Danté’s Pokémon – Part 8
(Passage of time – two weeks and two badges)
Not feeling the need to go to Indigo Plateau for the Master’s Tournament, we made our way back to Pallet town to catch a ride back home. We would never catch that ride. Once we got into Pallet, I began to feel quite nauseated. I quickly blacked out. I woke up in a hospital bed, surrounded by people in white coats. A doctor got all the people out of the room so he could tell me what the problem is.
“Danté… this isn’t an easy thing to say.” The doctor said.
“Then just say it.” I said.
“It appears as though you have a brain tumor.” The doctor said.
“A what!?” I exclaimed.
“It’s in a highly advanced stage. I’m afraid there’s nothing that can be done.” He said.
I just sat there, completely stunned. How could this have happened to me?
“How did it happen?” I asked slowly.
“We’re not sure.” The doctor said.
“So what happens now?” I asked.
“We’ve notified your parents. I’m afraid all we can do now is make you as comfortable as possible.” The doctor said.
Time passed. I told my team the bad news. Electra took the news the hardest. When mom and dad arrived, Electra was still sobbing into my chest. Mom was hysterical. Dad wasn’t very happy, but he was doing his best not to show his pain. Prof. Oak was called in. He was curious because it might have been linked to either the modified trading machine or the stasis lock they had me in. Things were beginning to go fuzzy at that point. Mom and Dad were asked to leave. It was only the doctor, my pokemon and I in the room. I was getting very tired. It was hard to keep my eyes open. Electra could sense this and was sobbing into my chest again. It took a great deal of my remaining strength, but I put my arm around her to comfort her. I then began to whisper in her ear.
“Electra, you must always know that I love you.” I said.
Electra kept crying. Everything
turned black.
I was back in that void again. A bright light was shining ahead of me. I had always read stories about these out-of-body experiences. They always said there was a light and someone would beckon them towards it. I heard a soft voice beckoning me towards the light. I started walking, slowly at first, but then it got harder to walk so I started running. But I suddenly got tripped up and I fell on my face. I was being dragged away from the light by some unknown force. The light faded and I was in the inky blackness again. My eyelids became heavy again. It was a long time before I would open them again. When I opened my eyes I saw I was back in the hospital. Electra was sitting near me, with tears in her eyes. My mom and dad looked a bit hesitant. Prof. Oak was there with Prof. Utsugi. My mind was racing. Am I dead? Am I alive? If I’m dead, am I in heaven or hell? Is my life flashing before my eyes? If I’m not dead, then how long have I been out? And why was I out? Was it all just a bad dream? I looked around the room. My head wouldn’t move but I could move my eyes. Electra, mom, dad, the doctor, Prof. Oak, and Prof. Utsugi were standing around me. Prof. Utsugi? My mind clicked with the realization that the last time I woke up and saw Prof. Utsugi I had become a Raichu. I moved my eyes down towards my body. I couldn’t see it because I was under a hospital blanket. But a black tail with a lightning bolt on the end was sticking out from under the covers. I wanted to get up to get a good look at myself, but my body wouldn’t respond. I heard a voice from deep within me.
“Just rest. Soon we’ll be back in action.” The voice said.
“Who are you?” I thought.
“You’ll know soon.” The voice said.
I did the only thing I could do. I closed my eyes and fell asleep.
I was in a dreamless sleep. Well, almost dreamless. I was having a conversation with the voice in my head.
“Don’t worry now, we’ll be alright.” The voice said.
“Who are you?” I asked.
“You’ll see me in the mirror.” The voice said.
“Mirror?” I asked. “Have I become a Raichu again?”
“You got it. I was flown in with the machine. They moved your dying consciousness into my body. Only this time, I get to stay awake.” The voice said.
“So you’re the Raichu.” I said.
“Yes I am. Now I get to stay awake as you use my body.” The Raichu said.
“So you won’t have any type of control?” I asked.
“You’ll have all the motor control, but I am able to talk to you. Only you can hear me. Just consider me as your conscience.” The Raichu said.
“Let your conscience be your guide.” I said quoting an old movie.
“Look, we’re waking up now.” The Raichu said.
It was true. I could feel myself coming around. I opened my eyes and looked around. Electra was curled up next to me. She was sleeping soundly. The rest of my Pokémon were gathered around my bed, as it was a large room. Mom and Dad had just walked into the room followed by the doctor and Prof. Oak.
“Well, here he is.” The doctor said.
Mom gasped when she saw me.
“It was the only way to save him.” Prof. Oak said.
Mom and Dad sat on a couch that was next to my bed. I sat up. When I looked down at my body, I realized that everything that I had been told was true. I was the Raichu again. Only this time, it was going to be more permanent. Electra stirred and woke up.
“Danté. Now is the time to make a critical decision.” The doctor said. “You can live as a Raichu, or we can… let you go, so to speak.”
I looked over at Mom and Dad. Mom was obviously distressed, and Dad was trying to hide his displeasure. I couldn’t help but think he was mad at me. I knew that they would want me to stay alive. Electra always wanted me to stay as a Raichu. I knew that if I stayed this way, I couldn’t be a trainer to my Pokémon.
“I’d like to talk it over with my pokemon if that’s okay.” I said softly.
“That’s quite alright.” The doctor said.
He ushered everyone out of the room. Everyone was deathly quiet. They knew what I was going to say, but I didn’t know how they were going to react.
“Just say it man.” The Raichu said.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The air was cold as Articuno was giving off cold air as usual.
“You all know that if I stay this way, I can’t be your trainer anymore.” I said.
No one responded.
“But if I elect to be ‘let go’, then it won’t matter anyway.” I said.
“Eeeeevee! [We could go home with you!]” Corey said.
Everyone started murmuring in agreement.
“What do you think?” I thought to Raichu.
“It doesn’t matter to me, just so long as I get to stay awake this time.” The Raichu responded.
I sat there for a few moments in private thought.
“What about you Articuno? I know you want to get back to your home.” I said.
“It really doesn’t matter to me one way or the other. Though I have been meaning to cool down some warmer climate.” Articuno said.
I thought about it again for a few minutes.
“It’s going to be tough for me though. I’ll need all your help.” I said.
“Pikapikachu, pipika. [As long as you’re alive, we’ll do anything.]” Electra said.
“Hey, you know she’s kinda cute.” The Raichu said.
I didn’t answer him. The doctor knocked on the door and came in the room.
“Have you made your decision?” He asked.
I looked around the room. Everyone looked at me expectantly. Electra seemed the most distressed. I closed my eyes, wishing just to wake up from this nightmare. I opened my eyes and saw that I was not in a dream. I sighed.
“I can only make one choice. I have to live.” I said.
Electra came up to me and hugged me.
“A guy could get used to this.” The Raichu said.
Within a few days, we had made it home. It took a little time adjusting to my new life as a Pokémon. My home seemed like a whole new experience for me. To be much smaller and walk into a house you remember looking at from a higher altitude, is like walking into a whole new place. It took a few days for my parent’s to adjust seeing me as a Pokémon, instead of a teenager. It also took a few days for my friends to adjust to my new “look”. But as they had promised, my Pokémon remained with me. Articuno found a suitable perch, as had Wynd. Bugger, Wett, Electra, and Corey made their homes in my room. But one Saturday morning, Articuno came to me with some startling news.
“There might be a way for you to get your body back!” Articuno said.
“How!?” I asked.
Articuno dropped a small folder in front of me. The file said
“Confidential File: Pokémon Report – Mewtwo #150”