Typhlogirl
keep battling on!
I'm sure many of you have not heard about the cyclone that ravaged North Queensland in Australia a few days ago. It flattened many towns and left hundreds and hundreds of people homeless. I was one of the lucky ones who lived in a town that did not suffer too much damage. But I have friends who have nearly lost everything. I wanted to draw attention to the suffering of the people of those towns, so I decided to write a one-shot.
This is not meant to be a masterpiece of beautiful description and stunning plot. It's not twenty pages long, and its not anything spectacular. It is simply my emotions on the disaster that faced my friends and many other people I know. I hope you will enjoy it.
…the voices…
“I’m here live at the scene of what could possibly be the worst cyclone Hoenn has seen this century. The city of Slateport has been ravaged by gale force winds and endless sheets of rain.”
Why are they so loud?
“The markets have been completely flattened and the beach looks like a warzone. Stunned citizens of this city once famous for its gorgeous beaches are wandering about trying to comprehend what just happened.”
…My…my head…I…
“People are calling out for loved ones, houses lie in ruin and the pokemon centre here is nearly roofless. Pieces of debris speckle the streets and the gutters have flooded out onto the main road.”
Where…am I?
The young Growlithe slowly opened his tired eyes. Where was he? He could not remember anything other than the flying roof tile that had struck him down. His head was throbbing painfully, and his felt woozy. Looking around with some effort, he could see that he was lying on a sheet on the floor of what looked like a large building. Yet the grey sky sneered through gaping holes in the tattered roof. Chunks of unrecognizable matter lay spread amongst the dozens of unconscious or miserable looking pokemon lying in rows on dirty blankets and sheets. A well-dressed human was standing in the middle of the floor, having a conversation with a strange device another human was pointing at him.
“Where…where am I?” The Growlithe croaked to no-one in particular.
“So you’re awake.”
The Growlithe turned in shock to stare at the pokemon that had addressed him. It was an old Raichu. He thought. But this Raichu looked like a puzzle that was missing many pieces. His left eye was held permanently shut by a faded scar trailing from eyebrow to upper cheek. His right ear was little more than a stump and his tail, which should have proudly borne the lightning shaped tip, was a sad crownless prince. Yet the remaining eye shone with a violent intensity boring out of its ebony depths, and the single ear twitched for unfamiliar noise. He was an intimidating presence.
“Who are…what…where…” the Growlithe stammered, unable to tear his gaze away from the Raichu’s mutilated head.
“Relax. You’re in the Slateport Pokemon Centre. They must’ve found you on the street, because I watched ‘em bring you in. You didn’t look too good. Head was bleeding like a tap.”
“Bleeding?” The Growlithe lifted his paw and felt around the sore area of his head. A smooth, material surface greeted his questing claws.
“What is-“
“It’s a bandage. You were bleeding, remember? The Nurse wrapped that around your head to still the blood flow.”
“Oh.” was the quiet reply. The Growlithe turned his gaze to his paws.
“Um…I…did you…”
“…get these injuries in the storm?” finished the Raichu, lifting one eyebrow.
The Growlithe’s eyes widened. “I…no…I-I didn’t mean any offence!” he blurted out.
“It’s alright. You wouldn’t be the first to inquire.” sighed the Raichu. He pointed to his head. “These I got when I was really young. I don’t really remember it. This one however-“ he raised his black tail, “-was more recent. But I didn’t get anything from the cyclone. The only reason I’m in here is because I was stupid enough to let a branch fall on me. It knocked me out; the police found me and took me here.” The old Raichu studied his tail for a moment, pawing at the poignant stump. “I’m getting slow in my old age.”
“…You’re not that old…” murmured the Growlithe. The Raichu continued to massage his tail, expressionless.
“What’s your name kid?” he asked suddenly, not averting his gaze from its original position.
“My name? Er, I think its Laddie. My memory isn’t too clear. I dunno why.” replied the Growlithe, his confidence increasing as the conversation developed. “I think it’s ‘cuz of the tile that hit me.”
“Probably. You have a trainer?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you think he’ll come looking for you?”
“Oh, my trainer’s a girl. I think. And I’m not sure if she’ll come. I can’t really remember anything about her…”
The Growlithe looked back at the Raichu. “What about you mister?”
“Hey, less of the ‘mister’. My name’s Lekkan.”
“I like that name.”
The Raichu stared hard into the face of the young fire pokemon. Dried blood had made strange patterns down his pleasant face. He had lost the majority of his memory. And yet…he was still smiling after it all. Amazing. Such a change from the whimpering creature of past minutes. Young pokemon were such strange things.
“So why are all these pokemon here?” asked Laddie.
“Picked up off the street, either injured or lost. Half of these are strays that wandering into the wrong place at the wrong time.” The Raichu looked up at the sky.
“You know the humans are saying that a bigger cyclone is coming. Fast. They say it’ll be here in the next half hour or so.”
“Another one?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow. Are they sure?”
“I’ve be listening to the Nurse’s radio conversations with the Weather Institute outside Fortree. They’ve been warning her to get all the injured pokemon to a safe place.”
“Is it the rage of Kyogre? I remember, my trainer was telling me about a legendary pokemon called Kyogre, ruler of the seas. Perhaps he is angry.”
“Maybe so. But doesn’t the legend also state that he is in deep slumber?”
“Oh yeah. I forgot about that part.”
“Don’t worry ‘bout it. It’s not your fault you’ve lost your memory. Besides, it’s a mistake anyone could make with the legend of Kyogre.”
“But I feel that that could be the only explanation. I mean…it just seems…so sudden. Like one minute everything was calm and the next…everything went black…”
“Your memories are slowly coming back to you.” Came Lekkan’s soft reply.
The Growlithe rubbed his head and scrunched up his face as he endeavoured to unlock his memories. “I can recall…but it’s blurry…my trainer’s family rushing around to secure the house…I was accidentally locked outside…rain and wind were everywhere…and one of the roof tiles flew down and hit me…and everything went black…”
Lekkan silently watched the emotional changes on the Growlithe’s face. How much had he suffered from the storm’s fury? He didn’t know anything, really. He was completely in the dark about it. The Raichu returned his gaze to the sky. What could it be like…to lose your memory…of everything you ever cared about?
“It’s no good. I can’t remember anything.” Laddie sighed, dropping his paws back to the floor.
“Nothing at all?”
“Nope. Heh, I guess…I guess I’m lucky that I even remember my name. I’m thankful for that.”
“Thankful?”
“Yes. I may not know anything else for sure, but I still have my name, so I still have something.”
The Raichu stared at the Growlithe, smiling sadly as he watched the Nurse attending to other injured pokemon.
“How?”
“Sorry?”
“How can you be thankful that you’ve lost your memory? You’ve lost everything! So you have your name. Who cares?! I don’t understand you.” The Raichu said, collapsing on the sheet he sat on. “How can you have such optimism?”
“…I wouldn’t call it optimism. I just know that I still have something that I treasure. So I am grateful.”
“You amaze me. I could never imagine feeling that way.”
“But you can,” said Laddie. “You can feel the way I feel. Look at you injuries.”
“I should be grateful for my injuries?”
“That’s not what I meant. I mean, you’ve lost an eye and an ear. But you still have one of each. So you should be grateful for that. And your tail. You may have lost the lightning bolt, but you’ve still got the rest of it. Sometimes if we just stop and think about all the things we can be thankful for, then we can feel happier even in times of greatest peril.”
The two pokemon stared at each other for what felt like eternity. Then Lekkan dropped his head.
“I never thought of it like that. You’re something young one.”
Laddie smiled, and, to his surprise and delight, Lekkan smiled too.
“See how good it feels to smile?” the young Growlithe said, beaming.
“Ay, it does. I should do it more often.”
The two pokemon looked up at the sky. A timid streak of sunlight was peeking through the wall of oppressive grey cloud.
“See Lekkan? There is always light in the darkness. You may have to look a little harder sometimes to find it, but its there waiting for you. And when you find it, that feeling is the greatest in the world. And that’s something to be truly grateful for.”
-;157;
This is not meant to be a masterpiece of beautiful description and stunning plot. It's not twenty pages long, and its not anything spectacular. It is simply my emotions on the disaster that faced my friends and many other people I know. I hope you will enjoy it.
For that I'm Grateful
…the voices…
“I’m here live at the scene of what could possibly be the worst cyclone Hoenn has seen this century. The city of Slateport has been ravaged by gale force winds and endless sheets of rain.”
Why are they so loud?
“The markets have been completely flattened and the beach looks like a warzone. Stunned citizens of this city once famous for its gorgeous beaches are wandering about trying to comprehend what just happened.”
…My…my head…I…
“People are calling out for loved ones, houses lie in ruin and the pokemon centre here is nearly roofless. Pieces of debris speckle the streets and the gutters have flooded out onto the main road.”
Where…am I?
The young Growlithe slowly opened his tired eyes. Where was he? He could not remember anything other than the flying roof tile that had struck him down. His head was throbbing painfully, and his felt woozy. Looking around with some effort, he could see that he was lying on a sheet on the floor of what looked like a large building. Yet the grey sky sneered through gaping holes in the tattered roof. Chunks of unrecognizable matter lay spread amongst the dozens of unconscious or miserable looking pokemon lying in rows on dirty blankets and sheets. A well-dressed human was standing in the middle of the floor, having a conversation with a strange device another human was pointing at him.
“Where…where am I?” The Growlithe croaked to no-one in particular.
“So you’re awake.”
The Growlithe turned in shock to stare at the pokemon that had addressed him. It was an old Raichu. He thought. But this Raichu looked like a puzzle that was missing many pieces. His left eye was held permanently shut by a faded scar trailing from eyebrow to upper cheek. His right ear was little more than a stump and his tail, which should have proudly borne the lightning shaped tip, was a sad crownless prince. Yet the remaining eye shone with a violent intensity boring out of its ebony depths, and the single ear twitched for unfamiliar noise. He was an intimidating presence.
“Who are…what…where…” the Growlithe stammered, unable to tear his gaze away from the Raichu’s mutilated head.
“Relax. You’re in the Slateport Pokemon Centre. They must’ve found you on the street, because I watched ‘em bring you in. You didn’t look too good. Head was bleeding like a tap.”
“Bleeding?” The Growlithe lifted his paw and felt around the sore area of his head. A smooth, material surface greeted his questing claws.
“What is-“
“It’s a bandage. You were bleeding, remember? The Nurse wrapped that around your head to still the blood flow.”
“Oh.” was the quiet reply. The Growlithe turned his gaze to his paws.
“Um…I…did you…”
“…get these injuries in the storm?” finished the Raichu, lifting one eyebrow.
The Growlithe’s eyes widened. “I…no…I-I didn’t mean any offence!” he blurted out.
“It’s alright. You wouldn’t be the first to inquire.” sighed the Raichu. He pointed to his head. “These I got when I was really young. I don’t really remember it. This one however-“ he raised his black tail, “-was more recent. But I didn’t get anything from the cyclone. The only reason I’m in here is because I was stupid enough to let a branch fall on me. It knocked me out; the police found me and took me here.” The old Raichu studied his tail for a moment, pawing at the poignant stump. “I’m getting slow in my old age.”
“…You’re not that old…” murmured the Growlithe. The Raichu continued to massage his tail, expressionless.
“What’s your name kid?” he asked suddenly, not averting his gaze from its original position.
“My name? Er, I think its Laddie. My memory isn’t too clear. I dunno why.” replied the Growlithe, his confidence increasing as the conversation developed. “I think it’s ‘cuz of the tile that hit me.”
“Probably. You have a trainer?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you think he’ll come looking for you?”
“Oh, my trainer’s a girl. I think. And I’m not sure if she’ll come. I can’t really remember anything about her…”
The Growlithe looked back at the Raichu. “What about you mister?”
“Hey, less of the ‘mister’. My name’s Lekkan.”
“I like that name.”
The Raichu stared hard into the face of the young fire pokemon. Dried blood had made strange patterns down his pleasant face. He had lost the majority of his memory. And yet…he was still smiling after it all. Amazing. Such a change from the whimpering creature of past minutes. Young pokemon were such strange things.
“So why are all these pokemon here?” asked Laddie.
“Picked up off the street, either injured or lost. Half of these are strays that wandering into the wrong place at the wrong time.” The Raichu looked up at the sky.
“You know the humans are saying that a bigger cyclone is coming. Fast. They say it’ll be here in the next half hour or so.”
“Another one?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow. Are they sure?”
“I’ve be listening to the Nurse’s radio conversations with the Weather Institute outside Fortree. They’ve been warning her to get all the injured pokemon to a safe place.”
“Is it the rage of Kyogre? I remember, my trainer was telling me about a legendary pokemon called Kyogre, ruler of the seas. Perhaps he is angry.”
“Maybe so. But doesn’t the legend also state that he is in deep slumber?”
“Oh yeah. I forgot about that part.”
“Don’t worry ‘bout it. It’s not your fault you’ve lost your memory. Besides, it’s a mistake anyone could make with the legend of Kyogre.”
“But I feel that that could be the only explanation. I mean…it just seems…so sudden. Like one minute everything was calm and the next…everything went black…”
“Your memories are slowly coming back to you.” Came Lekkan’s soft reply.
The Growlithe rubbed his head and scrunched up his face as he endeavoured to unlock his memories. “I can recall…but it’s blurry…my trainer’s family rushing around to secure the house…I was accidentally locked outside…rain and wind were everywhere…and one of the roof tiles flew down and hit me…and everything went black…”
Lekkan silently watched the emotional changes on the Growlithe’s face. How much had he suffered from the storm’s fury? He didn’t know anything, really. He was completely in the dark about it. The Raichu returned his gaze to the sky. What could it be like…to lose your memory…of everything you ever cared about?
“It’s no good. I can’t remember anything.” Laddie sighed, dropping his paws back to the floor.
“Nothing at all?”
“Nope. Heh, I guess…I guess I’m lucky that I even remember my name. I’m thankful for that.”
“Thankful?”
“Yes. I may not know anything else for sure, but I still have my name, so I still have something.”
The Raichu stared at the Growlithe, smiling sadly as he watched the Nurse attending to other injured pokemon.
“How?”
“Sorry?”
“How can you be thankful that you’ve lost your memory? You’ve lost everything! So you have your name. Who cares?! I don’t understand you.” The Raichu said, collapsing on the sheet he sat on. “How can you have such optimism?”
“…I wouldn’t call it optimism. I just know that I still have something that I treasure. So I am grateful.”
“You amaze me. I could never imagine feeling that way.”
“But you can,” said Laddie. “You can feel the way I feel. Look at you injuries.”
“I should be grateful for my injuries?”
“That’s not what I meant. I mean, you’ve lost an eye and an ear. But you still have one of each. So you should be grateful for that. And your tail. You may have lost the lightning bolt, but you’ve still got the rest of it. Sometimes if we just stop and think about all the things we can be thankful for, then we can feel happier even in times of greatest peril.”
The two pokemon stared at each other for what felt like eternity. Then Lekkan dropped his head.
“I never thought of it like that. You’re something young one.”
Laddie smiled, and, to his surprise and delight, Lekkan smiled too.
“See how good it feels to smile?” the young Growlithe said, beaming.
“Ay, it does. I should do it more often.”
The two pokemon looked up at the sky. A timid streak of sunlight was peeking through the wall of oppressive grey cloud.
“See Lekkan? There is always light in the darkness. You may have to look a little harder sometimes to find it, but its there waiting for you. And when you find it, that feeling is the greatest in the world. And that’s something to be truly grateful for.”
Dedicated to the victims of Cyclone Larry in Far North Queensland, Australia. Hope is always on the horizon.
-;157;
yroken Serafoculus:.
