Author's Note: Hello, my readers! What you have in your hands - or rather, on your screens - is my latest fanfiction, titled Plusle and Minun: A Story. It's set in the world of Pokemon Mystery Dungeons: Blue Rescue Team, and tells the story of Minun, a Pokemon who struggles to deal with the death his partner Pokemon, Plusle. I hope you like this story, which I made as a Christmas present for you loyal readers to share and enjoy.
P.S. Although this story is now over 10 chapters long, I encourage you to give it a try. I think you'll enjoy this story, even if it isn't the kind you normally read. If you decide you don't like it, I would appreciate if you could leave a review and tell me why so I can continue to make it better. Thank you for your interest!
Dedicated to the very special Pokemon fans I'm fortunate to have as friends, as well as all my loyal readers - Merry Christmas to each and every one of you!
The skies were a bleak shade of gray.
Thunder boomed in the distance as I looked out of the window at the distant clouds. Trees swayed in the wind; leaves scuttled down the path outside, tumbling as they were blown away.
"Minun!" A familiar voice called. I looked down to see my close friend Pichu jumping up and down as he waved at me. "Help me take the flag down before the rain gets here!" I nodded reluctantly at him.
Sighing, I turned away from the window. My room was spacious but cozy, and took up most of the second floor of the rescue team base. Shelves lined the wall, and a large fireplace was surrounded by chairs and sofas. As I walked by, I tossed another log into the flames, which crackled happily while I went down the stairs and out the door.
Outside in the courtyard the wind had begun to pick up. Thunder rumbled in the distance as angry, dark clouds gathered on the horizon. I paused for a minute, watching Pichu jump wildly as he tried to grab the rope that would pull the flag down.
For a moment, I caught a glimpse of the flag's design: a silver rose and a lightning bolt crossed together on a bright red background, and I smiled sadly. Nobody else on our rescue team could even guess at what the flag really meant, and sometimes it seemed that only Pichu and I knew why I picked that mysterious design.
"Minun? I need some help here, please!" Pichu yelled above the wind. Shaking off my thoughts, I trudged over to the flagpole. Concentrating on the rope, I tensed myself before leaping into the air, grabbing hold of the rope, and landing perfectly on my feet to hand it to Pichu.
"Wow!" Pichu exclaimed. "I haven't seen you do it that well in a while. Anyway, thanks. You know I'm no good at that." Quickly, he lowered the flag and unhooked it. We dashed inside just as a terrific crash of thunder suddenly sounded and rain began to fall from the sky.
The gentle pit-pat of the rain on the roof and the crackling wood in the fireplace were all I heard as I paused in front of one of my many shelves, looking for something worth reading. They all seemed to be covered in little pictures of the adventures Pichu and I went on and thank-you notes from the Pokemon we'd saved.
There weren't that many books though, and I pulled the first one I saw off the shelf, brushing the dust off the cover. I flipped through several pages, reading by the flickering glow of the fire. Sighing, I decided I did not want to read about "Chapter XVII: The Various Applications of Oran Berries", and snapped the book shut.
I was just about to put the musty old book back when I heard footsteps on the stairs. I turned just in time to see Pichu emerge from the first floor. He seemed tired, but he brightened the minute he saw me.
"Minun? Trying to find something good to read again?" He asked. I nodded as I carefully slid the old book back into its place. "I decided I didn't want to read about berries again," I explained. Pichu chuckled as he plopped down on a seat. "Anyways, since we're talking about berries, I used some of ours," he reported. "There was a cute little baby Spheal, and I had to rescue it."
"That's okay," I said, moving over to the fireplace. A moment passed. There was nothing but silence as I stared into the warm glow of the fire, thinking about how many rescue requests I could handle the next day. I was always proud of the Pokemon that Pichu and I rescued and the things we'd accomplished as a team, but some days all I wanted to do was sit in front of the fire and relax. This was one of those days.
Finally, I broke the silence. "Are the other team members alright?" I asked. Pichu thought for a moment. "Well, most of them are safe and sound. I went around and checked. Victoria was still running around town with her huge list of things to do," he said.
I shuddered at the thought of poor Victoria, a Ninetails who hated storms, slinking about in the pouring rain. "Wait. She's out of the rain, right?" I asked.
Pichu smiled. "Yeah, of course, Minun. She's probably in her den right now, ranting about how she joined the team to be fabulous, not to run errands for everyone else."
I sighed in relief. Victoria could be a bit snobbish and self-centered at times, but she was a good-natured and warm-hearted Ninetails who wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice everything for the good of the rescue team. She hated the rain, and I was glad she was out of it.
For a while, I stared into the fire. The flames danced among the burning logs, giving off a warm, flickering light that seemed to give the whole room a pleasant glow. I couldn't enjoy the sight, though. There was something nagging me in the back of my mind, as if I'd forgotten to do something. But what was it? I tried to remember, but I hadn't had enough sleep and my mind was cloudy. I sighed.
"Minun?" Pichu murmured.
"Yes?"
"Today's the anniversary of our team."
I sat up in surprise. So that was it! A wave of guilt rushed over me as I realized I'd totally forgotten the day I'd founded my own team. "Sorry," I muttered. "I totally forgot." Sighing, I shook my head despairingly. Had I really been so busy I'd forgotten such an important day?
"It's okay, Minun," Pichu reassured me soothingly. "I was busy, too. We all were. You would know that," he said, a small smile appearing on his face. Suddenly, he seemed more pensive.
"I...I made you something, Minun. To celebrate the anniversary," he said nervously. Before I could reply, he'd taken out something from behind the sofa. For a moment, I stared at it. It was a beautiful miniature statue carved from precious lapis stone, mounted on a white marble pedestal. Glinting in the gentle glow of the fire, it depicted Pichu and I celebrating joyously the day we'd officially founded Team Silver Rose, six years ago.
Tears came to my eyes. "Pichu...did you just..." I trailed off, not knowing what to say. The lapis stone itself probably costed thousands of Poke, as did the priceless white marble. Yet Pichu had spent his painstakingly saved Poke without a second thought, just to please me for an anniversary I'd completely forgotten. The hand-carved statue had nearly perfect curves and forms, and it must've taken Pichu days to patiently chisel out all the fine details. He had probably dedicated months of his free time to the masterpiece.
"...do you like it?" Pichu asked nervously. He was carefully observing my amazed expression, trying to gauge my reaction.
For a second, I was too stunned to speak. "I...of course I do! I love it!" I finally exclaimed, rushing forward and embracing Pichu. He laughed awkwardly, and passed me the statue. A grin came over his face. "I'm glad you do, Minun," he said cheerfully. "That makes it all worthwhile."
I yawned, searching through the shelves. This time, though, I wasn't looking for a book; I was trying to find a place to display the brilliant statue Pichu had created for me. I wanted to find a place that would do the masterpiece justice, but all of the best spots were taken by the awards and certificates of excellence that we'd earned.
A few hours had passed since Pichu and I had sat around the fire, celebrating our anniversary. He'd went out after that, into the rain, to check on Victoria and give her a gift for the occasion. I felt content, but something still bothered me, hiding in the depths of my memory whenever I tried to recall what it was.
Had I missed something? Was there some other occasion that I'd totally forgotten about? I kept telling myself that it was impossible, that today, the only thing happening was the anniversary of Team Silver Rose. Or was it?
Sighing, I got back up and started searching for a place to display the statue again. It seemed as if I'd checked all the shelves...except the one by my bed. I made my way over to it, and within a few seconds I'd found the perfect place. It was one of the last few free spots, surrounded by two smaller statues that seemed to make Pichu's masterpiece even more amazing. Gently placing it on the shelf, I stepped back to admire the effect.
That's when I noticed the other statue.
It sat quietly in a corner, nestled among other mementos. A thin layer of dust had gathered on the polished gold surface, but that didn't change its appearance. It depicted a Plusle with a joyous expression on his face, holding a silver rose high above him. He seemed so bright, so full of life that he could dance away at any moment, twirling his silver rose in delight.
Tears filled my eyes. Silently, I reached out and took the golden statue, gently brushing the dust from it. How could I forget? How could I not remember that tragic day? Now I knew what had been bothering me all along. Now I knew.
When Pichu finally returned, he found me sitting by the fire, my tears glistening in the flickering glow. "Oh, Minun!" He exclaimed. "Minun, please don't be sad!" He pleaded with me. "Oh no, it's about Plusle, isn't it? Please, Minun, it's our anniversary! Minun..."
But no matter what he said, I had stopped listening the minute I found the golden statue. I was too busy grieving for a lost friend, a lost companion. All I could do was mouth the words "I'm sorry", over and over, though I wasn't sure if I was sorry for Pichu or apologizing for what I'd done to Plusle. Maybe it was both.
Today was the anniversary of Team Silver Rose.
But it was also the anniversary of that fateful day so many years ago, when my best friend, my lifelong companion, my soul-mate Plusle died.