Chapter 2
	That was not an option. Gary would die if he turned back. He HAD to press 
forward.
	He managed to reach the center of the field. Gary ducked down momentarily in 
the long blades of yellow grass. The vegetation had grown wonderfully tall! It was tall 
enough to completely disguise his body up to his ears. Luckily his spikes of hair blended 
effortlessly with the darker shades of grass.  	
	Crouched on all fours and panting, Gary peaked upward; allowing his eyes to 
absorb the entire view of the buoyant landscape embracing him. For a mere instant his 
mind drifted to a place of serenity. He watched the blades of grass gently sway in the 
warm spring breeze.
	 A scarlet haze began flickering over the hills. 
	*The sun is rising.*
	 Gary’s eyes landed on a small Pidgey as it soared playfully inside the swaying 
currants of air. . . Gary longed to evolve wings and just fly away. 
	 Away.  Away.  Away.  
	The jovial little Pidgey gracefully flew to the top of a very tiny hill. It was a 
peculiar hill -- much shorter than the rest. It was so much shorter in fact a child could 
probably scale it. It was a very familiar hill. . .
	*I'm near Pallet!*
	Gary's hopes suddenly rose along with the tiny bird. He recognized that hill as the 
very one he used to play carelessly upon with Ash when he was a child.
	 Could he somehow dart across the length of the field before that beast discovered 
his hiding spot?
	 If he could make it he might be safe. His grandfather’s house was just a short 
hike over the hill top. The major challenge would be climbing up the bank in his grave 
condition.  
	Gary's weary sight fluttered down to his ankle. 
	*I’m bleeding badly. Can I make it?*
	A savage snarl echoed across the field. The feral beast was nearby. It was 
probably tracking him down, pursuing where he was hunkered in this field right now. 
	It growled deliriously. It was very near. If Gary extended his hand out in any 
direction he thought he might be able to feel Its dark, rough hide. 
	Gary heard the beast make a curious sort of sniffing sound. The sniffing sound 
grew rapidly louder and closer. In dismay Gary realized It was picking up the sent of his 
blood.  
	Gary returned his gaze to the little hillside. The hill leading to freedom.  
	Eyes narrow with determination; Gary clenched his jaw against the agony as he 
fixed all this weight upon both feet.
	*I AM going to get my Pokemon out of here. *
	Sucking in a deep, torturous breath, Gary focused his perception upon the hill.  
The sparse sunlight seemed to now center only on this miniature hill as if harassing him, 
beckoning him forth.
	With a conclusive breath Gary charged forward. Tears stung the corners of his 
eyes. He tried hard to ignore the torment his ankle was enduring.  
	The wrathful roar of the beast was suddenly behind him.
	 It knew he was striving to escape. The beast’s cries were reckless, enraged . . . 
and even desperate?
	Gary trudged on. His knees started to buckle.
	* NO!*  He ordered him self,* you are not giving up! *
	Before him the hill grew larger and larger. 
	He was so close.  
	The beast was directly at his heels now. Gary could feel Its skin-sizzling breath on 
the back of his neck. 
	He wanted to scream.
	He wanted to scream for help. Scream for mercy. Scream for death.
	But he couldn’t scream at all.
	Terror had paralyzed his lips shut. His vocal chords seemed extinguished.
	He felt something sharp scrape across his back. He heard the fabric of his shirt 
tare. The beast had slit his skin open. Gary could feel his own scorching blood drip down 
his tail bone. 
	His thoughts were on his Pokemon -- weak and helpless inside their Pokeballs. 
They were counting on him to save them this time.
	 The hill loomed within arms length. Gary lunged forward -- landing hard in the 
middle of the mound of dirt. 
	Unfortunately Gary had not landed on his feet; he landed directly on his stomach. 
And the soil, soaked by morning dew, caused his body to skid down the steep edge of the 
hill.
	 Gary scrambled desperately to snatch a hold of some odd root or rock -- anything 
which would help him to get back on his feet.
	 He failed.
	 His battered body tumbled to the bottom of the hill.
	Gary held his hands above his head; defensively awaiting the deadly assault from 
the beast.
	He sat motionless, arms around his head for a few moments. When no impact 
struck him, Gary hesitantly lowered his arms and allowed his eyes to scan the field.  
There was no sign of the fierce, bizarre creature.  
	Gary’s head tilted nervously. His chest was still hammering from the dash to the 
hill. Though he could not see the beast, Gary could sense its presence. For some reason it 
was ducked down in the field, hiding, watching him, waiting for something . . . but for 
what? Gary was obviously in no condition to defend himself. 
	*What is It waiting for? Is the beast playing head games? Trying to scare me to 
death? *
	 If so, It was succeeding.
	With extreme caution, Gary attempted to ascend to his feet.
	*Useless.*
	His ankle was no longer twisted. It was broken. He could not stand.  
	Gary heard an evil snicker upsurge from someplace in the field. It was watching 
him. In fact It was . . . laughing at him. 
	Gary swallowed apprehensively.
	*Where is It?*
	Failing to even utter a groan, Gary rolled onto his stomach. He began to crawl up 
the slimy hill side. Only, a second time, he slid down. He attempted to climb again. But 
each effort was futile. Each time he fell back down to the edge of the field. Desperate 
tears of frustration shimmered in his eyes. 
	A bloodthirsty wail erupted within the grass.
	The beast knew he was too weak to get over the hill. It knew Gary could not 
defend himself, could not escape. . . 
	It was waiting for Gary to completely exhaust himself.  
	Gary knew something too. 
	He had watched the news, heard all the warnings, he knew about the missing 
trainers. And he knew that for - whatever reason - this creature was not only after him, 
but would claim his Pokemon as well. For all the Pokemon before had vanished along 
with their trainers. Gary had ignored the warnings about this mysterious beast. Officer 
Jenny was positive it was only after top trainers. After all, Gary was no longer focusing 
his life on Pokemon training. He was a researcher now. A researcher first and foremost. 
So why was this beast after him? 
	Some patches of grass in the center of the field began to shake. And then the rows 
of grass in front of that began to quiver. The beast was stalking closer. It was ready to 
finish this ridiculous hunt.
	Forcing all the alarm in his expression to dissolve, Gary sat up straight. He 
removed his belt with his six Pokeballs. Gary turned to the hillside. Then, with every 
remaining ounce of strength he had, hurled his belt over it. 
	If his memory and aim were correct, the Pokeballs should have landed somewhere 
on the main road leading to Pallet Town. The road to Pallet was usually a busy road. 
Someone was bound to find his Pokeballs and take them to a Pokemon center.
	*They are all going to be fine,* Gary assured himself.  
	He was confident that this beast would not pursue his Pokemon as long as the sun 
continued to grow brighter. No one had ever seen the beast before. In fact no one even 
knew that a beast was responsible for the missing trainers. And if It left this field, chances 
were good that It would be seen.
	On the moist earth at the foot of the hill, just as the sun overpowered the moons 
light . . . Gary surrendered.
	 His ears took in the enraged snap of the beast’s jaws. He stared in the direction of 
the beast as It launched Its self headlong and came crashing down on top of him.
	In that moment - just before it snared a hold of him - Gary Oak smiled.  
	He might not have been able to save himself . . . but his Pokemon were going to 
make it.