I knew I had heard the voice before, I just didn’t know where. Yet there I stood, under the shadow of a cave’s roof next to a worm fire. I thanked for not having to stand on my own in the violent rain that fell outside. I adjusted to my surroundings and remembered: She was still here.

“Would you like a berry, Daichu?” Was the question from a young, female voice on the other side of the fire. She extended her paw to reveal a ripe, pink Pecha Berry. I slowly extended my own paw and took it; firmly in my grasp, I moved it towards my mouth and begun to nibble on it.
“So tell me Daichu, how have you been?” She asked this time, a happy tone trying to create a conversation. I finished the berry but didn’t answer. I was still very confused. When she realized this she tried a different approach, “What brings you here?” I still gave no answer to the one that invited me so warmly to speak. Some silence came and went, only the thrashing rain and the fires flames where heard. “Something wrong, Daichu?” The happy tone turned into a worried plea. “Has something happened?” She asked once more, a clearly worried voice this time.

“Daichu…” I repeated, the only answer that I gave, “Am I Daichu?” I wondered to myself. I seemed oblivious to the other ones presence. “Yes, Daichu, that is your name,” She responded to the question I had asked myself, “Do you not remember who you are? Daichu the Raichu, you are Daichu…” Fright in her final words, afraid of the fact I did not know, but, was I supposed to know? I didn’t know. I just thought about what I had just been told and came to a conclusion: I was Daichu. I decided that must be my name, but what was the other thing? I thought twice and didn’t ask: I was better just sticking to something simple as what was my name. But suddenly another question emerged in my mind, one I had to ask:

“Who are you?” I asked softly, so soft it was barely hearable with the rain. But she heard me, and so she answered, “I am Ruby, Ruby the Espeon.” Her answer was firm: She was sure of whom she was. I was not. “Are you my friend?” I asked louder now, I wanted to know why she had been so friendly towards me. There must be a reason I believed. “Yes, Daichu, I am your friend, remember?” She told me with a small frown, had she expected me to remember her? I was afraid I didn’t. “No,” I told, “I don’t remember.” I didn’t remember who she was; I didn’t even remember who I was. Perhaps I had spent so much time in the shadows and the darkness that I did no longer remember who I had once been? Had I forgotten those close to me, had I forgotten my friends? So many questions I had yet I knew I could not ask them all to her. I had to find the answers for myself.

“Where have you been, Daichu?” Asked Ruby in the silence that had formed with my thoughts; she was still very worried about this. “In the darkness,” I answered dazed, “In the shadows.” I concluded; “Oh my, for how long?” She asked franticly, “Are you okay?” The questions kept coming from her like the rain fell on the floor, but it was one of them that caught my ear, “Have you forgotten who you are?” It came in a small whisper but my ears caught it as if it had been a scream. “Yes, I believe,” Was my answer, “I believe I don’t know who I am now.”

My answer seemed to penetrate Ruby slowly, but as a thorn in her heart. She was clearly very worried about me, I could tell by this that she had a caring nature and was a worm-hearted soul whom I could trust, Yes, I believe she must have been my friend before the shadows, she must have been indeed. A smile spread thru her face and she looked up at me with bright, hopeful eyes, “Then we will just have to help you remember, won’t we?” Her words gave not only hope to herself, but to me as well. With a smile matching hers I said, “We will, we will have to.”

So came to be, a couple of hours ago I had no idea who I was, I still don’t know but at least now I have a clue, my name. I settled down next to the burning fire and placed my head over my paws. I listened to how the final rain fell and closed my eyes. There was still hope for me.

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Only one thing stood awake as the final flame of the once burning fire went out and the rain had stopped; not even Ruby lay still awake in the middle of the night. Only one thing was still awake, only one thing still waited; it did not move  and it did not breath, it did not speak neither did it even see. It just stood there in the silence and in the dark. As Daichu turned in his sleep a sound was heard as a black collar hit the ground: A small black collar with two metal dots on each side, and a red stone in the center that brought that around it to itself. A small black collar that still lay fastened around Daichu’s neck, still waiting.