Lost {1st Place Champion in Short Story (PWA 2017)}

When?

It was sometime after my comatose state that my senses slowly began to flood back into my body. I was prepared to feel the haggardness that had once hindered me, but instead, I felt light and airy. It was like the weight of my dying strength had suddenly been replenished, like a potion on an injured Pokémon. I could still feel the stiff dead grass below me poking at my back, yet overall, my body felt numb to the bitter wind. I couldn't even feel my legs.

I leaped away gracefully from where I was like a Hoppip caught in a drift of wind, immediately looking up and around me. I was still in the forest, yet amber leaves danced on the ground as if autumn had come and gone. The trees were now flourished with a warm pallet of fronds, not like the spiky, barren branches that I once saw. I let myself drift along the path and maneuvered through the dark trunks and stumps. My mind began to wonder how long I was out, how I even managed to get back up on my own again. The last thing I remembered feeling was the icy winds of the night and my stiff frozen muscles, yet it never dawned on me that my movements felt swifter, more portable than it ever had been. Maybe I needed that rest; maybe my body collapsed because it just needed to heal itself before I set off again. I chose to believe that.

As I meandered on, taking in my surroundings, I began to notice that the trees were becoming denser by the minute. I scolded at myself for not going this way before, yet still, I pressed on until I was face to face with a clearing with an obvious absence of trees. Stone walls, like large titans, towered over the area with hair-like moss that draped their surfaces. It was an odd sight to behold since I never remembered there being such structures before when I made my way into the forest. Either that or they were once shrouded by the trees, which were now only rotted stumps. I finally stepped out into the dying sunlight. I had to raise my arm up to shield my eyes, which looked to be silhouetted black by the brightened gleam. I knew I had to find my way home soon before Papa began to worry.

I started to stumble through the tall grass. It seemed a bit... taller... than the last time I saw it. Everything did, in fact. I decided to ponder on it for a bit until I heard rustling coming from in front of me. I came to a halt. The sounds were like footsteps treading through the field, and I gasped while a glimmer of hope began to shine in my chest.

Maybe it was Papa coming to get me, worried that I was lost.

Maybe she was finally finding her way back after all this time.

However, my vision abruptly became white as something hit me hard in the nose and knocked me back a few feet. I hissed at the pain and tried my best to rub it off when suddenly I noticed the texture of my head felt strangely different. Alarmed, I pulled back my hands, which only made things worse as I realized they were replaced with tiny black stubs. My heart sank. I completely forgot about the footsteps and bolted away, faintly hearing frantic voices calling from behind me.

I darted past every obstacle back into the forest in a panic. I had to see myself somehow. Somehow I needed to prove that what I saw was an illusion of some sort. It must have been because of the blackout I had the other day. It had to be.

It began to rain.

The taps of water on the leaves were becoming more frequent as I made my way. After a while, a few small puddles began to form in the dry grass. I happened to stumble upon one which beckoned me to look at its reflection. Silently, I placed my hands on the earth and peaked over into the water, and what I saw almost made my heart freeze.

My head was replaced with a tree-like mask with two holes as my eyes that shimmered red by my irises. Branches with scrawny leaves protruded through each side of my head like devil horns. My body was now a black wisp which inhabited my wooden helmet, my legs completely nonexistent and was instead a ghostly tail.

I tried to blame the puddle for this twisted vision, but I instead shook my head in dismay, and so did my reflection. How could I have not noticed it sooner?! I've only heard it from the older kids near my village that children lost in the forest get turned into a tree spirit, but she told me not to believe them, and I didn't. That was until now. Now that I had lost my body to this horrible situation.

I was a Phantump. A Pokémon.

Something like tears welled in my eyes and fell into the puddle, creating lonely and helpless ripples that blended in with the raindrops. It was like me, forgotten by the world. Only a small drop in a huge lake. Unnoticeable. No one would notice me as a spirit, not at all. Who would come looking for me now?

"Hey! Wait up!" a voice called from behind me. I jumped, startled, and backed up into a nearby tree stump. A young woman, about the age of sixteen, in a plaid flannel and long jeans, was running towards me. Her long brown hair was covered by a winter hat, which was soaked by the rain that came down on her. She stopped to catch her breath and stuck her hand out as if to tell me to wait. "I'm... sorry..." she panted in between breaths. "Don't be scared... I'm not going to hurt you." She glanced to the side. "Even though I sort of did back there..." I recalled the impact on my face a while ago. That was her? I still kept my distance and shuddered. "Are you alright? I was walking through the tall grass and I didn't see you down there," she explained. I studied her up and down; she didn't seem too threatening.

Then I suddenly thought, this was my chance! This was my opportunity to get home! To find her! Maybe even to turn human again! Maybe this was the stroke of luck I needed all along.

I desperately tried to tell her what happened, but all that came out was, "Phantump, Phan! Phantump!" I covered my mouth, mortified. I attempted again. "Phan, Phantump... Tump..." My body began to tremble as I lost all hope.

"Oh... Hey, bud, if you're hurt, I can take you to a Pokémon center," the girl offered. "There's one just outside of here. We can get there in a few minutes." I shook my head, covering my eyes. "Then what do you need? I'll help you."

I didn't care at this point. I just needed something to hold.

I floated over to her leg and wrapped my arms around her ankle, pulling it tightly towards me. Soft whimpers came from my mouth as I began to cry into her jeans. I felt her tense up for a moment in surprise, but soon relax as she realized it was just a hug. She bent down, petting my head comfortingly, and lifted me from under my arms to her chest, which shocked me a bit. Her amber eyes stared into mine. "Why don't we walk around for a bit before you make your decision? You can rest up here" Her voice's tone was like the sweetest of honey, and my fears seemed to melt away at that moment, just that brief moment. I cocked my head at her, soon nestling into her grasp in compliance. She smirked. "Alright." She began to walk away with me out of the forest. I shifted so I was cradled by her like Papa used to hold me when I was small.

She felt so warm...

"I'm Trixie," she added softly. "Nice to meet you."

"Phantump," I replied quietly, trying my best. She chuckled.

"Phantump. Okay!" I was too tired to try and correct her. I began to drift away into her arms without a care, finally happy for what felt like a long time. I let out another smile and shut my eyes;

I never noticed the clothing that was laying on the ground behind us, weaved within the pockets of weeds and overgrown with the nearby wildflowers.