1: Tormented

It’s been a week since I left Pokèmar. It’s… Strange…I’d been on Pokèmar for over a month, but my phone calendar said that it was only one night. The only thing keeping me from saying that it was all a dream is the frism. The one thing I have from Pokèmar. I’ve got it somewhere safe. No way I’m letting anything happen to that.

There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t think about them. I guess a saving grace is that every night I am taken back to that psychedelic dreamscape that Hydreigon first contacted me from. And in that pond that I first saw my reflection as a Snivy, I can view the world and my friends. I can watch them to see what they’re up to.

New Hope is thriving. They are being revered worldwide as heroes. And apparently in my absence Thunder is the one being credited with finishing the Bittercold. Keldeo has joined the team and has reconciled with Virizion. He also frequents the home of Umbreon and Espeon to help them with their projects. Considering he was able to modify the Entercards to such a degree, it makes sense that he’d be an asset to them.

Meanwhile I’m not convinced that Thunder has completely forgotten about me… Maybe it has something to do with how close we were. But he looks at my old badge and bandana as if he thinks he recognizes it but can’t really figure out why. So there’s a glimmer of hope that he may yet recall me. I really wish I could just shout to him. Believe me, I’ve tried. But the sound doesn’t get through.

I so desperately want back in. To be with my friends. To go on the missions to rescue people or take out criminals. But unless we get a miracle, it’s only a pipe dream…

Munna

“How did I get here?” Munna says, looking out at the lake that lies before her. It feels like she knows how she got here, but she doesn’t. It’s bizarre…

Her thoughts are interrupted by the sight of a shadowy figure over the horizon. Does… She know this Pokemon? It feels like she should…

“Hello?” She calls out to it. “What are you doing out there?” The figure appears to turn her way, but does nothing else. Just stares. Completely devoid of any movement. Then Munna blinks. And now the figure is staring her right in the face.

She yelps in fright, trying to float back to get some distance. But her body doesn’t respond. The shadowy figure’s eyes begin to glow a fiery orange, then actually catch fire. “You do not deserve to live…” It says in a sinister echoing voice.

“Wait! Wait, stop! Can we at least talk about this?!” Munna cries, frantically trying to get her body to respond. But the figure says nothing. Her body begins moving backwards without her influence. It appears that whoever the figure is, they’re controlling her. Soon she is hovering above the lake’s surface. Then she stops. What now? What happens now?

Then her body is lowered. This thing is going to drown her! “Stop! Please stop! Have mercy! I’m begging you!” No response from it. She is helpless as she is lowered down to her shoulders. With no real option, Munna takes a deep breath to try and last as long as she can before she becomes fully submerged. Now it was just a matter of time.

Panic fills her body. Her body’s fight or flight response in full effect. But it does nothing against the invisible force controlling her. Black starts creeping in from the edges of her vision as her supply of air runs out. Her field of view growing narrower by the second. She begins to feel light headed. Her brain not able to operate with such low levels of oxygen.

Soon her instincts take over. She attempts involuntarily to breathe in. Water rushes down her throat and into her lungs. It feels like her chest is on fire as every cell in her lungs cries out in agony. Then… Slowly but surely, her consciousness slips away. Helpless to do anything to stop her demise, she is forced to accept her fate… The sound of the water surrounding her being the last thing she remembers…

Munna awakes gasping for air. Glancing around she spots the familiar sights of her home. Her friend Toxicroak looking at her in concern.

“Mistress Munna? Are you alright?” A pang of irritation fills Munna. He knows she hates being called that. Something her younger sister used to call her when she started getting bossy. And when Toxicroak got wind of it, he never let her hear the end of it. Now it’s become almost second nature to him. Almost involuntary.

“Yeah… Yeah, it was just another dream…”

“Another? Being drowned by a creepy shadow thing?”

“That’s the one.” These terrifying dreams began following her vow to return to the more altruistic lifestyle she used to live prior to the Bittercold incident. Apparently Thunder had asked the legendary Pokemon Xerneas to rescue her and her gang after the destruction of the Glacier Palace. She was very thankful that Thunder had thought to do that. A second chance to do what was right.

“You should really see a psychiatrist about that, Munna. We’re worried about you.”

“I’m a psychic type. I really don’t think I need to have my head looked at.”

“No no no. You’re not using that excuse again. Come on. We’re going to wake Salamence up, and then we’re going to a psychiatrist. Even if Salamence has to carry you there.” Waking Salamence up… Funny thing is, unless provoked, he’s quite docile and friendly. But man, if you think you woke up on the wrong side of the bed, his is worse by a magnitude of ten. Without Munna to work her psychic magic and calm him down, he’d probably gobble up everyone in the vicinity. So unless it was absolutely necessary, they tended to let him sleep. No use poking the Beedrill nest without a good reason.

“Alright… Fine… I’ll go. But only because it might make those dreams go away.”

“Of course, Mistress Munna.”

“And for the millionth time, stop calling me that!”