Shiny

Ilex Forest...a winding maze of trees and fallen branches. Traveling without a flashlight would seem foolish to anyone else, but as a Pokemon trainer I had my shiny green Espeon to light the way. My name is Nekomei, a shiny collector. And I had just locked my sight onto a shiny pink Butterfree.

Hikaru, my Espeon, barked excitedly at the rosy-colored Butterfree in front of us.

"Shhh! Hikaru, don't scare it off now!" I urged. Hikaru whimpered but nodded understandingly.

I grabbed an Ultra Ball and prepared to catch the elusive shiny creature... *BRIIIING BRIIIING!!!!!* The sound of my Pokegear rang loudly throughout the forest, scaring me, Hikaru, and my precious shiny Butterfree.

As I dug my Pokegear out of my pack, I looked up and noticed that my pink Pokemon had vanished. Hikaru nudged my leg sympathetically.

"Hello?" I spoke into the Pokegear.

"Hey...it's Erik," A dreary voice answered.

Again? I registered his number but he called me like 5 times a day...

"What is it, Erik?" I sighed in annoyance.

"Well, um," Erik began. "Are you going to the Bug-Catching Contest today?"

"Yeah I planned on it. Someone told me they spotted a shiny Combee there." I said casually.

"Then...um...good luck," the Ace Trainer stuttered. "And one more thing..."

"Yes?"

"Sorry about the pink Butterfree..." *CLICK* H-how did he know?

____

Ah! There it was! The shiny Combee!

The Bug-Catching Contest was about to be won by ME! A bright orange Combee would totally top everything! I grabbed an Ultra Ball and asked Hikaru to use Headbutt. He obeyed and easily weakened Combee, and I was about to throw an Ultra Ball when suddenly... *''BRIIIIING!!!!!!! BRIIIIIIIIING!!!!!!!!!!!!*''

ARGH!!!! Now what????

This time I had stashed my Pokegear in my pocket, so I quickly retrieved it. However, the sound had scared away all the bug Pokemon including my shiny Combee. The Bug Catchers scowled at me in anger. I gave them an apologetic look and answered my Pokegear.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hey...it's Erik again," the same dull voice answered. But...it sounded more...creepy.

"Um...hi," I frowned, a little creeped out. "What do you want?"

"Well...first of all sorry about scaring another shiny away."

"It's ok...wait, how did you know about that?" I gasped. Hikaru looked up at me and cocked his head to the side, curious.

"Because," Erik answered in a grave voice. "I can see you."

A sudden chill shot down my spine. This guy was seriously a stalker!

"Are you stalking me, Erik?" I asked in a shaky voice. *CLICK* Wh-what's going on with him...?

____

After six more days of constant calling and following, I tried to erase his number. However, the low-tech Pokegear wasn't designed with stalkers in mind. I asked mom for an Xtransciever but NOOO!!! She wasted her money on a damn Pokegear. It was so frustrating, and one day I finally had enough.

I hiked to the top of Mount Silver and waited patiently, huddled next to Hikaru to keep warm.

Sure enough... ''*BRIIIING!!! BRIIING!!!!!*'' "THERE'S NO WAY YOU CAN SEE ME, YOU STUPID CREEP!" I shrieked into the speaker.

"N-Nekomei?" My mother's voice asked, shocked.

"Oh...sorry mom...thought you were someone else," I laughed nervously.

"Oh...it's alright honey. You just scared me is all!"

"So what's up, mom?" I asked.

"Nekomei...on the news...it seems a young man's body was found at the bottom of a mountain. Apparently he fell off the top about three years ago. I just want you to be careful ok? I worry about the things you get up to."

Hikaru whined beside me.

"Mom," I breathed. "What was his name...and which mountain did they find him at?"

"Weeeell," Mom started, in a thinking voice. "I think his name was Erik...he was a trainer like you, but one of those cool Ace Trainers I've heard about on the news. As for where he died...they said it was Mount Silver. Honey, are you ok? Where are y-" *CLICK* "M-mom??" I cried. I looked at my Pokegear...no signal?? But how??

"Heeey...Nekomeeeei..."

Hikaru growled and barked loudly at a figure in the snowstorm. It sounded like...Erik's voice. I suddenly got the chills, but not from the cold. I remembered Mom saying something about a young boy named Erik who was found dead at the bottom of this mountain, and that he seemed to have died three years ago by falling...probably right where I now stood. Maybe she heard wrong...Erik is a common name. And there are thousands of Ace Trainers in the world.

"Erik..?"

"Yeah. And I can read your thoughts...I am the young boy they found dead at the bottom of this mountain." He appeared in front of me. Hikaru and I stood up quickly, my trusted partner in a battle stance.

"Erik...when I registered your number, you were already dead?" I asked, grimacing.

"Yes. I was standing right where you now stand. I was, too, a shiny collector. I spotted a shiny pink-ribboned Froslass floating off the side of the mountain...I tried to catch it, but I slipped and fell to my death. I wandered restlessly around Kanto, searching for a rare, fellow shiny collector."

"Why...? Why another shiny collector?"

"Because...this is the day I move on to the other world. And I intend to bring a shiny Pokemon with me. I've...had my eyes on your Espeon for a while now." Erik took a step towards me. I took a step back, mentally begging Hikaru to do the same. He did not...instead, he barked and leaped at the dead trainer.

"NO HIKARU!" I shrieked. "DON'T FIGHT HIM! HE'S DEAD!"

Too late. Erik grabbed Hikaru before my trusted companion could get a hit in. Erik turned to me, his eyes glowing red and a creepy smile stretched across his deceased face.

Suddenly, the mountain top gave way behind me, making me trip and fall. I glanced at Hikaru one last time, and he sadly whined at me. Then, everything went black as I fell to my death...

____

They found my body exactly where they found Erik's. Beside me, a broken Pokegear. Heh...funny. Must have fallen out of my pocket when I fell. Good riddance...I hated that thing.

Since then, I have wandered around...looking for another shiny Espeon...

Well hello there! Nice to meet you. I'm a shiny collector. Oh you say you are a shiny collector too? I love that green Espeon you have...they are quite rare aren't they?

Hey...let's exchange phone numbers.