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STORY OF A DREAMER - JOSIE
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CHAPTER TEN
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As Ash finally led me out of the large building we had been in, I saw that we were approaching a crowd of humans, who I presumed to be friends of my new trainer. I found myself shivering from fright once again. One human was bad enough, but this was a whole group of them, and I was terrified. They were playing instruments and shouting Ash's name, they were obviously very proud of him. I didn't see why, all he was doing was taking me somewhere I didn't want to go and making me battle with other poor Pokemon who like me had been unfortunate enough to be captured.
"I'm so proud of you. You're finally going to fulfil your dream." One woman stepped forward from the crowd. The slight resemblance she bore to Ash made me realise she must be his mother. I couldn't believe she was being irresponsible enough to let him go off on his own into the world. I didn't know much about humans but Ash obviously wasn't very old, and definitely not ready to look after himself.
As she told him she would miss him, tears began to roll down her cheeks, and once again I couldn't help but laugh. I was angry with myself for doing so, but it was a human, and they couldn't be trusted, however nice these ones may seem.
"That's your Pokemon?" she asked, looking down at me. It may have been my imagination but she seemed to be looking at me straight in the eyes. I turned away.
"Yeah," Ash replied, smiling down at me. "That's my Pokemon."
It was when he produced a Pokeball that I began to get the feeling of dread deep within me once again. I hated it inside. It was small and cramped, dark and stuffy. There was no way I was going back inside. It was a prison, and in a way it was worse than the prison Kern had kept me in. At least in that cage there was room to move, and other Pokemon to keep me company.
Ash threw the Pokeball at me and I caught it in my hand effortlessly. By throwing it back I was hoping it would break and I'd never see it again, but not being that strong I only managed to toss it a short distance and Ash caught it easily. We ended up tossing the ball between us, me trying desperately to break it, and him trying to catch me. Neither of us succeeded but in the end Ash gave up and put the ball away. This was it, I realised. I had been captured, by a human, the one species I hated, and I was expected to befriend it. That wasn't going to happen.
oo00O00oo
The journey had begun. Ash was excited, I could tell by the glint in his eyes as he marched away from the village, on the same route on which I had been caught. He was a ten-year-old boy, beginning the adventure of a lifetime, why shouldn't he be happy? I, however, had no reason to be excited. All I could see ahead of me was battles, cruelty, punishment and enslavement, and every time I looked at the boy who was going to give me all this, I shivered in fright. He was trying his best, I could see that. He talked to me as he marched, asking over and over again why I didn't like him. If I could have answered I would have told him exactly what I felt about him and all humans, but I had to be content with the look of hatred which crossed my face every time he spoke to let him know how I felt.
The key moment came when he spotted a Pidgey a few yards away from where he was standing. I was ordered to go and help him catch it. The Pidgey's gaze caught my eyes, and in the moment we shared, I knew I couldn't do it. This was a Pokemon, a creature like me, and however afraid I was of my trainer; I couldn't bring myself to hurt it. I had to laugh though, when he decided that he could catch it without my help, and the pyjama top he flung at the creature was the last straw; in a couple of seconds I was rolling round the floor in hysterics. He wasn't just a human, he was a stupid human, and I could tell by the way he was acting that he didn't know the first thing about Pokemon. I could easily have felt sorry for him, he was desperate to become a Pokemon Master, and I knew he didn't have a chance. But, remembering the cruelty of humans, I banished all thoughts of sympathy from my mind.
I saw the Spearow before Ash did. It was standing a fair way away pecking at the ground for scraps left by humans as they passed. I couldn't help but be jealous; the bird was free, and able to do what it liked. I was stuck with following a human around on some pointless mission. These thoughts struck me as ironic, as before I had met Kern I had been jealous of trained Pokemon – how quickly things changed.
What I wasn't expecting however was the strife to come, or the effects it would have on my relationship with my new trainer.
The 'stupid' Ash Ketchum, not realising that unlike Pidgey, Spearow could be vicious, threw a rock at the creature, hitting hit it right on the head. The anger in the birds eyes as it glanced over at the human was unmistakable, then I realised it was heading straight for me.
"Stupid trained Pokemon!" It squawked as it dive-bombed me, missing my by a few inches. I realised it was jealous, just as I had been before I had 'seen the light'. I felt like telling it there and then exactly what humans were like, but I didn't feel it was right to ruin this creature's fantasy, however unrealistic it may have been. It was unlikely that it would have listened, as it attempted to knock me from the tree time and time again. Once again, I was terrified. The phrase 'stupid human' went round my head as I tried desperately to remain on the branch.
I don't know whether it was anger or fear that did it, but somehow I found myself able to generate enough electricity to scare the bird away, and I watched, sheltering my eyes from the bright sun, as it flew away from me. Then I realised it wasn't over.
"Help!" the Spearow called as it flew off. "Attack! Attack!"
I had only just made my way to the ground when a shadow was cast on the ground around us. Looking to the sky I saw a huge flock of Spearow coming straight towards us. For a moment, Ash seemed frozen.
"Uh oh!" he finally managed to shout. "Um… should we run?"
"Yeah!" I replied, although I knew he didn't understand. "And quickly!"
So we did. I had only got a few metres before I was dive-bombed by about ten of the birds at once. I felt myself weakening as I was continually pecked and blown away by the Spearows, and as I fell to the ground I found myself hating Ash even more, as he had put me in this dangerous situation. I was on the verge of fainting as I heard Ash shouting.
"Leave it alone Spearows!" he shouted, and a moment later I felt him pick me up and hold me in his arms. I was shaking with fear, but I don't think my trainer noticed.
It was when we were faced with the Spearows once again that my life changed forever. I found myself on the ground once again, lying in a pool of mud, with a great pain in my head. It was raining, and I could hear the Spearow approaching. I suddenly saw something land beside me. It was a Pokeball.
"I know you're afraid of going in there, but if you're inside maybe I can save you." I was confused. I could tell by his voice that Ash genuinely wanted to help me, and yet I still couldn't bring myself to enter the cramped prison.
"Spearows?!" Ash spoke. "Do you know who I am? I'm Ash from the town of Pallet. I am destined to be the world's number 1 Pokemon Master. I can't be defeated by the likes of you. I'm going to capture and defeat you all. You hear me?"
Then, he once again attempted to persuade me to go inside the Pokeball, and once again I refused, I had vowed never to let myself enter one again and that wasn't going to change.
Suddenly, as I could see Ash was in danger, I had the urge to use my remaining strength to help him. Ash was not like Kern, and I saw that now. He was kind, considerate and determined, and my hate for him had turned into love and admiration within minutes. Getting to my feet, I focused on Ash's shoulder and leapt, gathering up electric power on the way. By the time I had passed Ash's shoulder and was in the air I was able to create a bolt of electricity large enough to cause the birds to flee in fright. When I landed on the ground, even weaker than before, they were gone.
"Well, we beat them," Ash said, lying beside me.
"Yeah, we did," I replied, more to myself than anyone else. I hadn't just beat the Spearows, I had beat my fear of humans, and my ability to trust them had returned. I had a new friend, and I knew it would be for life.
STORY OF A DREAMER - JOSIE
=========================
--------------------------------------------
CHAPTER TEN
--------------------------------------------
As Ash finally led me out of the large building we had been in, I saw that we were approaching a crowd of humans, who I presumed to be friends of my new trainer. I found myself shivering from fright once again. One human was bad enough, but this was a whole group of them, and I was terrified. They were playing instruments and shouting Ash's name, they were obviously very proud of him. I didn't see why, all he was doing was taking me somewhere I didn't want to go and making me battle with other poor Pokemon who like me had been unfortunate enough to be captured.
"I'm so proud of you. You're finally going to fulfil your dream." One woman stepped forward from the crowd. The slight resemblance she bore to Ash made me realise she must be his mother. I couldn't believe she was being irresponsible enough to let him go off on his own into the world. I didn't know much about humans but Ash obviously wasn't very old, and definitely not ready to look after himself.
As she told him she would miss him, tears began to roll down her cheeks, and once again I couldn't help but laugh. I was angry with myself for doing so, but it was a human, and they couldn't be trusted, however nice these ones may seem.
"That's your Pokemon?" she asked, looking down at me. It may have been my imagination but she seemed to be looking at me straight in the eyes. I turned away.
"Yeah," Ash replied, smiling down at me. "That's my Pokemon."
It was when he produced a Pokeball that I began to get the feeling of dread deep within me once again. I hated it inside. It was small and cramped, dark and stuffy. There was no way I was going back inside. It was a prison, and in a way it was worse than the prison Kern had kept me in. At least in that cage there was room to move, and other Pokemon to keep me company.
Ash threw the Pokeball at me and I caught it in my hand effortlessly. By throwing it back I was hoping it would break and I'd never see it again, but not being that strong I only managed to toss it a short distance and Ash caught it easily. We ended up tossing the ball between us, me trying desperately to break it, and him trying to catch me. Neither of us succeeded but in the end Ash gave up and put the ball away. This was it, I realised. I had been captured, by a human, the one species I hated, and I was expected to befriend it. That wasn't going to happen.
oo00O00oo
The journey had begun. Ash was excited, I could tell by the glint in his eyes as he marched away from the village, on the same route on which I had been caught. He was a ten-year-old boy, beginning the adventure of a lifetime, why shouldn't he be happy? I, however, had no reason to be excited. All I could see ahead of me was battles, cruelty, punishment and enslavement, and every time I looked at the boy who was going to give me all this, I shivered in fright. He was trying his best, I could see that. He talked to me as he marched, asking over and over again why I didn't like him. If I could have answered I would have told him exactly what I felt about him and all humans, but I had to be content with the look of hatred which crossed my face every time he spoke to let him know how I felt.
The key moment came when he spotted a Pidgey a few yards away from where he was standing. I was ordered to go and help him catch it. The Pidgey's gaze caught my eyes, and in the moment we shared, I knew I couldn't do it. This was a Pokemon, a creature like me, and however afraid I was of my trainer; I couldn't bring myself to hurt it. I had to laugh though, when he decided that he could catch it without my help, and the pyjama top he flung at the creature was the last straw; in a couple of seconds I was rolling round the floor in hysterics. He wasn't just a human, he was a stupid human, and I could tell by the way he was acting that he didn't know the first thing about Pokemon. I could easily have felt sorry for him, he was desperate to become a Pokemon Master, and I knew he didn't have a chance. But, remembering the cruelty of humans, I banished all thoughts of sympathy from my mind.
I saw the Spearow before Ash did. It was standing a fair way away pecking at the ground for scraps left by humans as they passed. I couldn't help but be jealous; the bird was free, and able to do what it liked. I was stuck with following a human around on some pointless mission. These thoughts struck me as ironic, as before I had met Kern I had been jealous of trained Pokemon – how quickly things changed.
What I wasn't expecting however was the strife to come, or the effects it would have on my relationship with my new trainer.
The 'stupid' Ash Ketchum, not realising that unlike Pidgey, Spearow could be vicious, threw a rock at the creature, hitting hit it right on the head. The anger in the birds eyes as it glanced over at the human was unmistakable, then I realised it was heading straight for me.
"Stupid trained Pokemon!" It squawked as it dive-bombed me, missing my by a few inches. I realised it was jealous, just as I had been before I had 'seen the light'. I felt like telling it there and then exactly what humans were like, but I didn't feel it was right to ruin this creature's fantasy, however unrealistic it may have been. It was unlikely that it would have listened, as it attempted to knock me from the tree time and time again. Once again, I was terrified. The phrase 'stupid human' went round my head as I tried desperately to remain on the branch.
I don't know whether it was anger or fear that did it, but somehow I found myself able to generate enough electricity to scare the bird away, and I watched, sheltering my eyes from the bright sun, as it flew away from me. Then I realised it wasn't over.
"Help!" the Spearow called as it flew off. "Attack! Attack!"
I had only just made my way to the ground when a shadow was cast on the ground around us. Looking to the sky I saw a huge flock of Spearow coming straight towards us. For a moment, Ash seemed frozen.
"Uh oh!" he finally managed to shout. "Um… should we run?"
"Yeah!" I replied, although I knew he didn't understand. "And quickly!"
So we did. I had only got a few metres before I was dive-bombed by about ten of the birds at once. I felt myself weakening as I was continually pecked and blown away by the Spearows, and as I fell to the ground I found myself hating Ash even more, as he had put me in this dangerous situation. I was on the verge of fainting as I heard Ash shouting.
"Leave it alone Spearows!" he shouted, and a moment later I felt him pick me up and hold me in his arms. I was shaking with fear, but I don't think my trainer noticed.
It was when we were faced with the Spearows once again that my life changed forever. I found myself on the ground once again, lying in a pool of mud, with a great pain in my head. It was raining, and I could hear the Spearow approaching. I suddenly saw something land beside me. It was a Pokeball.
"I know you're afraid of going in there, but if you're inside maybe I can save you." I was confused. I could tell by his voice that Ash genuinely wanted to help me, and yet I still couldn't bring myself to enter the cramped prison.
"Spearows?!" Ash spoke. "Do you know who I am? I'm Ash from the town of Pallet. I am destined to be the world's number 1 Pokemon Master. I can't be defeated by the likes of you. I'm going to capture and defeat you all. You hear me?"
Then, he once again attempted to persuade me to go inside the Pokeball, and once again I refused, I had vowed never to let myself enter one again and that wasn't going to change.
Suddenly, as I could see Ash was in danger, I had the urge to use my remaining strength to help him. Ash was not like Kern, and I saw that now. He was kind, considerate and determined, and my hate for him had turned into love and admiration within minutes. Getting to my feet, I focused on Ash's shoulder and leapt, gathering up electric power on the way. By the time I had passed Ash's shoulder and was in the air I was able to create a bolt of electricity large enough to cause the birds to flee in fright. When I landed on the ground, even weaker than before, they were gone.
"Well, we beat them," Ash said, lying beside me.
"Yeah, we did," I replied, more to myself than anyone else. I hadn't just beat the Spearows, I had beat my fear of humans, and my ability to trust them had returned. I had a new friend, and I knew it would be for life.