Just An Excitable Boy

I noticed the date today, and it hit me...

Holy shit, I been here over a year.

A whole year. I don't think I ever stayed a whole year in the same place before. I kinda figured I'd wake up back home one day before that happened, you know?

But I'm still here. I missed my birthday.

But I got a house. And a whole bunch of friends. More friends that I ever had, hell. And a job! A real job.

[In short, a better life than he's ever had back in the traveling show.]

It's funny. I still miss some people from home, but...

I dunno if I wanna go back anymore.

Well, I made it to Violet. I actually made it here a couple of days ago, but when I showed up...well, Madoka's gone home.

[He's dealing with it okay, but he's obviously hit by it.]

Anyway, I'm getting prepped to take on the Gym here. I've gotten some tips from a buddy of mine, but if anybody's got anymore, I'd appreciate it.

I've never done this before, a big challenge kind of thing. I've got a Marowak, a Buneary, a Sylveon and a Growlithe, all at least level 30 that I'm thinking of using as my main team. And then I got a Chikorita and a Litleo that are a little under level 30, if I need'em. That sound good?

I'm gonna be here a while, so if anybody's in town and wants to hang out, lemme know.

[Jimmy comes home from his 'vacation' in a great mood, which quickly breaks entirely when he gets in to a house full of distraught Pokemon and no Ib. He knows it happens. He's talked to plenty of people who've lost friends and family, but it's something else altogether to come home and find what you've started to think of as your family gone.]

[Again.]

[He's been here long enough to know he should let people know. Ib has friends. But making an announcement makes it real. He puts it off for a good chunk of the morning, busying himself with making sure all the Pokemon are okay. He's glad he doesn't keep alcohol in the house, he's already wanting a drink. Finally, he slumps down on the couch, various Pokemon on either side of him.]

Uh...

Ib's gone home.

I dunno when, I've been gone for a week. I just came home and...

[His voice chokes and he knows if he says anymore he'll start crying over the 'gear and he doesn't want to do that.]

Uh...anyway, I dunno what to do now. I'm looking after her Pokemon, there's a bunch, and I guess the house is mine now... This is way too much house for one guy. You know I only moved in 'cause I wanted to make sure somebody was taking care of her right.

I know she's just back home, but...I dunno. Feels like I oughtta do something...

[He takes a long, shaking breath.]

I love that little girl.

Okay, so battling's a big deal and everything here. I still think that's pretty messed up, but what do I know about Pokemon? Not much, I only been here so many months. I haven't really thrown myself into it, I just do friendly stuff to keep my Pokemon happy and healthy. But I'm starting to get into it.

[Jimmy's a competitive guy, and after drying out, the Battling Bug's starting to grip him hard. But he knows damn well that two Pokemon does not a sleek battling team make.]

So I'm wondering how you build up a solid team, you know? I've been going over my 'gear all day, but I don't even know where to start. How do you know what other kinds of Pokemon you ought to get? How tough is it taming a wild Pokemon? My two weren't wild. Do wild caught Pokemon do better in battles, or a Pokemon hatched and raised to be part of a specific team?

[He throws up his hands and shakes his head at the 'gear screen.]

I'm totally friggin' lost.

[At first the screen shows a blur of orange and a bit of floor. Then it turns, shakily, to show Jimmy not looking so good. Face drawn, eyes bloodshot and ringed in hollows, he looks a lot like death warmed over lying curled up on the floor of his cheap hotel room. It could be some sort of flu, but it's mostly a miserable hangover. One he's been nursing in private for most of the day, but his Cubone has had enough. After several headbutts had been ignored, Omi finally simply fumbled with his trainer's 'Gear until he got it recording.]

[Jimmy's been holed up with cheap booze and packaged meals, the realization of his situation having come upon him hard and all at once. He wasn't about to wake up back home. This wasn't some quick little vacation from reality. This was his damned life now and that was scarier than almost anything else that had happened to him these last few months.]

[But the booze had run out, and his money was about to, so here he is in the middle of an unplanned drying out and when he sees Omi set down the 'gear he groans.]

Jesus, what'd ya go and do that for? Nobody wants to see this... hey, turn it back a sec.

[And only when the screen is facing down does he stretch and grabs the machine, rolling over onto his back and making sure his bare hands are out of screen.]

Sorry. Feeling under the weather and Omi's all freaked out, I guess. I dunno if he was trying to call somebody or something, but...guess I look pretty bad, by Pokemon standards. Guess I should be lucky I had pants on when he did it, huh.

But since this is beaming out into the 'gear wavespace or whatever... what do they got around here that's good for churning guts?

And cheap.

Whoah

[The voice broadcasting over the 'gears is impressed and awed and a little overwhelmed. This is pretty amazing! Of course it helps that Jimmy's still a bit blotto from his most recent binge with Ima, and the shock of waking up here has worn some. Where is Ima, anyway? He blinks into the screen, eyes bloodshot red but expression one of wonder and curiosity. She couldn't have gotten far - she didn't move fast. It never occurs to him that he's on his own here.

A lifetime of science fiction comics and serials has prepared Jimmy to figure out the broadcasting feature of his 'gear relatively easily.]

I mean whoah. Look I've heard of crazy trips before, but this takes the cake. The colors, the music, the people.... Who was that broad that said she was my mom? That lady was not my mom. What kind of sicko tells random strangers they're their mother?

[That's a sensitive subject for Jimmy.]

This little guy with me's crazy, though! He looks like a dinosaur or something. Is he? I mean, hey, weirder things, am I right? I never had a pet before, couldn't have one back home. I mean there was the camp dogs, but they weren't pets.

[He turns the 'gear to show a Cubone sitting not far from his feet before swinging it back to himself.]

So what the hell is this place? I feel like I woke up and hey, suddenly I'm Captain Video. But all that stuff about UFOs and aliens landing in New Mexico...that's just bull, right? This is like some kind of...fancy new theme park? I read they were building one out in California next year. We get one down here, too?

By the way, I kind of lost...well, I guess I'm kinda lost. How the hell do I get back to Jupiter from here?

[It doesn't even look like Florida, it's got to be some kind of crazy theme park. Right?]