Spirals to Insanity
Chapter One: Ash
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN POKÉMON OR ITS CHARACTERS!
Sunlight poured through my window, welcoming everything good, but today was not good at all. Today was the day of the physical examination. This meant that they pulled every patient out from their "room", more like cell, to be looked over by a doctor. I did not want to go. I never want to go. They would drag me to the center of a crowded room, where all the nutcases chattered around like parakeets. I would be looked over by an elderly man, his thinning white hair glowing darkly in the odd lighting of this place. His eyes, whose sight was fading, glanced over my body, all around my different contours, and then I would be sent on my way. To the next woman. A thick, heavyset interviewer who would question me, peaking over her clipboard as I stuttered out my responses. Then I would be sent back to my cell to rest. That was how physical examinations went in a mental asylum. This cruel prison barred me in, but I wasn't insane, no where near it.
Pacing across my small cell floor, heart pumping in anticipation for when my door would creak open, I imagined my responses for the interviewer. Perhaps, if everything went smoothly, I would be allowed out; but that was an unattainable dream. They thought I was crazy, so I had to stay. Even though I knew I wasn't. When I came up blank for interview responses, I glanced over at my roommate, the one sharing my cell.
"Any ideas?" I thought silently to myself.
The creature resting on my bed sat up and shook out her silky purple fur, gently glimmering in the sunlight of my small window. "No," was her quiet response back into my head. I watched her rise and stretch, raising her haunches in a cat-like manner. She leaped down from my bed and shook out her paws one at a time. She glanced up at me with her opaque, onyx eyes.
"What do you hear?" I asked her without speaking.
Her large purple ears pricked out as she held her long tail in the air. With a worried glance at me, she replied, "They're coming." This too was silent, and her gentle, sweet voice echoed inside my brain.
"So soon?" I inquired without a sound. My partner bunched up her back legs and jumped up on my bed again, her small cat-like head facing my iron barred window.
"Yes," she whispered delicately inside my head.
"Well then you should hide!" I yelled aloud, running over to the side of my bed, grasping the edges frantically. "They can't find you! They'll take you away like…" My shouts trailed off as I remembered my other roommates and their fates.
"Yes," she replied, dipping her pale, purple head in respect and she hopped down from my bed and slid underneath it without another sound. Just as her long, forked tail had safely been concealed, a large fist pounded on my door.
"Alright Dawn, you in there? Time for your examination!" An overly sweet voice cooed to me like a child as gruff hands clasped my wrists to bind them together. Ah, the wonderful caretakers Jessie and James. I called them Team Rocket, but not to their faces.
They pulled me away from my cell, but I managed to cast a longing glance back before the door closed and I saw two opaque, onyx eyes staring at me.
On my right, James snorted at me, "What? Miss your friend already? They didn't come along with you this time? Heh, at least we won't have to deal with some blue penguin like last time." I could hear the dry sarcasm in his voice and rage burned throughout my body. I hated them, my caretakers. They stole my friends away from me, but I wasn't about to let them get my current roommate. It was safer for her back in our cell.
On my left, Jessie cut in, laughing, "No, no. Last time was the yellow mouse. The one before that was the blue penguin."
"Oh right, I forgot the yellow mouse!" exclaimed James. "I wonder what it is this time. Hmm Dawn, are ya going to tell us what your friend is this time? What thing…wait, what did she call 'em?"
"Pokémon!" Jessie could barely control her laughter.
"Oh of course! Pokémon! So Dawnie, what Pokémon do you see?"
The red flood of anger that had been building inside of me let loose. I couldn't stand their incessant teasing. All I can remember now is lashing out at them, Team Rocket, kicking and screaming and biting, trying to inflict as much harm as possible. I remember the needle pushing itself into my throat and the fluid running into my bloodstream. And then, I blacked out.
My dreams were hazy, colored and confusing. I was in a dress, standing on a stage. People were yelling, screaming my name, cheering me on. But I was not intimidated. I confidently strode out to the middle of the arena, the spotlights only on me. In my hand was an object. A round ball that was half red and half white. I threw the ball into the air, just to see what would happen. The ball opened down the middle and out poured a stream a light. After the short flash subsided, I looked at the creature that had come from the ball. It was short, with a long tall ear and another was bent down. It had fluffy brown fur and a section of white fur that encircled the creature's body almost like a skirt. The thing turned to me and I saw its black eyes light up when it saw me.
"Buneary!" it shouted to me, waving one brown paw over its head. The realization of what it was struck me like a blow to my head. This was a Pokémon. My Pokémon. Carefully, I stepped toward my Buneary. Just as my hands were about to brush its soft brown fur, I was taken away. Stolen away from my dream, away from the one thing that was starting to make sense.
"Get up. Lazy." A cold, sneering voice came from over me. I sat up shakily, thankful though that the tranquilizers had worn off. The boy who had spoke to me had turned away and was walking back to his bed, his longer purple hair swishing in the back slightly. Unsure, I reached out my hand to him, but he did not notice.
"Where am I?" I asked aloud to no one in particular, but I hoped that someone would answer.
"A place that no one gets out of," a voice came from above my head. In shock, I jumped and almost hit my head on the bunk above mine. The male above me swung his legs down and I noticed that his blue jeans were ripped and holey. It looked as though those were his only clothes.
"What do you mean?" I asked as the boy finally hopped down from his bed.
"This is where they put all the crazies who are "too dangerous" to associate with other patients. They forget about us, hidden back here, and I've never seen anyone leave. And I've been here a pretty long time."
I looked over the boy who I assumed would be my new bunkmate. He didn't seem crazy at all. In fact, he was almost handsome. He looked about a year older than me, maybe thirteen. He had thick black hair that spiked out at odd angles underneath a red hat that had a bizarre blue symbol on it. He had gorgeous, cow brown eyes that seemed to blaze with confidence, even in this dreary setting. His other clothes were ripped and worn like his jeans; a navy blue vest and white undershirt.
"I'm Ash, by the way," he said, sticking out his fingerless gloved hand. "Nice to meet you." He flashed me a warm smile.
"I'm Dawn," I replied, taking his hand.
"So, umm, if this is too personal then you don't have to answer, but why are you in here?"
Uh-oh. Here was a subject that I did not want to get into alreadywith someone who may actually be my friend. "Uh, umm, to tell you the truth…" I started, nervous.
Ash laughed softly and smiled again. "How about I tell you why I'm here and then maybe you'll get more confident."
I nodded to him and I watched him take a deep breath before he began.
"About three years ago I had this dream. I was in a stadium, surrounded by masses of people, all shouting my name. I felt awesome, on top of the world. Apparently, I was in the stadium to battle someone, so I looked over at my opponent and saw that he had already thrown out his fighter. It was a large creature. It looked like a giant bear and it growled ferociously at me: "Ursaring!". I was scared, but I didn't let that bother me. I looked down to my feet where I saw something standing next to me. It was really short and yellow. It had spiky ears and a lightning bolt shaped tail. I assumed that it was my fighter. I won't bore you with all the details, but I have to say that my Pikachu, the yellow mouse I battled with, fought really hard against my opponent's Ursaring. It was a close match, but we ended up winning. Just as I won, I woke up. The next night, I had the same dream. I was in that stadium, only there was a different opponent each time and different Pokémon to be fought. And I had different Pokémon too. Sometimes a little blue turtle named Squirtle, or a giant orange dragon named Charizard. Every time I won and every time I battled, I fell more and more in love with doing it. I had those dreams for about a month before I finally fessed up to my mom what had been happening. That was a bad idea. She freaked out and called this professor that lives nearby. Professor Oak asked me tons of questions and then I was sent off here. I've lived in this asylum for three years. Each year my mom visits on my birthday and on Christmas to deliver a gift. Each time its new clothes because they don't give us any here. She's the only person who ever visits me. Not even Pikachu comes anymore. After my dreams, I started seeing Pokémon for real when I was awake, so I started talking to them. Pikachu used to follow me around everywhere, but those two caretakers, Jessie and James, stole him away somehow. I haven't seen him since. If your wondering how I got here where all the "dangerous" people are, it was because almost a month after I got to the asylum, I snapped and attacked Jessie. I was able to run, but not very far or for very long. I've been here ever since," he finished, putting his arms behind his head.
I couldn't speak for awhile after Ash had finished telling me his story. My mind couldn't fully comprehend everything he had said. His story was so much like mine, the resemblance was uncanny.
"And you see that guy over there?" Ash asked, pointing to the purple haired guy, the first one to talk to me since I had arrived in this room. "In the first ever dream I had about Pokémon battling, he was my opponent. His name is Paul, and I wouldn't talk to him unless it's absolutely necessary. He's always working to devise a way out of here."
AN: Hi there everyone! This is the first Pokémon story I've ever done so your reviews and criticism is always helpful. If you're slightly confused, please feel free to message me and I'll try to help. Hopefully, later chapters will help you understand the story more. Thank you so much for reading and please READ AND REVIEW!
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