Xenophobia | Pokemon Heartgold

Lyra encountered the girl sobbing by the roadside. The Petilil, terrified, was trying to hide under a wild Bellsprout. Lyra helped her catch it again, but a cold knot tightened in her stomach.

She turned her back on the old woman and walked away. She didn't need to fight. She needed to bear witness. And when the sun rose over the Ilex Forest the next morning, it illuminated not a battle, but a gathering. Trainers from a dozen regions stood quietly among the ancient trees, holding hands with their "foreign" Pokémon. A Zoroark stood beside a Typhlosion. A Petilil bloomed at the roots of a sacred shrine. A little girl from Unova cried and hugged her newly returned Sewaddle. pokemon heartgold xenophobia

Then she looked Granny Aya in the eye. "You're right about one thing," Lyra said. "Some doors should stay shut. But not the ones that lead out. The ones that lock people in." Lyra encountered the girl sobbing by the roadside

The rot spread. The Goldenrod Radio Tower, once a beacon of unity, began broadcasting editorials about "preserving Johto's identity." Trainers with non-Johto Pokémon were denied entry to the Pokéathlon. The Day-Care Couple outside Goldenrod quietly began refusing to accept Eggs that weren't from the original 251 Pokémon registered in the old Pokédex. She turned her back on the old woman and walked away

The breaking point was the Ilex Forest shrine.

Then came the travelers.

There were no winners. No badges. No credits.