Take Charge

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.
However, I do own all fictional characters in this story.

Reviews are always appreciated!

I stand at the edge of the old St. Croix precipice, staring at the vast ocean as the sun sets. The days are getting shorter, thus signifying that the start of the cold season is approaching. Oh, how I despise the cold season, with the snow and the flus it provides. I figured if I wanted to end it, I'd do it now and spare myself from the upcoming suffering that will ensue.

I tilt my head downwards to gaze at the bottom of the cliff. Powerful waves throw themselves against the large, jagged rocks that protrude from the water at the bottom. These rocks are the leftovers of my old home, the St. Croix plateau. Five years ago, where I am standing now used to curve upwards and flatten out, and on the top of the small plateau was my shelter. The shelter of which I was born in, the shelter of which I grew up in, and the shelter that collapsed as the plateau crumbled away due to erosion. It was claimed by the sea, and my family and I were left homeless. Of course, we had relocated, but a settlement of which one grows up in is one of a kind, and I can't bring myself to respect or appreciate my current home.

Five years, it has been. I suffered while the Earth revolved around the sun five times. Why had I not decided to end it sooner? Because I thought I could tough it out. I am ignorant, and I was born that way. All beings are strictly born ignorant, yes, but I stayed ignorant. Finally, I collected enough courage to revisit this cliff and take the coward's way out and finally do myself a favor.

Behind me grew an entire forest of adult pines. They had grown since I was born, and they had towered over me my whole life. Their roots travel throughout the dirt and rocks. Some of the roots extend from the side of the cliff and hang in the air. Sadly, the roots were not strong enough to prevent my home from eroding away. Nonetheless, they had grown stronger since the collapse and now somehow thrive down there, unprotected by dirt. I breathe in the faint aroma of pine sap. I'm going to miss it, but one scent isn't going to stop me from ending this. This is where the roads ends for me.

I glance at the scenery one last time. The beautiful, orange sky is something to appreciate, but again, one view isn't going to stop me from ending this. The ocean reflects the dying sun and brightens the cliff with a yellow, tranquil light. The cliff stretches to each side of me before descending and turning into sandy beach. The waves roar violently thirty feet below.

I wish I had died during childbirth. It would have saved me a lot of trouble. I'm certain it would have saved my father and my brother a lot of trouble. But if I had died during childbirth, then I would have never experienced the magnificent life of living on the old plateau. Yes, my life was perfect when I lived in my old shelter. I was happy-go-lucky and in my own little world, and I was constantly cared for by my parents. Well, they would have to constantly care for their unstable child. But, soon enough, I learned that if I wanted to survive in this cruel, merciless world, I'd have to fend for myself, mental disability or not. Unfortunately, I didn't learn this by being told, but by experiencing it. In my parent's eyes, I had grown up enough to be able to do my owns things without their supervision. What they didn't understand was that you cannot – cannot leave a mentally handicapped individual unsupervised, or else he or she might get a hold of something sharp and kill someone.

I look at the horizon and sigh. "I'm sorry, my father. Be it hard to believe, I still love you regardless of what my actions showed. I was confused and hurt, but most importantly, I was alone. I can't fend for myself, and I am proving that now." I blink and breathe in the pine aroma. Its scent reminds me of my childhood. A tear escapes my eye and falls onto the soft grass. "I'm sorry, little brother," I continue. "I'm sorry I've put you through this. I was jealous because you were the more beloved of the two of us. You were also mentally stable and I envied that tremendously."

I take one last look at the orange sky. I breathe in deeply and exhale. The air is moist and salty. I am about to close my eyes and proceed forward when I see something in my peripheral vision. I turn my head to my left and see another creature walking towards the cliff, not too far from where I stand. It walks on all fours, like me, and has a black and blue, furry coat. At the end of its tail is a golden star-like growth with four points. It has large ears, red eyes, and large tuffs of fur sticking out from its head.

It is a female Luxray. She looks at me and we give each other reassuring nods. She stands on the edge and averts her glance to the rocks at the bottom of the precipice. I continue to look at her. I can't help but feel as though she is here for the same reason I am.

Eventually, she notices me staring at her and walks over until she's a foot away from me. "Are you here to..." her voice trails off when she notices my bloodshot eyes. "Ah," she nods and looks at the ground in sorrow. "Me too."

I look at her in disbelief. Such an elegant and graceful creature, and she wants to end it for herself? "W-Why are you here?" I manage to ask.

"Hah-ohh," the Luxray shrugs and looks off into the sea. "It's a long story. I wouldn't want you to spend your last few moments bored out of your mind." She laughs and looks at me again. She has an awfully exuberant and chirpy personality for someone who is about to end their own life. "What about you?"

"I was born mentally unstable." Of course, this wasn't the only reason, but why even bother exchanging our problems with one another if we're only going to know each other briefly?

"Huh," the Luxray utters, confused. "You don't seem like you're mentally unstable."

"If I shared with you more of my background, you'd think otherwise."

The Luxray shrugs and continues to look at me for a while, making me feel slightly uncomfortable. Finally, she extends her paw. I don't know what to think of this gesture of hers, so I just stare blankly at her paw.

"Do you want to jump at the same time?" she asks.

I have to think to myself for a moment. What an odd question to ask. Although, being with someone else might help put me at ease. I nod and take her paw. She smiles and takes a deep breath. She looks forward and closes her eyes. I do the same.

We walk forward to the best of our ability (walking on only three legs is, in fact, very challenging for four-legged animals). I put my paw down but I don't feel the familiar touch of grass. My paw falls through the air and the rest of my body tumbles forward until my hind legs are no longer in contact with the edge of the cliff. Wind blows through my fur and I fall. I feel the comforting heat from the Luxray's paw, and I feel happy that I am not alone. I smile as I descend, my eyes still closed tightly.

My name is Zeus. I am a Manectric, and I was born with a mental disability due to my mother's temporary iodine deficiency. In 2007, I killed my father and blamed it on my brother, who has been confined and will be for the remainder of his life. If only I knew where he was imprisoned; I would turn myself in and rightfully replace him, but I've been searching for him for five years, with no luck. I'm useless on my own. I'm sorry I couldn't make things right, brother.

I am sorry for the things I have done. My disability is no excuse. My only excuse is the extreme betrayal I felt when my parents told me to live on my own, and I let that betrayal take over my mind on that fateful day, five years ago.

I came to the St. Croix precipice to end my life, and to feel accompanied by my old home. But, I realize that spending time with another being is just as well. I drop through the air with a stranger, paw in paw, and I can't help but think to myself that sharing moments with somebody else can make a huge difference, even if it is your final moments. Being with this stranger, paw in paw, is the exact reason we don't die. Being with this elegant creature has changed my fate, and I have changed hers as well. Us surviving the fall is a sign that we must prevail against the merciless world, and maybe, eventually, we will thrive and bypass our hardships.

My name is Zeus. I am a Manectric, and disability or not, I will prevail.