News: This coming Christmas, I prepared something for everyone.
It's not great, it's not perfect, and it's not finished.
But it's the thought that counts.
When the holiday rush is over, I hope that you all might be able to enjoy my present to you all this year.
It's going to be up in a week.
National Suicide Hotline Number : 1-800-488-3000
Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.- Benjamin Franklin
"Okay, I believe you," Karen said after a time for her to go on a rampage and calm down, "It's crazy and I must be insane to believe you, but I do."
"(Now's ya chance ta tell them what we figured.)," Blare pushed me forward. I looked up at the trio of humans. They all looked at me expecting me to say something, but I kept my beak shut. I turned back around to Blare and Kiki.
"(I can't tell them all that.)," I whispered out of Brandy's earshot, "(Karen just finished crying after finding out that I'm was still alive.)"
"(Yeah, but if ya don't tell them, then they might not realize if it starts happen'n again.)," Blair crossed her arms.
"(And if Ma is next on the murder's list, then you'll be next on mine.)," Kiki warned.
"(Same here.)," Blare growled, with warning smoke coming out of her nostrils.
"(Okay. Okay. I'll tell them.)," I groaned.
"Tell us what, Tyler," Brandy got down to my level as best as he could.
"(We kind of talked and we have a crazy idea.)," I started, trying to avoid eye contact with him, and spoke quickly, "(Don't ask me how we figured this, but I-didn't-commit-suicide-&-I-was-mesmerized-into-it…)"
I backed up a moment, in fear of being yelled at or worse him turning around and out right saying it to Karen.
To my surprise, Brandy just sat there thinking about it.
"(Aren't you going to say anything?)"
"Well, it does sound crazy," Brandy admitted, "but compared to everything else that's happened to us this week, why not?"
"(Never mind. It was a stupid random thought.)," I turned around, but was caught by Blare and lifted to her eye level.
"(Look Tyler, John, whatever yar name is. Tell 'm what else we figured or so help me…)," Blare growled deeply.
"Hey, Karen. You said that John wrote these," Rio ask as he sorted through my papers.
"Yeah, what about it," Karen was too drained to care that he was reading.
"It's weird," Rio pointed, "see… his handwriting is constant, now given the ones that are years apart are obviously different, but then here… this was written a couple of weeks ago, but then the next day."
Blare took me to take a peak at what Rio was looking at. Even though we both were illiterate/dyslexic, anyone could tell that the handwriting had changed drastically between the two days.
"It's as if they were written by two different people," Rio explained, "and what the heck is Youko? Is that some kind of local legendary myth?"
"Youko? That sounds familiar," Brandy had that same look in his eye from when he remembered my real name, but nothing came to his mind. I know that he didn't because I felt the same way.
"Maybe it is one of those myths that you've read about before," Karen crossed her way to the Pokémon Center's PC, "I'll see if I can pull it up. How's it spelled?"
"Here," Rio put the papers next to her.
"(Ehem, Tyler, I realize that birds possess a short attention span…)," Kiki was glaring at Blair and me, "(but aren't the two of you forgetting about the murderer.)"
"(I didn't forget.)," Blair laughed nervously, "(Well, tell 'm.)"
Keyword Detected…
Activating Systems…
Systems Active…
Loading Protocol Procedures…
If keyword detected less than 1 go idle ;
10: idel ;
20: set time to 0 ;
30:
40: add one to time ;
50: if time less than 60 go to 30 ;
60: if time greater than 60 go to Override Keyword check;
Loading Override Keyword check…
…
… …
… … …
Second Keyword Missing…
Checking Protocol Procedures…
Run Retaliation Program…
Program Located…
Launching…
Program Launch Complete…
Locating Target(s)…
Target(s) Identified…
"Tyler, is there a reason Blair's shoving you in my face…?"
"(Well, there's a little detail that I kind of left out, because… well…)"
"(Just spit it out.)," Blare growled, before a loud annoying buzzing filled the room.
"What the hell," Karen shrieked almost as loud as the PC's buzzing.
"[Downloading…]," the screen flickered a large array of colors.
"Since when do search engines do this," Rio shouted as he forcefully pulled Karen away from the screen.
"[Download Complete…]," the PC sparked, "[Retaliation Program Activated…] have a nice day…"
The computer started to spark and twist with it's own lightning storm surrounding it. The screen started to push out as if it was a egg about to break. In a few second, the screen shattered as a portal into the computer world was forced open. The vortex wasn't huge, but the creature inside was. The air in the room was being pulled towards it electrical black hole. A nearly white pink crystal beak poked it's way out, followed by an indigo blue head.
"What is that thing," Brandy reached for his Pokédex.
"[Porygon, the Virtual Pokémon]," it clicked, "[Using the most advanced technologies, scientists finally succeeded in creating the first artificial Pokémon. Porygon is capable of reverting itself entirely back into program data in order to enter cyberspace. Porygon is copy-protected so that it can't be duplicated.]"
"Something's wrong with that Porygon," Brandy said to me.
"(What was your first clue? The fact that it came out of a swirling vortex…?)"
"It's the wrong color."
"([Target Detected… Delete Target…])," Porygon ejected three orbs out of it's body, "([TriAttack!])"
"(Shut up and defend the humans.)," Kiki hopped up and used Firespin. The Firespin didn't last long because it was sucked straight into cyberspace. Blare jumped to get in front of Karen and Rio. They got to their feet quickly and moved out of the way of the triple elemental attack.
"([Analyzing Targets… Targets Are All Fire-Types or Human… Attack: Conversion 2…])," the Porygon flashed and developed marking similar to a Water Stone, "([Delete…])"
"Porygon converted into a Water Type," Brandy pointed.
"Oh god, we can't beat that thing," Rio trembled, "if we attack it, our attacks will just go right into cyberspace, and even if we hit it, then the effects of the attack would be too weak."
"(Rio, snap out of it.)"
"We're doomed," Rio cried before Blare shot a Flamethrower at him, "thanks Blair, I needed that."
"What's with that thing," Karen shouted.
"I think that it's got a virus," Brandy shouted at them, "we have to stop it somehow."
"How are we supposed to do that," Karen cried back.
"Blair, Use Iron Tail! Destroy the PC," Rio pointed, "It will close the portal."
"(Right Rio!)," Blair ran straight forward and jumped high into the air. She summersaulted down with her tail glowing. An explosion filled the main rooms with a thick black smoke. I heard the sounds of a TriAttack striking Blair back. When the smoke settled. Porygon floated in the air, while Blair was battered and bruised from head to tail. She wasn't out yet, but that TriAttack was not something that could be brushed off so easily.
"Blair get back. Now it's your turn," Rio took out his Pokéball, "let's short-circuit it, Gizmo!"
"(Affirmative.)," out popped a Magnemite. Gizmo sparked with an electrical power.
"([Scanning Targets…])," Porygon said, "([Danger… New Target… Selfpreservation Program Active… Run Away.])"
It tried to turn to run/float away.
"Use Lock on," Rio shouted, "follow up with Thunder."
The Magnemite whirled around in front of Porygon. It's eye flashed red as a small target lit up on Porygon's forehead.
"([Retaliation… Attack: Double-Edge])," Porygon rammed into Magnemite and further into the Pokémon Center.
"Gizmo hurry up," Rio shouted, Gizmo responded by charging it's energy into one giant burst. The ceiling lights shorted out and exploded in the Electric Attack's path. Porygon turned around and was struck head on. Porygon was still a Water-Type, so the move was super effective. I watched as the Porygon disintegrated into nothing. Gizmo's attack had deleted the Pokémon entirely.
Elsewhere, a male secretary shuttered. It struck him so hard that his glasses almost fell off his face. He didn't feel cold, but something felt wrong. He turned to the computer to see if his suspicions were correct. Indeed, one of his Porygon was launched recently, but it didn't return. He turned to click on the intercom for his boss.
"Sir, we have a problem. Someone was trying to look up the forbidden records. I lost another one of my bonds," the secretary frowned, "tell Smith to stop using my bonds as target practice."
"Smith is here with me," the intercom buzzed.
"Then it wasn't him," he shuttered as he felt the repercussions of his bond being attacked, "[How shall I proceed…]"
"You know, I'm beginning to think that someone up there has mixed feelings about us," Brandy sighed after the smoke cleared.
"(I hate to say it, but it's not as simple as that.)," I warned him, "(There's still a lot that we need to tell you.)"
"We might want to get out of here," Karen pulled us to move.
"Is that really such a good idea?"
"Do you want to tell the police that we were attacked again this week," Karen asked back.
"Good point, let's move," Brandy quickly picked me up, "you can tell us later."
"(Wait, what about Blair and Rio?)," I shouted.
"Wait for us. Sorry Blare," Rio returned his both of his Pokémon, "We're coming too."
"(Don't forget about me, Ma!)," Kiki leaped into Karen's arms.
We got out of there just in time to just miss Officer Jenny arriving at the crime scene.
"But sir," the secretary yelled as he regained his emotions, he picked up the phone to hear his boss more clearly, "I spent years protecting that information. Why must I allow it to be released?"
"I understand, sir," the secretary answered, "but why now after all these years."
He smiled at the answer that was given to him, "so it's that time sir."
"What happened to you," Ms. Lawrence was shocked when she saw us all.
"Oh, we just had a Pokémon battle," Brandy didn't exactly lie, "but things got out of hand."
"We tried to go to the Pokémon Center afterwords, but something was happening there," Rio took out Blair's Pokéball, "and after you got Blair all cleaned up too."
"Oh, don't worry about it," she smiled before, Blair was fully materialized.
I didn't even know Charmanders could turn green. Blare's eyes shook from her irritation more than anything.
"(You look terrible.)," Phineas laughed a little, "(So what really happened?)"
"(A psychotic Porygon just randomly…)," Blair started, "(never mind, I need ta go for a run.)"
"(You got blasted away with a TriAttack and you want to go running?)," I asked.
"(I told ya, I hate Pokéballs because they're too constrict'n. I need open space!)," she growled as she zipped to the backyard, "(I'll be back in a minute.)"
I translated for Brandy, but he wasn't really listening.
"Well, I have diner prepared for everyone," Mrs. Lawrence step out of the way to let us in, "will you be joining us as well, Karen?"
"Sure," Karen nodded as she entered.
"I can smell something really good," Rio commented.
"Go ahead inside and help yourself."
We got ourselves settled inside. Everyone needed a moment to rest before worrying about food. After all, we practically ran the whole way here. Well, the humans did at least… Mrs. Lawrence left to let Blare back in. Now Karen had the chance to ask the question that was on her mind the whole way here.
"Does she know?"
"Know what?"
"That Tyler is John?"
"Why would I tell her that…?"
"Because she's John's mother," Karen whispered, and Brandy nearly dropped me out of shock, "you didn't know?"
"Well, I guess it should have been obvious," Brandy put me down next to the other Pokémon.
"(It certainly explains some things.)"
"Let's talk more about *youknowwhat* after diner. I'm starving," Rio poked Brandy in the shoulder, "I feel like I haven't eaten in almost a week."
"(He really hasn't.)," Blair said coming back from her run. I didn't understand what she actually meant by it yet, but I didn't care. I was hungry again. Everyone took Rio's lead to get some food. As usual, I had to share my bowl with multiple other mouths. Luckily, we had pellets of some unidentifiable substance. I say lucky, because that way we could actually split the food evenly. I didn't know why Blare and Phineas didn't like Pokémon food. It's not that bad, of course it was made by my mom so…
"So is there anything else that you think that you've forgotten about," Karen asked.
"Not that I can think of… why?"
"It's weird, but I feel like I should be remembering something right about now," Karen sat down at the table, "I just can't remember what it is though."
"Me too…," Brandy sighed siting between her and Rio, "Well, I hope that it isn't anything too important."
"Maybe it's Itadaki-masu," Rio clapped his hands together, the other two stared at him, "what? It's customary to give thanks before a meal."
"I don't think that's it."
"(Wait, I remember what they forgot.)," Phineas exclaimed.
"(So do I.)," I snickered, "(So Shush It and watch the fireworks.)"
"(What's he talk'n about?)," Blair asked.
Phineas simply pointed at the humans as they started eating…
then turning green and spitting out the food again.
final
Seven days til Christmas…
and all the whos of whoville will have a feast, feast, feast.
As usual, Even if you don't celebrate it: I wish you all a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!