Pokémon Hazardous HeartGold

I always really liked Pokémon, I collected the cards, plushes and books but what I really liked was the games. So during my third year of middle school when Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver came out I begged my mom almost daily to buy me it and she eventually obliged.

You could imagine my excitement when I came home from school one day and there was a copy of Pokémon HeartGold sitting on the kitchen table. I immediately shouted thanks to my mom before grabbing it and heading upstairs to my room where I unboxed the game and quickly put it into my DS.

I rushed through the opening movie as well as Professor Oak’s opening speech before choosing the female character and inputting the name SAM.

Now I’m going to skip forward quite as I feel as most of what I’ve said isn’t real noteworthy. It was a few weeks after I had gotten the game when I was running around National Park trying to catch something useful to help my team face Whitney when I encountered a Beedrill with an usually high level and I immediately wanted to catch it as I was sure it would be helpful.

I was shocked when EACH Pokémon I sent out was taken down with a single poison sting. Even my starter which was only a few levels away from evolving. How was that even possible! That’s not fair in the slightest. I then took notice of how my trainer appeared on the screen before it faded to black as usual when you ran out of Pokémon.

I was expecting to end up back at the Pokémon center but instead my trainer was still in national park and each of my Pokémon were on 1HP with the poison status. Though my trainer’s colors seemed desaturated as well and the screen seemed to have a purple tint to it. I now also feared taking another step as I worried my entire party would faint again. I just also noticed how all the NPCs that would be within eyesight while in the lower tall grass of the park were gone.

Eventually I pushed that worry aside and then remembered I did have an Abra in my party, I must’ve forgotten about it in my few minutes of panic/worry and so I decided to use my Abra’s teleport to take me to the Pokémon center and it worked but as soon as I stepped into the Pokémon Center.

ABRA has died.

What? No. That couldn’t be possible. I opened up my party and selected Abra and to my horror there seemed to be a purple poison leaking from it’s mouth as well it’s colors had turned grey-ish. It was then my stomach dropped when I realized this was for nothing as all the NPCs in the Pokémon center were gone including Nurse Joy and now I had no way to help my Pokémon aside from using the items in my bag.

Potions barely restored any HP at all. No matter if it was a potion or super potion.

Antidotes/Full Heals had NO effect.

I could not believe this and thought it had to be some sick and messed up glitch. All I could do now was exit the Pokémon center and run into the goldenrod department store while praying for no more casualties as I had the hope if I spammed potions enough my Pokémon could just wait out for the obviously deadly poison to fade.

Despite the fact the screen had a purple tint and my character’s colors were desaturated I hadn’t even taken into consideration if this effected her. Because it was only supposed to effect the Pokémon right?

Once entering the store there was a lack of NPCs there as well but not all of them were gone as the one you buy medical pocket supplies from was still there but upon talking to them they didn’t give me any option to buy or sell instead they just said.

'''Im sorry. There is nothing I could give that could help you or your Pokémon.'''

Every. Damn. Remaining. Npc. Said. That.

Another message but not one this time there was in fact two. The thing I had dreaded seeing again since stepping inside the Pokémon Center.

HERACROSS has died.

FLAAFFY has died.

I again rushed to check my party and just like with abra both Pokémon had turned a grey color with poison leaking from the mouth. I also noticed how Heracross’ horn seemed to be partially melted and Flaaffy’s fluff seemed to have fall off around it…was this poison corrosive?

I could only now stand on the top floor of the goldenrod department store with the fear of losing my remaining 3 Pokémon. I especially didn’t want to lose my starter who I loved so much.

Remember a bit earlier when I said I didn’t take into consideration the fact the poison might effect my trainer? Well. I was wrong that it wouldn’t as the menu and then trainer card forcefully opened up and I was horrified at the sight of what SAM looked like now.

Her eyes were wide with terror and she had the same poison leaking from her mouth along with her hair being no longer tied up in its signature twin tails but instead let down and her outfit had holes in it.

It then immediately closed out once I pressed the A button. A text box popped up and I immediately knew it was from SAM but what she said..it made me feel so horrible for her.

'''They’re dying. I’m dying. I can feel it, it burns. Why.'''

Two more text boxes popped up.

TOGEPI has died

POLIWAG has died.

I couldn’t believe this. It was horrible. Nothing I could do would possibly save my remaining Pokémon or my trainer. I just sat there and watched as my trainer stood helplessly on the roof or so I thought she would stay there but instead she began moving all on her own.

'''I can’t live like this, even if I can survive my Pokémon wouldn’t have anyway! I cannot be around people as I’ll be a hazard to them and they could suffer the same as I am!'''

This time I barely had a reaction.

CROCONAW has died.

My trainer inched to the edge of the rooftop and I couldn’t imagine the pain in every step she took. I knew what she was going to do and so I slammed my DS shut and pushed the cartridge out.

Why only now did I have the courage to end this nightmare? I didn’t touch my DS nor the game for nearly a week before I finally had the guts to try and play again.

Upon starting up HeartGold there was no into movie it just skipped straight to the menu where my save file was displayed but when I tried to press A to continue hoping that those events would’ve been erased by popping out the cartridge that hope was crushed when it just said…

'''You can’t come back from this. There is nothing and no one to continue with anyway.'''