Dragonfree
13th May 2005, 10:09 AM
I
A girl in her early teens lies curled up on a sofa, clutching a cobalt Game Boy Color with a translucent blue game pak inserted in it. Behind her oval glasses, dark blue eyes stare transfixed at the screen. A large lamp beside the sofa illuminates the handheld; otherwise the room is dark.
She moves the directional pad rhythmically in circles. Again and again, the screen blacks out and she finds herself in a Pokémon battle. But she wants only One. A favorite of hers.
Which unfortunately is rare.
But with determined patience, she searches on, and knows she will find it.
Sooner or later.
II
Focus isn’t needed, so her eyes lose it quickly. Her mind floats into the mysteries of life while her fingers continue the search. Then finally, the dream is at an end.
The One.
All drowsiness is now gone. Her eyes snap back to the screen; her white hands squeeze the Game Boy harder.
Her Feraligatr attacks, the One attacks.
She attempts to dry her sweating hands on her jeans, but meanwhile the continuing effect of Whirlpool brings the One down.
Lost.
She silently wishes death upon her starter for winning.
III
She won’t be at rest until she has caught the One. She knows that. Half dozing, she keeps searching, defeating Pokémon after Pokémon.
Why is she put through this?
IV
The One’s cry fills her ears just as she is snapping back into a trance. Again, her attention is focused on the screen.
She will get it now.
All whys are forgotten in an instant; she carefully selects Feraligatr’s weakest attack.
Whirlpool.
And like a strike of déjŕ vu, the cursed effect sweeps away the last pixel of the One’s health.
Again.
She makes a silent promise never to use Whirlpool again.
V
She searches.
And searches.
For longer than ever before, she keeps going without coming across even a shadow of the One. Just as she is about to give up and continue after a good night’s sleep, she finds it again.
Within one critical hit, all is lost.
She curses Feraligatr under her breath for being so darn lucky.
VI
And yet again, she finds the One. Praying that Feraligatr will not ruin this chance too, she selects Ice Punch, the second weakest attack.
It brings the One down to less than half health.
She will not risk the Cursed. She carefully selects to switch Pokémon, and picks Suicune. Less power in Aurora Beam, but higher Special Attack. She hopes that it will not be too much.
She is wrong.
The One is lost yet again.
VII
She blames her Pokémon no more. She blames herself for making the wrong decision.
And the One appears one more time.
She prays that the Ice Punch will not critical hit.
Her wish is granted.
She prays that it will freeze the One.
Her wish is granted.
VIII
The One will not survive another Ice Punch, nor will it withstand Suicune’s Aurora Beam. That she knows.
She has no choice but to use the Cursed.
Whirlpool.
When it is weakened enough, she brings up the item menu and selects an Ultra Ball.
She has only a few left.
She throws them all but one as the One’s health is slowly withered away by the Cursed.
IX
Ah, the Master Ball.
Waiting innocently with a number beside it like any other ball, yet a forbidden treasure.
The One does not quite seem weak enough to be caught in an Ultra Ball.
Yet the Master Ball seems to have an aura of evil.
Despite all the work she has spent on the One, she selects the Ultra Ball, and hopes the One is weak enough to be caught.
Waiting might make it thaw out.
The ball flies over to the One and closes it inside.
Wobble.
Wobble.
Wobble.
X
Within seconds, the One is in her PC box, where it will most likely spend the rest of its days.
After all, what use is a rare Pokémon after you catch it?
She smiles slightly and saves her progress.
She turns her Game Boy off, satisfied, and goes into her room.
A girl in her early teens lies curled up on a sofa, clutching a cobalt Game Boy Color with a translucent blue game pak inserted in it. Behind her oval glasses, dark blue eyes stare transfixed at the screen. A large lamp beside the sofa illuminates the handheld; otherwise the room is dark.
She moves the directional pad rhythmically in circles. Again and again, the screen blacks out and she finds herself in a Pokémon battle. But she wants only One. A favorite of hers.
Which unfortunately is rare.
But with determined patience, she searches on, and knows she will find it.
Sooner or later.
II
Focus isn’t needed, so her eyes lose it quickly. Her mind floats into the mysteries of life while her fingers continue the search. Then finally, the dream is at an end.
The One.
All drowsiness is now gone. Her eyes snap back to the screen; her white hands squeeze the Game Boy harder.
Her Feraligatr attacks, the One attacks.
She attempts to dry her sweating hands on her jeans, but meanwhile the continuing effect of Whirlpool brings the One down.
Lost.
She silently wishes death upon her starter for winning.
III
She won’t be at rest until she has caught the One. She knows that. Half dozing, she keeps searching, defeating Pokémon after Pokémon.
Why is she put through this?
IV
The One’s cry fills her ears just as she is snapping back into a trance. Again, her attention is focused on the screen.
She will get it now.
All whys are forgotten in an instant; she carefully selects Feraligatr’s weakest attack.
Whirlpool.
And like a strike of déjŕ vu, the cursed effect sweeps away the last pixel of the One’s health.
Again.
She makes a silent promise never to use Whirlpool again.
V
She searches.
And searches.
For longer than ever before, she keeps going without coming across even a shadow of the One. Just as she is about to give up and continue after a good night’s sleep, she finds it again.
Within one critical hit, all is lost.
She curses Feraligatr under her breath for being so darn lucky.
VI
And yet again, she finds the One. Praying that Feraligatr will not ruin this chance too, she selects Ice Punch, the second weakest attack.
It brings the One down to less than half health.
She will not risk the Cursed. She carefully selects to switch Pokémon, and picks Suicune. Less power in Aurora Beam, but higher Special Attack. She hopes that it will not be too much.
She is wrong.
The One is lost yet again.
VII
She blames her Pokémon no more. She blames herself for making the wrong decision.
And the One appears one more time.
She prays that the Ice Punch will not critical hit.
Her wish is granted.
She prays that it will freeze the One.
Her wish is granted.
VIII
The One will not survive another Ice Punch, nor will it withstand Suicune’s Aurora Beam. That she knows.
She has no choice but to use the Cursed.
Whirlpool.
When it is weakened enough, she brings up the item menu and selects an Ultra Ball.
She has only a few left.
She throws them all but one as the One’s health is slowly withered away by the Cursed.
IX
Ah, the Master Ball.
Waiting innocently with a number beside it like any other ball, yet a forbidden treasure.
The One does not quite seem weak enough to be caught in an Ultra Ball.
Yet the Master Ball seems to have an aura of evil.
Despite all the work she has spent on the One, she selects the Ultra Ball, and hopes the One is weak enough to be caught.
Waiting might make it thaw out.
The ball flies over to the One and closes it inside.
Wobble.
Wobble.
Wobble.
X
Within seconds, the One is in her PC box, where it will most likely spend the rest of its days.
After all, what use is a rare Pokémon after you catch it?
She smiles slightly and saves her progress.
She turns her Game Boy off, satisfied, and goes into her room.