Wow, why are all my stories and poems becoming so dark nowadays? It's nothing to do with my real life, I'm telling you! It's just that it seems people like touching stories, so this is another sad, touching story for you. No pairings, though I'm sure many people would think its OCxShuppet. Sigh, fans these days…

Inspired by Remember by within winter's grace (the original story plot) and Banette's Pokedex entry.

... my mistake ...

Oh, I remember. I remember the days when we were best friends, the days when you never left my side.

You had been such a great friend then. You had never been unfaithful to me, never disobeyed me. You had been simply beautiful.

"And...it's an excellent Nightshade from Laura's Shuppet!" I can still hear the cheering, the voice of the commentator in her fancy red dress, breathless with awe. I can still see the bright spotlights, the crowds of wild spectators, and the sheer glory of it all, of being up there and showing your skill to the world.

But yet again, those are now just shadows at the back of my eyes. Dreams not worth trying to remember.

You had stayed a close friend to me for a long time—until that day on the mountaintop, when you had evolved.

From then, you began to long for more than just the safety and friendship that I had been providing you with till then. You had started to want freedom, control over your own life. You were refusing more and more to listen to my commands, to obey me. Your dark, possessive personality was slowly taking over—you didn't want to be a puppet, my puppet, anymore.

Finally, I had had enough of your attitued. You simply refused to follow my commands, hurting me with your new arms. And so, I had abandoned you, taken you out of the house, and tearfully yelled at you never to return again, told you that I didn't want you anymore. You had looked terribly hurt then, and with one last glance, you turned and flew away from me.

I felt as if a huge burden had suddenly been taken off my mind, and yet, I felt strangely lonely. Now, I regretted ever abandoning you; you were important to me. I wanted to go out and find you, apologise, and start anew. But three days later, I discovered the huge mistake that I had made. As I walked out the door, I only saw smoke, flames and darkness. Shock had then caught me, and I had suddenly thought of you.

Oh, no. No...

Glancing about in the haze, I saw firefighters, struggling to quell the flames and carry burning dead from the wondows. I saw people crying and running from the furnaces, calling the names of their missing relatives.

What have I done?!

In the midst of my dazed anger, a dark shape flew into my view. You. I looked up at you, the threads that had bound your mouth severed, and I suddenly felt tears of anger and regret flood my eyes.

"Shuppet! Why did you do this?" I reached out and took hold of you forcefully with both hands, tears still falling. "I thought I could trust you! You are still my Shuppet, and I'm sorry I ever said all that to you. But that's no reason for you to destroy the town!"

For a few seconds, you looked painfully remorseful. But then, I guess, my harshness isn't easily forgiven. Your sad gaze turned to a glare of hatred. Opening your mouth, a blast of flame sprang from within it, towards my house.

Whipping around instantly, I saw what you had done. Flames already surrounded the walls like a huge monster, ready to destroy my house. In my terror, I felt you struggle out of my grasp.

"Shuppet!" I yelled, lunging for you and holding you tightly in my relentless grip. It had gone too far. You were my best friend, I know, but you had destroyed my home, my life, and my hometown. It was all my fault that I had created this monster, and it was my job to end it all.

Closig my eyes, trying to ignore all the images that resurfaced with that moment, I reached forward and plunged you into the fire. I felt the scalding heat of the flames on my crumbling house, and heard your last dying screech. At that sound, I suddenly couldn't hold back my tears anymore. I'm sorry, I'm sorry...I'm sorry for turning you into this...

Slowly, I drew my had back. My hand was red and raw from the fire, and in my palm, I saw what remained of you—a charred half-doll, eyes now reverted to the yellow buttons they were supposed to be, cloth skin burnt in all parts except where I had held you.

At last, the nighmare had ended, but I felt worse than I ever had in my entire life.

Now, the town has been rebuilt, the people relocated, and it seems as if you never lived. Except for the four silky green ribbons enframed on the wall of my new house, one of the only things that survived the fire.

It still fills me with regret to know that it was you who won them for me; without you, they are meaningless. At that moment when you had cried out your last, all my dreams had been smashed like a mirror. The spotlights, the cheering crowds and glitchless appeals, they vanished from my world at the instant you left the world.

I wonder, would everything have been different if I had not scolded you, if I had talked sense into you instead, and kept our friendship? Maybe, if I had tried, we could be the greatest partners in the contest world.

It's all an impossible wish. Your body still lies on my new altar, but your soul is not there, elsewhere now. I know that I'll never be, we'll never be, the best in the world. I made a mistake, and that one mistake turned all our previous glory into shadows, now worthless memories that I should leave to die...

And yet, I can't. A part of you, I know, will stay with me forever—the part that once new the boundless freedom and joy of the contest stage.

Well, good enough? I'm not sure, it was written I about an hour. Review, please!