<strong>"Maybe it just seemed that way,"</strong>Emma replied slowly, rather unconvinced.<strong>"You know, kids typically remember things in an exaggerated manner. They feel things big, often making very tall mountains out of very tiny molehills."</strong>She smiled. It was much better to think that Ethan was wrong rather than all of the small companions being dead. But it was too late, she was already thinking of little Pokemon corpses littering the arenas.<br/><br/><strong>"Maybe they've been over-hunted. I mean, there must be a ton of players in the world trying to win those spots on the rocket."</strong>She swept her hand through the grass, considering her words. If there were a ton of players, they certainly hadn't stuck around here very long. She was silent a moment before switching the subject.<br/><br/><strong>"Have you decided your theme?"</strong>Emma asked with a cheesy grin.<strong>"All blue Pokemon? All dogs? You gotta have the right aesthetic to be popular in a video game!"</strong>The question was silly considering what was on the line, but it served to lighten the mood.