She collapsed onto the bed, every muscle in her body aching. The Combusken crossed the room to her painful silhouette and asked, What happened? What did you do?
"Oh, Asasia," she moaned. "I don't know what's going on. Since this morning, my whole body's been aching. What's going on with me? I'm all right if I stay still, but when I start moving, it hurts again. What do I do?"
No idea, answered Asasia, the Combusken, but Calliope's feeling the same thing. Remember, she can feel your emotions. She's a
"A Ralts, I know," interrupted the girl.
Exactly, added her Sableye Carlynda. So, Calliope can not only feel your emotions, but she also has it to where her body system matches yours. It's very confusing, trust me.
It's all right, Emberlynn, her Beautifly Satya told her. It's all right. Trust me, it'll all be over soon.
"What are you saying, Satya?" Emberlynn asked, her eyes narrowed. "Are you saying I should commit suicide or something?"
Absolutely not! Satya said furiously. I'm just saying...I don't know what I'm saying, truthfully.
"Well..." Emberlynn said, thinking of what to say. "I don't know what to do."
"Emberlynn!" called a voice from downstairs. It was the voice of her mother Raven, whose powers were so complex Emberlynn couldn't understand them.
"What?" Emberlynn yelled back. She hated it when Raven interrupted her conversations with her Pokemon.
"Come down here!" Raven called. "Plusle and Minun are back! We found them!"
Cadence and Aubrianna are back? asked Carlynda, surprised. Good God, I thought their search would take longer than that! Emberlynn leaped off her bed and ran downstairs.
Emberlynn! the young Pokemon cried together when they saw her. Aubrianna, the Plusle, was overexcited already, and Cadence, the Minun, was trying to calm her down.
Aubrianna's really excited, he told Emberlynn.
"I can tell," Emberlynn replied, smiling. She picked the Pokemon up. "Where have you two been? We've been looking everywhere for you!" Aubrianna hung her head.
I...I went exploring, she said. Cadence told me I couldn't, but I went off anyway. So he came after me.
"Aubrianna..." Emberlynn said warningly. Aubrianna's eyes filled with tears.
I'm sorry! she finally cried. I didn't mean to! Don't release me or Cadence!
"I won't," Emberlynn replied. Raven walked over to her.
"I think it's time to take you in to get your mind examined," she said. "We need to find out what you're doing." Emberlynn's eyes widened.
"No," she said. "No! I'm acting normal, I sware! Just don't take me there!"
"Sorry, Emberlynn," Raven told her, "but I have to, to see what your problem is. It's like you're understanding your Pokemon, what they're saying to you, just by looking at them. They're not speaking, yet...you know what they're saying. That's not possible."
"Yes it is!" cried Emberlynn. "I can understand my Pokemon! They talk to me!"
"No, they don't," Raven interrupted patiently. "It's all a figment of your imagination. I'm positive it is. Come on, Emberlynn, let's go anyway." She escorted Emberlynn out to their car, with Calliope following them.
Where are you going, Mistress Emberlynn? she asked, concerned.
"Raven's taking me to get my mind examined, whatever that means," Emberlynn replied. Calliope put her hands to her mouth.
Then they'll find out about your Pokepowers! she exclaimed in a worried tone. It was the first time Calliope had ever expressed true emotions.
"It's all right, Calliope," Emberlynn called out the window as Raven and she drove away from the house. "It's all right!"
"Emberlynn Slalonga!"
"Aw, man! Why did I have to go first, Raven?"
"Because I signed you in first! Now, get in there!" Emberlynn sighed, got up, and went into the hallway, followed by Raven.
"Okay, Emberlynn," said the doctor. "Hello, Raven. What brings you in today?"
"It's not me, surprisingly," Raven replied. "Dr. Salthonga, Emberlynn seems to have something wrong with her." Emberlynn shot an angry look at Raven, who ignored it.
"What seems to be the problem?" asked Dr. Salthonga, sitting down.
"Well," Raven answered, "lately she's been speaking to her Pokemon."
"What's wrong with that?" he asked.
"The way she's speaking to them isn't normal," Raven continued. "She says her Pokemon 'speak' and 'answer' to her. But, I've watched them have conversations with her, and they aren't talking in their language. In fact, they remain silent, but Emberlynn answers everything they 'ask' her."
"Ah," said Dr. Salthonga mildly. He turned to Emberlynn. "Describe the conversations you have with your Pokemon." Emberlynn sighed.
"They speak to me like anyone else," she told him. "I see nothing wrong there! They ask me questions, and I answer them. They tell me things, and so do I. We're bonded, okay? Get it?" Dr. Salthonga smiled and turned back to Raven.
"There's nothing wrong with Emberlynn," he concluded. "Raven, you've been worrying for no reason! Emberlynn's powers enable her to speak to Pokemon through telepathic communion, that's all."
"How'd you know that?" Emberlynn asked, confused. "I didn't tell you much!" Dr. Salthonga laughed and said,
"My powers enable me to look into your mind and see exactly how it does things. The way it speaks to and understands Pokemon is through telepathy. Your Pokemon understand you by just you merely speaking out loud to them. But when they speak out loud to you, your mind can't understand what they're saying, so the Pokemon instantly knows it has to speak to you through telepathy. All Pokemon have this ability to speak in telepathy, so there is no Pokemon who can't understand you through telepathy. Do you understand your ability now?" Emberlynn nodded, and Dr. Salthonga said, "Good. Now, let me show Raven. Do you have any of your Pokemon with you?"
"Nope," Emberlynn replied. "Raven wouldn't let me bring Calliope, my Ralts."
"Ah," said Dr. Salthonga. He took out a Pokeball. "Then let me see how you do with Seviper. Seviper, come on out!" A large black snake with a red-tipped tail appeared in front of them, and Raven jumped back.
"Calm it, Raven," said Emberlynn calmly. She sat on the ground in front of Seviper.
"Seviper!" the Pokemon said. Emberlynn remained silent.
So, Seviper said, switching to telepathy, you can't understand me when I speak out loud, can you?
"Nope," answered Emberlynn. "It's something my mind does. I don't know why it does that, but oh well."
Ah, Seviper said. Well, who are you and why are you speaking to me?
"My name is Emberlynn Slalonga," replied Emberlynn, "and Dr. Salthonga wanted to show my mother Raven how I speak to Pokemon."
You have Pokemon? Seviper asked, surprised. What was your starter Pokemon?
"Torchic," answered Emberlynn. "But it's a Combusken now. It evolved a week ago."
You've nicknamed it? Seviper said curiously.
"Yup," Emberlynn told it. "Her name's Asasia."
Wow, Seviper said in awe. You must be a strong trainer to have a Pokemon like Combusken!
"What do you mean?" asked Emberlynn suspiciously.
Combusken evolves into Blaziken, replied Seviper.
"So..." Emberlynn said.
So, Seviper said, exasperated, when a Combusken evolves, it becomes more unruly than ever! Combusken's unruly enough, with its stubborness and all, but Blaziken? Good luck, Emberlynn.
"I can handle a Blaziken," Emberlynn said calmly. Raven finally spoke.
"Um, Emberlynn," she said, "we have to go. You have Pokemon at home, remember?"
"Oh yeah," Emberlynn remembered. She was so involved in her conversation with Seviper that she forgot where she was.
Well, Seviper concluded, I guess this means goodbye, Slalonga girl.
Emberlynn laughed and said, "Knowing Raven, I'll be back sooner than you think."
You are a strange trainer, Seviper said, rolling its eyes, but I'm a strange Pokemon. Do you...d'you think you can capture a Seviper for yourself?
"Of course," Emberlynn promised. "As soon as I catch one, I'll bring it here. I promise." Seviper slithered over to her and engulfed her in a playful Wrap attack. Raven, however, totally lost her head.
"Get that Pokemon off of Emberlynn!" she shrieked.
"Cool it, Raven," Emberlynn said in a muffled voice. "Seviper's not hurting me!" The Pokemon unraveled itself from Emberlynn, curled up next to the doctor, and watched Raven and Emberlynn leave.
"Are you positive you don't want me to take your powers from you?" Raven asked as she was driving back.
"I'm sure, trust me," answered Emberlynn. She rolled her eyes, thinking why would Raven want to take her powers?
Emberlynn! cried a voice. Emberlynn looked out and saw her Poochyenna running around in the yard. Raven pulled into the driveway, and Emberlynn hopped out and scooped up Poochyenna.
"What are you doing outside, Enna?" Emberlynn asked the Pokemon. "You know you're not allowed outside without Asasia!"
I'm sorry, Enna replied. She leaped out of Emberlynn's arms and ran back into the house. Emberlynn and Raven followed the Poochyenna into the house.
Emberlynn immediately ran to her room followed by Combusken, and she closed the door. Raven made her way to the living room and sat in a chair, feeling strangely exhausted. After about a minute, she got up again and started walking to the kitchen. As she was walking, she was suddenly overcome by a wave of nausea, and she stopped abruptly. Raven put a hand to her head, and saw the world spinning around her. She swayed on the spot, then fell to the ground in a dead faint. Carlynda, who was watching her, sprinted upstairs to Emberlynn's room.
Raven's in trouble! she cried, opening the door.
"What?" asked Emberlynn in disbelief.
Raven fainted! cried Carlynda. I don't know why, but she fainted!
"Oh crap," Emberlynn said. She ran downstairs, Carlynda at her side. They got into the hallway and saw Raven, unconscious, in the middle of the hallway. Her long purple hair was strewn over her eyes, and her white cloak was tangled up around her body.
"Raven!" shrieked Emberlynn. She knelt by her mother's side. "Carlynda, Calliope, Cadence, get help! Asasia, Satya, Enna, Aubrianna, stay here with me!"
What happened? Satya asked.
"I don't know," answered Emberlynn. She took up Raven's hand in her own and felt for a pulse.
Anything? Asasia asked.
"There's a pulse," Emberlynn replied, "but it's not strong. In fact, it's becoming weaker and weaker! Raven! Come on, Raven! Hold on! Just keep holding on!" Five minutes later, Carlynda, Calliope, and Cadence returned, followed by Emberlynn's friends Cayenne and Chakaluka.