THE TERROR OF DEATH (OR “LOST MAIDEN") This story starts when I was 7 years old. The year I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I went to a summer camp and, like always, made a friend that only kept for the week of that camp. At this point I don’t even remember that friend’s name, but I do remember that, like with every boy I met at that point in time, they had challenged me. Growing up I was what you might call a “Poke-maniac". I knew anything and everything about Pokémon, but because I was a little girl, many folks tended to challenge me to something Pokémon related (usually a quiz) because they didn’t believe a kid like me could know so much. I had beaten this guy’s challenge, and he told me some interesting info. He described a strange and distorted Pokémon he found while surfing in his Pokémon Blue. He said that when he got to his PC box after catching it, none of his Pokémon was there and all it said was “master ball 1200". Fear of this “weird Pokémon" which due to a bad memory I thought was called “MissingGU" scared me away from my Yellow version for about a month. Yeah I was a jumpy 7-year-old. Now the funny thing about this Yellow version was how much it meant to me. It was my Pokémon game which I got when I was 4, along with a special edition GBC, the one with Pikachu, Jigglypuff, and Togepi on it. My dad brought it home from his work, saying it had been in the lost and found for a month and he had been playing it. Even when I couldn’t read, I pushed through playing the game. My friends never stayed more than a year, and I didn’t quite get how video games worked (I didn’t know I could buy new ones) so I just kept playing that one game. Eventually in it, after level grinding my Nidoran male (I didn’t know they could learn new moves levelling up either) to learn double kick, I challenged Brock and finally won. That Nidoran male became head of my team, and a legend to me. I nicknamed him “Champ" for obvious reasons, and he soon became a Nidoking. Nidoking’s cry became something of a sign of victory to me, and I always hesitated (even years after that) in taking out a nidoking in battle. Unfortunately I restarted my game (file ide had since age 4, named “ERYNN*female sign*") when I was 9, and lost the only friend I had that was constant. So anyways, fast forward to age 10 (I am probably boring you with all these details, please bear with me, it gets better) I was sick. No really. My bipolar was at its most unstable point; I couldn’t socialize properly, and was sent to a new school where supposedly they could help me. I felt alone. None of the kids my age wanted to hang out with me, saying I was a childish freak who only cared about Pokémon. I was depressed (but couldn’t see it since I was mood-swinging to manic every 3 seconds) and needed something to help me pull through. I don’t know what made me think of it, I really don’t, but one day during my computer free time I decided to Google that strange thing from 3 years ago: MissingGU. Of course “MissingNo" came up on the “did you mean….?" So I knew its name. I came up with lots and lots of information on it and was a bit happier. I loved the idea of the “Beta Test Glitch". MissingNo, in a way, reminded me of myself: we both couldn’t control what we did, him and his glitching, me and my mood swings, were both scrapped from somewhere, and both taken advantage of a lot. Eventually I got to the point in my Red version where I could catch one, and was overjoyed. I remember giggling a little deciding to pay homage to .hack and “MissingGU" (like //GU, get it?) nickname my MissingNo “Haseo". My parents eventually banned me from researching glitches, saying I was obsessed, but I still had a little plush of MissingNo’s ghost form that I had made, and still had Haseo on my Red version file. Fast forward again 4 years, to present day. I’m a lot more social now, and have some good friends who I hang out with all the time and don’t take advantage of me (unless the need some Pokémon or gaming know-how, that is). I also moved past Pokémon and love all Nintendo games now, Pokémon still being one of my absolute faves (but my all-time fave will always be Super Paper Mario). I had gotten my heart gold version on release, starting with a Cyndaquil named Cappie and loved the game. A spectacular remake, but I’m not here to advertise a game. I had beaten all the Jhoto Gyms ahead of most of my friends. I was in Kanto, and had FINALLY gotten to Cinnabar Island when it happened. I have never gotten this far in a generation 2 or generation 2 remake, so bear with me that I didn’t know that Cinnabar wasn’t supposed to be like in generation 1. In the old cinnabar, I decided to walk into pokemon mansion, and was strangely greeted by a girl who looked to be Green (Blue in Japan) from the Pokemon Adventures manga. I figured it was part of the game, until she started talking. The text box said: Haseo: oh, ERYNN*female sign, gonna leave it out from now on* your finally here! I’ve been waiting for you for 4 years! I stared stunned at the screen Haseo: huh? The DS has a microphone you know, one of the great add-ons since the days of game boy color. Or is that “Colour" since you’re Canadian? Never mind, just say something into the mic. I wasn’t sure quite what was going on, but responded with: “you have got to be kidding." I was referring to what I thought was an add-on of having voice conversations. Haseo: your voice is much more mature now! And no, I’m not kidding. Why would I be? The sprite of Green (or Haseo) walked over to my character. Suddenly, the screen went black for a second then came back in a 3D image, like the Ho-Oh in the opening sequence. It showed Green, smiling it me. But there was something different about her. For one, her hair (which was very messy) had a white stripe in its bangs, and her eyes were two different colors: one dull orange, the other pastel purple. Her dress was still simple and black, but it was now torn in some places. Pixels coloured orange and purple came up around her, like the ones that randomly rise from the ground in the Twilight Realm, in Zelda. I could see the background of a dimly-lit Pokémon mansion. Haseo: did you miss me? I stammered, and suddenly realized something: this wasn’t supposed to happen. As crazy as it seems, I was living a Creepy Pasta. I kind of was even more excited here. I’m not really the type of person to be SCARED of a Green-lookalike named Haseo who happens to be one of my old Pokémon. I didn’t question it, and answered her “um… yes?" I said hopefully, wrapped up in the moment. Haseo looked upset Haseo: you don’t seem to sure….. I’ll have to make you sure. With that, the 3D avatar of Haseo snapped her fingers, and a creepy smile appeared on her face, like the one her sprite as the ghost form. I knew something bad was coming, Things seemed to dim in real life and the game, and then I was looking through my characters eyes instead of my own. Haseo looked normal again, and lead me up the stairs to a room where many pokemon lay injured and restrained. Haseo: I had to remove many obstacles to get to you. She gestured around the room, where many of my old Pokémon from deleted files were in cages or chained down. My old Swampert from Pokémon Saphire, Silver, lay in a cage devoid of enough water to live but still hanging on. Near him were cages that held a scrawny, sick Mightyena and a praying but battered Gardevoir from the same file. A tank with an infinite amount of Magikarp, most belly-up, was in one corner. A variety of disfigured pokemon huddled in one large cage, and the fact that they all had a mark on them somewhere that said “AR" tipped me off that they were my hacks. 3 pikachu’s, a raichu, and who knows many pichu’s were all together in a cage on top of Silver’s. An infernape lay motionless, chained to the floor. The rest I don’t feel like stating, they were too gruesome to describe. Except one. In the middle of the floor, was a Nidoking, bruised, beat, and chained down, but still fighting. It was Champ. Haseo walked over to him and leaned on him, a self-satisfied smirk on her face. Haseo: this one put up the most fight, but I eventually beat him. I stared at her, stunned and no longer giddy at the idea with being in a creepy pasta. “Why are you doing this?!" I had yelled Haseo: why? Well so I can prove that I am the strongest and the best, and the only one suited to serving you. I didn’t know how to respond at this point, but then I said “but MissingNo, you were my favourite anyways. You and Champ are perfectly equal; all of these Pokémon are perfectly equal!" She glared at me in response and yelled Haseo: I AM NO LONGER SOME MISSING NUMBER IN THE CODING! I am Haseo, The Maiden of Cinnabar! I restored your favourite area for you, I comforted you, I was your best friend for how long!? And you repay me by leaving me for some MONSTER LIKE THIS!? I noticed Haseo’s short temper quickly. Her stability emotionally seemed to be equal to me when I first “met" her. After this, things get hazy. I remember seeing Haseo standing there, seething at me and me saying “it isn’t right to do this". At that pointed she went nuts. Her human form was replaced with that of an odd Unown that I won’t bother describing but will add a picture of soon. A barrage of water gun and energy from a sky attack charge destroyed the chains on Champ, revealing him to get up and glare at the tiny Unown. I remember this text appearing Haseo: if you won’t let me serve you, then no one can! Haseo used self-destruct! I remember thinking “this isn’t happening" and seeing Champ protect a Pikachu (probably my one from yellow) I remember feeling like I was IN THE GAME and running forwards to grab hold of Champ. I wanted him and all the other Pokémon to be ok. I remember a flash, and then waking up in my bed with my mom looking over me. She asked me what had happened, and all I said was “a lost maiden felt like she needed me, was willing to risk everything to be with me." My mom frowned and I laughed saying it was a joke from a fanfiction of mine, and maybe I will write a fanfic about Haseo and Champ one day. After that experience I stayed away from pokemon for a while, scared to see what Haseo would do next. Until one day months later when the gamers club at my school announced a pokemon tournament. I jumped at the chance to participate, and immediately got out my DS when I got home that night. I popped in my Heart Gold version, and it was normal until I actually started the game. A 3D cutscene played the first thing I noticed was Cappie, my Typhlosion, pinned down with chains, bruised and beat. Haseo’s “Green" form stepped onto the screen. Haseo: I am the strongest, and the only one fit to serve you. If I can’t be by your side, no one can. I leave the rest…. Up to your imagination. hAsEo WaS hErE….. sHe WaNtS yOu To StAy…….. FoReVeR. ~Typhlosion
Posted on: Fri, 12 Jul 2013 17:31:46 +0000