ML54: *yawn* I know it's late, but I was excited by the prospect of promoting a new pairing. Although, I may have gender bended. I don't know, I haven't watched the series.

Pansage:*Looks irritated* We're trying to sleep!

Noctowl: I'm not. I want to read this. But why aren't I in any of these fics.

ML54: *shrugs* Never found a way to put you in there. Oh well, disclaimer Darkrai.

Darkrai: ML54 doesn't own Pokemon.

Critical Condition pt.4

"I mean, why would he be so mean to Uncle Oshawott?" Axew asked his best friend, Scraggy. Right now the pair were sitting outside by the edge of the river, occasionally splashing each other with the crystal clear liquid.

You see, Nimbasa City had a river running through it's centre, so had decided to move the Pokemon Centre there, so the Pokemon could go out their and play. Scraggy nodded. "I know, he's being so...unPikachuish." She replied to her first and best friend. "But I heard that he got Ash to take us to the Pokemon Musical." Axew tilted his head to the side.

"What's a Pokemon Musical?" Scraggy scratched her head in confusion.

"You know, I'm not quite sure. Maybe we should ask Uncle Oshawott. I mean, he wanted to see it." Axew sighed, sadly, looking at his reflection in the river.

"He's scared of me, Scrags, he'd scream at me to leave him alone before answering a question." Axew let a tear slide. "He hates me now."

Scraggy looked at the little Dragon type with sympathy. "I'm sure he doesn't hate you. He was just in a funny Oshawott mode. I'm sure calm Oshawott will talk to you." Axew perked up a bit with this news.

"You really think so?" He asked, hopefully. When Scraggy nodded, he then drew her in for a hug. "Thanks Scrags!"

Scraggy just stood there, frozen in place with a flustered look on her face. The two were close, yes, but they haven't actually hugged before. Her heart had started to pound a bit more than usual, more so then when she's training. Her face, she swears, is going a shade more red than yellow as well.

Though, despite how uncomfortable she felt, she was disappointed when he pulled away. Like as if Ash had given her a new toy, then took it off her again. Obviously he'd never do that, but that's how it felt. "Come on! Let's see if Uncle Oshawott's out of his loopy mode!" Axew cheered, forgetting he was sad only a moment ago.

Scraggy shook the thought from her head, she's not a big thinker, she'd be pooped if she started now!


"Now Piplup, you make sure everyone's okay while we talk to the guys at the Pokemon Musical Parlour okay?" Dawn asked her starter Pokemon, who nodded with a salute, indicating that she understood her trainer.

"C'mon Dawn, I'm sure Piplup will be fine." Ash reassured her, grabbing her hand and pulling her away from the penguin Pokemon.

A very red faced Dawn smiled bashfully at Piplup and waved. "See you later Piplup!" Piplup saluted again, and went to check on the others.

"How comes YOU get to be leader?" Cyndaquil asked, jealous of Piplup's new authority position. Piplup smirked back.

"Because I've been with Dawn since the beginning, and you're still a child." Cyndaquil looked in disbelief.

"You're only TWO years older than me! And I'm sixteen!" Piplup just rubbed his head, smiling mockingly.

"Go play with Axew and Scraggy while I handle the grown-ups okay?" Cyndaquil felt a vein pop out of his head, and went to see Tepig. Them both being Fire types, they made friends pretty quickly.


"Sunshine, Lollipops and, Rainbows everything that's wonderful is what I feel when, we're together!~~" Emolga sung to herself. She was in a better mood and determined to start doing stuff for herself. She knew that she couldn't just get ANY random male to do what she wants him to do. Or he might want to uphold her to her end of the bargain.

She shivered at the thought, she really didn't want to go there. She shook the thought from her head, and found an apple tree. Problem, she was hungry. Solution, get an apple. Challenge, do it herself.

She figured she could just fly up and get it, only problem was, how was she going to carry it back down again. She glanced to her left and saw a male Pansear, who could easily climb the tree and claim it for her. She then glanced in the hospital window and saw Snivy watching her.

She shook the Pansear out of her head. She could do this herself!

She puffed up her cheeks, concentrating on the stem of the Apple, when she realised that she had no elemental FOCUSED attacks! She only had Volt Switch, Discharge, Attract and Acrobatics! None of those would help!

She shook the thought away and let out the breath she took in with a sigh. She saw a small stone and remembered how Oshawott used to get apples for her by throwing his scalchop at it's stem. She smiled brightly and picked it up.

She focused on the stem, and threw the stone at it. Dam! It missed. How did Oshawott make it look so EASY. She tried again, but missed. Again, again, again. But to no success. She fell back, exhausted. Looked like she was going to wait til dinner...

...until a small Flamethrower hit the stem and the apple landed on another Pokemon's back.

Emolga looked back and saw Tepig offer her the apple. "If you wanted the apple, you could have just asked." Tepig mentioned, smiling friendlily at the Dual type Pokemon. Emolga sighed.

"I know, but I'm trying to release my dependence on other Pokemon doing work for me. You see, I'm trying to get along with Snivy, but that won't happen until I start doing things for myself." Tepig stared, bewildered at what had just left her lips.

"Who are you and what have you done with Emolga?" Tepig announced, shaking slightly. Emolga glared, half-heartedly at him.

"Why has everyone been saying that? I just want to...feel a little more useful. I mean, I'm not even useful as a battler. All I do is Volt Switch for Excadrill or Axew." Tepig saw her glare turn into a sad frown. "I just sort of feel like a lazy bad-guy."

"Aww come on. You're not lazy, you just...don't like to do things that much." She glared again.

"That's just lazy put in a nicer way!" She snapped. Tepig chuckled nervously.

"Just a joke! Just a joke! Anyway, there's no way any of us felt you were lazy. I mean, it has to take some effort to actually USE attract. I can't do that." Emolga's spirit was lifted a little at his words.

"Really?" Tepig, using his tail, sliced the apple in two, and pushed a half to Emolga.

"Really. Now eat up and I'll help you!" Emolga looked stunned for a moment.

"Ironic how I need someone to teach me how to be independent." Tepig chortled slightly.

"Too bad humans can't understand Pokemon. You could have made quite a comedian." Emolga felt a small blush rise to her cheeks at receiving a compliment from a non-attacted Pokemon. It was flattering that her sense of humour was seen over her looks for once.


Snivy had left Oshawott's room for the moment to help Piplup handle everyone. Sure, she trusted that Piplup could handle this herself, but a helping hand wouldn't go a miss. Plus she DID have go pee, real bad. She had been holding it in, staying by Oshawott. But even she had limits.

Scraggy and Axew saw her, and quickly caught her. "Snivy!" Snivy sighed, and crossed her legs as to not accidentally let any out.

"What is it you two? I really have to go!" The two saw her pained look and decided to make this short.

"We were just going to see Uncle Oshawott and were wondering if you'd mind." The Grass type nodded.

"Sure, I don't mind. Someone needed to keep him company. Just try not to set him off, he just came down from his drugs." The two thanked her, as Snivy rushed outside to find a tree or bush or ANYTHING.

"C'mon Axy, she said it was okay." Scraggy had said, but Axew was stuck to the spot, fretting going in there in fear of how Oshawott will react. The Dual type Pokemon grabbed his paw in reassurance.

"He'll be fine. Just don't sit TOO close and he'll be fine, okay?" Axew turned away, blushing a bit when she grabbed his paw. He didn't know why, but he felt stronger holding her hand. Like he could stand up to anything.

"Okay, Scrags." Axew responded, fired up all of a sudden. Scraggy grinned and started to walk in with him.


Oshawott heard his door open and turned in surprise, thinking it was Snivy. She can't have checked on Piplup and went to pee this quickly, could she? That thought was terminated when he saw the two youngest Pokemon of the group walk in. "Hey guys. What are you doing here?"

"We wanted to ask you if you were okay?" The Water type nodded, grinning when he spotted their clasped paws.

"I'm doing just fine. What about you two? How are you LovePidgey doing?" The two blushed, uncontrollably at that comment.

"What are you talking about Uncle Oshawott?" Axew asked with his head down to hide his reddened face.

"Yeah...We aren't LovePidgey!" Scraggy argued, yet her chest had started to feel a little heavy after saying that, though she had no idea why.

"Than why are you holding hands?" The two looked at their paws, tightly held by the other's. Had they been holding hands the entire trip into Oshawott's room.

"GAH!" They both exclaimed simultaneously retracting their paw from the other, both feeling slightly cold without the other's touch.

Oshawott laughed at their situation, before calming down. "Sorry, I was only teasing. Anyway I was just about to try and get some sleep. I don't want to, but Nurse Joy said to. So, anything else?"

"Yeah!" Axew replied, jumping up on the chair next to Oshawott, while Oshawott slightly shuffled to the opposite side. This disheartened Axew a little, but at least Oshawott hadn't started screaming. "What's a Pokemon Musical?"

Oshawott put a paw to his chin in thought. How to explain this? "Well, it's sort of like... You remember when Iris had that radio, and you danced along to it?" Axew nodded, eyes sparkling. He enjoyed that day. "Well it's sort of like tat, only there's a sort of story told in the music and dancing as well. But we can't just join in. We sit and watch, but it's fantastic to see. I know you'll enjoy yourselves."

"Thanks Uncle Oshawott!" Axew replied, happily hugging his, sort of, family figure. Oshawott repressed a cry of terror for the younger Pokemon's feelings, hugging back.

"Any time, Axew." Scraggy nodded to the little Dragon type to let go, and so he did. She gave him a hug as well, before unconsciously taking Axew's paw again and dragged him out of the room.


Snivy left the bush as soon as she was done, brushing a twig off of her face. She wouldn't have gotten as tangled behind a tree, she knows, but in the bush there was a less likely chance of someone seeing her. She didn't like to go in front of others.

She walked over to where Tepig and Emolga were talking about something. "Just remember that, when you're asking for something, you don't necessarily have to ask a guy. I mean, have you ever asked Snivy, Tranquil or even Scraggy to help before."

"I don't think so..." Emolga started. "Which is a shame, because Tranquil could teach me how to use Air Cutter. That should help in the collecting of snacks for myself."

"Good plan." Tepig replied, smiling to her, causing her to go a little bit red in the face. Shocking Snivy a little. Emolga NEVER blushed around anyone before. Why now? And why Tepig of all Pokemon? No offence to Tepig, but there were plenty of guys here. Pansage, Cyndaquil, Dwebble, Pikachu hell not even Oshawott could embarrass her to red.

Nevertheless, Snivy left them alone with a small smirk. She knew Emolga would find some SHE'D like one day, who's she to judge? And Tepig may be greedy and a little stupid, but he's reliable and strong. Emolga did well to pick him.

She was suddenly brought out of her thoughts when Scraggy bounded up to her. "Snivy. Can I talk to you?" Snivy was a little surprised that Axew wasn't with her, but nodded. "Alone?"

"Why alone?" Snivy replied, curiously.

"It's a secret." Scraggy nervously said, twiddlling her fingers. The grass snake sighed and nodded. She wanted to get back to Oshawott's room to make sure he was sleeping. He's not usually one for doing what he's told unless it was for battling purposes.

"Okay, we'll go over there." Snivy finally replied, pointing to the wall of the Pokemon Centre behind a big tree, now noticing that it would have been the perfect place to piss in privacy. Meh, too late now.

Once out of sight, Scraggy let out a sigh. "I think I might be sick." Immediately, the Grass type dropped all her previous annoyance.

"Oh dear. Are you okay?" Snivy sure as Hell didn't want another team mate in the P.I.C.H.U. Scraggy nodded.

"Yeah, but not a bad sick. It's like a good kind of sick." Okay, that was strange, Snivy rose her pokebrow at the Dual type Pokemon, who was fiddling with the edge of her pants nervously.

"What do you mean Scraggy? That last bit didn't make much sense."

"Well...I get these Butterfrees in my stomach...And my heart keeps beating harder ad faster...My mind goes a bit numb when I think about something particular...And my face feels hot...I don't know what's going on?" Snivy thought about the strange symptoms until it hit her.

"That's exactly how I feel around Oshawott! Scraggy has a crush? Only one way to be sure." "Scraggy, what do you think about when your mind goes numb?" Scraggy avoided Snivy's eyes. "I promise I won't tell." She added to soothe the Fighting-Dark type.

"W-well. I think about...A-Axew..." At the thought of the little Dragon type, Scraggy immediately blushed really badly, and pulled her pants over her face to hide it from Snivy.

"So, what you're saying is, that you have a crush on Axew?" The grass snake asked, only to be confirmed when Scraggy nodded. "Wow! It's not Valentines Day for another three months, yet he's been around!" Snivy declared in her head, thinking about all of the new crushes about the group.

First, her and Oshawott. Then Pikachu and Buneary. Followed by Emolga and Tepig. And now Scraggy and Axew. She can't say it was bad, mainly because it wasn't, but she had to wonder when their lives had started to be taken control by Mespirit.

She shook the thought from her head and used her vines to lower Scraggy's arms. "Don't worry Scraggy. I'm sure Axew has a crush on you too. I mean, you are his best friend."

"Are best friends supposed to feel this way?" Scraggy asked. Snivy bit her tongue at the simple, yet difficult question.

"Well, no. But when you feel like that, you're building up something even stronger than any friendship." Scraggy's eyes gleamed in the prospect at being closer to Axew than a friend.

"Really?" The Grass type nodded, while rubbing her shoulder with her hand.

"Really."


ML54: I liked the pairing. It's cute.

Ash: I liked it too! And it's about time you had a story where we weren't killed for reasons that you were too lazy to write about.

ML54: Yeah. My bad. I did feel bad for killing you guys about twelve times, so I decided to do this one.

Snivy: Review please, but no flamers. Flamers will be burned!