Danté’s Pokémon – Part 4
By Mega Raichu

{Thoughts} [Pokémon language translation]

(Passage of time – roughly three months, and 2 more badges)

            Darkness.  Complete darkness.  I was laying in the infinite void of darkness.  How did I get here?  I have no idea.  My mind is a complete blank.  I’m moving.  I’m moving really fast.  It’s so dark.  I hear voices.  They’re just mumbling.  I can’t make out any intelligible words.  Now I’m coming around.  I can hear the voices much clearer.

“He seems to be coming around doctor.”  A female voice said.

“Yes it appears so.”  A male voice said.

I tried to open my eyes, but they are so heavy.

“It’s a miracle he survived.”  The male voice said.

“Yes indeed.”  A different male voice said.

I could make out two men and a woman. 

{Who are they?  Where am I?}

“Chuuuuuuu….” I recognized Electra’s voice.

“It’s alright.”  The second male voice was comforting Electra. “He’ll be alright.”

{His voice was so familiar.  Who is he?  My mind is a complete blank.  The only voices I recognize are Electras and mine.}

I heard myself groan.  I opened my eyes a bit.  I couldn’t see clearly.  Everything was blurred.  There were three blobs.  All of them were white.  I wanted to move my head, but my body wouldn’t respond.

“Look!  His eyes!”  The female voice exclaimed.

“He’s coming around.”  The first male voice said.

“Pikaaaaa?”  Electra said.

I tried to open my eyes a little more, but my eyelids wouldn’t respond.  The blobs were standing over me.

“Do you remember who you are?”  One of the white male blobs asked.

{Yeah.  I remember who I am.  I’m Danté.  I’m a Pokémon Trainer.  Electra, Wynd, Wett, Bugger, and Corey are my Pokémon.} 

I wanted to tell them my thoughts but my voice would not sound off.

“Can you say anything?”  Another male blob asked.

I groaned.

“At least he can hear us.”  The female blob said.

“Pikachuuuu.”  Electra said.

“Do you know where you are?”  The first male blob asked.

{I have no idea where I am.  Who is this guy?}

“You’re in the Saffron City General Hospital.”  The female blob said.

{Hospital!?}

“I don’t think he can answer us.”  The second male voice said.

“I think that’s obvious.  Just go take care of his Pokémon.”  The first male blob said.

“We should let him rest.”  The female blob said.

“Good idea.”  The first male blob said.  “Just rest and everything will be explained to you later.” 

It seemed like forever, sitting in that lonely darkness.  I was only out for a few hours but it seemed like an eternity.  When I finally came out of that darkness and into the light, I was finally able to open my eyes and move my head.  Electra was curled up in the next bed, next to a body that was covered up.

{What’s she doing over there?}

“Doctor, he’s awake.”  The female voice from before said.

I turned my head and looked at her.  She was a nurse, a pretty, blonde haired, blue eyed, nurse.  The doctor came in and looked me over.  He had black hair and brown eyes that hid behind thin-framed glasses.

“Everything looks normal.”  He said.  “Can you say your name for me?”

I opened my mouth to speak, but my throat was dry.  I couldn’t speak, so I slowly shook my head.

“Hmmm.  Nurse, get him some water.”  The doctor said.

The nurse left the room.

“Try to remember what happened to you.”  The doctor said.

{Try and remember he says.  I don’t remember much.  Let’s see, I remember pulling Electra out of that trash can… no that’s too far back…  I was fighting Brock’s younger siblings… still too far back.  The Cerulean gym… no, still too far… Lt. Surge… that’s not it.  Saffron.  Now I remember.  Damn Team Rocket.  Damn them to hell!  I was in the Silph building.  Some cute girl asked for my help.  I should have known better.  She took me to the top floor of the place.  It was loaded with members of Team Rocket.  They wanted Wett.  Wett!  Did they get Wett?  No, they couldn’t have.  I fought them.  Electra must’ve hit something with her electricity.  The lights had gone out.  Then one of them said, “The bomb is set!”  Electra had let loose with a thunderbolt at the bomb.  One of the Rockets cursed and then everyone scattered.  There was no way out but to jump.  I grabbed Electra and made my way to a window just as the bomb went off.  The explosion threw me out of the window and down towards a large out-door pool.  The last thing I remember is hitting the water.}

The nurse came in with a tall glass of water and helped me to drink it.

“Now say your name for me.”  The doctor said.

“Danté.”  I said hoarsely.

“Good.  At least you can talk.  Do you remember what happened?”  The doctor asked.

“It was Team Rocket.”  I said.

Electra woke up with a start.  I looked over at her.  She looked terribly confused.

“Electra.”  I said.

“Pikachu?  [Danté?]”  She asked.

I was surprised.  I understood her completely.

“Is there something wrong?”  The doctor asked.

“I… I dunno.  I just… she said my name and I understood her completely.  It was like she was speaking English.”  I said.

“There’s a reason for that.”  The doctor said.

“What?”  I asked.

“Bring the mirror, nurse.”  The doctor said.

The nurse brought in a large mirror so that I could look at myself.  I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.  I was looking at my reflection, only it wasn’t me.  I was a…

“I’m a raichu!”  I said.  “What’ve you done to me!?”

“Your body was… ummm… there’s no easy way to put this.”  The doctor said.

“Spill it.”  I said.

“Your body was wrecked, for lack of a better word, from the explosion and the fall.  It was a miracle that you survived.  We were able to put your body in suspended animation.  But to do that, we had to transfer your consciousness to another living being.  That raichu you’re in is one of our volunteers.”  The doctor said.

“So what are you gonna do?  Are you gonna leave me like this?”  I asked.

“No.  We’re going to operate on your body.  This is the only chance you have to be human again.  We thought you’d understand.”  The doctor said.

“Will the operation be successful?”  I asked.

“There is always a chance for failure.  But with the stasis that we are able to put your body in, the chances of success are higher than that of failure.”  The doctor said.

Electra hopped up on the bed next to me.

“Then that body is…”  I started.

The nurse slowly pulled the cover off of the body in the next bed.  It was me.  Only it looked badly beaten up.  I turned my head as the nurse returned the cover.

“I’m sure my insurance doesn’t cover this.”  I said.

“Now don’t worry about that.”  Another voice said.

Professor Oak strode into the room with another man in a lab coat following him.

“Professor Oak.”  I said.

“Now don’t worry.  I’m taking care of all the expenses since this is just an experiment.”  Oak said.

“An experiment!?”  I exclaimed.

“It’s completely safe and it’s your only chance for survival.”  The other man said.

“Who are you?”  I asked.

“This is Prof. Utsugi, the one who provided you with your Marril.”  Oak said.

Prof. Utsugi stood as tall as Prof. Oak.  He was Japanese.  He had black hair, green eyes, and bottle-cap framed glasses.

“Wett!  Where’s Wett?”  I asked.

“All of your pokémon are right here.”  Prof. Oak said, pointing to my pokéballs on a side table.

“Do you understand now?”  The doctor asked.

“Just one question.”  I said.  “How did you get me into this raichu?”

“We used a modified Pokémon trading machine.  Instead of transferring the data of a Pokémon, it transfers the data of your mind.  It has obviously worked.”  Prof. Oak explained.

“What happened to the raichu?”  I asked.

“He should still be in there with you.”  Prof. Utsugi said.

It was true.  I could feel the raichu inside of me.  He was sleeping a sleep without a dream.

“What happens if the operation fails?”  I asked.

“Then you have a choice.”  The doctor said.  “We can let you stay in that raichu’s body, or you can elect to have your ‘plug pulled’.”

“But that decision should wait until we find out the results of the operation.”  Prof. Oak said.

“I know it’s a lot to put on you at once, but you must understand that if we do not do this, you will die.”  Prof. Utsugi said.

The nurse rolled my body out of the room.

“We’ll let you think about it.”  The doctor said.

“There’s nothing to think about.”  I said.  “Do it.”

The doctor nodded. And left the room.  I stood up.  My new body was much shorter than my old one.  I could feel the electricity surging through my body.  I looked down at my body.  I saw my new pokémon body.  I looked back at my tail.  It was long and thick with a bright yellow lightning bolt on the end.  I was feeling much better than I did before.  I hopped down out of bed and walked around a bit, to get a feel for this new body.

“How long do you think the procedure will last?”  I asked.

“A very long time.  Days perhaps.  With the stasis, it can take as long as needed.”  Prof. Oak said.  “Why don’t you come with me and I’ll take you to my apartment.”

Prof. Oak gathered my things.  Electra and I followed him.  Electra stayed close to me.  I could tell that she was as intrigued by this new body of mine as I was.