Broken Souls

Recovery

The golden haired woman is in my dreams. She's a bit curvy and has the largest smile I think I've ever seen. Her hair is an overly saturated kind of yellow that looks like it radiates sunshine and she wears a necklace with a red pendant around her neck. She's talking to several Pokemon I don't recognize and a boy her age with dark hair that's so black that it looks almost blue and startling bronze eyes.

They look happy. I reach out for them, hoping desperately that they'll turn around, notice me, anything, but I'm frozen to the spot and can't speak. The girl's smile disappears as water fills the room and all of them evaporate like morning dew on a hot day, gone beneath the waves.

I can hear breathing overhead. I look up and see a massive cave stretching over me in all directions. Slowly, I look downwards, moving slowly towards the back of the cave, and a dark shape appears before me.

Help me help me help me help me

My lungs are still full of water. I feel myself running out of air and the lack of oxygen is making it impossible to get to him. I open my mouth and a stream of bubbles fly to the cave ceiling, surrounding me as I double down on my knees and pass out, unable to breathe.

"Gah!" I wake up and sit bolt upright in a hospital bed. There's no IV fluid dripping to my arm but given my record with doctor trips, I have to make sure everything's okay. "What day is it?!"

The nurse, who is a blonde haired woman with a sweet smile and pale green eyes, tells me, "It's the day after the incident. Don't worry, Cianwood hospital is known for our high rates in human and Pokemon recovery. You're going to be fine!"

I try to get up but my body is disagreeing with me.

"However, we did have problems with your Pokemon. Your bag is the pink and white model A-FCS, right?"

I nod weakly. Here in the Pokemon world, bags are more of a requirement than any kind of accessory, so obviously the naming is... subpar. Then again, why would you name your bag? Does it really need a fancy title like clothes lines have?

She looks at me with a kind but sad look. "Unfortunately, a lot of water got into your bag. It almost corrupted some of the data in your Pokeballs."

"It what?" I ask, shivering.

"We currently have your Pokemon in a holding pen. While we were able to restore data to most of the Pokemon," she notices my distress and says, "No! They're okay! We just had to release them from their current Pokeballs. It's just two of them. When you're ready to recapture Rose and Reginae, they'll be in Room 1047. We're healing them up right now!"
"Thanks," I tell her. I feel numb throughout my body as she leaves with a quiet click of the door. Suddenly, my Pokegear begins buzzing wildly. Using my rudimentary post-drowning fine motor skills, I pick the thing up and click the talk button.

My mother's voice, high pitched and frantic, rings through the Pokegear. "I heard about the ship. Honey, are you alright?"

"No."
"You're alive." she's crying now. Even though I can't see her face, a vivid image of the last time she cried like this came to mind and I feel tears watering in my own eyes. "I'm so worried about you."

"It's alright. I know things look bad but I promise everything's okay."

"I... Ashley, I know you think you're going to be fine, but I've been thinking about it." She pauses for like five seconds. "I need you to come home."

"I'm going to be okay." I repeat.

"Ashley Marie Hart. I know this was your dream when you were younger. I know that you think that this is best for you. I know I told you to follow your dreams, but you have to understand that your Pokemon are going to get hurt. You could be hurt. What are you proving by doing this?"