Broken Souls

Load

POKEMON HEART GOLD.

CONTINUE
PLAYER: CELEBI

TIME: ???
BADGES: ???

POKEDEX: ???

The save file is corrupted. You can not play the game.

Delete all data?
Once deleted, save data cannot be recovered. Are you sure you want to delete all data?

Deleting... Do not turn off the power.

***

I remember when the world died. The black sky with no stars will forever haunt my nightmares, the universe being ripped apart into infinite meaningless pixels still burns at the back of my retinas. I take a deep shuddering sigh as I lift myself from my bed to find there are tears in my eyes. They're so hot they almost burn my skin, which is tender and weak. All the callouses and scars that come with living on the run as a Pokemon Trainer are gone and I haven't hit puberty yet.

I look out the window to see New Bark and choke down a sob. Following that, I bury my face in the pillow and let my tears run down it, my ugly half-cracked voice crying into the white down for who knows how long. I clutch the pillow as if it will atone for everything I did and fail to do, I clutch it like it's Bronze's fur and it will bring him back.

For the first time in two years, I am truly alone and no one in the world will believe me if I tell them what I've done.

Sorry, let me introduce myself.

My name is Ashley Hart and I caused the end of the world.

Shaking all over from the utter despair, I get to my feet only to fall back on the bed again. I twist around to face the window, my hot breath and steamy tears fogging up a small portion of the mirror.

Past my house lies the lab, which lies lazily in the middle of the town, surrounded by overgrown grass. Ethan does all of the yard work anyways (I know- I helped him a lifetime ago) and Professor Elm pays him for it.

It's odd, I could've sworn it was at least decently well-cut when I was...

No, it's more likely I just don't remember a thing.

I feel myself choke up again, slamming my head against the windowsill, barely noticing the burning pain that follows. I can hardly remember a thing about this place, even though I lived here for thirteen years.

From downstairs, the smell of pancakes wafts up my nose. It's sickeningly sweet and almost oversaturated with saccharine goodness. I feel like vomiting.

"Ashley!" calls my mother. "Your pancakes are getting cold!"

Joy.

Goldeneye. a voice echoes through my mind, sweet and lyrical.

In the pale reflection in the window, my eyes shimmer a brilliant gold even though I have no Pokemon to flash to. If I'm not communing with my Pokemon... then who...

Rise up. Your home is still waiting for you. This universe demands a hero.

I get to my feet. The voice is eerily familiar. It has to be Celebi.

As I arise, I sense something far more powerful than myself. Time twists around me, an ongoing stream branching out into hundreds of millions of directions all at once. The universe's fate rests within which decisions I take right now.

Feigning complete and absolute disinterest to mask how close I am to sobbing again, I take deep breaths as I put on my old outfit from... well, I suppose it's new again now, and let the air circulate through my body as I get ready. The rhythm is like a silent chant, calming me as I slide my right shirt sleeve on and stare at myself in the mirror. I can hardly recognize my own face. The freckles aren't as severe, my skin is pasty from time spent inside on the Internet almost constantly, and my hair is short and well tended to. I look like someone's pet more than my own person.