The Loss of A Loved One




It was a day just like any other day at the Game Corner. Mondo was doing his usual job of handing out cups of quarters to the gamblers. Suddenly, he had to go to the bathroom. He put his tray behind the counter and left.
A few moments later, a nasty burglar held up the Corner. "All right you miserable little pukes! Put your hands up and don't anybody move!" he shouted. "Hand over all your money or I'll blow your brains out!"
The burglar started to put the money in his bag. Just then, Mondo stepped out of the bathroom. He saw the people with their hands up and thought they were stretching. Then he saw the burglar.
The burglar saw him. A look of realization came across his face as he saw Mondo's pale blue eyes. With a sudden move, the burglar shot Mondo.
There was a loud bang and Mondo instantly felt a sharp pain in his chest and he fell to the ground.
Back at Headquarters, Gypsie's psychic powers picked up a signal. "Something's happened. Something's happened to Mondo."
She immediately teleported to the game corner and saw Mondo, bleeding and crying in pain. She looked at the burglar. The burglar took his gun and tried to shoot Gypsie, but she controlled the bullets and made them go out the window.
She kicked the burglar in his most tender location and he collapsed. Gypsie called 911 and asked for the police and an ambulance.
A few minutes later the Team Rocket Officer Jenny pulled up on her motorcycle and an ambulance followed her. Officer Jenny took the burglar to jail and the ambulance took Mondo to the hospital.
Gypsie teleported back to Headquarters, sobbing. James was eating a sandwich and Butch was drinking some coffee. Cassidy came up and asked, "What's wrong Gypsie?"
"Mondo's been shot!" she cried.
There was a crash as Butch dropped his mug and James started to choke on a bite of his sandwich.
"What did you say?" cried Jessie. "Why would anyone want to shoot Mondo?"
"I don't know," answered Gypsie. "Come on we'd better get to the hospital so we can see him.
They got in Jessie's Jeep and arrived at the hospital fifteen minutes later. They asked the secretary where they could find Mondo and she pointed them down the hall.
When they came in his room they saw him hooked up to all sorts of medical equipment. There was an IV in his arm. The heart rate monitor beeped steadily.
"Hi guys," said Mondo in a weak voice.
"Are you okay Mondo?" asked Gypsie.
"Yeah, I'm fine," coughed Mondo.
"Mondo, why would anyone want to shoot you?" asked Butch.
"Well, it all started back in 1992, when I was seven years old. I just caught Ditto and was really excited. I was walking down the street, when I heard a woman scream. I saw this man raping the woman. I didn't know rape was back then, but I knew it wasn't good to make a woman scream. Anyway, I called the police and told them a man was doing something bad to a woman. They came and arrested the man. As the policemen took the guy away, he told me he would get back at me, no matter what."
"Oh, no," said Jessie.
"Guys, can I have some time alone with Gypsie please?"
Everyone left and Gypsie was sitting next to his bed.
"What did you want to speak to me about, Mondo?" asked Gypsie with a hint of concern in her voice.
"Gypsie, I don't think I'm going to live," said Mondo very weakly.
"No. Don't say things like that. You'll be out of here soon."
"Listen, Gypsie. I want you to know that I have always loved..."
His voice stopped. His head tilted to one side.
Gypsie started to panic. She looked at the monitor. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...
Gypsie stood there in shock. She looked at Mondo's lifeless body and started to cry.
She walked out of the ER room with her face in her hands.
"Is he okay?" asked Cassidy.
Gypsie started to cry even louder.
"Oh my God! I'm so sorry Gypsie!" said James.
Jessie came up and gave Gypsie a hug.
Gypsie got out of the hug and ran back to Headquarters.

"W-where am I?" asked Mondo.
"Welcome Mondo," said a heavenly voice.
"Who are you?" asked Mondo.
"I am St. Peter."
"The St. Peter?"
"Yes."
"Oh no, that means I'm dead right?"
"I'm afraid so."
"Check your schedule," said Mondo, slightly miffed. "I'm not supposed to be dead yet!"
St. Peter flipped through his little notepad. "You're right. You're not due for another sixty years," he said.
"I live that long?" asked Mondo.
"Approximately," answered St. Peter.
"So... can I go back or what?"
"On one condition," he answered. "You must do one good deed."
"That sounds easy," replied Mondo. "Wait a minute. What's the catch?"
"The good deed must be done within twenty-four hours."
"All right," said Mondo. He turned white and vanished.

Gypsie sat in the girl's dorm room crying into her pillow.
There was a knock on the door. "Gypsie? It's Cassidy. Can I come in?"
"Sure," she replied through her sobs.
"Listen, Gypsie, I'm sorry about what happened to Mondo. I wish I could do something to cheer you up."
Gypsie's Espeon, Serendipity, was nuzzling against her leg.
"Thank you Cassidy, Serendipity. It's really..." Her voice trailed off. She started to cry again. "Why did Mondo have to die?"
"I've got an idea!" cried Cassidy. "Why don't we all go to the Team Rocket Mountain Resort this weekend, and when we come back, we'll have a funeral for Mondo."
"Okay," answered Gypsie.

"Okay. One good deed." Mondo's spirit was walking through the forest. He was hoping he could save someone from being eaten by an Ursaring or something. He walked past Headquarters and let out a heavy sigh. Then he saw something.
"They're going to the mountain. That's a great place to save someone!" Mondo snapped his fingers and he was instantly sent to the ski resort.
Thirty minutes later, the Team Rocket van showed up. Cassidy was the first to get out. She got her skis and went to the directory.
"Hmm, Widow's Peak. That's for sissies. The Spine Cracker. Boring. Ooh, The Collossalizer!" Cassidy went to the ski lift and was followed by Jessie. Everyone else went on the Spine Cracker.
When the two girls got to the top, the immediately went down the hill. Jessie was doing pretty well, but Cassidy started to stray off course.
"Cassidy, get back on the trail! You're straying off course!"
"Bite me! I know what I'm doing!"
Jessie saw Cassidy disappear into the trees.
Suddenly, Jessie stopped. She saw Cassidy rise into the air and floated to the ground next to her.
"Whoa! What happened? You almost died!" yelled Jessie, clutching her chest.
"I don't know. I felt myself rising just before I hit the tree. Come on let's go back to the lodge."
Gypsie was in the lodge drinking cocoa. Suddenly, Jessie and Cassidy burst inside and started talking at once. "Whoa! One at a time please!" she yelled.
When Jessie and Cassidy finished their story, Gypsie had a perplexed look on her face.

"Congratulations Mondo. You have earned the right to go back to earth," said St. Peter.
"All right!" shouted Mondo. "But I have one question before I go. Will Gypsie outlive me?"
"No, you will die in the same auto accident." answered St. Peter.
"Wild."
Mondo turned white and floated down to earth. The funeral had already started. There were two speakers left. They were Cassidy and Gypsie.
Cassidy was next. "Okay. A lot of people think I hated Mondo. Actually, I didn't. I was jealous because Mondo was younger than me when he was promoted to the black suit." She started to cry. "I'm sorry Mondo!"
Gypsie came up and led her off the podium. She didn't say anything for a few minutes.
"Well, time to go," said Mondo's spirit.
"Mondo, I wish you didn't die. If only you knew how I feel." She looked downward. "Now let's have a moment of silence."
Suddenly, Gypsie heard a heartbeat. She looked at Mondo's body. It began to twitch.
Mondo began to open his eyes. He sat up and gave Gypsie a big hug.
Words could not describe how happy Gypsie was. She started to cry. "Oh, Mondo. I love you!"
"I love you too Gypsie."
Mondo looked up at the ceiling and gave a thumbs up sign.
The End