Mushroom Virus (pokepasta)

Chapter 5: Visitor?

Blue tossed and turned in his bed. His body was still aching, but he couldn't stand lying down any longer. He refused to sleep in order to pass the time. The reoccurring weirdness that waited for him to close his eyes freaked him out to much. He couldn't help but wonder why he saw himself in his dream last. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, and approached his mirror.

He looked sort of normal. His eyes were their usual olive green, despite being a little bloodshot. He teased up his hair into its usual shape, and gave his reflection a thumbs up. He sighed at himself, feeling stupid.

   The professor knocked at his door, "Hello Blue, are you awake in there? I made you some warm oatmeal!"

   Blue turned around quickly, "Err, yeah I'm awake Gramps. You can come in."

    Oak walked in with a tray and left it on Blue's bedside. "I see your up and moving? Are you perhaps feeling restless?" He chuckled a bit. "I'm surprised that you're over by that mirror. I would have thought that you would have wanted to go to a different room entirely."

    Blue awkwardly shuffled his feet. "I didn't want to walk super far, Y'know?"

    Oak smiled, "Well then, if you are feeling well enough... You have a visitor. I can send him up if you are feeling up to it."

    Blue thought about this, he was not the biggest fan of someone seeing him like this. But on the other hand, he doesn't know how long it's been since he first got sick. From his perspective it felt like a few days already. Maybe it would be best to interact with someone other than his grandfather, or "himself". He shuddered at the thought of that weird version of him he saw in his dream earlier. He would rather talk to whoever this visitor was than fall asleep and talk to "that" whatever it is. "If this visitor or whatever is interested in seeing me, then send them up!" He tried to display his usual confidence he had before he got sick.

      The professor laughed, "Alright then Blue, I'll tell him to come up to your room then." He left the room swiftly, and Blue heard his footsteps quickly disappear.

      Blue sat down on the edge of his bed. He wondered who it would be that would want to visit him. He checked his pockets and thankfully still had the remainder of his Pokémon party. He liked always being prepared to battle. Even if he was significantly weaker than before he still had fight left in him.

He heard his door creak open a tad. Blue turned his head to the direction of the doorway to his room. It was Red. Blue was surprised that he even bothered to visit him. Had he really been in here sick for so long that Red came to check in on him. How did he even know that he was crashing here in the first place? Gramps must have told Red at some point. He tried his best cocky smile he could muster.

     "Heh. Miss me that much already Red? I haven't even been gone all that long and you come running to see me?" Blue grinned arrogantly.

  Red didn't respond to that, though he never really spoke to Blue. He stared at Blue with the kind of look that just screamed "are you serious?"

   "Oh don't be like that Red? I know what you're here for! You came here to battle me because you've been sooooo bored!" Blue pushed himself up from the edge of his bed and pulled a pokéball out from his pocket.

   Red was still silent, but it seemed as if Blue was sort of on point because Red also reached for a Pokéball.

    "Ha! I knew it! I won't lose!" Blue sent out his first Pokémon.

     This confidence Blue showed couldn't last for long. Eventually Red took down every single Pokémon of his one by one. Blue hoped that Red didn't notice the absence of his Raticate. Inevitably, Blue lost to Red again.

   "You were just lucky! I'll definitely win next time!" Blue paused for a moment. He heard a little voice in his head. Attack him.... Attack Red. Blue shook his head to get the thought away. Weird... "If that's all you came here for you are free to leave now." He did his signature half salute hand sign.

     Red nonchalantly shrugged and left the room. That was it, all Red wanted was to battle Blue. What an asshole...

    He heard his Grandfather walk in again shortly after Red left.

    "I know you have been away from your adventure for quite some time, but I do regret to inform you that Red is well on his way to challenge the Elite Four soon. I know he won't tell you things like that, but I can tell he's very excited. He is upset that you might not be able to do that with him. I do hope you know that." Professor Oak sat down next to Blue on the bedside. "Please don't let this bring you down, you will be able to compete and win against the Elite Four and even beat Red when you are recovered."

    The sound of Professor Oak slowly faded to ringing in Blues ears. Red is going to challenge the Elite Four? Before him? He'll surely beat them, Red is so much stronger than Blue. How could he ever dream of becoming champion now?? He could never-

    Blue felt a stream of warm liquid pour out from his nose.

     "Blue? Are you alright???" The sound of the professor was muffled to Blue. He wasn't listening to what he was saying.

     Blue wiped his nose with his hand and looked at it. He was expecting something like blood.

It was bright blue.

He sprang up from the bedside and ran to the bathroom in a hurry. He slammed the door behind him and started trying to stop the blue looking liquid from spilling out of his nose. He grabbed a tissue and tried to hold at his nose. He looked at the bathroom mirror, still in shock.

    It wasn't him that looked back though... it was the very thing he was avoiding the entire time by staying away. The copy stared at him through the mirror.

    "How Pathetic..." It mumbled disapprovingly. "The opportunity was right in front of you. You could have killed him right there. But nooooooo." It rolled its eyes in annoyance. "Don't act like any of this isn't your fault Blue. If you'd listened to me, Red wouldn't be challenging the Elite Four at all." It scolded Blue.

   Blue just stood there frozen in fear. How is this thing talking to him. It was supposed to be glued to his dreams. Was he hallucinating? He kept holding the tissue to his nose. He whispered to himself, "you are not real. You are not real." He kept repeating himself trying to soothe himself.

   "I am very much real... why don't I prove it to you?" It stated in amusement at Blue's attempt to try to block it out.

    The copy faded away, and it was Blue's regular reflection now. He stared at it in confusion. He leaned in to look closer. Blue focused at his eyes, they weren't right. Only one of his eyes were its usual olive green, the other was....

    Bright blue.

*Blue has fainted*