Prologue/Chapter 1, Location - Earth, Children's hospital
I had been only 14 when I died, to be honest death was a relief for me. From the time I was 5, my life had been filled with nothing but pain and misery. Diagnosed with childhood leukaemia, I spent the majority of my short life in and out of the hospital. The world of Pokémon was my obsession, stuck in that hospital bed. I devoured every game and every anime episode. My tiny bed was filled with plush toys of all my favourite Pokémon.
I don't remember dying, but I do remember the darkness. I remember the light and soft giggling laugh as I ran towards the light. It bounced and danced away from me as I chased it. I'd never truly been able to run before, but in that darkness, there was no pain, no fatigue only an increasing desire to embrace the pretty light just out of reach.
I'm not sure if I caught it or it caught me. but as I stood there staring at the beautiful golden star before me I didn't care. Jirachi, the wish Pokémon floated before me.
"Hello, Jirachi" I whispered to the pretty Pokémon who had appeared in what I had been sure was only a dream.
"Hi, Amber" a childlike voice responded within my mind. I smiled, tentatively reaching out to run a finger across one of the small ribbons attached to the Pokémon. I read the wish written on it, recognising it as my own. It was one of the wishes I had written on the ribbons attached to my Jirachi plushy only days before. Lora, my favourite nurse had gifted me the plushy for my 14th birthday to add to my ever-growing collection.
"I wish I was healthy," Was written on the first one.
"I wish I had a family." My birth parents had died when I was 3, they had been driving home from the hospital and a truck collided with their car. I had no other relatives so had been left in the care of the state. I had been in the process of being adopted when I was diagnosed with cancer. The couple who were adopting me had decided they didn't want the burden of a sick child.
"I wish Pokémon were real, and I could go on a Pokémon journey of my own." A silly wish, but also my biggest dream. I would often role play online and in the games, pretending that I wasn't a sickly girl. Instead, I was Amber Blackthorn, Ace trainer and dragon specialist.
I felt tears pour down my cheeks as I read each wish, none would ever come true. I would never be healthy, no one wanted a sick kid and Pokémon weren't real. A soft whisper filled my mind, as I clutched the glowing Pokémon in my arms and sobbed.
"I can't grant all your wishes in this world, so I'm going to have to take you to mine."
Slowly the glowing figure in my arms faded away and the world around me become dark once more.