Brendon the Demon

I have no idea what happened to my original Pokemon Emerald version.

No idea whatsoever.

I searched my entire house, in every nook and cranny, for two whole days in hopes to find it. I had no luck. So, I decided to go down and check the nearest GameStop for a used version. Again, I had no luck.

I started walking home, defeated. When I walk longer distances it helps me feel a little better. About half way back to my house or so, I saw a GBA cartrige. But it wasn't just any GBA game. Hidden partally under a bush was the green, somewhat see-through plastic of the game I've been wanting to play: Pokemon Emerald. I reached under the bush praying that there were no spiders or anything else that would bite me.

I took out the playable condition Emerald game (completly bite-free) and ran home. I grabbed my DS Lite and went to put the game in. I then noticed something. One the front of the cartrige, where the sticker was, was sharpie writing that said "Play as girl" Now, normally, this would make me get rid of the game right away, but instead, it got me curious.

I chose to not listen to the warning.

The usual intro for a new game started up. Like usual, I spammed the A button until it neared the first actual question. "Are you a boy or a girl?" I picked boy.

The game paused for a bit before asking me "Are you sure?" A little happy that it was a hacked cartrige and not just vandlizing on the game. I picked yes.

It paused again and asked "Are you absolutly positive you're not a girl?" Oh, for crying out loud, did they really need to make the game so much more annoying? Again, yes.

It finally went into the game. Although, it went straight into the game. I didn't get to pick a name. I didn't get the humorous riding in the moving truck opening and instead was already in my room. I checked my trainer card and it said my name was Brendon. The usual, basic name for the male trainer, but spelt a bit off. My gut started to tell me to stop, but my mind and curiousity said to keep going.

I decided to listen to my curiousity and mind instead. After all, it was just a hacking error, so what was the big deal? I walked outside and tried to talk to the NPCs. None of them would respond except for the little girl. What she would say every time is "My mommy told me not to talk to you..." Eventually, I gave up and went to Birch's lab. None of his assistants were there and yet he was. I decided to go up and talk to him.

"O-oh!" His text box said "Brendon! I w-wasn't expecting you here!" He was acting scared. I kept pressing A and reading. "Y-you want your pokemon? Go ahead! Take your pick. Justdon'thurtme..." Again, my mind and gut were arguing, gut saying to stop now but mind saying to see where it goes.

I chose to listen to my mind again and chose my favorite third generation starter: Torchic. After grabbing it, it doesn't give me the option to name it. Birch then says "G-go ahead and take all of them if you want!" Well that's a sweet feature! I then grab Treecko and Mudkip with the same situation as last-time. I then leave and start to go through the routes.

While walking, no wild pokemon ever appeared. None of the trainers would ever look at me. I decided when outside the entrance of Petalburg Woods to check my three pokemon.

First up was my Torchic. It was male and had the nickname Tortured. The fact that he had a nickname gave me chills, and that name did not work. I checked the basic stats. Even though I haven't gone through any battles, it was already level 32. It had the attacks Frustration, Fake Tears, Selfdestuct, and Blast Burn. A line up that is absolutly impossible. The icon had tears on it, but pass that nothing seemed wrong with it. Next was Treecko. Just like Torchic, it was male and nicknamed. Treecko's name was Trauma. It was level 34 and had the attacks Frustration, Fake Tears, Healing Wish, and Frenzy Plant. Also like Tortured, it had tears on it. Lastly up was the Mudkip, named Maimed. Maimed was female and level 33. She had the attacks Frustration, Fake Tears, Memento, and Hydro Cannon. Once again, tears were there.

It was all odd and a little freaky, but none of it was unexpected. I entered Petalburg Woods and finally had my first pokemon incounter. A wild, level 30, male Pikachu. I was more than happy to finally be able to add to my team. I succeeded in catching him and checked his stats. He ended up being named Piked. He only had two attacks, Growl and Parish Song. I didn't study it's icon and closed out. I do believe, however, that after I caught him his icon's hands were at his neck as bloodied tears were at his eyes. I saved the game after it asked me 7 different times if I was sure and went to bed.

When I decided to continue my hacked game adventure the next day, I was greated with a message that said "Look at what Brendon did while you were away." A little more nervous than before, I entered the game anyway. Somehow, overnight, the game got me all of the badges. I then checked my pokemon. Tortured, Trauma, and Maimed were all at their last forms. But Piked was missing. What happened to him. I was still in the forest, so I made my way out.

I didn't like what I was greeted to.

When I left the forest, I was greeted with the image of a Pikachu's head, staked. Something seemed to possess me into going up to it and pressing A. A message box appeared.

"The severed head of a PIKACHU has been mounted on a stake." I froze for a bit. I quickly managed to take a picture and made it clearer to see before my phone died. I then pressed A and the message continued. "Brendon smiled at what he did to Piked." My heart practically stopped. I then decided to check my pokemon stats again. Their attacks were the same, the the icons weren't.

They were aweful.

Tortured the Blaziken had many thin cuts and bruises all over his body, but they were mostly on his back. It was almost as if he was whipped many times over. There was also blood coming out of his mouth/beak. Trauma's icon wasn't too bad compaired to the other two. He had some blood on his claw-shapped fingers and blood coming from his eyes. There were a few scratches at his eyes, too. It was almost as if he was trying to claw out his eyes and stop seeing what he was seeing. But the worst was Maimed. She had cuts, sctatches, and bruises everywhere. She also had an eye missing and a chunk of her tail was removed. Her fins were tattered. She was so bad that one could barely tell she was a Swampert. Instead of a nature, they all now had the message "Why did Brendon do this?"

I was nervous and checked my items. I had almost no items whatsoever. The only items at all were a whole bunch of Escape Rope and a non-existant item called Mechete. It's message was "To acomplish goals" I went to check my badges for real this time. Every badge, even the one from my dad, had blood stained on them. The icons of the trainers all had different cuts and were bleeding.

I then turned off the game without saving in hopes to erase at least some of the data. I turned the game back on and recieved this message. "No human can get rid of Bendon. Not until he says it's ok. Check the in game computer." By now, I was truly scared. And yet, I still did as it said. I went to the nearest Pokemon Center and clicked on the computer. There was a new choice avalible, log. I clicked the new one. After all, that had to be what the game meant. It was a diary of some sort.

"xx Day xx Month

Mom and I moved to Littlerood today. She thinks that moving me to a small town will fix me. She doesn't understand her error. There's so little people here. No cops. They'll all be too scared to stop me.

xx Day xx Month

As I predicted, Mom is now dead. It was easy to do. Everyone in Littleroot knows. No one has bothered trying to 'fix' me.

xx Day xx Month

Today I got to get my perfect tools. My perfect punching bags. All three of them are perfect for what I need. But, for whatever reason, a human who thinks it can control me has made me get this imperfection of a Pikachu. This is unwanted. This will be fixed.

xx Day xx Month

The Pikachu's now gone. As well as all of the gym leaders. And the Elite Four. They were just in the way of my goal. All of those have been taken care of. All of them. And I smile everytime I reflect on my work."

I was terrified and forced into the last entry. The one that got me over the edge.

"xx Day xx Month

Why hello there, human gamer. Briana, correct? Yes, that's correct. I see you no longer like this game. Maybe you should've listened to the only instruction you were given. Too bad for you it's too late. I have awoken. I know who you are, too. You also know who I am and what I do. I will see you again, Briana. Goodbye."

My system's battery died right then and there. He really did know my name. Or, it. Ever since that day, I haven't played as the male character in a Pokemon game. Or any game that allows the choice for that matter. I don't think Brendon will ever come back, but you never know. He'll probably kill me if he is real.

Also, I just realized I made a mistake. If he is real, I just shared what he did to you. You now know his secret.

If he is real, I just sentenced you to death.

Goodbye, reader.