From: Dryad48 <dryad48@aol.commoner> Subject: [PW!] Leaves of Depression Date: Sunday, September 26, 1999 4:25 PM "What's wrong with me?" Derrick asked Joy. He was sweating, his throat was hoarse, and he had a massive migrane. "Well, we took a blood test and found out something." ". . . What?" "You have a very rare disease caused by wild Queen Beedrill stings, it's suppossed to stop the function of all your body systems in a few days." ". . . . . ." Derrick remained silent, he was very tired. Then, Derrick closed his eyes for the longest time ever. Joy shook Derrick. "Wake up! Wake up!" The machine started beeping and showed a straight line. "Omigod!" She picked up the phone. "Icy!" Within a minute, Icy ran into the room with Nicky behind him. "What is it?" "He's . . . . . . . dead." [PW!] Leaves of Depression by Dryad48 Starring: Derrick and his pokemon Co-Staring: Icy and Sara Guest-Starring: Neo, Rigel, Nicky, and Joy Neo and Rigel stood outside, totally unaware of any of this. Rigel came up and asked, "Neo...where's Derrick?" Neo growled, "I guess he just went in the gym. Let's go, he'll catch up to us in Pewter." And so, Neo and Rigel headed out for Pewter City, unaware that a good friend lay on a cott, in medical care, in the pokecenter, beside the gym, motionless. And still, on the other side, Beedrill was healing up his wounds with Derrick's pokeballs by his side. They knew nothing of Derrick's fate either. Neo's Eevee and Scyther were already better and had left with the two unaware ones. "CLEAR!" The new doctor was trying to bring Derrick back. "It's no use!" Joy was nervous. "Right when you get back from Indigo Plateau, we have a death in our new pokecenter!" "And this definitely will not attract any trainers." Icy stared at the body now covered with a blanket. "He is a trainer, right?" Joy nodded slowly expecting the worst. Icy was about to speak, but Nicky interrupted. "Where are his pokemon?" Beedrill was already fast asleep in his cot. In the waiting room, where all worries become a sigh relief, or where weakened hopes are once again stabbed repeatedly with regret, all Derrick's pokemon were present. Paras was wandering across the room with a thousand worries rushing throughout his brain. Don't expect those worries to go away this time. Exeggcute was reading through a variety of magazines at warp speed. *Boring, boring, boring, boring, boring.* Butterfree and Venonat were playing a round of Go Fish. Butterfree was losing with no books while Venonat had six books and three Seadra cards. *Go fish,* Butterfree grinned. *Got what I wanted,* Venonat smiled back wryly showing the fourth Seadra card in his hand. *Eeeeee!* Butterfree slamed down his cards. *Only winners win.* Venonat reached his hand down to shuffle the cards, but a fifth Kingler slipped out. *Uh... teehee...* *Cheater!* Weepinbell and Gloom were sitting on opposite sides of the room immaturely making faces at each other. Weepinbell pulled his lips over the rest over his face, a moderately disgusting move. Gloom wasn't surprised by the attempt and she . . . . . . . smiled. *Gahhhhh! Gloom smiled!* Weepinbell nearly jumped out of his skin and jumped behind Exeggcute, who also turned away. *A smiling Gloom,* one said to the others. *Now THAT is scary.* Derrick's new rabid Caterpie was attempting to chew the metal off Magneton, who simly ignored it. It was meditating, or clearing it's thoughts. That would not be too hard, for a Magneton. Giving up, Caterpie started chewing the furniture. "Hey stop that!" the attendant scolded. Caterpie jumped onto her and started biting. "Ow! Eeeee! Aiiiii! Meeeh! Caheeeeh!" She reached for the stamp and hit Caterpie over the head leaving an "uninfected" mark on his forehead. These pokemon played around, joked around, expecting Derrick to walk through that door with a soothing smile on his face. Well, it's pretty hard to smile, when you are unconcious. Unconsious forever. -= Sara's Office in the Bug Gym=- Sara is filling out the latest forms that Pokemon League keeps sending to Icy, who is busy praising Buttercup. "What's this?" she opened up a letter. "Pokemon Resistance, another one from them?" She tore up the letter. "I don't think they understand why this is called a pokemon gym." Suddenly, Icy, Joy, and Nicky opened the door. "What is it? Icy, you look concerned." "Someone died in the pokecenter." "Someone. . . . . .died? Why did you come to me?" "We only know his name. His parents. . . don't live where the computer tells us." "And. . . ." "You're the best one who can explain to his pokemon." "You want ME to tell them their trainer is dead?" He nodded. She sighed. "I was afraid things would happen like this." They walked to the waiting room. -=Waiting Room in Pokecenter=- Paras edged to Exeggcute. The others were laughing and playing around. Caterpie was still attacking the attendant. "Damnit! I hate my job!" *What's happening? Why hasn't Derrick come out that door yet?* *I don't know,* Exeggcute answered, *but my mini premonitions tell me it aint good.* *What is a premonition?* *It's like seing the future. I can only sense it as an Exeggcute. Some Exeggutor, like other psychics, can actually see what will happen next.* *Oh." Paras turned away, then tilted back. *How often are you wrong?* He was hoping for "always." He didn't want his beloved friend to be hurt in anyway. Derrick was his first friend. *I'm not wrong too often, but we have the power of five, not six, so you never know..* Paras, felt a pain in his heart, then plopped his head onto a pillow sitting alone on the couch. *You keep using I,* Magneton pointed out. *I know, er. . . we know, it's a habit. Sometimes we feel like we're one instead of more.* "Stay back!" The attendant had her hand on the wall and a pen in the other. "I'm not afraid to use it!" *Click*Click* Caterpie was edging closer with drool oozing out it's mouth and eyes burning red. It charged at her, but the attendant jumped away just in time, landing in front of the door. The door opened. "What are you doing?" The attendant looked up to see Sara, Icy, Nicky, and Joy in a discouraging mood. Derrick wasn't standing with them. Gloom and Weepinbell stopped arguing. Paras lifted his head seeing no familiar faces and plopped to the floor, knees shaking, claws twitching, body shivering. The others, even Caterpie, drew their attention to the morbid figures. The room was quiet, deadly quiet. Sara took the attendant to the other end of the room and started whispering in her ear. While she was listening, the attendant, who's eyes widened and covered her mouth with her hands saddening and left the room. Paras sunk even lower than before. "Are you guys Derrick's pokemon?" Icy asked. They nodded slowly. Icy pushes Sara up. "Um." She spoke. "You see. . . . about Derrick. . . . he's. . . not awake. I. . . don't think. . . that. . .he. . . will . . .be . . .anytime soon." There is a commotion in the room as the pokemon start talking to each other. *What does he mean?* Venonat asked. Exeggcute glared. *Derrick is dead you doofus!* *WHAT!* They all shouted at once. *Noooooo!* -=We'll Be Back After These Messages=- AvanantMTG: Advertise Duct Tape! The all perpose tape! Agent O0O7: Psyduct Tape! AvanantMTG: Use it as a bandaid! TR SleepyAbra: Use it as a hair waxer thingy AvanantMTG: Use it to tie up un suspecting children at camps! TR SleepyAbra: Make sure your date NEVER leaves! SaiyaJin Tom: "Use it to kick ass and take names* SaiyaJin Tom: "turn your enemys into cheese and eat them!" TR SleepyAbra: Make a shiny suit made out of duct tape! TR SleepyAbra: Stylish! TR SleepyAbra: *buys duct tape* SaiyaJin Tom: *tapes sleepy's mouth shut with Duct tape* Male Gloom: She's perfect Female Gloom: He's gorgeous Male Gloom: She wants me Female Gloom: He likes to be touched Male Gloom: She Female Gloom: He Male Gloom: She's mine Female Gloom: He's mine --EmporioGloomArmani-- ::Destroyed buildings appear:: "ATR needs your help more than ever." "Call 1-800 ATR-LIFE" "Donate money we so desperately need." ::Close-up on the cute pitiful girl in ragged clothing:: "Or, call 1-800 ATR-JOIN" "Learn how you can become a member yourself" ::Raven, James, Saber, Sirius, and Gohan are shown:: (Need to advertise something in a slot? E-mail me) -=Now, Back to the Show=- *Impossible, how did it happen?* Weepinbell was confused. "Er, do you understand what they're saying?" "No." "Anyway, Derrick died of a disease from a deadly virus caused by wild Beedrill stings. We should prepare a burial tomorrow." Sara and the others walked back to the door. Sara stopped in her tracks, turned back slowly, and spoke. "I'm sorry. . ." All Derrick's pokemon start mourning. *He was OUR trainer, and a good trainer too...* *It's worse than you think,* Exeggcute said. *Huh?* He explained. *Now that Derrick is gone, we are no longer owned by anyone. We must roam free... I've been with Derrick for so long, I don't know if I can take the wild. And what if an idiot catches me?* *How do you think I feel?* Paras was back up in the corner of the room. Since the begining, he was cared for by Derrick, never worrying about being alone. Never worrying about losing friends. Never worrying about being without comfort. Without recognition. Without warmth. The blanket covering him has been taken away, shredded, and recycled into drapes shutting the sunlight away. Now what do they do? The pokemon: so pathetic without their master, I pity them already. They stayed awake that night, fearing death more than ever. They fear change. They fear everything. -=The Next Morning: In a Forest Clearing=- 'This week, everything has saddened,' Joy wrote in her journal. 'A trainer died of a disease, leaving his pokemon alone in this cold world, ATR is losing their power, and I look like all my other cousins and sisters.' Icy, Sara, and Nicky were standing next to her. They were far behind near the trees. Derrick's pokemon stood in front of the hole in the ground. The hole which contained a casket. A casket which contained Derrick. A man stood next to then reading the Holy Libel. *Derrick,* Magneton said. *Derrick,* Venonat proclaimed. *Derrick,* Exeggcute stated. *Derrick,* Gloom sighed. *Derrick,* Weepinbell mumbled. *Derrick,* Paras cried. Butterfree and Caterpie simply watched. They didn't know Derrick this much to feel this sad. *Please bring Derrick back Goddish. . .* The casket was burried completely. Losing all hope, they stood there. A dry leaf is seen fall of an old oak tree. *The last leaf falls.* Exeggcute stared at it. *Huh?* *These autumn leaves of depression, one by one they fall. One by one the hopes and dreams of Derrick hit the ground. One by one they get crushed, for they have already gone dry. The well to feed the source is no more, the season has changed, now everything will become cold and bitter.* The old leaf crushed as it hit the ground. -=In Derrick's Casket=- Derrick woke up and felt out of air. He reached out his arms, but they hit wooden walls. "Huh? Where am I?" It was pitch black. He started banging the inside of the casket crying from her. No one could hear him. No one. -=Outside in the Clearing=- The pokemon started heading back. Night was falling, they didn't want to get captured on their first night of freedom. *Let's go to the gym now. Maybe Icy will take us in.* Exeggcute headed back, but had a premonition. "Help me." *We've got to do something! We've got to dig up the casket!* *Why?* *Derrick's alive!* *What? How?* Paras was jumping with hope. *I don't know, he just is!* They started cheering and dancing around. *Wait,* Gloom paused. *We can't dig it up!* *Get the humans!* -=Half An Hour Later=- "Open the casket," Icy told the men. "You guys better be right." *Yeah,* they glared at Exeggcute. The casket opened and Derrick was unconsious. "Gaaah! He's still dead." everyone turned to Exeggcute. "Wait." Sara checked Derrick's pulse. "What is it?" Sara paused, then got up to her feet and turned around. "Derrick is alive." To Be Continued Today's Story Included Music From: Matchbox20: "I dreamed that the world was crumbling down, We sat on my back porch and watched it." A Poem Theme: I Won't Stay Long Leaves are falling and Something's calling me here. The state of depression that I'm walking in Got the impression that I won't stay here long. I know I am like this, But still I don't know what to do. The sky is darkening. I can feel it in the air. My heart is sinking. I know winter's on it's way. I know I am like this, But still I don't know what to do. I know I am like this, Oh sister show me what to do. I know there's a way to get this another day. When will I know if there's a way for me? I want to lie in the sand And have the sun shine on me. Is that way too much to ask? - Sixpence None The Richer _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ~Dryad48: Unknown AGNPer Weekly Quote: "You can tell by the kindness of a dog how a human should be." "Hide people from bad things, and you've made them weaker." -Me