Diamond-Dust

My name is Victoria. Age 22. I've never been one to believe in spirits, specters, or anything of the sort. People who die just leave, right? Never heard from again. Not to say I haven’t had my share of supposed “supernatural” occurrences. Sometimes I even question if it was real at all. Even though on the inside I know it was. Every cold winter day is a constant reminder. And to tell the truth, maybe I don’t want to forget.

It was only about a month after she passed. Looking over at the unoccupied DS lite on the other side of the bed was still unsettling. Waking up to a tear stained pillow wasn't good at all either. The funeral’s been delayed for quite a while due to heavy snowfall. Something any normal Floridian isn't used to. Still, after all the delays, today seemed better to hold the Funeral. I opened up my DS and loaded Pokemon Platinum. I was half way to Snowpoint city, trudging through the snow. Snow, snow, snow. Seemed like my entire life had been ruled by it for a while. One look at my party brought up heartache.

There sat the only Pokemon in the party. Sherbelle, a level 46 Glaceon that she’d given me before her passing. It was her favorite Pokemon, and admittedly mine as well. I took a look at the Summary. I laughed slightly when I saw the nature was Impish. It was exactly like her. Characteristic was “Scatters things often”. A mistranslation that was later changed to “Often dozes off” which was more like her. I rubbed tears from my eyes and shut the DS. I had to get up to go to the funeral.

Later on, I ended up at the viewing, holding back tears as I looked down at her face, lips stained red, and hair the framed her face, hands folded like normal. I pulled her favorite Pokemon plush out of my pocket and rested it in one of her hands (a Glaceon), a silly, yet personal request of hers. She’d had cancer for a while now before her passing, going through treatment after painful treatment, yet somehow holding that smile to her face. During her time in the hospital, we’d always play Pokemon together, her always getting the game opposite of mine, other than platinum, which we both got.

Glaceon; The Fresh Snow Pokemon. By controlling its body heat, it can freeze the atmosphere around it to make a diamond-dust flurry. I still remember the magical smile on her face when she read that Pokedex entry, mystified by thought of such an enormous feat. She always wanted to see snow, having never seen it, being a citizen of Florida all her life, and never having the money to travel. I promised that we'd go up north to see snow once I saved the money... but she passed before I could save enough...

About a week after her passing, it started snowing en masse, adding insult to a never healing injury. I collapsed on my couch after the funeral and grabbed my DS. I felt unsatisfied with Sherbelle just being in the party and wanted to interact with the Pokemon more. I grabbed her DS and loaded Pokemon Soul Silver, and initiated a trade with Platinum. I traded Sherbelle into Soul Silver in exchange for a random Starly.

I traveled out of the Pokemon center I'd started out in and was surprised to find myself at the base of mount silver. I switched around my party so that the Glaceon was the partner that walks around with the trainer in the overworld. I turned around to interact with it. An Ellipses appeared over her head, followed by the dialogue "Your Pokemon is staring intently at the mountain peak" I laughed. She was way under leveled to even hope for facing and beating Red. I decided to FLY to Goldenrod city to give Sherbelle a haircut to raise her happiness. Fortunately, it was the more experienced of the barbers there, and money to spare.

I consulted Sherbelle again. The ellipsis appeared over her head again, followed by "Sherbelle is blankly staring in this direction..." "Want to Call out it's name?" I chose "Yes" What followed wasn't natural. Normally, the option for yes was followed by "Your Pokemon seems so happy!" But the dialogue box showed "Sherbelle has a concerned look on her face". I scratched my chin, confused by the dialogue I'd been presented. I shrugged it off, still worried though.

I started walking around the region randomly, just enjoying having the remnant of her in tow. Though, no matter where I walked with her, she still responded with ellipsis, and some form of spacing out, or not paying attention. As if She was thinking about something. I glanced at the clock, and realized it was getting late. I shut the DS and laid it back on her night stand.

I slept fine, though from what I remember of the dreams, I did dream of her, as I did frequently after her passing.

I awoke with a jolt late into the night as I heard something fall in the room. I turned on the lamp next to me, and was shocked to see a Glaceon plush, sitting there in the dim lighting of the lamp. The very same doll I thought I'd placed in the stiff, cold hands of my loved one before she'd been buried. I glanced down and saw to my surprise, the DS lite on the floor next to the night stand, as if it had been pushed off by the plush.

I picked up the DS and to my surprise, the DS was on. Flipping the lid open, I was taken aback, as I was once again at the foot of Mt. Silver, directly in front of the entrance, Sherbelle right behind me. I turned to consult Glaceon once more, met with the dialogue "Sherbelle nodded slowly". Dialogue that was normally given when in the presence of an Elite Four member.

I decided to take her through Mount Silver, but decided to switch the partner, so she wouldn't be hurt by the higher level Pokemon inside. I opened up the party menu, but was shocked to see it completely empty. I bit my lip, growing more concerned by the second. I rushed to the nearby Pokemon center. Upon entering the center, it was completely empty, even the staff, like Nurse Joy were completely gone. The only ones there were me and Glaceon.

I opened up the PC and selected move Pokemon, only to be met with empty boxes. Every single pokemon was gone! Released! This being on her file, which before had contained many, many Pokemon. All gone. I was more creeped out than before, now. Leaving the Pokemon center, I was stunned to see the base of the mountain covered in a thick layer of snow!

I must have been crazy, because at that point I started to feel cold myself. I covered myself more with the blanket and made my way to the entrance of Mount Silver, Sherbelle tagging along at my heels. Upon entering the cave, I noticed that instead of the normal splash screen of mount silver it showed before entering the cave, an image of a solemn Glaceon was placed there instead, along with text that read "YOU LIED" in place of the text that normally read "Mount Silver". It's face showed pain, and tears lined it's eyes. As the picture faded, her DS started to feel cold in my hands. This was getting ridiculous.

Mount Silver Cave had been changed dramatically. The lake that was normally to the left when entering the cave was completely frozen solid. The Rock Climb wall was replaced with a stair well, allowing easy access to higher areas. But the most drastic change was the Pokemon frozen in tall crystals of ice. I went up to one and pressed "A". A dialogue box opened up that said "An URSARING is inside a block of ice. It's face is contorted in fear" I could feel my eyes widen more and more.

I muttered under my breath "Did Sherbelle do all this...?" The DS screens began to gather frost on the corners. It got colder in the room, and I could see my breath now. We continued on, climbing higher and higher in the mountain. Once we reached the exterior, I noticed something strange about Sherbelle. Her overworld sprite began to darken. I consulted her again. "Sherbelle is making a face like it's angry!"

I could feel an aura of menace in the room now, all emanating from the DS in my hands. Every time we advanced to a new area, Sherbelle's overworld sprite got darker and darker, and we passed by more and more frozen Pokemon, eventually even passing by Moltres, firmly sealed in a prison of chilled hatred.

At last we reached the peak. Normally there was a heavy blizzard, but now there was nothing... not a single flake of snow. Sherbelle was completely black. I consulted her again and was met with the dialogue "..."

What happened next was unexpected. Sherbelle walked in front of my character, and started to lead me towards where Red normally was. But Red wasn't there. Standing in his place was a girl. A girl with chestnut hair that looked familiar to me. A splash screen popped up when Sherbelle stopped moving. It was her. The girl that I loved so much. Her name was Jenny. I started to choke up when I saw her face. Where her beautiful brown eyes were, was replaced with holes, black as night, and her mouth was sewn shut.

Her sprite turned to face me, and Sherbelle went to her side. To my surprise, the screen flashed as battle was initiated. The theme was Red's, just like it normally played in this area. Her trainer sprite entered from the left, and she was wearing the same dress she was buried in, a small plush in her left hand. Text appeared that read "DECEASED JENNY would like to battle." She sent out Sherbelle as her Pokemon, her sprite black as night. Sherbelle's cry was absent, instead replaced with a garbled mess of a sound.

I had no Pokemon however, so my trainer sprite stayed, there to face the music. However, nothing happened. The Glaceon just stood there, staring me down. Text appeared once again "Why did you lie?" I was taken aback. I felt foolish, but I said "I... I didn't make it... you were taken from me too quickly". The DS screen froze more, and my hands started to freeze the system, preventing me from letting go of the system.

Text appeared that said "It started to Hail" As expected, hail started raining down from the top of the screen. "TRAINER used Struggle!" appeared "TRAINER took recoil damage!" Instantly, pain surged through my body, causing me to choke. The pain however quickly subsided, and I directed my attention to the DS again as horrifying words appeared. "The Foe's Sherbelle used BLIZZARD".

As soon as the words appeared, I could hear wind howling on the outside of my house. My windows were freezing over, and I felt colder and colder. The DS screen froze over completely, yet it was still translucent, and I watched, horrified as the splash screen of her flashed on the top screen, with the Solemn Sherbelle on the bottom. I screamed at the top of my lungs "I'm sorry! I never wanted to hurt you! I... I..."

I was losing all feeling in my neck. I couldn't look away from the screen. I couldn't feel my cheeks, but I knew tears were streaming down them. "I love you!" At that point, I lost consciousness.

When I awoke, I was met with a warm feeling. Light was streaming through the windows of my room. The Glaceon doll was nowhere to be found. I quickly opened the DS, which miraculously hadn't a scratch or freeze to be seen. I was surprised to find myself in the characters room, Glaceon right behind me. I hesitated for a second before consulting her.

A heart appeared above her head, and dialogue that said "Sherbelle looked up at you with loving eyes". After a pause, I smiled. As I was about to close the lid, I was taken aback by the words scratched into the back.

The words "Sorry" were etched into the back of the DS.

Even now, I still have that Glaceon. She doesn't seem to want to go on past Soul Silver. I guess she likes walking with me too much. Every now and then, I find myself touring Sherbelle through Kanto and Johto again and again. And it hasn't snowed since all this. Not a single flake. But I do have a flight booked for Canada.

I'm hoping to see Diamond-Dust flurries, and I'm taking my DS with me. Maybe She'll see.