Half-way to Sandrock City, Kamon and I came to a crossroad: the road went north, to who-knows where, south toward Center City and Center Stadium, west to Sandrock City, and east back to Dim Town.  The obvious choice was to go west to Sandrock City.  However, I met a trainer that claimed that he was the gym leader of Sandrock Gym.
'Really?' I questioned.  'Then let's have a Pokémon battle.'
'All right.  It'll be a three-on-three, okay?' he asked.
'Yeah, that's fine.  By the way, what's your name?'
'Um...Travis,' Travis said.
'Drew,' Kamon said, leaning over to me, 'the gym leader-'
'Sush,' I replied.  'Let me fight.'
Kamon sighed and rolled his eyes.  'Fine.  Suit yourself.'
'Go, Omastar!' said Travis.
'Too easy.  Ampharos, come out and use Thunderbolt!' I commanded.  My yellow-and-black Electric Pokémon shocked the blue Omastar, causing a lot of damage.
'Omastar, Hydro Pump!' Travis instructed.  Ampharos ducked, and the Water attack missed.  'Okay, try Spikes.'  The barbs that Omastar fired surrounded Ampharos.  I didn't want to recall Ampharos anyway.
'Ampharos, Thunder!'  Omastar collapsed the minute the lightning hit him.  An easy victory.
'Return,' Travis said.  'Go Blissey!  Use Double-Edge!'  The pink evolution of Chansey created a small ball of energy, and then blasted it at Ampharos.  He took minor damage.
'Ampharos, use Dynamic Punch!' I said.  Ampharos swung it's glowing fist around, but missed.  'Dang.  Try an Iron Tail!'  Ampharos turned around, and its tail slammed into Blissey.
'Blissey, Egg Bomb!' Travis yelled.  Blissey took an egg from its pouch and then threw it at Ampharos, causing a small explosion.  No real big damage.
'Ampharos, take Blissey down with Body Slam!'  Ampharos leapt into the air, and then fell down on top of Blissey, paralyzing her.  'Good job,' I said.
'Not so fast!' said Travis.  'Blissey, Blizzard!'  Blissey opened her mouth, sending a hailstorm of snow and ice at Ampharos, freezing him.
'Lucky,' I shot back.  I recalled Ampharos.  'Heracross, let's do this.  Cross-Shop!'  My only Fighting-type entered the fray, and then chopped Travis's Blissey with both of its hands, knocking her out.  'Too easy.'
'We'll see.  Blissey, come back, and Sneasel, go!  Use Ice Beam!'
'Detect!' I ordered.  It was too simple to block the attack.  'It was a stupid mistake to use a Dark Pokémon.  Mega Horn!'  Heracross lowered its head, and then charged at Sneasel.  Heracross's horn rammed into Travis's Dark Pokémon, one-hit knock-out.
'Well, you are a pretty good trainer.  Return, Sneasel.  All right, all I need is your Pokédex, and I'll give you the Stone Badge.'
'Drew, I think you'd better listen to me-' Kamon said.
'Shut up, Kamon,' I retorted.  'You're not going to keep me from getting a badge.  You tried to make me lose last week, but you're not going to this time.'  Kamon glared at me.
'Fine. Go ahead and give him your Pokédex,' Kamon said.
'All right, I will,' I said. I pulled the Pokédex out of my backpack and handed it to Travis.  He took a few steps back and then put the Pokédex in his backpack.
'Thanks, man, now I can go on to Sandrock, and then to the last gym!  You saved me a lot of time!' Travis said.  He smiled evilly.  It was then when I knew that it was his intention the entire time to steal my Pokédex.  He wouldn't have beaten me any time.  It was never his intention to beat me.  I was tricked into fighting him, blinded by my own arrogance.
Travis sent out a Pidgeot, and then flew away.
'Well, go after him, Drew!' Kamon yelled.  I was sort of in shock at the moment.  I snapped out of it, though, and then sent out Lugia.  I hopped on and flew after him.
'Get back here, Travis!' I shouted.  If his name was even Travis.  By the time I actually got into the air, Travis was almost out-of-sight.  Behind me, Kamon was flying on Delibird.
The chase continued, but I was getting no closer to Travis.  It seemed like all hope was going to be lost.  My quest had failed.

* * *

I sat in the Sandrock City Pokécenter, in absolute shock.  'I can't believe it,' I told Kamon.  'My quest is over, just like that.  Sabrina was right.'
'You can still fight the other gym leaders,' Kamon said.  'And re-challenge the leaders you have already beaten.'
'It's taken us months to get here!  It'll take us months to get back...' I replied.  I was incredibly depressed.  I was almost sick.  It made me sick to think of everything in the world.  I hated it all.  And, for once, Kamon was the only person I could really rely on right now.  Just hours before, I snapped at him, accusing him of betraying me.
'It'll work out, you'll see.'
I sighed.  'It always does, doesn't it?'  Kamon remained silent.  'Well, we better get on our way.'
'To where?' Kamon asked.
'Home.  I've had it with the place.  I've been humiliated enough,' I said.
'You can't give up now,' Kamon reassured me.  'You're...you're the best.  No one is better than you are.'  I closed me eyes.
'Not anymore.  Nothing I have done matters now, until I conquer this league.  You're still famed with being the best in both Johto and Kanto.  And if this really is the ultimate league, and I can beat it, then I'll be the best ever.  But not yet.  Not now.'
'You can still achieve that dream,' Kamon said.
'Not anymore.'
Kamon sighed again.  'Wait!  Didn't Travis say that he was going to Sandrock City?'
'Yeah,' I said, 'so?'
'We might be able to cut him off.'
'I doubt it.'
'Well, we'll at least be able to catch up with him.'
'All right,' I said, 'but how are we going to get there?  Lugia or Ho-oh can't fly fast enough.'
'No,' Kamon started, 'but Entei can run faster than your Pokémon can Fly.  Let's go.'  I followed him outside.  He released his Entei, and we hopped on.  'Entei, we need you to run as fast as you can to Sandrock City,' Kamon whispered in his Pokémon's ear.  Entei nodded, and then used its agility to race across the ground.  About a half-an-hour later, we arrived in Sandrock City.  Kamon and I looked around.  We didn't see Travis.
'Let's go to the gym,' I said.  'He might be there.'  Kamon agreed.  He recalled his Entei.  We both walked to the center of town, where the gym was (as all gyms usually were).  Sitting outside of the gym, face in hands, was Travis.  'Aha!' I shouted.  'You thought you would get away, eh?'
'Go ahead and take your Pokédex back,' he said.  'I couldn't beat Sandy.  I imagine that the last gym would be harder.'
'Logical,' said Kamon.  I took the Pokédex from Travis.  It was unharmed.
'Say you're sorry,' I said, 'or else I will make you wish you were never born.'
'Yeah, I'm sorry,' Travis muttered under his breath.
'What!?' I said.  'I didn't quite hear you.'  I wanted to hear him say it out loud, not so soft that hardly anyone could hear him.
'You heard me,' Travis said, 'I'm not going to repeat myself.'
I let my Tyranitar out of her Pokéball.  'Maybe you'll change you mind?' I asked.  Travis gulped.
'Yeah, sure, I'm sorry man, really!' Travis exclaimed.  I called back Tyranitar.
'Good.  Now get out of here so I can fight the leader of this gym.'
'Actually,' he said, 'could I watch you fight her?'
I sighed.  'Why not?  Go ahead.'  I walked through the doors of the Sandrock Gym, and challenged the gym leader.