Chapter 1:
The Awakening
The hospital was dark, and quiet. There was the occasional beep of an IV machine, but that was it. Dr. Hoover typed away on his computer, e-mailing his girlfriend. At 56, he was very aware he was considered a cradle-robber. The young girl, Karley, was 23 and a platinum blonde. Not to mention she had invested her life savings in plastic surgery. Hoover sighed blissfully. This was his favorite time of the night. Nothing to do but visit a few flat-liners every now and again. But since it was the middle of the night; most patient's families weren't there, and it was always just easier to pull the plug and say something terrible occurred. Saved money that way.
He had just lit his pipe when the door to his office burst open. A young nurse, who didn't yet understand the lack of urgency in this business, was huffing and puffing. "Coma patient… Wing 2A… woke up!" his young face was filled with glee. "She pulled through!" Hoover pushed past the overly excited kid and strode down the hall. He hadn't visited this patient in years. She had no family, no life. She was only still alive because she worked for the government. Wing 2A was the nearest wing to his office. He walked into the room, shaking his head; wondering whatever could have possessed him to become a doctor.
The girl blinked at Hoover as he leaned against the wall; staring at her with little interest. Her eyelids felt heavy, her throat; scratchy and unbearably dry. Her lips were terribly chapped, fingernails long enough to claw someone, and her hair was terribly overgrown and matted, tangled, and filthy.
Hoover sat down next to her bed and held a clipboard.
"Glad to see you're awake, Ms. Stone. We were beginning to think we should pull the plug, seeing as you have no family to protest."
She gulped. He was right.
"Go to hell," she growled in a raspy, underused voice.
"You seem pleasant," he mumbled.
"...How long was I out?"
Hoover laughed. He got such amusement out of coma patients.
"You've been in a coma for nearly two years now, Ms. Stone."
The woman grasped the bedrail and felt sick.
"W-where are my Pokemon!?" she demanded; voice shaky.
The doctor nodded towards the bedside table and an elderly nurse opened the drawer, and held out 4 Poke Balls. She clutched them to her chest; holding all that she had left.
"You assholes left them in their Poke Balls!? Have they been out to stretch your legs at all, or to eat?" she screamed.
"That's not in the job description, Ms. Stone. So, no."
His condescending tone flushed her face bright red, and her long, brittle fingernails dug into her skin in anger.
"Now.. if you would let me continue with my job…"
He flipped through the pages on his clipboard and then took a pen out of his pocket.
"Now, let's see how much you remember about yourself…"
"My name is Jade Stone, I'm 19… erm, 21. I own four Pokemon, my Birthday is September 23, I have no existing family, I work for the government, and I hate cocky, pompous, arrogant bastards."
Hoover didn't flinch.
"So in other words, get the fuck away from me."
The doctor clicked his pen and stood up abruptly. "I think we're finished here. She'll be ready for physical therapy in 48 hours. Until then, she's your headache, Agnes."
The elderly nurse whom had retrieved Jade's Poke Balls smiled. "I'll try to deal with her, sir," she joked.
Hoover then exited; and followed a new nurse to the lounge. Staring at her breasts, he spoke in a highly seductive voice. "Good evening, Jenifer. I hear you were looking for a raise?" She grinned.
Jade gripped her bedrail; her heart wrenched. Two years? She began to shake uncontrollably.
"A-Agnes… that's your name, isn't it?" stammered Jade; not sure where to begin.
"Yes dearie," sighed the nurse. "And don't mind that old asshole doctor. I took your Pokemon outside once every two weeks. I hope you don't mind. I felt terrible with them being cooped up in there all alone." She brought fresh linen to the shivering Jade.
"T-Thank you," said Jade softly. "Would you mind…"
"Not at all. Ring the bell if you need me."
Agnes shuffled out of the room, shaking her head. Poor child.
Jade stared at her Poke Balls. Would they want anything to do with her anymore?
"Bolt, c'mon out," she yelled.
At first, the Manetric looked around in confusion. But then… then he saw her.
"Mane, Manetric!" it cried. He leaped onto her bed and licked her face many times.
"I missed you too, Bolt," she whispered.
Her oldest and dearest friend stared into her eyes with unconditional love.
"Cain, join the reunion," she cried, as she let out her Lucario.
His eyes bulged at the sight of her.
"I… I thought you were dead, mistress," he confessed to her telepathically; voice cracking with emotion.
"Love you too, Cain."
He nodded; his eyes explaining his worry about her.
"Blade, you too!"
A Kabutops appeared in a flash of pink light and blinked at her, before making a clicking sound; equal to a cats purr in meaning. Still clicking, he ran to her and nuzzled her with his bony head; seeing as his jagged scythes prevented a hug. He looked ancient, but Blade was in fact the youngest member on her team; at only 4 years old. Jade looked at her last Poke Ball in dismay. Apollo, her Dragonite, would never fit in the room. But the window…
"Cain, let Apollo out."
She nodded at the window, and he leaped agilely over to her, grabbed his friends Ball, and tossed it out the window into the night sky. The skilled Lucario then used Psychic to catch the ball before it fell. The Dragonite yawned and stretched in mid-air, before freezing. His eyes bulged at the sight of his trainer.
"Aruu…" he cried. Jade smiled. How she loved her gentle giant.
"Good to see you guys… sorry I was gone so long."
Bolt curled up on top of her legs. Cain and Blade took the two off-white stained arm chairs, and Apollo was allowed to fly the sky; free to return when he was tired. Jade smiled as she watched him flip in the sky, before nose-diving and then coasting along; heading for a stretch of woods. Jade felt tired… so tired. Afraid to close her eyes, though, she turned on the TV- determined to catch up on the worlds events. She watched a story on a Gyarados rampage in Cianwood City when a gentle knocking came at her door. Cain picked up on her nervousness and formed an Aura Sphere in his paws, watching the door intently. Blade hid quietly in the shadows, ready to lob off the head of anyone if they attacked his weakened trainer. Bolt stayed in his spot on her lap; snarling, with electricity snapping around him.
Jade looked at her Pokemon solemnly. They had been trained to give their lives for her. Bolt had been her starter when she began her journey as a League challenger in Hoenn. When she failed to hold her temper and killed a member of Team Magma when they held her hostage, an agency from the government had gotten involved, and pardoned her sentence, as long as she joined them. So Bolt and her two other Pokemon she had caught, a Dratini and a Riolu, traveled across the sea on a private boat to Johto, where she became the youngest, and only female, member.
Jade sighed. They had never been given the chance to be regular Pokemon!
A little regretful, Jade managed to get out a "Come in."
The door burst open to reveal a very tall man. His skin was darker than the night sky, and his voice boomed like thunder.
"Good to see you awake, Agent Stone," he said. The Pokemon all relaxed, and Jade had never been so relieved to see her Boss.
"Hey Jerry. Thanks for not pulling the plug. Maybe you're not as big of an asshole as I thought you were," she rasped.
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, but he repressed it.
"When you get out of therapy, come to the headquarters. There's, uh… something I need to give you."
The tree of a man nodded to Jade, then to her Pokemon, before exiting the room. Jade sighed and rang her bell. Agnes bustled in a few moments later, before winking at the Pokemon she had watched over for two years.
"Nice to see you, Miss Stone. Can I get you anything?" Jade nodded.
"I'll need a brush, some scissors, shampoo, a razor, and a towel."
Agnes nodded, and grabbed the items and put them in the bathroom, before turning to Jade.
"Uh… will you be needing assistance into the tub?" Jade shook her head. Agnes bustled out.
Jade snapped her finger, and Bolt leaped off the bed and onto the floor near her side. Cain assisted her onto the large wolf's back, and she held onto Bolt's fur weakly. Bolt moved her into the small bathroom, and then Cain easily lifted her into the tub. Blade watched helplessly from the door; his scythes once again preventing his help.
"Thank you, boys," whispered Jade once she was situated; dismissing them back to her room.
Before undressing, she fumbled for the golden necklace encircling her neck. She blew the whistle; summoning Apollo. Moments later, she heard the Dragonite approach the window.
"Apollo, take the others out with you. You boys go find yourself some food, and enjoy your time outside. But stay together. I'll summon you with the whistle when you need to return."
Cain nodded; knowing she meant what she said.
"Be careful, mistress. Don't get into any further trouble."
He and Blade carefully climbed onto Apollo's back and waited for Bolt.
Bolt looked longingly at his owner, who sat awkwardly in the bathtub. How could he leave her so soon; after just seeing her again?
"That's an order, Bolt," she said crossly.
He whimpered at her, before walking over and licking her cheek.
"I'll be okay, buddy, I promise," she said in a softer tone. "Now go on; get some exercise and have some fun. I'll see you soon."
He whined once more, before turning and trotting out of the bathroom, and leaping out the window to be caught by the stationary Dragonite. Jade waited before she could no longer hear the beating of the dragon's wings, before running the water. She bathed for nearly an hour, and felt some of her former strength return to her. After her bath, she tackled the task of combing out the mats and tangles of her hair. After half an hour of frustration, she broke down sobbing. She pulled herself up to the sink and grabbed the scissors.
Jade Stone had always held pride in her long, wavy, coffee-colored hair. It had fallen all the way down, past her hips. She cringed as she cut the first chunk off. Emotion filled her up.
Her sister had worked at a salon to pay the bills, and had taught her how to cut her hair. The thick locks fell in a heap on the floor. She stared at herself… with her same boring hairstyle, and quickly whacked off another section to form some bangs. A satisfied as she could be with her new hairstyle, she finished combing it out and used the scissors to trim up her overgrown nails. When she was finished, she collapsed onto the floor; weary and weak. She blew the silent whistle, and her Pokemon returned in under 15 minutes; to find her cold, wet, and exhausted on the floor.
She was in her towel, and Cain propped her up as she slipped back into the hospital-issued gown. Then, Bolt once again carried her across the room. When she was back in her bed; all fear of sleep melted away due to pure exhaustion. Eight eyes stared at her with deep concern (Apollo could fit his head through the window) as she drifted off into a peaceful sleep; but this one would only last until morning, this time.
A big Thank you to Charizard Morph for the constructive criticism and for taking the time to read&review. Chapter 2 is here!!!!