(Masterpiece) [Pocket Ghost Stories] Blood Red Flame

Dedicated solely to everyone who loves Pokémon\ Red, Blue, Yellow, Silver, Gold, Crystal, Ruby, Sapphire, FireRed, LeafGreen, Emerald, Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, SoulSilver — up to now, these are the versions that have been released in the Pokémon series. Like most players, you are most likely the type who switches from the old versions to the new. But do you still remember your first game? To put it nicely, do you remember the Pokémon you once had on your team? Do you remember what names you gave them? How much care you put into them? Don't remember? I guess you just forgot. Do you remember? When new things come out, it's normal for people to abandon the old things they once worked hard for. But abandonment is one thing, forgetting is another. Just like a person, if there are still people who remember them, they have not truly 'died'.\ These questions are enough. I am ready to tell you a story, a story that happened to me not long ago. At that time, I was sorting through the miscellaneous items in my room, throwing away old things to make space for new ones. I didn't intend to clean too thoroughly; every time I tidy up, I get distracted by the little things I occasionally find. That day was one of those days. I had just taken a box of LEGO bricks out of the closet when I suddenly saw a Pokémon Red cartridge lying next to my Game Boy Pocket.\ I quickly tidied up the pile, jumped onto my bed, and inserted the cartridge into the device. The game started normally, showing a battle between Gengar and Nidorino. Seeing that there were no save files, I quickly selected 'New Game'. Before entering the protagonist's room, I named the protagonist Herodude and my rival Assclown. Everything seemed pretty normal. I walked downstairs, talked to my mom, walked outside, and stepped into the grass. Then suddenly, the screen went white.\ Frustrated, I pressed the reset button. This time the game started at Professor Oak's lab, but there was no one in front of the lab. I walked to the back of the lab and saw that Professor Oak was also gone, and on the table where you choose your starter Pokémon, there was only a single ball. Confused and curious, I walked over and picked it up. A dialogue box appeared, saying, 'You picked up a letter.'\ I opened the item window and selected the letter. Another dialogue box popped up, continuously expanding and filling the screen.A few seconds later, the screen went blank. I pressed the B button, but the dialogue box didn't disappear. Annoyed, I pressed restart again, but this time I felt something prick my thumb, which made me shockingly throw the game console. My thumb started bleeding quickly, and a few drops fell to the floor. I hurriedly wrapped my thumb in old clothes and rushed to the bathroom to find the first aid kit. After bandaging it, I returned to the room, picked up the game console, wanting to see what had stabbed me. That's when I saw blood on the screen. To my astonishment, the blood seeped into the screen, and a line of text slowly appeared. \ Seeing this line, my spine chilled. I was confused, with a slight fear, yet I continued playing the game. I pressed the A button several times, but nothing happened. Suddenly, I thought of something, carefully peeled off the band-aid, and let a few drops of blood fall onto the screen. The blood gradually seeped in, and more text appeared. \……\ I fight for you……\……\ Why did you leave me?\……\ I followed you without complaint……\……\ Why did you abandon me?\……\ I tried my best. Why am I still not good enough?\……\ Why would you forget me!!!!!!\ The screen went black. When the screen lit up again, I was at the Pokémon Center before the Elite Four. Everything was back to normal, but there was no one around. \ Something seemed to be bothering me. This isn't right; the game shouldn't be like this. But I continued anyway, after all, it was just a game. I entered the first room, where the place for the first Elite member had only a sign. I walked up to inspect it, and the screen turned white. After a few seconds, nothing happened. I knew what to do. \ I placed my thumb on the screen, pressed it with the other hand, and a few drops of blood flowed onto the screen. The text appeared again. \ Do you remember what it was like back then?\……\ We were so happy then.\……\ Was it only you and me then?\……\ Of course not, you wouldn't think so.\……\ But I did. \ When I entered the second room, the text disappeared, but it was deeply etched in my mind. \ The second room was like the first, only with some dark mist heavily covering the floor. I stepped forward. I was sure that as I went to inspect the second sign, the smoke slowly crawled out from the screen, spreading into the room, enveloping me.Just like before, the sign was still blank. I pressed my thumb on the screen, letting blood seep in. As soon as the words appeared, I immediately removed my thumb.\I thought you were my friend,\……\I thought we were friends,\……\I thought you cared about me.\……\I once loved you.\The third room was engulfed in thick black fog. When I read the words on the sign, I felt like I was suffocating from the black fog.\I did everything to make you happy,\……\I traveled long distances,\……\crossed the ocean,\……\climbed over mountains,\……\I did all the things I could think of……\……\I did these things, all for you……\But you didn't care about me. You never cared about me!!!!!!\When I walked into the fourth room, I was already covered in sweat. The room was pitch black, and it was almost impossible to see what was on the sign.\Do you remember this place?\……\This is where you left me.\……\Remember now?\……\After I did those things for you, how you abandoned me, do you remember?\--(These words were already hard to distinguish)\When I saw my name appear in bright red on the screen, my hands trembled uncontrollably. I felt like my body was on fire as I entered the last room. The screen lit up, flashing like a strobe light; flames spread throughout the room. The corpses of the Four Heavenly Kings lay in the center, and my rival was burning, bleeding. A figure emerged from the fire and walked toward me. It was a Charizard.\Another dialogue box appeared.\I did it, I did this for you. I helped you kill them all.\……\Are you happy with me now?\……\Can we still be friends?\……\No, I think we can't. Not because I did something wrong or acted petty… but because what you did is unforgivable.\……\You forgot me……\……\Do you want to know what it feels like to be forgotten?\……\To know the feeling of being alone, always alone?\……\Do you want to know what it's like to be forgotten?\……\I feel like you don't want this……\……\But you will be forgotten……\Because it's your turn this time!!!!!!\I screamed and smashed the game console against the wall, shattering it into pieces, rolled off the bed, and rushed straight to the front door.\A man wearing a yellow jacket opened the door.I jumped back in panic and fell to the ground. He slowly walked in, his eyes scanning the room back and forth. "OK, it seems everyone in this room has escaped in time," the firefighter said as he walked out.\I sat there, staring blankly as his figure gradually disappeared.\It has been four weeks since that incident, or at least that long. I have no way of knowing the time. Since that day, I haven't seen anyone. When I tried to leave the room to look for others, I couldn't get out the door. It felt like something invisible was stopping me. But now, I feel that going out doesn't really matter.\Over these past weeks, I remembered who that Charizard was. His name was Firebolt, the first Pokémon I had when I played Pokémon for the first time at six years old. I was very excited at the time; before I even got back to the car, I chose a little Charmander. I named him Firebolt and began the journey. Firebolt was my main Pokémon, my only Pokémon. I gave him all the rare candies I could find along the way and swept through all the gyms without any surprises.\But I remember my winning streak stopped in front of the Elite Four. That was when I realized there was a level cap of 100. I was a stubborn kid, thinking all that training and time was meaningless. I blamed Firebolt and decided to restart the game, choosing Bulbasaur instead. The game wouldn't let me overwrite the old save. I angrily and frustratedly went with my mother to the place where we had bought the card. The shop owner asked if I had tried catching MissingNo or something else.\After answering his question, he took the game and exchanged it for a new Yellow version cartridge. I had been looking forward to this, so I accepted. From then on, I kept switching game versions. From Yellow to Gold, then to Ruby, and finally SoulSilver. Just like all my Pokémon, I quickly forgot Firebolt.\But you don't just forget something; you don't make it disappear... Firebolt didn't want to be forgotten, just like all of us.\So now I sit alone in my room...\I have been forgotten...\Do you want to know what it feels like to be completely forgotten?\Well, I know now...\But don't be sad...\Because, one day, you will feel this too...