I ran upstairs to my room, slamming the door, and collapsed onto the comfort of my bed, where I began to cry.
I cried for the dream I had lost, the future that looked so certain which now looked so far-fetched. All my life I had dreamed of becoming a famous musician, and was going to use my cover band as a springboard for making original material. I was getting so close to the dream, but now it was slipping further and further away from me. Who was going to take a singing Pikachu seriously? Certainly not most.
I cried for all the best-laid plans which had gone to waste. There were so many other things I wanted to do in life, but now I didn't have the chance. Learn to drive, find love, graduate high school and go to college, move out, start a family... What was left to do? I would be too small to drive a car, my fingers would be too stubby to be able to browse the internet, play my keyboard, or play video games, I wouldn't be able to go swimming since i'd probably shock the water... there was nothing left to do! I'd probably just sit around and do nothing while my parents treated me like a pet, and would probably be taken to lab tests frequently.
I cried for the others experiencing this. My brothers were, Dan was, Mark was, and tons of others. So many people were having their dreams crushed, stomped away, by a virus intent on turning people into things that shouldn't even exist.
And lastly, I cried for how much it seemed fate hated me. I've read many, many stories about people changing into Pokemon on the internet (haven't told my parents or brothers or anyone, they'd think i'm weirdos) and I never, never in a million years believed it would ever happen to me. No human has ever turned into an animal in real life before, let alone a fictional animal from a media franchise, and so why did this happen? Why did this happen to me, or my brothers, or anyone? Why did this world have to go so wrong for me? Why? Why? Why? The questions kept buzzing and made me feel even sadder.
I continued to cry for probably 20 minutes or so, but it felt like 20 hours.
Afterwards, I heard a soft knock in my door. "Tom? You in there?" My mom inquired, I instantly recognized her voice.
I didn't respond, continuing to sob.
"Listen" she said softly. "I'm here to help you". "Please, let me in." I sighed. "Okay". She came into my room, and sat down on my bed. She began rubbing my back to calm me down, much like she did when I was a child.
"Everything's going to be okay" she said, soothingly.
"It's not gonna be okay! By tomorrow i'm gonna be a fictional furry rodent with no way to stop it! I'll never be able to live my life!" I cried, almost to a yell. She wrapped my arms around me, and I returned the embrace.
"Shhh... Let it out Tom, it's gonna be alright, I promise". She stated. We remained like this for a minute or so.
"B-but how will it be all right?" I cried.
"Let me tell you a story." she said. She got up and sat on the bed opposite of mine.
"When I was your age, in high school, one of my greatest dreams was to be a dancer. I did everything I could, I joined clubs in school, practiced extensively at home, went to countless dance performances... I did all I could. And one day, a famous dance troupe called me and asked if I wanted to join the troupe. I couldn't believe it!"
"But fate had different ideas. A week before my first performance with the troupe, I took a nasty fall while rehearsing, and my legs were shattered. The doctor said I wouldn't be able to dance for months, and probably wouldn't be able to do what I could again. I was gutted."
"However, I defied the odds. I underwent extensive sugery and therapy, as well as training to get my strength back. And after just 2 months, I performed my first successful dance performance, and I continued to dance for over a decade. Those were some of the best days of my life."
"What I learned from that experience is that even if the odds seem at their worst, and all hope is gone, your dreams can still come true. And that goes for you too. You may be just a cute mouse Pokemon on the outside by tomorrow night, but on the inside, you're still my baby. I believe in you Tom. You can still be what you want to be, just in a whole new way." "Anyway, it's getting pretty late, so you should go to bed. But please, think about what I said. Never give up on your dreams". She left the room.
I sat there a while in silence, pondering the admittedly over-the-top nature of her speech. She reminded me of a movie sport coach, and that fact made me chuckle a bit. But I realized, she was right! The only changes were in my body. The doctor said the mind would be intact! Sure, I'd be too small to reach the keyboard, and my fingers too stubby, but I could always work my way around that, and most important of all, I could still sing! Sure, being a singing Pikachu would be pretty weird, but if a fictional hologram singer could become famous, why not me?
And so, I went to sleep with my head held high, smiling. I was ready to face the world again, and i'd do it my way.
