1Various Bug Catchers paced the room restlessly. I glanced at the clock, as did everyone else in the room.
"Look, buddy, can we start now?"
"We're gonna be here absolutely forever!"
I sighed. This happened every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, and was as routine to me as it was to them. "No, we have to wait, see if PRIMA!'s coming."
"Why do we have to wait for that stupid wench? The Pokémon I want just so happens to come out only at day!"
"You know the story... PRIMA!'s the star of this world she thinks is just a game."
Being the North East Gate Warden at National Park was a hard job, now that people were coming into our land thinking it was just a game. Of course we couldn't start the Bug Catching Contest until we were absolutely sure that the 'stars of the show' weren't coming, and this meant waiting for him/her until 11:40 pm. And naturally, by then most of the other trainers were either asleep, or gone because the Pokémon they wanted refused to come out. That also meant less competition for the remaining trainers, and more Berries to hand out on in future.
The minutes dragged on and turned into hours. It was finally 11:38, everyone remaining had downed about five cups of coffee each and was holding their breath.
11:39..
11:40
"The Bug Catching Contest will start soon. Use one of your Pokémon to catch the strongest Bug Pokémon you can. If you have more than one Pokémon with you, put the rest of your Pokéballs in a small bag, clearly label it with your name, and place it here. Please place your backpack here, you are allowed to bring in your Poké Gear and Bicycle if you wish. You have 20 Park Balls to use and 20 minutes to find Pokémon. Your time starts...
Now."
Cheers arose as the remaining Pokémon trainers abandoned their backpacks and raced out the door. I smiled thankfully and started to get out the prizes. Of all the changes made to our world as outsiders discovered it and turned it into a game, this was one of the worse. Except for one thing...
My heightened paycheck.