When I was seven my father bought me Pokemon Crystal the very day it released. I found myself playing Pokemon Crystal more than going outside or doing chores. I would constantly Restart the game, trying to make every little thing perfect. Eventually, when I was satisfied, I found a party I liked and ground my way all the way to level 100. The save state stood the test of time and with me occasionally playing Pokemon Stadium 2 and getting gifts with it, I found the game rather enjoyable. Until I was 12, that is, when I stumbled upon it again in one of my Nintendo 64 controllers and took it out to start playing again. About a week after I found it I turned off a light in the basement of my home with my GameBoyColor. I must have hit it wrong, because when I looked back at the screen, it read "File Corrupted" followed by several other words... most of which I was too distraught to process. After crying for the longest time I decided to put it away until I felt the urge to play it again. Around two years later the urge came back because Sapphire was coming out. I looked everywhere for my beloved copy of Crystal, but it was hopeless. I couldn't find it anywhere and eventually had to give up.
Recently I found the game that I had lost so long ago at my mom's house. It was covered in dust but I really wanted to play it again. As expected all that it said was NEW GAME and OPTION. Shrugging, I reluctantly selected NEW GAME but something was odd. The opening with oak wasn't there; it just skipped to where you were walking around to elm's lab. A chill ran down my spine as I looked at the character, I was a female and had the same name as I did before but my sprite was red, looking much more like the Rival that any version of the main character I remembered playing. Arriving at the lab the Rival was nowhere to be seen. When I entered the lab there was no one there, only a table with two Pokeballs. I walked up and took one of them, the Cyndaquil. For some reason the name was already entered exactly as it had been before my save was corrupted... His name was NEO. My hands started to shake, and I began to think that maybe my file wasn't actually completely deleted or maybe I played the game so much it knew me. But why did I look like the rival? That feeling was soon scrapped because when I reached the exit of New Bark Town I started to hear the fainting cry of Cyndaquil, over and over again. Going to my party I looked at NEO nothing appeared to be wrong so I exited and continued on my way. Maybe it was part of whatever glitch had brought NEO back to me.
Halfway on the route between New Bark and Cherrygrove City a text box appeared on the screen reading, "You abandoned me, how could you?" I fidgeted and started to break out in a cold sweat. None the less, I continued reading what it said, "How could you abandon us..." tears came to my eyes. What was he going to say next, had someone messed with my game? The text continued, "You're just as bad as Silver..." a knot formed in my throat, "I-I didn't mean too." I responded, being 19 I should have known I would get no response. When the moment passed, I continued on toward the entrance of Cherrygrove City where the rival in blue awaited me. Once the battle started and I sent out NEO he was a Typhlosion level 100 just as I had left him years ago. Using flame wheel I knocked out the Chickorita easily. Silver looked to be crying in the sprite once he had lost. Silver vanished and a text box appeared, "Check Soul Silver..." was all it said, I peered over at my 3DS and popped in Soul Silver, I turned it on and continued my game only to find my party was empty except for a Typhlosion named Neo, and a letter. "You left NEO, now you will be trapped forever." I looked at Neo only to see him dead, his body covered with what looked like scorch marks. There was a sudden sense of transition and instead of being at home on my 3ds, I was standing before the ruined body of my old pokemon in the flesh. I can still smell the burnt meat stench. Please help me. Save me, smash the cartage, I don't care anymore. I can't live in this hell one more day.