/Abe booted up Bill's PC..../



Abe had been silent for hours. Playing the part of a pawn in the Voices obsession over one simple Pokemon. His Kakuna. Growlzard was gone, Poliswag was gone, the Jinx he traded for was gone, even his Magikarp was gone....



“No!” “Save Kakuna!” “Yes!” “Get Kakuna!” “Blood for Blood!”



--------------------------------------------------



Not long earlier, in the PC.



“They're going to release me eventually,” the Kakuna said.



“Are you sure you want to do this,” Onix asked of the unevolved Bug-type, “No one knows for sure what will happen.”



“All the Voice's attention will be gathered on me. Their hatred, their zealotry. All they have to do is release me, and it will put an end to this cycle of hatred. The haters will be appeased with my release, and the zealots will have lost their 'prophet.' The Voices can work together again.



I need you to lead the party now that everyone else is gone. You're the last of the original team.”



“And that's.... Kakuna Requiem.”



There was a long pause....





/What Pokemon would you like to Release?/



“Onix,” Kakuna asked, “Do you think Growlzard and Baba are still out there?”



“I don't know, released Pokemon never come back.”



“I hope they're out there, maybe we can meet up together. And Baba and I can evolve. At least it'd be a better fate than what the Voices hope will happen to me.”





/Once released, Kakuna will be gone forever. Is that okay?/



“Onix, you will become a hero to the party that they rebuild. You will become Onix the Survivor, who defeated the evil Kakuna of the PC; so the Voices could release him.”





/Kakuna has been released outside. Bye, Kakuna!/



“Kakuna...” the Onix said even as the Bug-type began to fade from the PC.



“This is also your curse.... you will be forever hated by those who loved me.... and you can never see any of us.... again. You will sacrifice all of your own happiness to protect Abe.... eternally....”



“I understand, Kakuna.... I will do everything I can to protect Abe.”



And with that, Kakuna faded from the PC....



--------------------------------------------------



“Kakuna....?” some of the Voices asked as Abe stared blankly at the PC. While other Voices cheered the release of the “False Prophet” and the “Evil Bug.”



“Kakuna!?” “The evil bug is dead!” “The war is over!” “Kakuna!!!!” “This is what you get for trying to save it!” “Why did the Onix have to live!?”



For the first time in many hours, Abe spoke again, and blinked his eyes, “Voices.... just stop.... before you kill everything....”



--------------------------------------------------



Meanwhile, far from Vermillion, a Charizard was waiting on a hill overlooking the familiar Viridian Woods....



“Welcome back.... Kakuna....”