There are precious few moments in this life to make real, true, connections. We live in a fast-paced, bottom-line-obsessed, world that prioritizes the destination high above the journey. We have, as a species, forgotten what it is to be human, to live as one, truly united, society. We've forgotten what it is to be together, but all of that could have changed that fateful night last week. It could have, but it didn't.

You see, all I want in this world is to be at peace, well that and to collect poke coins. Okay so maybe sometimes I just want to take my highly evolved team of poke-assassins (pokesassins?) and absolutely destroy whatever fool thinks they can take over a gym in MY town. And team Instinct? Seriously?

But mostly I want peace though, definitely peace.

So there I was, just trying to live and also possibly dominate, when you pulled up in, what is that? Your mom's minivan? And, being the highly refined professional that I am, I decided to engage you gentlemen in a little friendly conversation, as one does. Yes, along the way I may have asked you what team you were on, but I was simply making conversation. Okay, so I might have blurted out "what team are you?" before I even said hello, but really same principle.

Anyways, all I'm saying is that I was trying to reach out to you across the void. But how did you reach back to me? With "we're team Valor." Do you want to pull your knife out of my back, or should I?

Look, I understand when I'm outnumbered. But I also understand that, as probably Obama or someone else inspiring, has probably said: we are better together. And I wanted to be better, as a person and also kind of as a gym leader. I tried to release the negative competitive energy in my life and replace it was a team of strangers working together to achieve the common goal of defending a gym. It could have become a beautiful, poetic moment of self discovery. It could have, but it didn't.

So this goes out to you, dear Valor trainers. Because we all knew that you were lying when you said that you'd let me have the gym. And we all definitely knew that, even though you started driving away, you would be back as soon as I left. I knew all of this because I would have done the exact same thing if I was in your position. Maybe we're not so different, you and I.

Maybe the connection I had wanted all along was just being there that night, sharing space and sharing the desire to leave a mark on this world. Maybe it's true that the team doesn't really matter, as long as you're doing something you love. Maybe, one could argue that together we are all one team: the pokemon team.

I'm totally just kidding. You're all dead to me.

-With love, a Mystic Trainer