The Eevee stood in front of Timothy and blocked his view of the Honedge as she tried to console him. With the Honedge hidden from view, Timothy shifted his gaze to the rest of the pokemon in the room, each of them staring back at him. The expressions on their faces were all too familiar to him. Looks of shock, looks of disappointment, looks of worry. Expressions he was all too familiar with back at home.

[center][i]"He's so skittish"

"He won't amount to anything!"

"You bring shame to our family!"[/i][/center]

Voices from the past. The voices of his siblings. Taunting him. 

[center][i]"Children, be nice!"

"He's been a complete loser ever since he got hurt!"

Everyone in his family had already accomplished so much. He'd done nothing. Nothing. NOTHING. NOTHING!! Useless! Completely useless! Why, he could just-[/i][/center]

Something tickled Timothy's neck and brought his mind back to reality. The Eevee had brushed him with her tail and was nudging him to get back up.

[i]No! I can't let that happen all over again! I can't keep making a fool of myself![/i]

Timothy grunted, avoiding eye contact with the Honedge, as he slowly began picking himself up off the floor. His legs were shaking, and his body was sweating, but he refused to drop back down on the floor. Once he managed to get back up on all fours, he stumbled a bit, hitting a few book shelves, but he brought his mind to thoughts of flowery meadows, of sitting under the shade of the tree at the top of the hill by his home. One at a time, he brought each foot forward towards the door.

[i]If I evolve, I'll have nothing left to fear. But I have to [/i]earn[i] that evolution first! I need to overcome my fears![/i]

It took a minute of hard determination, but he managed to get himself outside, where he leaned against the tree with a big [i]thump[/i] and rested there, panting.

He did it!