I don't own pokemon. I do own these emotions.

You sit hugging your knees outside the operation theatre, waiting for Nurse Joy to come out with your pokemon all happy and healthy. It's been twenty minuets when she comes out. She's not smiling.
"I've got some bad news for you..."she says.
You look at her.
"Your Pikachu has cancer in his leg. He will not survive the year."
At the word cancer, your knees shake, and you start crying. An aunt and an uncle of yours only died of cancer last week, and another uncle is suffering form it.

A five years later Pikachu is still alive and well. He has taken to performing, to raise money for people like him. Meeting the Prime Minister, celebraties. Becoming a celebrity in his own right. Every day, doctors say he has hours to live. Everyday, he proves them wrong.

Another three days. You went to sleep last night. So did Pikachu. You woke up this morning. Pikachu didn't. You ran him to Nurse Joy next door, who shook her head, "I'm sorry. He's dead."
You spend the next few hours crying. You don't move that day. People come past and comfort you. It doesn't matter. Pikachu kept bouncing back. So when he fell, he fell all the worse. At least he wasn't in pain...

Saturday morning. You're staying with your parents for the week. You're mum receives a phone call from your grandma. You think nothing of it. You go out and watch your siblings swimming. You are about to go get changed for your lesson, when your mother stops you.
"Do you know what the call was about?"she asks.
You shake your head.
"Uncle Bob... Died in the early hours of the morning." she had tears in her eyes.
You sit down. You cry. You miss your lesson. You don't care. You saw him last week, smiling, waving at a family barbeque. You wouldn't of known he was ill. But you know he died in pain. Unbearable pain.

This is a tribute to my friend, Liam Fairhurst, my uncle, Bob, and everyone else who has died of cancer, as well as those who are left behind. May they live forever in our hearts, and the hearts of those around them.