Herbal

"That was some good work today, Ron!"

"It sure was, Herbal."

"Go home and get some rest, partner. You definitely deserve it."

"Thanks. You too. See you tomorrow."

"Yup, see ya!"

It was a good day's work of saving Pokémon. Natural disasters have caused there to be a lot of work for our team. My partner and I worked really hard today.

I couldn't wait to get to sleep. I was so tired.

I snuggled down in my comfy haystack bed and drowsed off to sleep.

...

I hear a Dodrio crowing. I think it's morning.

It's time to wake up...

...

Maybe I'll just sleep for a little longer.

I'm so tired, my partner and I have been working really hard.

It'll be fine if I take a few more minutes of rest.

...

...

...

...

...

I woke up from my bed. It felt like I was asleep for a long time.

I stretched and my fur stood on end.

I then noticed that the straw was... Rotten.

It needed to be changed, clearly, so I picked up as much as I could from my bed and carried it out. The rest of the house seemed okay. The straw felt like it was blowing through the air on its own, it was difficult to keep it all together and avoid making a mess.

Seeing as how I probably slept for far longer than I was supposed to, I didn't expect to see my partner greet me. She probably would've taken care of business by now.

As I stepped outside, my partner was not there, as expected. I couldn't see extremely well, what with me carrying the straw.

I yelped as I accidentally tripped on a root. I dropped the straw, but as I saw where I dropped it down, my eyes widened in fear and I immediately pulled myself away. If it weren't for that root, I would have walked right into a fissure and fell to who knows where.

The fissure was surprising enough, but as I looked around, I felt confusion and some fear.

The world around me seemed destroyed and decayed. There were a few living trees around, but their leaves were being eaten by bug Pokémon which, admittedly, seemed very emaciated.

The clouds in the sky were gray and black. They resembled smoke more than they did clouds... It probably was smoke.

I couldn't tell what time of the day it was, it was really dark because of the smoke.

Fissures of various sizes were here and there. The larger ones like the one near my house dug fairly deep into the earth.

Clearly something catastrophic occurred while I was sleeping. My first thought was to check the town to make sure everyone was okay.

I don't know how I slept through an event catastrophic enough to almost completely destroy the area, but I didn't have time to think about that right now. If anyone was left I had to help them.

I made sure not to fall into any fissures I came across as I made my way to the town and unfortunately, it seemed that everyone I knew there had cleared out. All that was left were a few Bug-Type Pokémon eating whatever they could.

All the shops were deserted, the place was lifeless and had lost its color.

I remember when Herbal first introduced me to everyone in town when I arrived and showed me around.

That was a memorable day for me, simply because of how I remembered Herbal really caring despite not even knowing who I was all that much at the time.

She was a really cool Pokémon. I was glad to be her friend and partner.

...

I went over to the Bug Pokémon to see if they were okay and needed help, but as much as I tried to talk to them, they just didn't acknowledge me. They wouldn't even glance at me and they just repeated their species name over and over.

I decided to look in the shops to see if there was anyone sentient taking refuge in them. There was nobody in the bank or Wigglytuff's friend area shop, but I miraculously came across Kangaskhan who was still in her shop, huddled inside.

"Ms. Kangaskhan?"

"... Ron...?"

"Miss, what's- what's going on? Where did everybody go?"

"Oh, Arceus... It's really you, dear..."

She seemed to be terrified out of her mind and had dark circles under her eyes. I then noticed that the whites of her eyes looked unusually red, like she'd been crying.

Then I noticed that there was no cub in her pouch. I climbed into the shop with her and went over to place a paw on her arm.

"... I'm so sorry..."

"Hic- thank you. I'm sorry. I just... I don't know what I can do. I can't leave this place. This is my home..."

"Can you please tell me what happened?"

"... It all happened so fast... First it was the tremors, you were still up and about when they were happening if my memory is still good... But then they just got worse and worse. All the Rescue teams did their best to contain the disasters, but eventually they just became too much to handle."

"..."

"... Tremors became earthquakes. Like no Pokémon could ever summon. They never closed back up like the Earthquake moves in battles... It got so bad everyone had to try to leave to escape the danger."

"Why are you still here?"

"Because I can't leave."

"... Is it because you're looking for your cub?"

"My cub? My little baby... She shouldn't be far. She's been growing up so fast, even through all of this."

"... Oh- I thought you lost- I thought that was why you were crying?"

"... No, it-"

I heard a loud noise come from outside.

Kangaskhan was startled and so was I, but my ears and tail pricked up and I was ready for combat.

"Don't move, I'll be right back, ma'am!"

On all fours, I ran toward the noise.

I quickly found out the source. It was a Cubone relentlessly trying to attack the Bug Pokémon. Every single move it made didn't seem to faze any of them. Either the Cubone wasn't that strong or the bugs were so... Out of it that they couldn't think of anything besides food.

The Cubone started crying more and more as its attacks got fiercer, yet still didn't do anything.

"I hate you! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!!!"

I approached cautiously. An Electric-Type such as myself can get hit pretty bad by Ground-Types and I didn't want to startle this Cubone.

I let myself be known from a distance.

"Excuse me?"

The Cubone sniveled, but didn't attack as it turned to look at me.

"Don't worry. I'm a friend."

"... You- you look familiar..."

"... I'm sorry, I don't think we've met."

"I'm not su- sniff- sure, either, but... Sniff... Who are you...?"

"I'm Ron the Pikachu. I'm part of a Rescue Team. I don't know where my partner is right now, but... Why are you attacking those Pokémon?"

"B-b-b-because they ate my mommy! She wasn't even cold yet! I-I- sniff, sniff, I just wanted to cuddle her until all the life left. I didn't want to leave her, but those mean Bugs ate her!!!"

I was shocked. Some Pokémon eat other Pokémon in the wild, and Bugs are known for eating whatever is available, but... That just seemed too monstrous for anyone to be able to do. To be fair the Bugs... The Bugs definitely do give me the creeps, what with how they don't act like they notice anything but food.

The Cubone was fully sobbing at this point. I patted the skull helmet as gently as I could and waited for it to let it all out.

After a few moments of crying, the Cubone stared at me with watery eyes.

"It's okay."

"Sniff... Did you- did you say you were part of a Rescue Team...?"

"Yes."

"What are you doing here...? Mommy told me that all the Teams gathered to evacuate as many Pokémon as possible from here."

"... I don't quite understand what's going on myself. Maybe I'm having another spout of amnesia, but..."

"...?"

"Never mind, that doesn't matter now. Do you need a Rescue Team?"

"W-well... I mean, as long as you're not a wild Pokémon, anyone could technically help, but... Can you help me bury my mommy?"

"... Okay."

"R-really? You mean it?"

"Of course. She clearly meant a lot to you."

"She did. Oh, she did. I can't repay her enough for everything's she's done for me."

"Well, I'll be glad to help out."

"... Gee, you're swell. Thanks... I can't offer anything in return..."

"No problem, my team doesn't do stuff for the reward."

"That's probably a rarity, these days..."

"... Can you show me where she is?"

"O-oh. Yeah. Come on, she's actually not far."

The Cubone started walking down the southern path of the town and strangely enough, made a turn to Kangaskhan's place.

I was extremely confused, but followed nonetheless.

What I saw confused me further and tore my heart out.

It was an incomplete skeleton of a large Pokémon. The anatomy looked like it would fit a Pokémon such as... Kangaskhan.

Cubone stared at the skeleton. Its eyes not once leaving it.

"... This is your mom?"

"Mhm. She was so sweet. She stayed here until the very end. She provided some kind of storage service."

"... She... Did..."

I don't get it. No, this doesn't make sense, I was just talking to Kangaskhan. She was alive and well a few moments ago.

But... No, then that would mean... This Cubone was her baby?

That doesn't make sense, the last time I saw Kangaskhan excluding just before, her baby was practically still an infant.

... How long was I asleep?

I had to find my partner.

"Without my mommy... Things have been so much harder. So much hunger. So cold..."

"... I'm so sorry, Cubone."

The orphaned Pokémon didn't reply, but backed out of the shop and started to use Dig on the ground.

"I found this move in the old general goods shop. I've been planning to use it for my mommy."

The Cubone dug and dug and dug, but for some reason, the ground wouldn't give away. All that occurred were loose bits of dirt being blown away slightly.

Eventually, she started to sob uncontrollably and threw a somewhat understandable tantrum.

"Why, why, why?! Why can't I do anything?!"

"Hey, hey, it's okay. It's okay."

"No, it's not! The world is ruined, there's no reason for me to even live anymore, I'm too weak to even Dig and all hope is lost!!!"

She ran off, crying. I tried to run after her as fast as I could, but she was surprisingly fast for her species.

Cubone had run into the middle of all the Bug Pokémon and at first I thought she would be trying to unload her frustrations on them again.

Instead, she tripped and I lost sight of her in all of the other Pokémon. I ran after her, but there was no sight of her left.

I looked around, trying to find her, and then I saw why all the Bugs were gathered here.

A less-than fresh Cubone carcass had drawn their attention and they were all devouring it.

It was grotesque, but I couldn't look away.

On the carcass were the bones needed to complete Kangaskhan's incomplete skeleton in her shop.

...

I don't know what's going on, but clearly I saw some kind of ghosts.

And I don't mean Ghost-Type Ghosts, but ghosts.

... All signs after seemingly speaking to them normally pointed to them having been dead long before I got here.

I don't understand what's happening.

I needed to find my partner.

Where would she be?

I immediately left the town, utterly traumatized and dazed from what I had just witnessed.

My first thought was to look for her in her friend area, as that's where she lived.

As I passed my house, I saw the disarray it had fallen into.

I was too preoccupied to notice its condition before, but... It was ghastly.

The flowers at the window had withered, the wood was rotten, some wood was loose and there were holes in the roof.

I wanted to know what happened, but... There was nobody alive who could tell me.

I forced myself forward to the friend areas and hoped to find my partner there. Everyone had moved on to someplace else, but I didn't know where to. If I couldn't find my partner, all could be lost for me.

Pushing onward, I eventually reached the Grass-Type areas. My partner was a Grass-Type, she loved living in lush places.

Of course, there wasn't a lot of lushness left when I arrived. Most everything had shriveled up and died, was eaten, or was being eaten by Bugs.

It was extremely eerie, all the beautiful green colors were just replaced with... Yellow, brown and gray. All dull.

Herbal and I would sometimes hang out in her friend area. I remember frolicking in the meadows with her, splashing in ponds, all good fun times we had when we needed a little time off work.

As much as we would have liked to, we didn't just work and nothing else all day. We found enough time to play together to remain healthy and stress-free.

Honestly, even if our next frolic has to take place in a field of arid dirt and dead grass, it won't be any less meaningful to me now. Eventually, I reached a waterfall area and to my delight, I found my partner. She was sitting near the edge of a waterfall that ran through the friend area.

Herbal the Chikorita. I remembered her style of battle being very based on status effects and slow but steady health draining.

I called out to her.

"Hey, Herbal, what's going on?!"

She didn't seem to hear me or notice me. I walked closer.

"Herbal?"

Still nothing, so I shouted in her... Ears? And waved my paw in front of her eyes. It was like she was hypnotized.

I looked out into the distance she was staring into when I noticed that she started moving closer to the waterfall. After a few steps, she sighed.

"... Ron..."

"Yes, I'm here! Partner, what's-"

"Ron. You gave my life meaning. Together, we were an unstoppable team.

"... What?"

"In the short time we've known each other... You became my best friend..."

"..."

"But when those tremors started to get worse and the disasters just kept creeping everywhere, worsening, worsening, worsening... It didn't matter what anyone did. We couldn't save everyone."

"Hey, Herbal, it's okay. This is rough, sure, but we can get through this and help whoever's left."

"... Ron. You were my best friend. My partner."

"You're mine- Wait, 'were...?'"

"I don't know if you can hear me... Or see me or anything..."

"Herbal, wait... What are you- What are you doing?"

"But if you can... I'm sorry. I can't do this anymore. Not without you."

"Stop! I'm right here! Get away from the edge! You could get hurt!"

"... I'm sorry, everyone..."

Herbal looked up to the smoke-ridden sky and her leaf shuddered as it barely managed to rise into its sunbathing position.

I noticed that her leaf was in terrible shape. It was discolored and had holes all over it like Bugs were trying to eat it.

Looking closer, I saw that some of the spikes around her neck were broken or even missing altogether. She was in terrible shape.

I reached out to hug her, but as I placed my hand on her throat, I heard her gasp.

She then smiled and I thought I had helped her.

She shed some tears from her eyes.

"... Partner. I feel like you're with me... I'm coming."

Herbal then did the unthinkable and threw herself down the waterfall.

I looked down and shouted her name, uselessly reaching for her with my paw.

"HERBAL!"

She disappeared into the cloud of water vapor and mist. I couldn't see how far down it was, but I heard a sharp and grotesque crack come from the bottom.

I placed my paws on my mouth and I began to cry.

My partner just...

...

...

...

After a few hours of sulking at the waterfall, I managed to stand myself up.

... Herbal wouldn't just... Give up.

Not like that.

I wouldn't either... Even though I sure do feel like giving up.

There's nothing like watching your team partner die to make you feel like giving up.

I dragged myself to my decrepit house and I laid myself on my bare bed.

I heard what could've been crunches and I felt extremely uncomfortable. I should've gotten up to move, but I didn't feel like it.

I felt too heavy to move. Too sad to move.

Tears escaped my eyes as I exhausted myself to sleep.

...

I was a lone Pikachu that had lost his memory.

All I remembered was my name, and an odd one it was. It wasn't the name of my species, nor did it really seem like the kind of name a Pokémon would have.

Yet, Herbal.

Oh, Herbal.

She found me in the forest, lying unconscious.

Instead of ignoring me, casting me aside, she protected me until I woke up.

A stranger cared enough to protect me and care about my well being whereas I was nobody I could remember.

I was a blank slate.

Despite everything, she was always there for me. My partner and friend.

...

Eventually, I woke up.

I couldn't tell what time of the day it was. The sky was just as smoky as always. It blotted out most of any natural light.

My body was sore and my mind was weary. I had slept on something hard and bumpy.

I forced myself to stand up and I looked down.

The sight shocked me enough to cause me to fall to the floor. I would have screamed, if I had any strength to do so.

It was a decaying Pikachu corpse. It was somewhat mummified, but I didn't know by what.

... Then I realized it was the layer of straw I'd removed.

There was some even more rotten straw beneath this corpse, to the point where it wasn't even straw.

... This was... a Pikachu that had died.

This was... Me. I died here.

I fell asleep and never woke up.

That's why I saw Kangaskhan and her baby. They died too. They're just like me.

...

Cubone's attacks didn't work on the Bugs or the environment because...

...

Oh, Arceus.

The Bugs and Herbal acted like they couldn't see me because...

...

That's why Herbal was talking like that.

I thought to myself that seeing my partner die made me want to give up.

She probably witnessed me die.

...

But how did I die? I can't even remember.

I just fell asleep. It was a normal work day.

As I stared at my body, I heard someone walk in, but didn't bother, as they probably wouldn't see me anyways.

To my surprise, though, someone initiated conversation.

"Hello, Ron."

I turned around and saw Gengar.

He was a troublemaker around here, and created his own "Rescue Team" whose goal was world domination.

I was suspicious and I backed up, lifting my tail as high as I could. Sparks flew from my cheek pouches.

"Woah, woah, woah, calm down, I ain't here to mess with ya."

"... So you CAN see me?"

"'Course I can. I'm a Ghost. Sorta undead, yet not. I dunno, Ghost-Types can apparently see dead Pokémon. It's a natural thing with us."

"... Why are you here?"

"Kekeke, wouldn't you like to- ah, what's the use... I'm responsible for that world out there."

"What?"

"... Some prophecy thing. I dunno, the whole thing is stupid. Let's just say I did something stupid in the past and now everyone's paying the price for it."

"Why are you telling me?"

"It's not like it's not common knowledge these days, stupid. Ninetales' curse. The curse of the human in the Pokémon world."

"... The curse of- did this world get so bad that you've just given up being bad?"

"Given up bein bad, given up being good... There's nothing to be in a world like this, Ron. It's all gone. There's nothing to eat, nobody to talk to, no goals to aim for. It's just a ruined world now. I'm just along for the ride forever at this point."

"... You're human?"

"Yeah."

"... Me too."

"... Heke? Do you take me for an idiot?"

"... Never mind, then."

"Yeah. Never mind. Wise choice. Guess I can't complain too much, though. You're the first Pokémon I've spoken to in months. Most of the mons alive now just try to attack me. The dead ones just flat out ignore me and give me the cold shoulder."

"... Do you know how this happened?"

"... Oh, your death? Kekeke, it was really funny at the time. To me, anyways. You really wanna know?"

"Yeah."

"Well, let's see. That was a long time ago now... You fell asleep at some point. At first it was a few hours more than normal, then a few days, weeks, months... Everyone had tried every single way to wake you up to no avail. Even Alakazam couldn't do anything. You'd basically fallen completely comatose without warning."

"... Comatose?"

"Yeah, that's what they were sayin. Some Pokémon were sayin it'd be better to put ya down so you didn't suffer in your sleep. See, because Pokémon don't really have any way of... I guess keeping comatose ones alive for too long. But your partner didn't give up on you."

"Herbal..."

"She thought you'd wake up one day. She didn't think you'd die. Thought so highly of you, the poor fool. She said that there was no way you'd let a thing like this kill you... At the time it was savory sweet, seeing how confident and hopeful she was only to be endlessly crushed when you eventually passed on from lack of nourishment. Now, thinking about it is just... Disappointing. Sorry for your loss, by the way, even though you're dead too. I passed by that waterfall not long after it happened."

"..."

"Sorry to crush ya like this. I guess the old Gengar would've relished your misery, but... There's nothing really to feel anymore. This is just how it ends."

"The... End of the world?"

"The end of the world."

"... You're so calm about it."

"I've come to accept it, I guess."

"... Is there any way to pass on?"

"I wouldn't know. Do you really wanna, though? Being a ghost is pretty cool."

"It's not. Maybe for you Ghost-Types it is, but I have witnessed the fact first-hand that ghosts can't interact fully with the world around them."

"Ah, yeah. There is that little tidbit for you mons."

"Besides, there won’t be a world to even wander anyway... There's no point anymore."

"There isn't."

"It's all gone."

"All of it."

"..."

"This is the end, Ron. I'm sorry to say. Too bad. I bet we would've been great rivals or nemesis-es or whatever the plural for that is. Doesn't matter."

I couldn't do anything but let the doom and despair set in.

Everyone was gone.

The world was dying.

The last few Pokémon were barely managing to survive.

And I never woke up.

...

What happened...?

...

...

...

Years ago, in a summer camp...

A girl had brought her DS to play with during her time in the cabin.

She enjoyed playing Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team.

Unfortunately, due to circumstances out of her control, she had to leave.

She accidentally left her game behind.

And there it remained.

For years.

The cartridge gathered dust and its data slowly corrupted as dirt and grime overtook it.

The world inside that cartridge, some may say is digital. Imaginary.

A world that is imaginary or digital does not mean it is fake, though some may state it so.

Worlds can exist and be created anywhere, be it in the confines of someone's mind, a computer program or by standard organic means.

A world fake to us...

Can be all too real for the inhabitants.

What became of Ron's world?

The cartridge became filthy and damaged to the point of being unreadable.

This damage and filth carried over to his reality.

Bit by bit, everything died and withered.

Everything.

...

Take care of your video game cartridges and disks, kiddos.

You never know what life may be inside.

Even if it's virtual to you, it's all too real to them.