- Neojourney -
.:.18.:.
And I, Can't Go On Without You
"Tell me did you sail across the sun
Did you make it to the Milky Way
to see the lights all faded
And that heaven is overrated."
--Drops of Jupiter-- by Train
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I said goodbye to my Pokemon, one by one. They were going back to the "real world" and I'd be staying here for the time being. Seems I have some unfinished business. How did my Pokemon get here in the first place? Well, they weren't really here, just their souls or the essence that the Dark Charizard was after."Cirrus," Cell popped in behind me. "You have a visitor."
"Really!" I spun around, hoping to see Gary. I was pretty disapointed to see it wasn't him. "Who...who are you?"
A tall blond haired guy was looking around, a totally confused expression on his face. A muscular Charizard was standing just behind him, doing the same. "Where am I?"
A frown creased my forehead. This guy looked very familiar and it took a second for me to realize just who he was. "You're James Wonnur!"
He looked at me, his brown eyes flashing with confidence, "Yeah, I am. Who are you?"
Cell sighed behind me in annoyance, "She's Cirrus, I'm Cell, and you're dead. Can we please get on with things!" Then he muttered, "I'd rather be fighting one of those blasted Saiyans..."
"What is that thing? Where am I?" James staggered back, bumping into the Charizard, "No..no, I can't be dead! I have to...to...I can't remember."
Cell just sighed again. I'm sure he was used to that reaction.
The Charizard rumbled at James and that seemed to snap the guy back to reality. He rubbed the side of his temples and said, "You're right, Thermalzip, I know."
"You know that Charizard?" I frowned again.
"Yeah," He scratched the Charizard's long neck, grinning as it sighed, "He's been my best friend since the day we started on our journey."
I turned to Cell, hating to interrupt such a moment. "Just what am I supposed to do here?"
"All of the people and pokemon that were killed by the Pokedemons' actions have been brought back to life," Cell looked up at James, "But this one has resisted it and it's your job to talk to him."
Goodie, I get to play the role of mediator. I chewed at my bottom lip. Just how am I supposed to talk to this guy? I started to walk over, then stopped. "Hey, I thought he was the only one killed and that was by the Dark Charizard. Wasn't he?"
"No, he wasn't. There were five people that were killed," Cell sipped at a Starbucks Caramel Latte, then made a face at the styrofoam cup, "Blast, it's still too hot. This one was killed directly by the Dark Charizard, his fiancee killed herself, two people were killed by falling debris, and there was the one crystal encased girl that was blown to shards in the transdimensional portal. Satisfied?"
I blinked, "Ooh-kay."
"Since a Pokedemon made the Dark Charizard, and since the Dark Charizard killed the boy and his dragon-thing, whatever was done by the Dark Charizard is thusly part of the Pokedemons' actions. But you shouldn't tell him about his fiancee. She is alive again."
"I know that." I started walking over again, when Cell called out, "Don't tell him! We don't need him vegging out again."
I stopped and spun around. "I know that! I have something you don't! It's called tact! Maaan!"
Cell just sipped his cooled down Starbucks Caramel Latte.
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It really hit me hard that James' fiancee would kill herself over his death. The fact that the Pokedemons actions could so affect someone's life, that kinda got me mad. Of course, I did defeat them, with the help of some very dear friends. I watched James, as I got closer to him. He was talking to his Charizard in low soothing tones. It seemed the Pokemon wasn't too fond of where they were both at."Hey there," I called out, lifting a hand to wave. "How ya doing?"
"Are we where I think we are?" He looked a bit more "with it" than he had a few minutes before. I guessed that he was trying to be strong so Thermalzip wouldn't spaz out. "Is there anyway back home?"
Home. The word pulled at me so suddenly, so strongly, that I paused in mid-step. Would I have a home to go back to? I mean, really. Stuck between two worlds, which would have a greater pull?
"Uh, yeah," The words flowed easily from me, "That's what I'm here to talk to you about. It seems that you're the only one holding yourself from going back. You are very needed back home, James!" I hoped that the smile on my face didn't look as forced as it felt.
The look on his face was worth whatever emotional turmoil I was currently going through. "You mean it? What...what do I have to do to get back?"
Seriously hoping that the Wizard of Oz wasn't a trans-dimensional story/movie, I put on a serious expression and said, "Hold on to your Pokemon and, this part is important, you must both think of home. Think of what the ground beneath your feet, or claws, feels like. Remember what the warm summer breeze felt like, blowing all around you. Singing Pidgeys, fluttering Butterfrees, going on a picnic date with your fiancee..."
I stopped there because James and Thermalzip had both closed their eyes and had a look of such concentration that I had to stop. It was a beautiful thing to see. Small golden particals began to dance around them like dust motes, barely visible to the eye. Then they began to swirl faster and faster, gathering in huge numbers until it seemed there was a Charizard-tall golden tornado gusting around them.
I could still see the two of them within it, but then something else started to happen. A golden shaft of light suddenly illuminated them from the clouds above and below, and in a shower of luminous shimmering ions, they vanished without a sound. I gasped in surprise, and suddenly Cell was directly behind me, his arms folded across his chest, a stern look on his face.
"What? Do you miss them already?"
I snorted, brushing at a stray, sudden tear. "Of course not, don't be an idiot."
"Jealous, then?"
Bristling silently, I ignored him. When he didn't make another cutting comment, I turned around, only to see that he was nowhere in sight. I snorted again, "Androids." I turned to walk towards my "spot", only to fall to the cloud-base in sudden, agonizing pain, and black out.
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Gary watched the herd of Ash's Tauros running across the far pasture, feeling the slight tremble of the earth beneath his bare feet. He was standing at the back porch, leaning against a support column, thinking, once again, of Cirrus. It had been a week since the Pokedemons had been finally vanquished and there was still no word from her. No change in her physical condition either.He sighed, knowing full well that her parents were still considering taking her off life support. They would leave the Pokemon world then, even Matt, and have Cirrus...No...he wouldn't let them. They couldn't.
"Eui?"
He felt pressure on his foot and looked down, seeing Eevee staring up at him, and he smiled reassuringly at his friend. "Don't worry," he shook his head, "Everything will be fine."
"Gary!" A female voice called out, "You've got to see this!"
"May? What is it?" Gary spun around in the direction of his sister's voice.
"On tv, come in here quickly!"
It turned out that several people who had been dead, were now coming back to life. This included the Mareep from the descimated herd, as well as a Charizard that had been protecting its owner.
"I don't get it," Gary said, leaning against a chair, staring at the tv fixed on the wall, "It seems as if...all the people and pokemon who were killed by the Pokedemons are being..brought back to life. It doesn't make any sense."
"But Gary," May said, looking up at him ernstly, "Wouldn't that mean Cirrus would be okay too?"
"Well, no," Gary frowned, "She isn't dead, May."
"I wouldn't be too sure of that, Mister Know-It-All."
"Mew?"
May frowned at him, "Gary, please! Be serious will you?"
"Mew, show yourself, you demented little cat-thing," Gary growled out, ignoring the incredulous looks May was giving him. "I'm gonna wring your little neck if you don't show yourself."
May got off the couch and backed away towards the kitchen. "I'm going to call the hospital, to see if she's okay. Why don't you...take a little nap on the couch? Maybe you'll feel a bit less stressed...
"...But I really heard Mew..."
She gently guided him to the couch, "Yes, brother dear, I heard you too."
"...but..."
With more strength than Gary knew she had, she shoved him backwards, and he lost his balance and landed on the couch. "No buts, just sleep, okay? Even Pokemon Masters suffer from mental breakdowns." She turned to leave, muttering, "I just didn't know it would be so soon," as she left.
As soon as she was in the kitchen, Mew appeared in a flurry of silver sparkles, a pleased look on her face. "Hi, Oaky-boy!"
Gary rolled his eyes, "Just leave the insults to me, you really need to work on your approach."
Mew disappeared as May ducked her head back into the living room, a glare on her face, "What was that?"
"I, uh, thought I saw a roach?"
May glared a little more, then vanished back into the kitchen.
"I'm not here to fight with you, Gary," The serious tone in Mew's telepathic voice froze Gary. "I'm here because Cirrus...isn't doing well."
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"Poor little human," The cold voice was mocking, yet pulling at me. "Too weak to even stay alive."Opening my eyes was such a difficult task, why was it so hard to do?
"To think I may have invested some of my precious time, time I could've spent better, to share my company with a human such as yourself." A snort. "Pathetic."
I did open my eyes then, to see Cell, perfect Cell, glaring down at me. "Don't you ever uncross your arms or are they superglued like that?"
A sudden glint to his eyes, "Ah, so she can talk after all. What a leap for human-kind."
Focusing my energy on getting up, I tried ignoring the pain in my heart. "What is going on? It feels as if the gravity level has gone up a hundred fold."
"A hundred fold? Where did you learn that term?" He sneered, "You might want to glance at your hands, Cirrus."
I did as he asked, and nearly had a heart attack. They were vanishing, my fingers were totally ghost-like, and the color was vanishing from my arms. I was starting to look like an uncolored, unfinished, cartoon character. It brought back memories of the Back to the Future movie with Michael J. Fox.
"Aah! What's going on? Are my parents okay?" Suddenly I found I was sitting on my duff, just staring at my vanishing arms. I noticed the colors were vanishing from my sandled feet as well. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt at all, with the exception that I couldn't feel my fingers very well anymore.
"Yes, your parents are fine. It's what they've done that is not...okay." The scathing look turned to something I could almost call compassionate.
"...What...what have they done?" My voice was barely a whisper, but somehow, he managed to hear it.
"They've taken you off of life support," Cell shook his head, "Your mission, your journey, is...over."
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"No," Gary shook his head, "NO! It's not true!"May held up her hands, "Gary, I'm sorry, but it is true. She's gone."
Gary stared at the Vid-Phone's moniter, and suddenly the image of Matt blurred, then sharpened, and Gary realized he had started crying. His throat tightened uncomfortably and he felt a sudden wash of anger. Seeing May's own silent tears drift down her cheeks didn't lessen the pain at all. Instead, it built upon the anger, and Gary spun and ran out the front door, and down the front walk.
Down the hill, past the gate where he'd begun his Pokemon journey, down the road he'd been driven in.
"What Pokemon did you get?"
Ash's voice, though only a memory of that day, rang as sharply through his mind as if Ash was standing right next to him. Gary froze, skidding on the loose gravel that lay on the side of the road, wiping at a stray tear. He realized how far down the road he'd run, noticed how alone he was, and glad of it. He stared at the full trees around him, not noticing he was still crying until a stiff breeze suddenly blew and turned his heated cheeks cool. A warm tear tracked down the side of his cool face and he screamed out, "MEW!"
Nothing.
"MEW! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME SO SHOW YOURSELF!!" His voice was hoarse, and he whispered, "Please."
Only the rustling of tree leaves answered him.
"Don't let it end like this."
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Teaser
- Could this be the end?
Hey hey, Deena! I looove watching "Who's Line Is It Anyway?" on ABC, the people that didn't bring you "Survivor" ( I loved watching S2, but I can't stand the host, whasshisname, Jeff Probst? He's a..I just don't like the guy). I like catching WLIIA? on Comedy Central too, but it's with that British guy and not Drew Carey. Which is cool, cause I love his accent. I can't believe I missed South Park on Wednesday..:snifflez::..oh well, I guess I'll catch it on Saturday.
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