While I slept, I dreamed.
I dreamt of a pale yellow room with something soft and fuzzy surrounding me- I soon realized it was a blanket. Warm and comfortable, I just wanted to fall asleep. (Is that possible? To fall asleep in a dream?)
But something was wrong- I couldn't feel my body. I felt as if I were being pushed down, and no matter how hard I tried to flail my limbs, I was unable to do so. Scared, I attempted to move my mouth, but no sound came out.
"There's a quite a bit of dreaming going on- I can tell from her eyelids. Your daughter has obviously reached REM sleep." An undetectable male voice slowly formed a sight in front of me. Wearing a stethoscope around his neck, the man tapped the tops of my eyes.
"I thought you weren't able to dream in comas; there's not enough cortex stimulation in the brain." My father came into view, and I felt an angelic emotion rising within me, but I was unable to act on it. I could only lie motionless, completely frozen.
"Been doing your research, have you, Mr. Bourne?" The man who appeared to be a doctor chuckled, but it was empty.
My father was not amused, and neither was my mom, judging by the way her eyebrows furrowed together. Mom! I longed to reach out and be a part of this reality, yet I was forced to sit in the background, watching.
"I'm not exactly sure, Mr. and Mrs. Bourne, how Daisy is dreaming, but since you won't let the Bronx-Lebanon lab run any research tests, I'm afraid I won't be able to give you any answers." The doctor crossed his arms and raised a single eyebrow.
Coldly, my mother stated, "We won't let our daughter become a guinea pig for your maniacal experiments."
Maniacal experiments? What is she talking about?
As politely as he could, my dad said, "Thank you, Dr. Franklin, for checking up on Daisy, but I don't think we'll need any more assistance from the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital." He stiffly opened the door, and the doctor exited without a word.
Slowly, my mother slid to the floor and curled up in a ball. Unable to see her, I wanted to sit up and comfort her. Instead, I waited for my dad to help her, but in response, he rubbed his temples. "Get up, Shannon."
"No." She refused to look at him.
Dad let out a long sigh. "Do we have to start this again?" I waited for him to sit down on the floor to comfort Mom, but he never did. Go, Dad. Make her feel better, since I can't.
"Yes." Shannon finally looked at her husband. "We do."
"Could you please stop acting childish for just one moment? Our daughter needs us!"
"Our daughter's in a coma!" Shannon screeched. "A coma," she repeated softly, but more urgently. Tears began to well in her eyes.
"Damn it," Kent sputtered. "Whatever, Shannon. I'm going to the studio. Somebody around here's gotta pay the damn medical bills." He stormed out the door without another word. Shocked, I managed to whisper, "Daddy?"
"Daisy… Lily… Rose… Petunia…"
Disturbed, I reluctantly popped one eye open, only to find Tori sitting on my bed, rocking back and forth. Her wild orange hair stuck out at all angles. Her big green eyes, shaped like orbs, met mine, and I bit back a retort of annoyance. Tori had not stopped moving around in her squeaky bed all night long, and I had barely managed to get a wink of sleep. I crossly muttered, "What time is it?" I tried to flip over, but Tori grabbed me by the shoulders.
"Yay! You're awake!" She exclaimed, and shined her Pokégear in my face. Bright pink numbers flashed on the screen: it was seven-thirty.
Regan stirred in her bed, and without a word, got up from her curled up position and walked like a zombie to the bathroom to get ready.
After some harassing from Tori and Chikorita (who was very eager to get going), the three of us were ready to start the camp activities. Breakfast was a quick ordeal, and I could only manage to stomach half of a blueberry muffin. I couldn't stop thinking about that creepy dream.
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"Yeah! Way to go, Daisy and Chikorita!" Regan cheered as my Pokémon and I crossed the finish line. The camp games had started with a bang, and my Pokémon and I had won almost every challenge thrown our way. Vulpix and I defeated Taylor and Growlithe during the tug-of-war, and Dratini beat a boy named Andrew's Meowth in a two-mile footrace. Tired, but still feeling fiercely competitive, I plopped down on the grass to relax from my third win.
Regan came over to congratulate me. "You look so natural out there," she said.
I shrugged. "I don't know how I managed it. I suck at sports."
"But you don't suck when it comes to Pokémon," Regan pointed out. She gave me a half grin.
"Hmm, maybe you're right," I replied. We watched as Taylor successfully threw a round disc to Growlithe.
Regan fidgeted, then said, "I've been meaning to tell you this, but I really want to battle you."
Happily, I turned to her. "Of course I'll battle you. Why didn't you just come out and ask me?"
She flipped some hair out of her eyes timidly. "I was sort of scared at first."
Laughing, I replied, "Trust me, there's nothing to be scared of when you're battling me. I've only got one gym badge, and I'm still learning the ropes." I stood up, and put out my hand. Regan grasped it and slowly got up.
Regan narrowed her eyes, and, with a sly grin, said, "Well, let's do it, then."
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"This will be a double battle between Daisy of Peachgrove Town, and Regan of Flash Point Bluff. Each side will use two Pokémon, and the battle ends when only one side's Pokémon are standing. Challengers, please select your Pokémon!" Taylor had gladly decided to referee our battle. By now, the entire camp had heard what was happening, and they had all gathered around to witness our spar.
My fingers clinched my Pokéball. "Dratini, come on out!" As a beam of red flashed onto the field, I nodded to Chikorita. "You too."
Regan called out from across the field, "Nice Pokémon." She threw two Pokéball into the air, and a Hitmontop and Kadabra appeared. Their eyes gave off a hard glint, and I knew that they would be tough to beat.
I suddenly wondered if Dratini was the right choice to send out in a battle against Regan; I had not trained with him yet, and by the way he was nervously flicking his tail, I questioned my choice. But I had full faith in Dratini; I knew that he would give it his all, no matter what.
Realizing that I had yet to memorize Dratini's attacks, I yanked my Pokédex out of my back pocket. Flipping it open, I aimed it at Dratini, and his stats appeared on the screen.
Dratini, the Dragon Pokémon. Male. Level fifteen. Knows Twister, Dragon Rage, Leer, Attract.
Pretty decent, I thought.
"Daisy, are you ready?" Regan yelled from across the field.
I nodded. "You can have first move," I replied.
Relishing the opportunity, Regan called, "Kadabra, use Light Screen!" A pink box of particles suddenly formed around Kadabra and Hitmontop, and disappeared as quickly as it had shown up. I knew that their special defenses had been raised, so I would have to aim my hits with complete accuracy if I wanted to break them swiftly.
"Chikorita, use Magical Leaf and don't let up! Dratini, use…" I trailed off. "Umm, use Twister on Kadabra."
Purple and pink shiny leaves flicked from Chikorita's head, and Dratini sent a giant tornado straight for Kadabra. Hitmontop cowered against the myriad of leaves heading straight for him, but Kadabra successfully dodged the Twister attack.
"Looks good," Regan said. "Hitmontop, Dig!"
As Hitmontop buried under the ground, I called out to my Pokémon, "Listen out for him! When you hear him coming up, get out of the way as fast as you can!" I had seen Ash Ketchum do this on TV plenty of times.
Chikorita and Dratini paused, bracing for the impact from Hitmontop. Kadabra stood off to the side, looking smug.
The earth rumbled, and Hitmontop appeared under Chikorita's footing. With a loud squeal, she was tossed into the air and onto her back. The spectators around us held their breath in anticipation, and even Taylor visibly winced.
Not wasting a second, I yelled, "Dratini, use Dragon Rage on Hitmontop!"
Quickly, Dratini opened his mouth and sprayed a beam of purple and orange gas. It hit Hitmontop directly in the face, and he spluttered.
"Kadabra, Disable that move!" Regan commanded.
The light around us flashed, and the Dragon Rage suddenly stopped. I huffed in frustration.
Chikorita struggled to stand up, still feeling the effects of Hitmontop's Dig attack. When she found her balance, I said, "Use Synthesis." I had timed it to where the sun was fully shining down on the battlefield. "Dratini, protect Chikorita from any hits!"
He nodded, and planted his feet firmly on the ground while Chikorita recharged behind him. With a jolt, I realized Dratini would now have to defend himself and Chikorita against two very seasoned Pokémon.
"Hitmontop, use Rapid Spin." The Handstand Pokémon began to rotate quickly on its head, going straight to Dratini.
I couldn't tell Dratini to dodge, so I shouted, "Counter it on my signal!"
Dratini tensed, waiting for me to give a command.
As Hitmontop neared my Pokémon, I yelled, "Now! Twister!"
Hitmontop moaned in pain as Dratini let out a full-powered Twister. Since it was such a close impact, Hitmontop was thrown into the swirling vortex. Behind him, Regan grinned.
"Kadabra, use Confusion to slow the Twister down." Kadabra's eyes glowed, and Dratini's attack dispersed into nothing but a mound of dust. I cursed under my breath. Hitmontop regained his balance back on his head.
By now, Chikorita was done recharging, and was fully healed. I commanded her to use Magical Leaf once more, since it was a no-miss attack. Leaves swiped at our opponents' faces, but it wasn't enough to make any real damage.
Sweat dripped from the back of my neck. These Pokémon were good. But as an idea formed in my mind, I realized I might have a shot at winning.
"Chikorita, keep up the Magical Leaf attacks." As long as Hitmontop and Kadabra were distracted with Chikorita, Dratini could come in and make his move.
Regan seemed to catch on to what I was doing, so she demanded, "Kadabra, Psybeam on Dratini." But the leaves were coming in too fast for Kadabra to break away and make her own attack. I smiled happily. Here it comes!
"Dratini, use Attract on Kadabra!" Campers watching the battle laughed as Dratini blew big a kiss to Regan's Pokémon. Hearts formed around the now-dazed Kadabra, and she could only marvel at my Dratini in awe. Smugly, I said, "Chikorita, use Tackle on Hitmontop."
That was all it took to knock the Handstand Pokémon out cold. The pressure from the Magical Leaf attacks and the Twister must have been too much for him to stand. Now, the battle would be over when Kadabra was defeated, and all she could do was stumble around in a circle, looking confused. Regan shook her head as she recalled Hitmontop, a sure sign of being beaten.
"Dratini, hurry and finish this with Dragon Rage." By now, Kadabra's earlier Disable attack had worn off. I almost felt remorseful at the look of shock on Kadabra's face as her "love" knocked her out with a final move.
Our referee didn't have to make a call as the audience cheered and clapped with delight. Regan withdrew her Kadabra, and we met each other halfway on the battlefield, shaking hands and smiling broadly.
Taylor and my Pokémon joined us at the center of the field. Regan was saying to Dratini, "I was very impressed by the way you battled so well." She patted him on the head. Jealous, Chikorita leaped into my arms, and I stroked her leaf while I laughed.
"I was surprised we won," I admitted. "I haven't even trained with Dratini at all yet."
Confused, Regan asked, "Then how does he know the move Attract? They can't learn that move by only leveling up. All Dratini have to be taught that by TM."
With a pang, I remembered reading something off the Internet about Dratini's level-up move pool, and Attract certainly wasn't in it. Taylor looked perplexed. "That's odd," I said. I looked down at Dratini, but he refused to meet my gaze.
"You don't think that Dratini had another trainer before you, did he?" Regan asked carefully.
Dratini looked upset, so I waved the question off and would think about it later. I stooped down to Dratini's level and whispered, "You did great today."
His frown melted into a wide grin, which in turn made my heart feel angelic inside.
DTDTDTDTDTDTDTDTD
"It's time for the scavenger hunt," Regan announced as Tori passed around slips of paper and grocery bags to the campers. "Sort yourselves into groups of two, and have out only one Pokémon."
"Sorry guys," I recalled both Dratini and Vulpix into their Pokéball, despite their protests. I tuned to Chikorita and said, "It'll be you and me for this one."
Chikorita pranced in a circle happily.
I looked around for Taylor so we could buddy up, but he had already found a partner- Andrew and his Meowth. With a twinge of frustration, I went over to Regan to see if she wanted to work together.
"Sorry," she responded. "Tori and I are judges in this competition. But why don't you branch out a bit? There's a girl over there standing alone- Rachel is her name, I think. She needs someone to compete with."
That sounded like a good idea to me. Nodding my head, I made my way over to Rachel. "Hi," I greeted her. "I'm Tori." Chikorita muttered a friendly, "Chika, chika," to the large Charmeleon standing beside her, who in turn crossly puffed smoke out of his nostrils.
Rachel turned to eye me. "Hello," she said warily.
Almost shyly, I asked, "Do you want to partner up?"
"Whatever," she replied curtly. "Can you keep up with me?"
Arrogantly, I muttered, "I'm sure I can, seeing as I won almost every competition today." I snapped my fingers in annoyance. What was her problem?
I didn't have time to further process her attitude because Regan marched up onto the porch steps. "Now that everyone has found a partner, read the directions that Tori handed out. Whenever you're ready, you can begin. When you finish, bring your items to me in the main office." She delicately stepped inside and shut the door.
Eager to begin, I unfolded the sheet of paper with the directions. I read aloud to Rachel, "Your goal is to find twenty-six different items in the allotted time-an hour and a half- each beginning with a different letter of the alphabet. Be sure to have a bag with you to collect your items in." I stuck it in my back pocket. "Sounds easy enough. Are you ready?" I asked Rachel.
She only stared at me pointedly. "Right," I said. "Let's go."
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Chikorita and I ran through the Flash Point Bluff forest with Rachel and Charmeleon trailing behind us. We had already put seventeen items into our bag, and now we were working on the letter R. As we reached the edge of the woods, I spotted a rocky cliff straight ahead of us. I turned around to call out to Rachel, "I can see some rocks over by that bluff. We can pick one up for R."
"Whatever!" she yelled back to me. I sighed. We weren't really getting on that well, and neither were Chikorita and Charmeleon, who refused to stay within ten feet of each other.
I decided to ignore the budding irritation growing inside of me and tried to focus on the scavenger hunt. We were making pretty good time so far, but it would be better if Rachel and Charmeleon would actually keep up with us.
Nearing the bluff, I eyed a small rock that would fit in our bag. I slowed down so Rachel and Charmeleon could catch up. Wanting to be fast and efficient, I quickly snatched the rock and placed it in the grocery bag.
Great. Eighteen down, eight to go. Now, for S, there could be some Seedot around here, but I think that's considered Pokémon mistreatment to stuff them in bag- "Whoa!"
The ground rumbled around me, and I looked down just in time to see a crack forming on the bluff. Panicking, I turned to Rachel, but she had already leaped out of the way, her eyes wild. Charmeleon was standing well out of the way of the fissure, looking nonchalant.
I had to get out of here. The ground was really shaking now, and before I could leap to the other side, I was thrown onto the rocky earth. My face scraped against the pebbles, and I whimpered in pain. Chikorita called out to me and tried to run toward me, but the soil crumbled where she was going to step. Just in time, she leaped backwards and out of harm's way.
"Get back, all of you!" I managed to scream. "It's going to crack all the way-" The ground completely dissolved beneath me, and I tumbled down the entire cliff.
I screeched and tried to pull my legs into a ball, but my right appendage was caught on a stray tree limb. With a sickening crack, I heard the bone in my leg snap, but I couldn't feel it yet.
Rocks and debris whizzed around me, and I suddenly hit solid ground. I could faintly hear Chikorita calling, "Chikorita? Chikorita! Chika!" Help, help me!
I couldn't answer, for the breath had been knocked out of me. Struggling to breathe, I tried to determine how far I had fallen. Suddenly, I gasped, and called out, "Get—Regan—help—" I attempted to stand up, but a sharp pain shot up my leg and I screamed in pain. Tears rolling down my face, I cried out, "Just get somebody! Rachel, Chikorita, anybody!"
Soil continued to fall around me, streaking my face and getting into my mouth, gagging me. I could feel myself losing consciousness. Although I struggled to stay awake, my eyes kept getting heavier and heavier until I finally gave in. My fingers twitched, and then all was still.
DTDTDTDTDTDTDTD
Hello,
So, I'm back-after what, two or three weeks? Not horrible, I know, but that's not so hot, either. Final exams are beginning to roll around for me, so I might not be able to update as often as I would like to. But during the *actual* holidays (Dec. 17-Jan. 4 for me), be expecting some updates!
And we end with a bit of a cliffie, so I won't purposely make you wait too long to find out what happens next. But... next chapter is a reality-based chapter!
Thanks to my reviewers:
Something_dictionary_related- Tori is a very minor character (but entertaining, nonetheless), but you will see more of Regan in the next few chapters!
rgooch- Thank you for your support! I appreciate the feedback!