Shout-outs:

some dude: Thanks for the review, appreciate the kirby thumb-up! Enjoy!

Maia's Pen: Thanks for the review! Glad u liked Casey and Ritchie… I thought about who to pair Ritchie up with and then I thought… 'Why not Casey?' I think it'll work out well. Also glad u liked my enemies… as for how much danger Gary's in… wait and see! ; )

Lyra loves to Read: Don't worry, Gary is in this chapter… enjoy!

The Mistress of Darkness: Don't worry, here's ur update! Enjoy!

MidnightMist (): Enjoy this chapter, and here's some more Gary for u!

A/N: Hey, here's another chapter, and updates will be slow b/c begging is a necessary tool in my gainin' access to the computer. Review please, and oh, review! Selfish, aren't I? ;) I also thank all of u who took the time to look at my fic.! ( I love the hits counter!)

Disclaimer: Ok, my Pidgeot had my certificate on him, but unfortunately lost it during a battle w/ a wild Fearow… "sob…"

"…": Characters talking

'…': Characters thinking to themselves

"…": Pokédex speaking or recounting information to trainers

(…): Extra facts about the story

((…)): My opinions

Chapter 4: Rush to Get Help

10:20 AM, May 14, 2005; Ten miles outside of Viridian City, in Diglett Cave outside of the Viridian Forest, near Pewter City, Kanto Region

Someone crying near him jolted Gary awake. He looked around anxiously and then he remembered what had happened yesterday. He looked around and his eyes landed on the injured woman, who was thrashing around, crying out in pain. Gary saw Zap whimpering at the woman's distress, remembering when Terri had died six months ago.

Gary got to his feet and ran over to the woman. He got to his knees and felt her forehead, but quickly pulled it away when he discovered that she was burning hot.

"Damn, she has one hell of a fever," muttered Gary as he thought about what to do. Umbreon had run over when she felt Gary move. She glanced worriedly at her trainer, seeing panic set in his eyes.

"Umbreon? (What now?)" asked Umbreon as she looked from Gary to the thrashing woman. Gary noticed Togetic was near his trainer, and quickly grabbed the normal-type Pokémon so the woman wouldn't injure him while she was thrashing around.

"I think we really need to get her to a hospital," replied Gary as he thought for a moment while gently holding Togetic. He then looked at both Umbreon and Zap and said, "We need to get both of them out of this cave and to Viridian City as quickly as possible. Umbreon, go grab both my backpack and the woman's; Zap, use Sand-Attack on the remnants of the bonfire to make sure it is completely out." After Gary gave the commands his two Pokémon rushed off to do their trainer's bidding. Umbreon grabbed both Gary's black backpack and the woman's dark blue backpack in her teeth and ran back to Gary while Zap kicked up a cloud to of sand onto the glowing embers of the fire with his hind legs and to make sure the fire was completely out stomped on the embers as well. Zap then ran back to Gary and looked up at his trainer, waiting for word of what next to do.

Gary, meanwhile, had carefully placed Togetic on the ground once more and moved to retrieve his Pokébelt from where he had taken it off the previous night to sleep. Once he retrieved it he chose Arcanine's Pokéball and said, "I choose you, Arcanine!"

In a flash of white light Gary's Arcanine emerged with a roar and turned its dark purple eyes to Gary, asking, "Canine? (What's wrong?)"

Gary's dark blue eyes told Arcanine everything he needed to know, and he walked over to his trainer and gently nudged Gary, hoping to comfort him. Gary cracked a small, worried smile and gently scratched behind Arcanine's left ear, and the large dog gently growled in contentment.

"Jolt, Jolt, Eon! (Gary, we need to go now!)" Zap said urgently as he came up behind Gary and grabbed Gary's pants leg with his teeth and began to pull on it. Gary felt it and was about to reprimand Zap when he remembered how worried Zap was that the woman would die like Terri. He mentally checked himself for forgetting the woman for even a second and ran back to her, yelling over his shoulder for Arcanine to follow.

Once back at the woman's side Gary quickly pulled a black blanket from his backpack and covered the woman with it. He then knelt beside her and gently picked her up, blanket and all, and placed her on Arcanine's withers, making sure to tell Arcanine as he did so to not move. Gary was afraid that if Arcanine moved the woman would fall and would further injure herself. He then opened his black backpack and, gently picking up Togetic, placed him inside his backpack and closed it, leaving enough unzipped so Togetic could still breathe. He then placed his backpack, along with the woman's, over his shoulders and got up onto Arcanine's back carefully.

Gary then looked down at Umbreon and Zap, took their Pokéballs off his belt, maximized them, and said, "Umbreon, Zap, return!" Two beams of red light shot out of the Pokéballs and towards the two Pokémon on the ground. Umbreon returned to her ball without a struggle but Zap dodged the beam of light.

"Zap, return!" commanded Gary as he once more pointed the Pokéball at the Jolteon but once more Zap dodged the red light. Gary grew more and more agitated as Zap continued to dodge the red beam of light. "Damn it Zap, just get in the ball!"

"Jolt, Jolteon, Eon! (No, I want to travel on Arcanine with you and the woman!)" demanded Zap as he stood still for a minute, pleading with Gary to let him travel on Arcanine's back. Gary sighed, knowing he wasn't going to win the battle with Zap.

"Fine, you win, Zap. Get on up here," Gary said resignedly as he minimized the Pokéball, placed it back on his belt with Umbreon's, and held out his arms. Zap jumped into them and Gary placed him behind the woman. Gary made sure he held the woman securely, his arms making sure she didn't move an inch, then Gary directed Arcanine with his legs to turn towards the entrance to Diglett Cave, or rather the exit, that would lead to Viridian City.

Gary took a deep breath before saying, "All right, Arcanine, I need you to run as fast as you can to Viridian City Hospital. This woman has been thrust into our lives without warning and it is now up to us to make sure she lives. Go, Arcanine!"

With these words, Arcanine sprang forward and began running at top speed out of the cave and towards her one hope of survival in Viridian City.