Ash and Lillie were off and ran to the nearest Pokémon Center.
Pikachu was running out of breath, with random sparks of electricity shooting ever so often.
Ash was crying on the outside and inside.
Lillie had to stay determined.
Time was running out.
Ash then had a flashback to a particular dream.
Running.
Feet stomping.
Heart pounding.
Sweat dripping.
It was the first part of that dream.
But there was no time for thinking about that.
"How much longer?" Ash asked.
"There's an isolated Pokémon Center for trainers on a journey not too far from here" Lillie replied.
"Alright. Let's go." Ash stated.
Ash and Lillie continue to run to the Pokémon Center. The Pokémon Center was about a quarter mile away.
Along running, Lillie noticed how tense Ash was, so she tried to cheer him up.
"Hey, it's gonna be okay Ash. We will get Pikachu to the Pokémon Center and he'll be fixed up in no time."
"Yeah but this shouldn't even be happening. If I wasn't bragging. If I wasn't being over confident. Pikachu wouldn't be rushed to the hospital right now!" Ash said in a burst of anger.
Lillie looked Ash in the eye. "Okay. I understand your frustration but is being angry going to help Pikachu out at all? The best thing you can do is to stay calm." Lillie informed Ash.
Ash realized what she had said. Being angry and yelling isn't going to help Pikachu. He then calmed himself down with a few deep breaths.
They continued onward and eventually got to the Pokemon Center.
"Hello, how may I serve you today?" Nurse Joy asked.
"Please, Pikachu." Ash handed Pikachu over to the lady, injuries and all.
"Oh my, what happened to this poor Pikachu?!" She exclaimed.
"I pushed it too hard and didn't consider how much trouble it was in. I take full credit for letting this happen." Ash said truthfully.
"I hope you've learned from your mistakes young man. You two were very lucky, with proper treatment, I can bring this Pikachu back to sustainable health. But it'll be a couple of weeks before it can battle again I'm afraid." She stated.
"It's okay, take as much time as you need." Ash said.
Nurse Joy went into the back of the Pokemon Center to treat Pikachu. Ash and Lillie went to rent a room for the night.
Ash was laying in bed, stale. Lillie noticed this and tried to make him feel better.
"Ash, it's okay. You did the right thing. Some trainers would've left their Pokemon to doe there and not take care of it at all, but you didn't." Lillie said with hope.
"You're right Lillie. But that doesn't change the fact that I made a huge mistake in that battle." Ash replied.
"But to be honest Ash, you only had one Pokemon. Pikachu." Lillie stated.
"You're right Lillie. When Pikachu's done healing up, the firs thing I'll do is to catch a new Pokemon!" Ash exclaimed!
That's the spirit Ash, Lillie thought as she smiled at the boy.
Lillie spent the next few hours training while Ash was studying in the library. Just because we wasn't in school, doesn't mean that he has to stop studying. Even though he hated it.
It was kinda like his own personal promise to his Mom after he left. Anyway he needed to study. How would he learn about new battle techniques?? So continued to study about the new things in the Jenta region like the new types: Quantum, Sound, Plasma, Nuclear, Glitch, and Light. There was also new things for gyms like duel type gyms and every gym leader having a mega evolution.
Back to Lillie, she was training her Ninetails behind the Pokemon Center in the battlefield. She was working on new techniques and battle strategies for her next battle with Team Lunar. Which'll be very soon...
Just then, Lillie got a message in her earpiece.
"Yo, I think Team Lunar is around your area. Be on alert."
Team Lunar? Lillie wondered. What would they want in a isolated Pokemon Center out here? No matter, now I get to really kick butt.
Lillie went into the Pokemon Center where she went to the library to inform Ash about the upcoming attack on the Pokemon Center.
"Okay, you fight while I'll lead the people to safety, since I currently have no Pokemon on me." Ash explained to Lillie.
Ash went around the Pokemon Center informing people about the upcoming attack and leading them outback, while Lillie made it out to the front and prepared her Pokemon for battle.
Nurse Joy came out to help Lillie in her battle.
"You used to be a trainer?" Lillie asked.
"Yup, it wasn't until I decided to join the family tradition. But I think I still have some fight left in me." Nurse Joy said. "Go Audino!"
Just a few minutes later, people in black jumpsuits with blackened moons arrived at the Pokemon Center.
"Alright. We're here and- oh shoot" one grunt A said.
"What. What's going on?" Grunt B said.
Grunt B turned his head.
"Oh come on!" He yelled. "Not you again!"
"Heh. You have a lot of nerve coming back here again, Team Lunar." Lillie stated.
"Oh just because you beat us once before, doesn't mean you get to act like a big shot!" Grunt A said.
"Uhh. Yeah it does." Lillie teased.
"That's it, Houndoom!" Grunt A said.
"Mimikyu, I choose you!" Grunt B said.
Lillie and Nurse Joy began their battle with the two grunts.
Meanwhile, Ash had gotten everyone safely out of the PokéCenter just in time.
"I wonder if Lillie needs some assistance." Ash said out loud. "But even if I did, I have no useable Pokémon..."
Just then, Ash heard a cry.
"NINEEEE!"
Wait. That's Lillie's Ninetails! Something must be wrong. But what can I do? Ash pondered.
Then he heard another cry and his feet moved without thinking.
No, no one's getting hurt again. Ash thought as he ran.
Ash continued to run as he continued to hear Ninetails cries.
'Hang on Lillie, I'm coming. No one's getting hurt this time' Ash continued to say to himself.
Meanwhile in the front of the center, Lillie was having trouble defeating the grunts as they had super charged they're Pokémon.
"How...How did they get so strong?!?" Lillie exclaimed as she ran over to care for her Ninetails.
"The boss had been pulling out all the stops. He amped up our Pokémon too, just for occasions like these." Grunt 1 said.
'Like Pokémon drugs?!' Lillie wondered. 'I took care of that some time ago... not if they found a new way...'
"What do you even want with this Pokémon Center?!?" Lillie asked. "What makes this one different from the rest?!"
"Did you not know? This one contains a special item we've been looking for." Grunt 2 said.
"What special item," Lillie said while looking at the nurse.
"The Light Ball." She said quietly.
"Wait, What! Why would they keep such an important item at a remote Pokémon Center?!" Lillie exclaimed.
"It was the least anyone would expect!" The nurse cried. "But somehow, they found us.."
"Wait don't give up now." Lillie said.
"Enough of this talk, Houndoom, use Flame Charge!" Grunt 1 said.
Houndoom preformed a super effective move on Ninetails. Ninetails was on the ground, struggling to fight.
"Please." Lillie pleaded. "If you want to help, help now. Fight."
Nurse Joy wiped her eyes. "My job is to protect this center, and that I will! Audino, Echoed Voice!"
Audino had made a sound as the hit Houndoom, not doing much damage.
"That did nothing, Houndoom, Flame Charge!" Grunt 1.
Houndoom attacked with another Flame Charge, knocking down Audino.
"Audino, get back up and use Echoed Voice!" The nurse exclaimed.
"What do you not get?! That does nothing!" Grunt 1 said. "Go, Flame Wheel!"
Audino's Echoed Voice attacked with more force, pushing Houndoom back.
"Wait, huh?!" Grunt 1 exclaimed.
"I guess you don't know." Nurse Joy said. "Each turned Echoed Voice is used, the greater the attack damage!"
"Wow! You know your stuff!" Lillie exclaimed.
"What if I told you I also went to Route 103 High School?" The nurse stated.
"Cool! How was it like! How hard were the classes?" Lillie replied with enthusiasm.
"Shouldn't you know? After all you go there." Nurse Joy said while sweatdropping. "Anyway, you go in and heal your Pokemon. There should be an instructional manual behind the desk. I'll handle these guys from here!"
"Right!" Lillie said while returning her Pokemon. "Be careful!"
Lillie left the experience nurse to fend off against the grunts.
She ran inside the Pokemon, without looking of course.
Plus, just on cue, Ash ran in too.
And they ran into each other.
(Ya know, simple corny writing.)
"Lillie!" Ash exclaimed while getting back up. "You okay?"
"I've been better," She said.
Ash reached his hand out for Lillie who gladly grabbed it to pull her back up.
'My gosh. A girl that isn't one of my family members touched my hand! Today is truly a good day-
"Ash? You okay?" Lillie asked snapping Ash back into reality.
"Oh yeah heh. So umm." Ash mumbled.
"Oh can you help me operate the healing machine. Nurse Joy said there was a manual behind the desk." Lillie said,
"Well of course!" Ash said while waking to the back of the counter with Lillie.
Ash and Lillie figured out how to operate the healing machine and began to heal Lillie's Pokemon.
"Lillie?" Ash asked.
"Yeah Ash?" Lillie replied.
"Do you ever miss home?" Ash said a bit quietly.
Lillie hesitated for a second. "Well-"
SKREEEEEE-BOOOM
The power to the Pokemon Center was suddenly cut as an explosion made a hole in the wall.
"What's going on?!" Ash exclaimed.
"I don't know but, stay on guard." Lillie said. She grabbed her Pokeballs off the healing machine.
Team Lunar grunts started walking into the Pokemon Center from the busted wall.
"Heh heh heh." Grunt 1 laughed.
Lillie looked around.
"Hey! Where's Nurse Joy?!" Lillie exclaimed.
"Oh, right here. Houndoom?" The grunt said.
Houndoom came up in front of the grunt dragging Nurse Joy from its teeth. She was badly bruised.
Ash was speechless.
"Nurse Joy! What happened?!" Lillie yelled out of confusion and anger.
Nurse Joy slowly lifted up her head.
"W-wait. Ash. Go to P-pikachu. The power is out. His h-healing equipment." The nurse mumbled.
'Pikachu.. OH NO,' Ash quickly thought to himself. Ash dashed out of the main lobby and into the healing chambers.
"Nurse Joy.. What happened?" Lillie asked. She felt the tears coming into her eyes.
"W-when I wasn't looking...t-they jumped m-me from behind." Nurse Joy said, struggling to get the words.
"T-that's...THAT'S NOT FAIR!" Lillie screamed.
"Does it look like we play by the rules?" Grunt 1 said. "We have to do whatever it takes to get what we want."
"Now we have a compromise, give us the Light Ball, and we'll give back the nurse." Grunt 2 started. "If not, she get's hurt some more."
Lillie froze still.
'My Pokemon aren't fully healed yet' Lillie though to herself. 'I-I can't fight..I can't defend her... LILLIE, WHY ARE YOU SO USELESS!'
Lillie let her tears hit the ground. She felt weak. She turned her head to Nurse Joy.
"Nurse, where's the Light Ball?" Lillie said.
"No! You can't!" Nurse Joy replied.
"Where. Is. The. Light. Ball!" Lillie said more sternly.
Nurse Joy saw Lillie's eyes. They were bleak and dull. She didn't want anyone to get hurt.
"Alright. You win." Nurse Joy muttered. "Look under the healing machine, there should be a trapdoor. Open it, and it should be there.
The Team Lunar grunt wen behind the counter and followed the instructions. Soon after, the Light Ball was in their possession.
"A pleasure doing business with ya. And as promised, Houndoom!"
Houndoom dropped Nurse Joy on the floor from its teeth as Lillie ran toward her.
"See ya later chumps! And I have a feeling we may meet again!" Grunt 1 said while walking off.
Right as Team Lunar left the building, Ash came running back in with Pikachu in his arms, running a fever.
"What happened?" Ash asked with a confused and worried look on his face. "Lillie?"
Lillie clutched Nurse Joy in her arms with tear beginning to roll down her face.
"We lost. I failed."
Sorry if that chapter was complete trash. I know it's not one of my best chapters but I was long overdue my deadline. On Wattpad and on here.. Like I said chapters here depend in how fast I posted them on Wattpad sooo yeah. Hope you guys are enjoying neverless. I also couldn't get this chapter to my editor so there may be spelling mistakes.
AceZackary, signing off!