This story is kind of a goodbye to PikachuLover. PikachuLover was a person on MegaMewtwo's Message Board that died recently. I hope that everyone who knew PikachuLover will read this and remember her fondly.
-=Mega Raichu=-
In Memory of PikachuLover
I sat in the pew at PikachuLover's wake. I wasn't even listening to the priest's words. I was just sitting there. The news was just too shocking. I received an e-mail from Styler saying that PikachuLover was found dead in her home on April 1st. Even now the disbelief hangs in the air like a thick fog. I look around but I'm not aware of anyone but myself. Suddenly the priest becomes quiet and I am finally aware of the others around me. Jewel and Styler are sitting in front of me quietly sobbing. Tim and his brother are in the next pew. Morbane is sitting alone with a grim look. Andrew and Ian are sitting next to me quietly. Alexia is quietly sobbing into my shoulder. Our raichu's are quietly sobbing as well. Flare2000 sits alone, sobbing.
"Would anyone like to say a few words?" The priest asks.
I stand up and go to the podium. I look down at her face. So peaceful and quiet. It almost looks as though she will come back to life and ask us why we look so glum. I reach into my coat and pull out some note cards that have a speech I prepared on them. I face the people before me. All of them are waiting for me to speak. I clear my throat and begin.
"PikachuLover, as we knew her, we barely knew ye. She was so young. Death took her from us unexpectedly. In the beginning we knew her as SniperWolfHater. Styler seemed to know her and yet she hated everything about Styler. It was a time of chaos and lots of flamers were coming on to the board and saying bad things about Pokémon. She was different. She kept her hate towards Styler. Eventually a new flamer came to the board and she turned a new face to us. She became our friend as anyone would do in the face of adversity. She did not want to be alone. She reached out to us but we turned away because of the hate she spewed forth. But she continued to reach out and finally Styler reached back. Styler made us realize that she wasn't as bad as she seemed. She wanted to turn her life around. She tried to get off the drugs. It seemed as tough Styler was her only friend. We followed suit. We gave her encouragement and friendship. Those two things are what anyone needs. But somehow, someway, she went back to that bad habit and it killed her. It killed her so early. It killed her while she was still young. In her tender years she should have been with friends. In the end she was. But it seems as though it wasn't enough. But we must not feel as though we failed her. We must feel as though we showed her love and companionship in the end. And in the end she must have died knowing that she had more friends than just Styler. She is going to a better place now. Let us pray that she goes to heaven. Now we must look to the future. For to live in the past is the path to downfall. Sometimes we need to be reminded that we are not immortal. This funeral and all others are such a reminder. And yet we all take these life threatening chances that she took and this chance took her life. PikachuLover, you will be missed." I took a deep breath and dropped my cards into the open casket. I turned to the small crowd and took my seat next to Alexia. Raichu hugged me. Alexia continued to sob into my shoulder.
The priest motioned for the casket bearers to close the casket and bring it to the open grave. The casket bearers were myself, Andrew, Ian, and Tim. We moved to a lone grave outside of the Lavender Town Ghost Tower. In the background a stereo played a song. The song itself is appropriate for her. Since she chose the screen name PikachuLover, the song "The Time Has Come" was played. The song was appropriate as it was the song that was played on the Pokémon TV show on the episode "Pikachu's Goodbye".
The Time Has Come (Pikachu's Goodbye)
The time has come
You've helped me find
The time has come
Somehow today
The priest finishes saying the last rites as the song ends. We watch the cemetery caretaker bury the casket in the dirt. Slowly, one by one, we walk away from the grave. Soon I alone stand at the grave. I turn and slowly walk from the grave to join the others. As I walk I mutter under my breath : "You will be missed."