to the other side, I was greeted by a creepy-looking man with short shorts and a beard that reminded me of my dad's facial hair. That was the first moment where I really started to miss home.

But there was no time for being weak! In the few days I had spent in Violet with Falkner, I learned three rules about being a man: one, always be polite to women, even when they don't deserve it; two, weakness is not an option, unless you're alone; and three, a new, clean shirt every other day at the minimum. No exceptions. This event was a test of my understanding of that second rule, and I definitely didn't want Falkner to hear that I had broken it so easily. I got past the creepy guy fairly easily, and was soon walking into Azalea Town with no idea what I was supposed to be doing there.

"Bugsy lives in Azalea," Falkner had said right before I left, "and he's a nice guy. If you go to him looking for a battle, he'll surely give you one. You've just got to be kind to him. Don't threaten him with scary Pokémon, and definitely do not talk bad about Chuck while you are there." I didn't really understand why I wasn't supposed to talk bad about Chuck. From what I gathered, he was some older gentleman who lived somewhere far from here, as listed on my Leaders list. His name was fifth; Bugsy's was second. There was no connection between the two, was there?

I was curious to see what that connection was, but my mind immediately dropped any idea of it when I saw who I assumed was Bugsy. He was a feminine-looking guy, kind of scrawny and purple-haired. Who else would be sitting on the roof of a Gym, just kicking his feet? "Hey there, sir!" I called out, waving my hand at him. "I'm looking for Bugsy..."

"Bugsy? That's me!" he said happily, jumping off the roof and landing neatly on the ground. I might add here that this particular roof was only a few feet up in the air. "Who are you, kid? Not many people come here to Azalea. They all say we're so out of the way. I don't think we are, but my opinion doesn't matter." He looked at me and grinned. "Are you a Trainer? Have you come here to challenge me?"

I nodded. "Falkner told me that you're the next Leader I've got to face."

"Of course he would! He knows how much I love having people come here and fight me! Sure, I'm not very good, but I like battles." He giggled, and I just stared at this guy. He continued: "Five years ago, this kid named Ethan came here and beat me down with his Pokémon. He took care of my town and then left. I was confused, but, you know what? I dealt with it and grew up. I fell back on my best friend, Falkner, and the only person in the world who understands me, Chuck."

"Who is Chuck?"

His eyes nearly popped out of his head when I asked that, and I could have sworn that his face lost all color. "Y-you don't know who Chuck is?"

"No, mister Bugsy, I don't." Before I go into what he said after that, I should say that I was only being polite because I felt that I had seriously hurt him. This kid couldn't have been much older than me. I didn't treat the people in Cherrygrove with any sort of respect unless they were adults. To me, kids and teens just didn't deserve politeness. But I wasn't at home. I wasn't back in Cherrygrove where everyone knew me. I was on a Pokémon journey, and I had to be on my best behavior, even if it meant being polite to an obsessive guy.

"Let me tell you about one of the greatest men on this planet. His name is Chuck. He is my other bets friend and the only person in the world who even gives an effort to understand me. He lives not too far from here, but because I'm a Leader and he's a Leader, we don't get to spend much time together. But every moment I do spend with him is like a dream come true!" He started bouncing up and down, in a circle around me. "I hope that whenever I find a girlfriend, she's as nice to me as Chuck is!"

I had to keep myself from laughing. My sides hurt, my face hurt, and my head hurt, but I couldn't laugh at his declaration of feelings for the man. "That's wonderful, Bugsy," I finally spit out after getting the urge to laugh out of the way. "I hope you find a girl someday too."

"You know what, kid? I would be perfectly happy if I didn't find a girl. But I would be happy with one, so it could go either way."

"Can I ask you a question, since you're so talkative and bubbly?"

He shrugged. "Go ahead, whatever your name is."

"I'm Shaun. And, since you know Falkner and Chuck, do you know the other Leaders?"

"Of course I do, Shaun. What kind of Leader would I be if I didn't know the people I was working with? There's us three, and Pryce, and Morty, and Clair, and Jasmine, and Whitney. Eight Leaders, all different people who don't really get along with many of the others." A nod and a smile followed that. "So, why do you ask?"

"I'm just curious. I have a list of the Leaders, but they're just names. I don't have faces to put them to."

We stopped talking then, after I told him about my list. In fact, he ran off into his Gym, so I was outside in the dusk all alone. Had I really just insulted him? "Why aren't you following me, Shaun?" he called back about five minutes later, his purple head peeking out of one of the Gym's windows. "Are you scared to come inside and face me?"

In all honesty, I kind of was. But, I swallowed what fear I had and made my way into his buggy palace.

A/N: So, the story thickens. Maybe. Does anyone know who's next (with the exception of Kami, who knows the entire order)?

I don't own anything except Shaun. Please review if you read, because I like seeing your comments, whether they're good or bad. :)

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