Pikachu's Scream

I've played Pokémon all through my childhood, and still do today. It's like a trait that carries with you for years, always sticking with you. I don't have my old Blue cartridge today, I lost it 3 years ago during a yearly spring cleaning. I have started to miss it, though. I had multiple Pokémon on it when I was a kid, good times.

But, earlier this morning, I found a cartridge of Pokémon Yellow at a flea market from an old Asian man. He was vending old and rare games from the 80's and late 90's. I saw lots of interesting Game Boy cartridges, mostly. Super Mario Land 2, Tetris, Dr. Mario, Link's Awakening, and even Killer Instinct. But something he had, was just very peculiar, just sitting on the shelf behind him. It looked familiar, so I asked if I could take a look at it. He suddenly looked somewhat frightened, and he quickly gave the cartridge to me.

I wasn't sure what it was about the game that startled him.

He just said "That one...? Alright... but you should never play it...

"I-it-it should never be released into the world."

And told me I could take it for free.

I've read tons of Creepypastas before, and this seemed like some cliche of sorts.

I was aware that he was probably bullshitting me, it can't be actually true.

But I was wrong.

I got home at about 12:45, and I immediately popped the cartridge in and started playing.

(I named my rival penis, we all did, then and now.)

As soon as I walked into the grass, Oak told me the same thing I remember.

"Not to go out without a Pokemon," blah blah.

I never actually knew it would show a battle scene, and a wild Pikachu came out.

Nothing out of the ordinary.

Well, except for the fact that I never saw it before in the first game, I had blue, as previously stated.

A few points of damage were exchanged, and all of the sudden, the music started missing a verse in the background.

(Strange, maybe the game was getting corrupted?)

Ignoring the glitch, I went on, and it later went away when I got the Pikachu. (What the hell was I thinking?)

2 hours later, I got the first Gym Badge and went on.

I looked to see how Pikachu was doing, and he seemed... Strange.

It was an expression not in the game's files, a face of legitimate sadness... not unhappiness, but... actual depression.

It made a gut-wrenching scream, and the game crashed.

I know the scream could be a glitch, but the first part was... unexplainable.

I was frightened by what happened.

It gave me a damned migraine, just thinking about it. (Also, the scream, it's not easy to just... listen to.)

I took an aspirin and hoped it would go away, but I just passed out on the couch, it was over the expiration date.

I had visions, that seemed... familiar.

I saw myself walking through the city, and that Pikachu was looking the same way he was in the game, depressed and scared.

He started crying, and suddenly, just...stopped functioning in any way.

He screamed and dropped dead, out of nowhere.

It wasn't the glitchy scream of a messed up bass, but an actual, horrible screech.

Villagers started gathering up around me, saying things like "You should've saved him..." or "He never deserved it."

I woke up abruptly, and my Game Boy was on, running (What would you guess?) Pokémon Yellow.

The cartridge was in there, and it still had a missing verse in the music.

My character was spawned inside the Pokémon Tower, on a random floor.

All the people in the town said the same thing I heard in my dream. "You should've saved him..."

I walked upstairs to the top, but to my surprise, the massive maze of graves wasn't there anymore.

The old man was missing, and there was only one headstone.

It had an interaction option.

I clicked on it, and a text box appeared, saying "HERE LIES TRAINER MATT'S PIKACHU."

Wait... I killed Pikachu?

How does that even... happen?

I wondered why this game felt like a cliched Creepypasta, but the game shut off abruptly, again.

I tore out the batteries, and smashed the cartridge.

It was getting kind of late, and I had to go to my night job soon.

I made some coffee and collapsed on the couch to rest my eyes as I would normally, as it may have been my insomnia giving me visions.

At least, I hoped.

I had another vision.

My trainer character was kneeling in the grass, laying down a Pikachu.

My Pikachu.

He had tears in his eyes, as he said "Goodbye forever, Pikachu."

I woke up abruptly, again.

Now, I knew something was going on.

I had to get out of that place.

I left for my job early, and got there sooner.

(Not going to explain what happened, it was just work.)

After I left, I had nowhere else to go but my house.

I drove back home and

After I got in, something startled me.

I saw the Game Boy on the table, with batteries in it.

Wait, did I put some new ones in there?

That couldn't have happened.

But something else... was just truly impossible.

The cartridge was in there.

Fine as it was hours ago.

The screen wrote a text box.

"GOODBYE FOREVER, PIKACHU."

There was a picture of my pikachu, in the grass with no movement.

Tears were on its face, and a small amount of blood was dried onto the grass.

It was... disturbing to look at, I just couldn't help but feel bad for him.

I can't live with this fucking game haunting my dreams and ruining my life.

I drove over to the cliff on the end of town, and threw it over the edge.

Unsafe, I contacted the police.

They told me the only thing left I could do to get away was move, and that they've never dealt with something supernatural before.

So, that's what I did.

I left for Rhode Island wanting to start a new life, and did the best that I could.

But everywhere I go... I can still feel it's presence.

Before I end, I just have one last thing to say.

Pikachu, I'm sorry.

Written by MinisterWaffle