Okay, so I totally meant to give this a few months' hiatus to keep you on the edge of that cliff… heh, heh… yeah. Totally.
Anyway, so… I'm sorry?
Screw it, just read the dang chapter while you stew in your anger. It'll be fun, trust me.
(-o-)
POKEMON FIRERED AND LEAFGREEN
QUEST
Chapter Twenty-Six
My bandaged hand brushed the smooth black marble of the tower, hitting the random rut every once in a while. The odd tombstone stuck out of the ethereal fog blanketing my view every once in a while.
In other words, it was the creepiest place I'd ever been in during my entire fourteen years.
I shivered, a chill running down my spine like ghostly fingers. My Pokeballs squirmed, somehow, as if the Pokemon inside were uncomfortable as well. I unlatched Beedrill's and looked into the red-tinted sphere, as Beedrill shivered uncontrollably. I gulped.
The Poke Ball was replaced and I continued my trek. How freaking big was this room? And how many tombstones were there? How many would I end up tripping over in the obscuring fog? I wanted a grilled cheese sandwich. Dang, that would've been nice.
Then I realized that thought was incredibly random, and with that I became a little more aware of what was happening. The pattern of the ruts in the wall was beginning to repeat. I was nearly tripping over the same tombstones as before. The room, I deduced, was repeating. And, yes, I tripped over that revelation by thinking about a grilled cheese sandwich. Sue me.
I broke into a run, though how that would have helped was beyond me. My backpack thudded against my back repetitively, and I realized with regret I hadn't readjusted Mt. Moon's fossil. Dang.
I wanted the companionship of one of my Pokemon, but I was afraid that we would get separated if I were to release one of my friends. So I didn't chance it, and continued alone. I quickly fell into a slow jog, sweat streaking down my chilled body. It was a strange sensation that made me feel other-worldly, not attached to anything.
In other words, my quest to find Charmeleon was sucking so far. I had no idea how in heck the room managed to repeat itself, but it freaked me out. Once the place started its second repeat, delirious thoughts began flying through my mind. I wanted a Zigzagoon. What the heck even is that? I'd never even heard of such a thing. I needed a pillow. And I hadn't used a pillow since I was seven, when I decided the mattress or a blanket were more comfortable. Christmas trees are beautiful. Are you serious? It was, like, October. Or something.
I got tired of it. I needed a friend. I let out Electabuzz, on the verge of tears, and fell into its furry arms. Its eyes widened in surprise and looked down at me. Its mouth curled down into a frown, and its arms tightened around my limp body. I felt like I was going insane, and Electabuzz was my counselor.
Suddenly, the Electric Pokemon snarled, then whipped around. I started, and my legs began twitching with electric energy. Electabuzz pushed me away just as it exploded into action with a Thunderpunch. Suddenly, a ball of gas appeared out of nowhere as it was apparently struck with the move. It fell to the ground, its arched eyes closing. The room dematerialized around me and reformed into a much smaller room.
My Pokedex gave off a little sound, so I pulled it out. The device identified the Pokemon as a Gastly, the Ghost- and Poison- Type Pokemon. It didn't say anything about Gastly creating entire illusions within someone's mind, but it was plausible seeing as the Pokemon was a ghost.
I was at the entrance. That kind of sucked. I apparently hadn't even moved, so that sucked too. I hadn't even made any kind of progress due to the gas ball. I muttered a curse against the thing, and then pulled out Electabuzz's Poke Ball. However, I decided against retreating the Pokemon and instead reattached the sphere to my belt and forged on as Electabuzz glared at the Gastly, as if daring it to wake up.
I made my way to the stairs, wondering why the real tombstones were made like a maze. Did someone think it was funny to just drop the memorials to Pokemon just anywhere? I simply rolled my eyes and continued to the stairs at the far north of the floor.
When I made my way to the second floor, I was bombarded by more fog. I couldn't see two feet in front of me. Electabuzz shook its head, irritated, and took me by the shoulder. If anyone but one of my Pokemon had done that, I would've shook them off. But this was my friend, my trusted—
Then I looked to my right.
A gaping face loomed out of the fog at me, a tongue outstretched towards my nose. I screamed, stumbling backward and tripping in typical me-fashion. My uninjured hand went down first, thankfully, but I still ended up on the ground. My Pokedex dinged at me, and the first thought was 'Shut up! Not a good time!' But I whipped it out anyway as I sprung up.
The Pokedex told me the Pokemon was Haunter, another Ghost-Poison Type. A relative of Gastly's, perhaps? I looked around for my Pokemon warily. I didn't want to risk another of my comrades getting lost, but I released Gloom anyway. Don't ask me why I sent out Gloom. My head wasn't really on straight.
"Sleep Powder!" I cried desperately, pointing in a dramatic fashion. Gloom responded with the attack, and Haunter recoiled in surprise. I leaped forward on instinct and Haunter let out a bloodcurdling shriek.
I tumbled backwards as I was accosted by possibly every ghost in the place. Gloom rushed over to me, my guardian. Gastlys surrounded me, their lolling tongues creeping me out. Haunters attacked from the back, raking at me with otherworldly claws. I groaned, sweat rolling down my forehead. Electabuzz was tossed with ethereal power towards me, bowling my body over and felling me. My mouth opened in a terrible yell.
The Gastlys recoiled at the sound, fading away. I had no idea why.
Then I looked at my Grass- and Poison- Type. Gloom was standing over the shimmering form of some Pokemon with a skull on its head. It was on the ground, apparently felled by an attack. Gloom was panting heavily, and the strange Pokemon's eyes were closed tight, as if the creature was in intense pain.
Shivering, I staggered over to the fallen Pokemon and fell to my knees beside it. The Pokemon trembled as my hand neared it in a calming way.
My hand passed right through the Pokemon's body.
Suddenly, unexplainably, I began to cry. My shoulders shook with sobs, and sounds left my mouth in bursts. I slumped forward, tears running down my cheeks as if they were in a race. Somehow, I knew this Pokemon had been killed.
The Pokemon's eyes opened slowly and took in the sight of my crying personage. It raised its arm, as if sharing its last words with me. That only served to make me more emotional, and my body trembled. Instantaneously, thoughts rushed into my mind as if thought by me. Sights moved through my mind as if seen by my own eyes. But they were not my thoughts, nor my memories. I knew, inexplicably, that they were the products of this ghost's mind.
I saw a small, trembling Pokemon with a smaller skull than this ghost's on its head. It held a small, sharp bone in its light brown paw. Another paw, presumably that of the seer's, laid on the smaller Pokemon's arm comfortingly. I heard a cracking, as if twigs were being snapped underfoot. A grumbling and cursing. Someone—a human—was in the area. The seer looked around. It was covered by a bush, hidden away from these intruders. Suddenly, in a bright flash of sunlight, the hiding spot was exposed. A cruel, brutish face stuck itself nearer the seer and the other Pokemon. The small Pokemon screeched, and the seer grasped its fur and flung it away, far out of the bush. The seer barked at the small Pokemon, and I knew it was a warning: Get away.
The brutish face began to speak. "Oy, we gotta Marowak o'er here. Wot we gonna do?"
A lithe, purple-haired man walked over to the brute. "Eh. Off it. We can't be havin' any wild Pokemon attacks at our camp, eh?" The brute gulped.
"Are you serious?" he asked, and in that moment Marowak saw an opening. With a fierce battle cry, it leapt upon the intruder's face. The oaf screamed in pain, clawing at the Pokemon with all of his might. In his flaying about, Marowak saw in the distance her son—I now knew, through her eyes, that the other Pokemon was her child—running. But it was stopping, looking back. Marowak let out one last screech for her baby to run before the baton fell upon her back.
I woke from the vision, screaming Marowak's last warning to the child with her. I slumped to the floor, defeated. I felt dead, as if all of my life had been sucked out of me. For the second time in those twenty minutes, fresh tears came. In droves.
Marowak's ghostly form stared up at me, ethereal tears welling in her eyes. For the first time, I knew a Pokemon's gender. I knew her pain. Her sorrow. Her joy at having her own child. And her death. I was closer to that Marowak than I'd ever been to any other being before.
In a way, I was whole. In another, a part of me had been ripped out that could never be replaced. In a way, I wasn't Red. I was something else.
Because here's the thing. Once you experience another—truly experience them—you know more than anyone else in the world. You know yourself more than anyone has ever known himself or herself. And you know another.
I don't know how long I sat there, tears coming and going. I know, however, that Electabuzz and Gloom were there with me the whole time. And Marowak hadn't left. And I also knew something then. Team Rocket grunts had killed Marowak. And, for that, they deserved every ounce of pain they had given Marowak and her child. To me, they were dead.
Or they were going to be when I had finished with them.
(-o-)
So… I'm going to stop here. If I included the whole chapter, it would span a few too many pages and drag on a bit too long.
I really hope you're not mad at me. I've been busy. You know how it is. And I kinda lost this story through everything. But, please, enjoy this chapter without rage-quiting this story. This chapter means a lot to me, because I tried to show the raw emotion of understanding someone else. Because, then, you feel their pain too. And that is a cruel yet enlightening experience, and it happens in real life. And when you understand a person, you love them as much as you love yourself. That's truly incredible.
Anyway, on a less philosophical note, welcome back to the Quest! I hope I'm back into the writing mood now and I can get out C27 a lot quicker.
Happy 2013 winter season to everyone! Enjoy your holidays if you celebrate any!
Until next time.
-Shinigami out.