What Am I?

Reunions, Memories, and Bitter Pasta

LIBBY(8), JEN(3), ASH(4), Gary(4), AND RORY(4)
June 21, 1998
2 weeks afterwards

 
        “I remember when we stopped calling you Rory, and started calling you Red. Wasn’t it when we found out that your name meant Red King?”
Red nodded.
        “We all got jealous of you, so we began referring to each other based on colors. Libby was Blackie, I was White, Gary was Blue, and Ash was Yellow.”
        This drew out a smile from Red.
        Jen glanced at the writing again and pointed to the last line. “Two weeks after what?”
        Red pointed to the previous photograph. Jen flipped the I.V. photo over and gasped when she read the back.
 

JEN (3)
June 5, 1998
Second year of ailment

 
        Jen stared at the picture, rereading the writing over and over again. “I was sick…for two years?” She looked at Red. “How long have you known about this, Red? Did the others know about this too?”
        Red shook his head, and showed her one of the stacks of drawings.
        Jen flipped through the packet and laughed. “I drew these for Ash when he fell into that coma.”
        When Ash and Red turned ten, they had both agreed to travel the world together with their Pokemon, but due to being struck by lightning during a Spearow attack, Ash was immediately put into a coma. Red continued on by himself with his Pokemon, while his brother, his twin, was trapped in a deep slumber.
        Jen had drawn the pictures for Ash and came up with stories behind each one of them, which she in turn told to him during his comatose state. “I remember creating these only because I had dreams about them. Sometimes I would have multiple stories to tell Ash each day, and I would always make sure that he remained ten in the drawings and stories.”
        She glanced over at Red, who was studying her reactions.
        “Ash’s coma only lasted a couple of months, but when he woke up, the last thing he remembered was getting Pikachu. He…he didn’t remember starting his adventure with you.”
        Red nodded as if to say, “I know.”
        “So how did you get ahold of all of this? I’m sure my mom would have tried to hide this from me.”
        Red smirked.
        “I love you, Red!”
       **Vulpix’s ears sudden flattened out and she growled at the two graves.
        “Master, we should go now. There is something coming.” Gastly said as he quickly began nudging Jen and Red to their feet.
        “What’s going on?” Jen asked as she looked in the direction of the graves.
        Red took the pictures from her and packed them away back into the folder before handing the folder to Jen to keep.
        “Red-”
        She was immediately interrupted by a quick hug from her cousin before he gently pushed her and her Pokemon down the stairs.
        “What? You don’t want to come with me? I might run into Ash.” Jen said giddily. “I’m sure he’ll want to see you again.”
        Red looked at her sadly and shook his head slowly.
        “Master, we need to go.” Gastly sounded scared, and Vulpix was growling at the two graves.
        “You’re…here…” An eerie, and decayed voice choked. Jen shivered at the sound but Red remained unfazed. “I’m trapped…”
        Gastly and Vulpix were now begging and pulling at Jen to leave, but she was frozen where she was. Horrified.
        “And I’m lonely…” The voice continued.
        Red sighed and reached for his Pokeballs.
        “So very lonely…”
        Jen’s cousin slowly began to walk towards the graves, ready to battle the voice.
        “WON’T YOU JOIN ME?!” A white hand, followed by a decaying corpse, shot out of the stone tiles and turned its attention towards Jen. The corpse ‘smiled’ at her, and tried to climb out from under the tiles, but the lower half of its body was still buried underneath.
        Red threw his first Pokeball at the creature, releasing his Charizard. The corpse pulled its dead stare away from Jen and glared at Red.
        Two White Hands appeared beside the corpse and flew at the Charizard’s neck.
        Red tapped his foot twice on the ground, silently commanding his Pokemon. A large tongue of fire erupted from the Pokémon’s maw, engulfing both White Hands and burning them to crisps.
        The corpse appeared to be greatly angered by this as it summoned a Gengar and a Muk. The two Pokemon looked alive, but their stares were void of life.
        Red tapped his foot three times on the ground, and his Charizard nodded.
        The two dead Pokemon raced towards Charizard; Gengar with a night shade, and Muk with sludge. Charizard easily evaded the attacks and rose into the air. The Pokemon stopped and tried to attack it again, but to no avail. Charizard blasted them with flamethrower, causing the Muk to faint.
        The corpse was livid now. It slammed its hands against the tiles and roared at Red, who kept a calm complexion.
        The Gengar howled at Charizard as it landed.
        Red tapped his foot four times, and his Charizard nodded again. Red then turned towards Jen and turned her towards the stairs, but not before hugging her one last time.
        “R-Red?” Jen choked.
        “Goodbye…White.” Red said softly.
        Jen’s eyes widened. She wanted to stay, but before she could protest, she blacked out.

 
        Jen and her Pokemon came to minutes later. They were no longer on the roof, but lying in front of a couple of graves.
        “Red? Red?” Jen cried out once she regained full consciousness.
        Red was nowhere to be seen.
        Her Pokemon stared at her, confusion on their faces. It was as if their memories had been erased.
        “Where is Red?” She asked them. She climbed to her feet and cupped her hands around her mouth. “Red?! Rory!”
        Her Pokemon looked around as well and began calling out for Red. Neither of them got a response.
        “Who is Red again?” Vulpix asked Gastly.
        Gastly shrugged and looked around the Tower. “I’m still wondering how we even got here. One moment, we are reunited with our master, and then the next, we’re here.”
        “He must be on the roof!” Jen said aloud. Her gaze drifted towards the stairs that lead to the dreaded place. Her heartbeat quickened out of fear. “He didn’t back down against that thing. Besides…he was winning.”
        She slowly walked towards the stairs and took each step one at a time.
        “Gastly, look.” Jen heard her Vulpix say.
        She heard Gastly gasp, but she didn’t turn her attention away from the stairs. Red needed her. She was almost to the roof when she ran into a couple of wooden planks. “When did these get here?!”
        She tried to move them out of the way, but all of the planks were nailed down.
        “Master…we…we, um…it’s-” Neither of her Pokemon could finish.
        In Jen’s heart and mind, she already knew what they were about to say. She slowly trudged back towards the graves that they were in front of before and gazed upon them. Before her stood two graves.
        She shook as she read the inscriptions.
 

Here lies Rory Ketchum’s loyal Pokemon and Partner, Charizard
 

And
 

Here lies Rory Ketchum
A Beloved Son, Brother, and Savior
Died Defeating BuriedAlive

 
        Jen screamed and burst into tears. Rage and sorrow flooded her being like the night of her birthday. All she wanted to do was scream, and let the energy flow from her.
        “RORY!!” She screamed louder and louder until she eventually collapsed onto Red’s grave and blacked out again.