Chapter 9: Saved in the rain
The day I left (or I wanted to leave) Slateport City many things happened. The eyes staring at me in the market can tell most of it…
I spent a week in Slateport resting with my pokémon and level grinding them in the nearest routes. I clearly remember how upset I felt when I woke up that day and I saw the sky was totally gray. I despise rainy days with a passion and also… I'm afraid of thunderstorms. I don't know where that comes from, but thunders always scared me, since I was a little girl.
I went to Slateport's Market to buy a few items. I didn't want to allow the weather to ruin my mood! I entered and everything seemed normal, like all the other days, until I noticed a crowd in front of one of the stands. I approached to see what was happening. It remembered me of the day of the contest, but this event wasn't fun or happy…
An angry man was holding by the tail a fish pokémon. I reached for my Pokédex in order to identify the creature.
"While Feebas's body is in tatters, it has a hardy and tenacious life force that enables it to live anywhere. However, this Pokémon is also slow and dimwitted, making it an easy catch."
The man was shaking that Feebas as it was a rag doll. His behavior was absolutely infuriating, and the creature was clearly suffering. In my opinion, no pokémon deserves to be treated like that! The people just watched and made comments to each other. Some even had the guts to laugh.
"Who wants this useless piece of trash? I'm giving it away, since it's so worthless. Although I should do a favor to the world and…" He had no time to finish his sentence. I approached him in a very unfriendly way.
"You! What gives you the right to do this to that pokémon?" I asked him furiously.
"And what gives you the right to talk to me like that?" He answered with another question, without stopping shaking the pokémon by her tail.
"What you are doing right now, that's what!" I responded defiantly. I turned to the crowd. "Who else thinks that this is WRONG?" Several people raised their hands. "Then, why aren't you doing nothing at all?!" I was really pissed off.
"Because… uh… we are afraid?" A male voice spoke shyly.
"Afraid of what? If you do like pokémon, then why are you allowing this? Guess what?" I said turning to the man holding the Feebas. "I'm taking it!"
"Really?" He asked surprised "But this pokémon is unable to do anything useful!"
"She can. She just has to be with the right person." I stated. And a few of the people watching the scene applauded. I felt a bit overwhelmed, but in a good sense. At least, people recognize justice when they see it!
The man offered me Feebas's Pokéball with a frown on his face, but I rejected it. I wouldn't keep my new partner in a Pokéball that might remind her of such an abusive trainer. Instead, I reached for one of my empty Pokéball and I threw it aiming at the fish like pokémon. It shook one, two and three times and then it was done. Feebas finally had a new trainer that would respect her!
"Everybody, go away! There's nothing else to see!" Feebas's former owner hollered at the crowd. People spread out all over the market, in the blink of an eye.
Of course, I walked away from that disgusting person as rapidly as I could. I also wanted to keep my new pokémon away from his former trainer although he shouldn't be considered one, because real trainers don't harm and humiliate they pokémon in public. I got Feebas's Pokéball out of my black bag. I could see her trough the red part of the device, so I spoke to her:
"From now on, I will call you Venus and I will make a prodigy out of you. I know you have the potential!" Venus seemed notably happier than moments before, when that poor excuse of a human was talking trash about her.
I saved Venus's Pokéball again in my bag. Just after that, it started to rain, much for my dismay. I quickly grabbed my green and white umbrella and I opened it. But wait, it gets better: I could hear the sound of thunders, and they were pretty loud. And I tell you, the louder the thunders are, the more I freak out.
I felt my legs as heavy as if they had iron balls attached, and that was noticeable when I tried to walk. People stared at me with a worried look, but no one approached to help me. Just like that guy in the market said, they were afraid. I could make it to the Market's exit, but there was another problem; I breathed heavily, and I felt a sharp pain on my chest. Was I going to die? Because that was exactly what I felt. My breath was even more difficult as time passed by, and I was starting to have problems to keep holding the umbrella.
A thunder roared loudly and I couldn't take it, my legs went numb for a second and I fell to the ground. But between all the daze I could hear a voice.
"Emily!" I swear I heard that voice before…
My vision was a bit blurry, but I could finally distinguish who it was… and it was Steven, the boy I met at Granite Cave some days before.
He helped me to get up by putting his left arm around my waist and helping me to put my right arm around his neck. I was surprised and I asked myself, out of all the people there, why would he want to help me, if we just met once? Maybe he's just that kind. But anyway, I couldn't stop focusing on the pain in my chest and I got startled every time a thunder was heard.
"Try to breathe slowly. I'm taking you to the Pokémon Center." He told me in a soft voice.
"Ah… w-where? The Pokémon Center?" I managed to mumble.
"Shhh… Focus on your breathing." Steven demanded.
We were walking as fast as my condition allowed us in order to not get soaked. It was raining and he closed his umbrella, while I dropped mine. Fortunately, the Pokémon Center was not too far away. Oddly, the sensation of the water falling against me was somewhat calming. But I was also worried about Steven; he might get a cold because of me.
Finally, we made it to the Pokémon Center. The nurse got alarmed when she saw us.
"What's happening?" She asked in a concerned tone.
"This person is having a panic attack." Steven said without losing his composure.
"This way." The nurse simply said. She led us to a small room.
The woman helped me to lie on the bed and put on me an oxygen mask, since I was still breathing with difficulty. Steven thanked the nurse and she told him to inform her if anything happened, and then she left letting the door ajar. The thunders where still raging outside and I would convulse due to the fright every now and then. When that happened, Steven who was sitting in a chair next to the bed would get closer to me.
"Ain't I dumb?" I asked out of the blue.
"What?" He didn't understand me at first. Having a mask on makes difficult talking clearly.
"I said… that I'm dumb." I stated again.
"Why would you say that?"
"Well, I almost get a heart attack because of a frigging thunderstorm and you had to drag me there when surely you had to do more important stuff than helping out a coward like me." I ranted. That wasn't very usual on me, unless I was witnessing an injustice, like before with Venus.
"You don't have to worry about that. Today I have nothing to do, really. I just came here to visit a friend. I was just leaving his house when I saw you and I got very worried." He told me.
"And why would you worry about me?" I asked. If I was sounding hostile, that wasn't my intention. I was just curious.
"Well, I already know you from Granite Cave. And I didn't want to leave you there, in that condition." Steven exposed.
I felt grateful for his help, but I didn't dare to express it. That felt really awkward, I'm telling you! But I did tell him what caused that setback.
"Steven, I'm going to tell you something. But promise you won't laugh at me." I said the second sentence lowering my voice tone like a shy little girl.
"I promise. Tell me." He assured.
"What happened to me is because… Uh… I suffer from brontophobia. Simply put, I'm scared of thunder." I explained to Steven.
"That's a common phobia. I don't see why you should be ashamed. But, did you ever have an episode like this one?" He asked. Well, his answer calmed me a bit.
"Back when I was a child, I had two of them." I said.
Outside, the storm remitted, or at least that's what it looked like because I couldn't hear the rain anymore. I could breathe easily and the pain on my chest was considerably relieved, although I felt exhausted. I lay on my side carefully, while Steven looked at me in order to watch out for any sign of pain or distress, but I felt fine. I gazed into his eyes for a couple of seconds, but I had to look away. Sometimes I can't like directly to people's eyes because I feel a bit awkward, but with Steven the sensation was different. I couldn't explain it, it was pleasingly uncomfortable…
The minutes passed and I felt ready to leave the Pokémon Center. I told Steven and he left to notify the nurse. After a couple of minutes, he returned accompanied by the young woman, who removed my oxygen mask and told me that I was finally good to go. Those were great news!
When we stepped out of the building, the sky was still gray but some parts were cloudless and some sun rays peeked out shyly. And just that moment I remembered something:
"My umbrella!"
I don't know how, but I managed to run to the market. But, as you can imagine, when I arrived I felt like I just ran a marathon. I was too weak to do that, but I didn't care at the moment. And guess what I found upon arriving the market? My umbrella was no longer there!
"Damn it!" I protested.
"What's wrong, Emily?" Steven had followed me!
"Someone took my umbrella away." I whined. He seemed to think about something for a moment.
"Here, you can take my umbrella." He offered.
"No way! It's your umbrella. Thank you." I refused politely.
"So? I can buy another one." He insisted.
"Well, I can buy another one for myself!" I insisted too.
"Please, accept it! You lost it because of me." He said again.
"Fine, I'll take it!" I said pretending to be angry. Since this one also was one of these you can fit in your bag, I saved it on mine.
We remained silent for a moment. I still could feel a bit of discomfort on my chest, but it was nothing compared with the throbbing pain I felt earlier.
"I guess it's time to leave…" Steven said "Let me give you my phone number." That statement caught me by surprise.
"Why?" I asked puzzled.
"I'll call you later to verify you're fine." He answered. What a sweet guy!
We exchanged our phone numbers and after that, we said goodbye to each other. But what happened next surprised me: he released from one of his Pokéball a metallic bird pokémon and left the place, flying on his back. I wondered if I could do that with Hershey in the future. The thought really amused me!
My intention was to leave for Mauville City, but because of what happened, I determined that it would be more prudent to stay a day more in Slateport. And to think that there were going to be even more intense moments…
