I lay on the ground, or was I? Darkness seemed to surround me, like a blindfold covering my eyes. I could not feel pain. I could not feel my senses. I could not even tell if I was even alive. It was an odd feeling, this darkness. I did not have to breath- I felt I was already breathing, and living. But at the same time, I felt lonely, and sad. Like a wave of emotion had swept me away, and I was now in its clutches. I could not move- there was nowhere to go- I had no feet. I could not move my arms, or blink my eyes. I was not there. All that there was was an emotion. I had become an emotion, and it had engulfed me. All I thought was of sorrow- loneliness. No thought, other than that. Where was I? It seemed so familiar, and yet so undiscovered. So near, yet so far away... Could I be dead? Was I in Heaven, or Hell? Where was Light? Or Darkness? Where was Void? I was in-between- the space that holds one's mind together; the sanity of my own self. I was in my own brain. If anything, nothing. If nothing, still nothing. Only loneliness and sadness was all there was. Change. A new feeling. New idea. More. More means to add on. What's adding on? Question of thought. I could now ask and reply. I asked, with this new ability, a thought, Where am I? Alone. Where? In Sadness. Why? You are here. For what reason? It has become. Can I leave? Change. A new feeling. New idea. Decision. Decision means to 'make it be.' To make into a fact. Or lie. Or truth. Or theory. Or myth. Yes. How? I don't know. Why? I don't know. Will you know? Will YOU know. Change. A new feeling. New idea. Senses. Senses means to 'feel by body.' What is this feeling? What is happening to me? Pain. What is Pain? Change. A new feeling. New idea. Description of mind and body. I could now describe. A wave of unright hit me- I felt a wrong feeling. Not right. It cannot be this way. It continues. It wants to be this way. Change. A new feeling. New idea. Opinion. I was now seeing things from other's perspectives. It wanted to be the way it was. It was doing what it thought was right. I didn't want it to be that way. Change. A new feeling. New idea. Action. I could now move. I could now react. I could prevent and allow. I had a new feeling. This feeling grew. More I felt it. Soon, I developed Personality. I could think what I wanted to. Do what I wanted to. Move, think, act... Freedom of what I could do, and restriction from what I could not. A new change happened- Change. I could make something different from what it was. Now I had another new feeling. Consciensness... x x x Ben...? Ben...? Ben...? Ben! Get up, Ben! Feel better? Wake up, Ben! Wake up, Ben! Get up, Ben! Get up, Ben! Wake up... Get up... Feel better... "Ben!" Poof. My eyes opened. Before me hovered Mew, who was watching me through scared blue eyes. I cringed, breathing in with a whispering sound. Mew gasped, and held my face, "No-no no! Don't do it again! I won't be able to bring you back if you do it again!" "What do you mean...?" I asked, my voice the driest I ever felt. Mew gasped again, then made a glass of water appear, "Don't speak! Just let me help you drink this! Drink!" I didn't move, and allowed the cold water in the glass container to slip into my mouth. Still half-existing, I coughed, Mew withdrawing the glass, "Don't let it slide down your throat! Drink it before you hurt yourself!" Trying again, I drank the water, a sudden feeling soothing my throat. I felt the desire for more. "...More..." I rasped. Mew quickly refilled the glass in a Psychic moment, returning it to my lips. We performed this many times, while I regained consciousness. Soon I became aware of where I was. I was still in the field Carman attacked me at. A sudden memory of the attack hurt my skull, and I cringed again. "Don't do it!" She said. "Don't let pain happen! You're still recovering from the attack!" "Mew... What happened...?" I asked. "It's too complicated for you to understand right now. Just lay there and try to recover!" Recover...? Complicated...? Understand...? What were these trivial words meaning? And why should I not think of what happened when... I stopped- the pain returning again. I lay there, staring up at a black sky- colourless, with no stars. Just Mew and me. Just me and Mew... It took me what seemed like forever, until I finally began to 'understand.' This feeling of 'complicated' and 'recover' began to make sense. I finally regained consciousness! Immediately, I sat up. Mew jumped back, surprised, "What are you doing!?" She said. "I feel better now." I said. "Tell me what happened." Mew hovered there for a while, then finally began to speak to me. "You're alright." She said. "Carman scorched you from head to foot. There was next to no chance of survival. I thought you were dead. No heartbeat. No pulse. No breathing. You just sat there for almost half an hour!" "Then... What just happened was...?" Mew nodded solemnly, "You were dead. The only thing that brought you back was yourself. The determination that existed in your soul, and the curiosity to know the 'why's are why you are here right now." I gulped, looking over at the grass next to me. I began to scratch my neck, when I stopped before I touched it. I looked up at Mew, "Mew? Do I even have any skin left on my face?" Mew's face saddened, and she sighed, "I'm doing the best I can to keep you alive right now. Any sudden changes I do may kill you." "What about Carman? And Penny? And Ellis?" Mew closed her eyes gently, "They're fine. I took them to a place down the hill where they will be sheltered from the rain." I then realized that it was raining around me, and blinked- the sky now dark, but not black, and Mew barely visible to me. "Whoa..." I said, "Everything's becoming all dark...!" "Ben...!" Mew called. "I'm alright." I said. "I just realized it was dark out, and that it was raining. I couldn't see the sky for a moment... You were also as clear as day!" Mew's eyes widened, "Such strange human activity!" I smiled, "I'm alright, though... This darkness is at least a darkness I know will go away when the sun rises!" Mew giggled, "You got that right!" x x x I soon had regained full consciousness, and felt strong enough for Mew to undergo the procedure. I had regained all train of thought, and felt strong enough to survive anything Mew was going to do. "I'm going to use a technique I've never used before." Mew said, rubbing her arms anxiously, "It's a technique that is suppose to have a miraculous effect, and should work on humans, since it does on Pokémon." I blinked, "Really? So, what happens if it doesn't work?" Mew kept silent, then quickly shouted, "Heal Bell!" The sound of a bell's clear ringing tone reached my ears, despite my surprise to her reaction. The song seemed familiar, and soothing... As I listened, I felt my body grow lighter, like I was back in the... I seemed a bit faint, but tried to keep my eyes open. A glow appeared in front of me, like a light. I warned myself not to look into it for too long, a memory that light in one's eyes before death is usually a sign of dying. But the light took shape, and became a living creature. I couldn't really tell what it was, but it was shining in front of me. It opened its eyes, I could tell, and waved a shining sparkling wave, which felt serene and comforting. I felt the painful parts of my body disperse, and remove themselves, and my hair feeling as long and wavy as it had been. I was cured! The light faded away, and I felt myself. My arms were still thin and the healthy colour that they normally were, my hair was thick and a bit long, my clothes were still a bit burnt smelling, but were repaired. For the most part. . . I stared at all this in disbelieve, then looked up to Mew, who smiled through slightly opened eyes, "Welcome back, Ben." I smiled, "Great to have you as a friend, Mew!" From behind Mew, the sounds of other voices became audible, and I saw three familiar faces approach me- a Pikachu, an Eevee, and a Charizard! The Eevee, Ellis, was the first to speak. She gasped, then ran to my side, calling out loudly, "Be~eeeeeeeeen!!" I couldn't help but to smile and laugh as Ellis threw herself into my lap, her paws tightly around my neck, "Ellis!" "Oh Ben...!" Ellis said in a sad tone, "I thought they said you were dead! I didn't want you to die, and I was so scared, and that I'd never see you again, and that-" "It's alright now, Ellis..." I said in an exhausted tone, stroking her soft brown head, "I'm okay, and there's nothing to worry about." Looking up, I saw Penny and Carman standing by me. Penny smiled, then stepped to my side and hugged my hand. Mew hovered over to me, and lowered herself to my ear, and whispered in a voice that all could hear, "I think it's time for an apology..." I gasped- she was right! I looked up at Carman, who stood there for a moment, emotionless. I gently picked up Penny and Ellis, then walked up to Carman with Mew hovering next to me. With room in my left arm, I was able to hold out my right hand. "Friends?" Carman looked at me, then Penny, Ellis, and Mew, then smiled and blinked, showing an emotion. She gripped my hand in a powerful handshake, and nodded, "Friends... Brother..."