This is my 3rd FanFic on this site, hopefully it's my best work yet. Please review if you can, I love hearing feedback. You can also find me on the PE2K Forums, Serebii Forums, and sometimes on the IoE forums.

Redlark

And as the Wind Blows: Epidemic in Hoenn

Prologue: Before the Storm

The day began with a seemingly peaceful sunrise. But contrary to what the weatherman had said, a slow-moving storm formation had been creeping up on the northern shores of the entire Hoenn region. As some superstitious sailors had warned; "a real mean typhoon was ready to eat Hoenn alive."

It was late March and Professor Birch was leading his class in the beginning of the new term course. Birch and a good handful of his best students were all sitting in his lab observing a Vulpix create small flares, when an unexpected visitor slowly came through the doors.

She wasn't tall and she wasn't short. Straight dusty blonde hair went down to her shoulders. She wore a plain black hoody sweater with a few quickly sewn patches of her favorite metal bands: "Ghastly Gravediggers," the "Murkrow Mob," etc. Average glasses placed on a pretty face, gemmed with deep sapphire eyes. This was Beth.

It had been a month since she graduated from the Pewter City Pokemon Academy, and a fortnight since she landed her internship with Professor Birch.

Being a very proficient trainer, she was offered a position as a Gym Leader. But declining, she was the epitome of a dedicated researcher.

Birch's class looked over to Beth who had just walked in. Professor Birch, still fascinated with the Vulpix, had a delayed glance followed by a geeky smile.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't know you had a class at this time," Beth apologized.

"No bother," Birch said. "Are you Beth?"

"Yeah."

"Class," Birch started. "This is the intern I told you all about. Come on, Beth. Stick around and stay for the class."

Beth agreed and the class session went on. Professor Birch was explaining the basic chemical mechanics of what was happening inside the Vulpix. Beth knew the lesson plan, it was the basic lecture trainers sometimes received by their teachers.

At the end of class, Birch asked Beth if she recognized the lesson. Beth complied, and added that she had taken courses on the biochemistry behind the different fire type Pokemon. A little smile went across Beth's face as she walked to Birch's chalkboard. Grabbing a piece of chalk, Beth began drawing stick diagrams and explained the complex mechanics behind even the simples of Ember attacks of a Charmander.

Birch smiled, "I'm glad to see that the Pewter City Academy has kept it's tradition of elite scientists."

Beth smiled.

"But no need to flaunt knowledge here. I've seen enough brown nosers in my time. The best wise men stay humble."

Beth laughed, took in Birch's wisdom, and agreed.

Just then, Birch's computer phone started ringing. Answering, the screen showed a familiar face. Dr. Juniper, an elderly gentleman with almost no hair but several last strands of white that lived in solitude on his bald head. He wore thick large bifocals, but looking into his eyes, it was obvious he had forgotten to sleep that past week. The usually jolly old man had dark bags under his eyes and breathed heavily. "Birch, I've got a serious problem here," he blurted, interrupting Birch's usually warm welcome.

"What's wrong doctor?" Birch asked.

Biting his bottom lip, Juniper's eyes seem to glaze over. In the past fifty-eight years I've been a doctor; I've seen practically every disease and poisoning work it's dirt on Human and Pokemon alike." Closin ghis eyes, Juniper gritted his teeth and in a fit of desperate frustration, he band his fist on his desk. Glass test tubes and flasks clanked beside him as he yelled, "I have NEVER! Never failed so horribly!!"

"Juniper!," Birch snapped. "Calm down. What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry," Juniper said. "Last week," he breathed in deeply, held his air for a second, exhaled softly. "Last week, a Linoone died in the Fortree City PokeCenter from an unknown illness. The Linoone experienced high fevers; degeneration of lungs, which led to bad coughing; failure of kidneys; some degeneration of blood vessals, which led to severe internal bleeding; and most of all, crippling body aches.

"I was in Rustburo the night the Linoon died, but was working on another patient with similar ailments. Difference was, I was working on a Sandshrew. If it's the same virus, logically it's already made it's species jump.

"A day after the Linoone died, I headed for Fortree thinking the Sandshrew was going to have good progress. That night, the Sandshrew died. The Chansey nursing him fell sick that morning.

"Back at Fortree, I soon was confronted with five more patients with the similar virus. Another Linoon, a Zigzagoon, a Plusle, and strangest of all, two Oddishs."

"What?"

"That's exactly what I thought! I thought being of plants, an Oddish would have been the last Pokemon to get sick.

"All five of those patients have died already, and this week fourteen more have died… On MY hospital beds!!

"And damn it, Birch! The nurses and I have tried hard to keep the local press from panicking, but I just got word yesterday that Rustburo has a new case and Lilycove has just gotten two cases!"

"Oh my…" Birch said silently.

A heavy ball grew in Dr. Juniper's throat, causing him to be speechless for a second. Then the Doctor turned away from the screen hacking a scratchy-wheezing cough of an old man losing air.

"Juniper! Are you alright?," Birch asked.

"Yes," Juniper said softly. He turned back towards the telecamera. "Fifty-eight years, Birch. Fifty-eight years." A small tear ran down the old doctor's face, finding it's path in the wrinkles. "I'm a failure to my profession."

"Don't say that," Birch reassured. "You've won the Nobel Science twice. You've even won the prestigious Dr. Lylewood. You're the best in your field."

"And I can't even save a few more lives anymore…," Juniper whispered. Another ball grew in the Doctor's throat. "And," Juniper paused. "I…," the words were harder to say than he thought, so he avoided the true desperate topic at hand. "The virus," he said calmly. "It's a very fast mutating bug that seems to be most contagious through body fluids and coughs." Juniper paused once more then finally couldn't hold in his secret, "And I think I've contracted the virus, too…"

"Doctor, no…"

"I've been coughing blood in small fits all day… Please help me Birch… Get every single brain on this virus as possible. Contact Elm, Oak, Maple, anybody. I have work to do." There seemed to be a fire growing in the old man's eyes as he continued, "I have to find a cure. A vaccine. Anything."

"Doctor, I think you need some rest."

"No. I've got a Machamp on the table… I've never in my life have seen such a powerful beast become so weak, so fast…"

"Doctor, are you sure you've got the virus?," Birch asked.

Suddenly coughing, a small spat of blood hit Juniper's side of the monitor. "I have to go," he said.

The telecamera winked out to darkness…