OH MY GOD I AM SO SORRY FOR HOW LATE THIS IS!
I literally don't have any excuses for this tardiness. I was just straight up lazy. As much as I want to keep writing this story, I honestly have been getting bored with writing it. I still have a lot to write though, and I promise I'll never give up. The updates may take longer and longer, but also know that I'm slowly working on it! I am determined to one day finish this story, because I just love all these characters too much~ Also I'm way too deep in to just give up. :P
Oh, and by the way, there is no POV in this chapter. Enjoy~
"Big bro, are we there yet?" The small Growlithe called out to the slightly larger one that was leading the group of five young Pokémon. Behind this smaller Growlithe, a Ralts with a worried expression stuck on her face, and a particularly small Tepig, breathing hard and struggling to keep up with the group.
"It's not far from here now Arc!" Cain shouted out to his younger brother. Walking along beside this Growlithe was a Vulpix, the princess to be precise, Princess Arylide.
"Yeah, we just gotta climb that hill up ahead and we'll be there! The most delicious berries you've ever tasted in your life are just a few minutes ahead!" Arylide added enthusiastically.
"Hey, wait, can we take a little break?" Sana finally spoke out her mind, "Poka is getting really tired here!" Sana turned around to see her Tepig friend farther back and taking slow steps.
"What? But we're almost there!" Arylide complained.
"But Poka is getting tired! You know he's sick!" Sana shouted angrily. "Ugh, I should've never allowed him to come!"
"N-No... I-I'm fine..." The Tepig, Poka, stuttered beneath his breath, "I'm fine, really... Let's keep going Sana..."
"See? He's fine!" Cain said with an annoyed tone. "You seriously worry too much Sana."
"Of course I worry! Poka is sick and I'm not only his caretaker in the class but also his friend!"
"S-Sana... It's okay..." Poka continued gasping for air, "I'm okay! Let's keep on going. I'm looking forward to those Pecha berries!" Poka smiled and continued walking forward at an ever so slowly pace.
"P-Poka..." Sana sighed, "F-Fine, but everyone needs to slow down. We can't let Poka fall behind again."
"Yeah, yeah, we got it Doc." Cain rolled his eyes.
"We should hurry though; the sun is starting to set... Mom's gonna get mad at us for being out late again!" Arc said quietly as he looked up at the slowly turning orange sky. "And I'm not taking the blame this time Cain!"
"It's okay guys, you don't have to slow down for me!" Poka announced happily, "I'm feeling really good now that I've caught my breath. I bet I could run all the way to the hill!" And with that, the Tepig suddenly burst into a sprint, head first to the nearby hill.
"P-Poka! No! S-Stop running, it's not good for your heart!" Sana suddenly panicked and chased after him.
"Whoa, those two can be surprisingly fast." Arylide whistled with amazement.
"We can't lose to them! Let's go!" Cain ran ahead. Arc and Arylide shared a stare at each other before nodding and following their friends.
The small, weak, Tepig continued running forward, ignoring the calls of his worried friend. I'm tired of slowing everyone down! I'll show them I can be a normal kid too! Poka thought as he made it to the base of the hill. Surprisingly, he was still keeping up most of his momentum. That is, until he started running uphill.
M-Maybe this was a bad idea... Poka began mentally cursing himself. His body started to ache and his breathing became erratic. His chest was in pain and his tiny, aching legs eventually gave in and he suddenly fainted on the ground, his body moving up and down from his heavy breathing. I-I just had to p-prove them wrong...
"P-Poka!" Sana screamed at the top of her lungs. She reached the fainted Tepig and began panicking with tears rolling down her cheeks. "Poka! Poka! Say something!" Sana kneeled down and began shaking the Tepig. Poka wasn't responding to Sana. His body was sweating heavily and his face tightened, obviously in pain. "POKA!"
"O-Oh crap..." Cain gasped as he and the rest of the group caught up to them.
"H-Hey, he's not..." Arc began trembling as his eyes began to water.
"N-No! Look, he's still breathing!" Arylide pointed at the way Poka's body rose erratically.
"B-But the way he's breathing, t-that can't be good!" Cain began looking left and right frantically, as if trying to find something that could help their fainted friend. "S-Sana do something, you're his caretaker!"
"R-R-Right!" Sana stood up and stretched out her arms. She closed her eyes and focused all her energy to her hands. A weak ball of light concentrated at her palms and turned into a beam as she began to use Heal Pulse on Poka.
"C-Come on, I can do this!" Sana began sweating as she tightened her focus. Poka's body was soon enveloped in a weak light as the Heal Pulse began to take effect, but his breathing didn't calm down. Poka suddenly began coughing with clouds of smoke being emitted from them.
"H-He's coughing out smoke! T-Tepigs cough out smoke when they're really sick! The Heal Pulse isn't working!" Arc cried out. "S-Sana try harder!"
"I-I know I'm trying!" Sana screamed. Her heart was racing like crazy. She was really trying her best to focus, but her panicking plus her friends' crying only made it harder. Plus she was just a young Ralts. Their healing abilities weren't exactly the best at the young age of 7.
"Sana, it's not working!" Arylide shouted, "Just teleport him back to town! Hurry!"
"What's going on here? I heard screaming." An unknown voice called out from the top of the hill. A small, pink Pokémon with a basket of berries began running towards the group when she saw the fainted Tepig and crying children.
"C-Cream!" The four kids said in unison.
"Why is Poka out here?!" Cream, the small, young Audino and friend of the group, scolded when she reached the group. "Oh my gosh, this isn't good. Sana, stand back please."
"R-Right..." Sana stopped her Heal Pulse and reluctantly took a step back. She lowered her head as Cream began focusing her own Heal Pulse. The light emitted from Cream's palms was much stronger, and within a few seconds Poka's breathing calmed down and his coughing stopped. Poka's eyes slowly opened as he regain consciousness.
"What h-happened?" Poka got up and looked around his surroundings. "Cream? When did you get here?"
"Oh Poka!" Sana run to him and embraced the Tepig.
"Wow..." Cain whispered in amazement.
"She healed him so quickly..." Arc added just as quietly.
"Haha! That's my Cream for ya!" Arylide stepped towards Cream and patted her back. "I expected nothing less from m-my...best..." Arylide's voice began to fade as Cream glared down at her, "...f-friend."
"Okay, who wants to explain?! Why is Poka out here?!" Cream shouted loudly. All five of them flinched back and cowered in fear. An angry Cream was not a Cream you wanted to be around. The air was tense as they all remained silent.
"Fine, no one wants to talk? Okay, then I'll volunteer someone. Sana!" Cream turned her head and glared down at the trembling Ralts, who refused to look back at her. "Sana, not only are you your class's Nurse's aide, but you're also responsible of taking care of Poka! Why did you allow Poka to come all the way out here?! You know he's sick! Look what happened! Your Heal Pulse isn't strong enough yet to safely bring Poka all the way out here!"
"I-I... I..." Sana's entire body trembled as tears rolled down her cheeks. Cream was right. They may be in the same grade and age, but an Audino is much more naturally better at healing. And she failed at her duties by allowing Poka to be all the way out this deep in the forest.
"Cream!" Poka shouted loudly as he stood in front of Sana, as if he was defending her. He had tears in his eyes, and his breathing was heavy, but he had a determined expression on his face. "I-It's not her fault!"
"P-Poka...?" Sana whispered. Poka turned his head back and nodded at her, calming down the Ralts.
"Cream, please don't be mad at Sana. It's not her fault. It's all mine..." Poka lowered his head, staring down at his shuffling forelegs. "I heard Cain and Arylide talking to Arc about this hill deep in the forest that has the most delicious berries... A-And I insisted they let me go with them! Sana refused at first, but I was being stupid! I promised her that if I started to get tired I would let Sana teleport us back home, but being the stupid Tepig I am, I never did... T-Then they all wanted to slow down f-for me a-a-and..."
Poka was now crying as he struggled to finish his explanation. He tried to wipe away the tears, but that only made his crying worse. "I wanted to show them I could be a normal kid too! I'm so tired of slowing everyone down! I'm so tired of always being the left out sick kid! S-So I started sprinting! I know running isn't good for my heart, and Sana even tried to stop me! But I'm too stubborn for my own good, and look what happened! I-I'm s-so s-sorry!" Poka was now on the ground, his face buried in his forelegs.
"P-Poka..." Cream approached the crying Tepig and kneeled down so she was at level with him. She spread her arms around the sick child's head and held him into a hug. Poka buried his face in her chest and kept weeping.
"I-It's not fair Cream! W-Why..." Tepig choked, coughing from his tears. There was a little smoke in his coughs, which was normal in his case.
"Shh, it'll be okay Poka..." Cream frowned as she gently stroked his head. "Come on, let's just get you home. Can you walk?"
"Y-Yeah..." Poka broke their hug and nodded.
"Alright then." Cream stood up and turned to everyone. "I'm going to take Poka home now. You guys should hurry on with your berry business and head home soon too. Especially you Arylide! Her Majesty will be angry again if you're out late!" With a quick bow, Cream and Poka were walking down the hill and back towards town.
"Geeze, Cream acts like she's our mom when she's in the same grade as us!" Cain scoffed.
"Well it's almost like she is our mom! Look how she healed Poka! She's just trying to look out for us..." Arc sniffled. He still had tears in his eyes after witnessing that touching scene.
"I-I know that!" Cain retorted defensively. "Ugh, I'm not really in the mood for berries after that... Let's go home Arc. See you guys later." Cain waved a paw and began descending down the hill.
"W-Wait for me Big Bro!" Arc ran after his older brother, leaving Sana and Arylide alone on the hill.
"I should get going too. I don't really care for a fresh berry right now either... Hey, Sana, wanna practice your teleporting abilities and see if you can teleport us back home?" Arylide turned to the Sana to see she was staring down at the ground with an emotionless expression. "...Sana?" Arylide waved a paw in front of the Ralts' face. "Saaannaaaa?"
"...It's not fair." Sana finally whispered, still looking down on the ground.
"What?"
"It's not fair!" Sana raised her head and shouted. Arylide jumped back in surprise with widened eyes from Sana's sudden outburst.
"S-Sana?!"
"Why did he have to be born sick?! Why can't he just be a normal kid?! And why... Why do I have to be so powerless?!" Sana began crying uncontrollably. "Cream healed him without breaking a sweat! While I was working and destroying my brain trying to get him to just calm down!"
"Th-that's..."
"Because she's an Audino right?! Audino's are just naturally good healers from birth right?! I don't get my healing abilities until I'm older and stronger huh?! Well I'll show you! I'll show her! I'm going to become the best doctor this city has ever seen and heal Poka's illness!"
"B-But..."
"But Poka's illness is incurable? Well then I'll find that cure!" Sana tightened her fists and shouted proudly with determination. "I'll show you Princess! I'll show everyone! Cream may have a head start on me just because she's an Audino, but in the end, I'll be the better healer! Just you watch!"
"S-Sana..." Arylide said quietly. Sana was normally quiet and reserved, so seeing her so determined was so out of character. Arylide couldn't help but smile. "Heh, you're gonna need to train a lot then! No one is better than my best friend!"
Sana faced Arylide and returned her smile with a chuckle. "Well I also enjoy a good challenge."
As the years went by, Cream and Sana became friendly rivals, always competing for the top score and best grades in class. Both were determined to become the best doctors in the city—no in the entire Fire Kingdom. They both wanted to be the one to cure Poka's illness. That determination only grew strong as they grew older. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for Poka's condition.
By the time they hit middle school Poka's condition suddenly grew worse and he could no longer stay in Homura City. He had to be moved to biggest and most prestige hospital in the kingdom: the UniversityHospital located in University Town. As the name suggests, the town is home to the University of the Fire Kingdom, the most prestige college in the kingdom. The college is the only place in the Fire Kingdom where you can become a doctor or nurse, and the hospital there has the kingdom's best doctors. The day Poka left, Cream and Sana both vowed that they would reunite with him one day.
The summer after their graduation from Homura High School, Cream and Sana became students at the University of the Fire Kingdom, temporary leaving their friends behind in Homura City. Cain and Arylide had recently become a married couple with their coronation taking place not too long afterwards, and Arc began learning everything there was to know about running a restaurant now that Cain was royalty. Everyone was beginning to travel their roads to adulthood and their dreams, and Cream and Sana were no exception.
While they were rivals, they were also friends. Like in their childhood, they had friendly competitions to see who could score the higher grades. However, due to the difficult of college, they often found themselves helping one another rather than compete.
"Hey, Sana..." Cream spoke up one night in their dorm room. Cream was studying her notes on her bed while Sana was at her desk.
"Hmm?" Sana replied without looking up, the Gardevoir focusing on her notebooks.
"We essentially want the same thing right? Best doctor in the kingdom, cure all the incurable diseases, and all that stuff right?"
"That is correct."
"And our grades have been better ever since we decided to share a dorm room and study together right?"
"I can't deny that, yes."
"So, I was thinking, when we graduate, why don't we open our own hospital together?"
This caught Sana's attention. Cream had always lived in her parents' old hospital. The place was quite old however, and her parents wanted to retire soon, so with the help of Arylide, Cream wanted to remodel the place and open it as her own little hospital.
Sana put down her pencil and stood up. She walked over to Cream's bed and stood there with her arms crossed. "You want to team up for real?"
"Yeah! I mean, I know we've been rivals since we were kids, but I also consider you a dear friend. We do make quite the team, so I think it only makes sense! So what do you say?" Cream got up from her bed and stood eye to eye with the Gardevoir. Cream reached out her hand, offering a handshake to her old childhood rival.
Sana stared at the hand in silence. Her eyes went back and forth, from Cream's hand to Cream's face. Cream had that gentle smile she always had, not once faltering from the fact that Sana is taking her sweet time to answer.
Sana closed her eyes and sighed. "Well when you put it that way, I don't see why not." Sana happily accepted her handshake and smiled. "I'll be looking forward to working with you, Partner."
"Right back at you, Partner!" Cream laughed. "We better hit the books even harder now! We're going to be the best doctors ever!"
"Indeed." Sana nodded before looking at the clock. "Oh dear, I better get going or I'll be late!"
"Late to your little date?" Cream teased with half-opened eyes.
"Oh will you quit that already? I'm only tutoring him! You should look into tutoring too! It really helps with remembering the basics and it's good money! We're going to need all the money we can get now that we're going to be a team."
"Yeah, yeah just tutoring." Cream winked, causing Sana to blush brightly. "The only other student here that's the same evolution family as you, a dashing young Gallade to be exact, enrolls in the nursing program and you're suddenly interested in tutoring."
"Ugh, you can be so irritating sometimes!" Sana quickly turned around to gather her things and headed out.
"Tell Ray I said hi!" Cream laughed as Sana slammed the door. "Have fun, Partner."
"Hey, Cream! Look! Look at this!" Sana excitedly entered her dorm room one day with a flyer in hand.
"Sana? What's up? Why are you so energetic?"
"Because of this!" Sana lifted the flyer and held it in front of Cream's face.
Cream leaned forward and read the piece of paper. "'Internship opportunity... Get real experience with patients... Worth extra credits and get paid... Apply now?' Oh my, is this for real? This sounds way too good to be true."
"It is! I confirmed it with one of the professors! We can get credits and get paid while getting hands on work experience! It's a win-win situation! Come on, let's apply!" Sana held out two applications and gave one to Cream.
"You don't have to tell me twice!" Cream happily accepted the application and began filling it out.
Within the next month, Sana and Cream were both interns at the University Hospital. They were to assist and provide care to a sick and weak patient, from providing the patient their daily medications, to taking them out for walks.
"And this will be your patient." The doctor stopped in front of a hospital room. "He is quite sick and needs a lot of care, but seeing as you two are currently two of the top students at the university in the entire medical department, I trust that you will see to all his needs. Now, please come on." The doctor opened the door and motioned the duo to follow.
Sana and Cream could not believe their eyes when they entered the room. Lying in the hospital bed was a small Pignite. The Pignite turned to see his new caretakers only to be greeted with gasps and surprised expressions.
"Cream, Sana, this will—"
"Poka!" The duo shouted simultaneously.
"C-Cream? Sana? I-Is that y-you...?" Poka got up from his lying position to get a better look at his childhood friends.
"Poka!" Cream ran up to the hospital bed and embraced the childhood friend she had not seen since middle school with teary eyes. Sana soon joined her and the three shared an emotional reunion.
The doctor looked at the emotional scene and smiled. "Well, well. It looks like I don't need to do any introductions. I will be taking my leave then."
"Thank you." Sana and Cream nodded at the doctor as he left the room.
"Cream... Sana... I knew I'd meet you guys here one day..." Poka smiled and laughed despite his tear-filled sobs. "Y-You kept your promise..."
"Oh Poka... How I've missed you..." Cream wiped the tears rolling down her cheeks. "I wanted to come see you so badly but..."
"I-I know..." Poka sighed, "My condition isn't exactly getting any better. I'm rarely allowed to leave my room or have visitors... Plus I'm sure school is extremely time-consuming..."
"But we are here now." Sana smiled. "And we won't be going anytime soon. We still have a couple of years left, and we'll continue working here as your caretakers for as long as possible. Isn't that right Cream?"
Cream looked up at her partner with determined eyes. "You got that right." The two shared glances at each other before giggling. Poka couldn't help but look at them with interest.
"W-Wow... you two have become so much more friendly..."
"W-Well a lot has happened since you left so many years ago..." Sana blushed shyly.
"Heh, yup. And we have a lot to talk about. So let's get to work on taking care of you!" Cream cheered, doing a fist pump in the air playfully. Sana and Poka stared at Cream intently before bursting into laughter. "H-Hey, this is the part when you join my fist pump and go 'Yeah!' not laugh at me!"
"Hahaha oh my goodness, I have missed you guys so much..." Poka laughed so hard he had tears in his eyes. The Pignite has not laughed this hard since he was a child, and it was a refreshing change of pace for the sick Pokémon. This was just one of many laughs and memories the Pignite would have for the years to come.
If Cream and Sana were not at school or their dorm studying, they were spending their time working at the University Hospital as Poka's new caretakers. Even though it meant the duo had practically no free time to themselves, they had no complaints because they were finally reunited with their childhood friend. All three of them were overall happier, especially when Poka's condition seemed to finally be improving. Sana still had her tutoring job, which resulted in Cream spending more alone time with Poka.
"Is Sana tutoring her Gallade friend again?" Poka laughed as he sat in his wheelchair. He and Cream were sitting in the garden located in the center of University Hospital. Poka was now allowed to leave his room more often due to his improving condition.
"Something like that. You'd think Ray wouldn't need a tutor anymore after two years of tutoring from the top student in our department." Cream joined Poka in teasing the absent caretaker, laughing with the Pignite. "Aaahhh," Cream stretched out in her bench seat, enjoying the beautiful warm day and beautiful scenery, "What a wonderful day today is. Perfect for just relaxing outside."
"Y-Yeah..." Poka whispered quietly, a slight blush on his face. He didn't know he was doing it, but he was staring at his Audino friend and caretaker, and the way she looked stretching in the sun made her look absolutely stunning to him.
"I got a letter from Arylide today. Arc and Nina have finally decided on a wedding date. It's gonna be next month."
"Y-Yeah? Good for them..."
"And everyone is ecstatic to hear that you're finally doing better. Arc says he wishes the three of us could be at his wedding. They all miss you."
"I miss them too..." Poka sighed heavily. His head was down, his gaze at the colorful flowers surrounding his wheelchair. Cream looked at her friend and felt her heart break a little inside. Poka had a very painful expression on his face.
"Yeah..." Cream joined him in sighing and looked up at the sky. The sun was shining brightly down on them even though it was still winter. "Looks like spring's not too far ahead. Not that the weather here really changes in the winter... I mean look at this garden!" Cream forced out a chuckle, trying to lower the tension in the air. Cream frowned to see that it failed and Poka still had that expression on his face.
"Hey," Cream decided to be more direct and placed a hand on his shoulder and felt him tremble at her touch, "What's wrong?"
"I-It's just... You guys are graduating this spring..." Cream winced. She had a feeling this was what it was about. Cream and Sana were both getting their degrees in two months, which meant they will be returning back to Homura City.
"Y-Yeah..."
"Which means I'll be alone again..." There was silence between the two. Cream didn't know what to say. Even she couldn't deny the fact that after they graduate, she won't be able to see Poka again for a long time. The silence didn't last long as quiet sobs and sniffles began to fill the garden.
"P-Poka?" Cream gasped to see her friend crying.
"I-I don't want to be alone again!" Poka was now full on bawling his eyes out. He got up from his wheelchair to hug Cream, but his weak legs could barely support him, causing the sick Pignite to fall on the ground.
"P-Poka!" Cream instantly got off her bench and to Poka's side, scooping up the Pignite into a warm embrace. "P-Poka..." Cream stroked her hand over Poka's head as he buried his face in her chest.
"I-I..."
"Shh, it's okay... You don't have to say anything." Cream smiled as her eyes became faucets of tears. As she sat there with her sobbing childhood friend, her heart began to race. It had been many years, not since that day deep in the forest by the berry hill, since she held him like this.
"Everything will be okay..." Cream closed her eyes with resolve. "I will find a cure to your illness. I will do everything in my power to heal you, and then you can move back to Homura City and be with all of us... forever..."
"C-Cream..." Poka looked up at Cream, her face and smile radiating with warmth and kindness. Poka gasped as he felt his heart skip a beat and his face reddened. "Thank you..."
The next two months flew by before they knew it, and Sana and Cream were with Poka in the garden on the day before their graduation, the last day as interns at University Hospital and as Poka's caretakers.
"So you guys are really leaving huh?" Poka said quietly as he stared up at the moon, the back of his wheelchair facing Cream and Sana.
"In three days, yes." Sana answered, the sadness faint in her voice.
"How are the hospital preparations?"
"Everything is pretty much complete. Arylide sent pictures and both Sana and I approved everything."
"New equipment and everything?"
"Yes. It will be a fully functional hospital once its two doctors arrive."
Silence. The tension in the air was painful for the two soon-to-be doctors. Poka quickly broke the silence with a sigh.
"Then I have one final request as your intern patient..." Poka slowly maneuvered the wheelchair so he was facing his friends. He took a deep breath before gently smiling. "Can I be your first official patient?"
"W-What?" Cream and Sana were shocked.
"I want to go with you guys. I'm tired of being alone. I want to be with my friends again."
"B-B-But..." Cream stuttered, her hands raised up defensively and trembling, "C-C-Can we even do that?"
"Even if we are the top students and will be full-fledged doctors, we are still just rookies..."
"I already asked the doctors about it. My condition has done nothing but improved since I've been reunited with you two. They think it's because of you guys that I've been getting better." Poka then dug out an envelope and held it out to his friend. "This envelop contains all the details. If you accept it... they will officially allow me to return to Homura City and stay at your hospital."
Cream hesitantly took the envelope and opened it. Her eyes widened as she read the several pages of paper. "T-They're really allowing it... B-But it's still just a tiny hospital! Will it really be fully equipped with the necessary equipment to treat you properly?"
"You said so yourself. It will be a fully functional hospital once its two doctors arrive. And besides..." Poka closed his eyes and grinned widely, "You will cure me, right? Wouldn't it be best if I was there so you guys can test your medicines?"
Cream and Sana gasped and stared at each other. Poka was right. They both intend to find a cure, and it makes sense for him to be there. Though they both looked nervous and hesitant, Cream and Sana nodded and made their decision.
"Alright then, we accept." Cream smiled and held out her hand. "I look forward to being your personal doctor."
"As do I." Sana also held out her hand.
Poka stared at the two hands as he eyes began to water. Rather than accept and shake them, he jumped from his wheelchair and slammed his two childhood friends into a group hug.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Poka laughed and cried as he lied on top of his friends.
"P-Poka, y-you're crushing m-me..." Sana complained, though not sounding one bit annoyed as the trio filled the garden with laughter.
Poka slowly got off his friends and apologized. With Cream's help, he took his seat back on his wheelchair and gazed up at the moon and shining sea of stars. Cream looked up the sky with a hand on Poka's shoulder.
Poka blushed at the Audino's gentle touch, placing a hand on his chest to feel the pounding his heart was making. Poka smiled and closed his eyes to enjoy the moment, only one thought in his mind: He was never going to be alone again.
Shortly after graduation, Cream and Sana returned home for the first time in years. A few days after their return and getting acquainted with their new work place, a huge celebration was held by Queen Arylide to celebrate her two friends from childhood's graduation and opening of their hospital. What the Queen didn't know was that at that party they were to have a special guest.
Poka was finally transported back to Homura City on the day of the party. Cream and Sana had kept it a secret from everyone, so it was an extremely huge surprise to all their childhood friends. The day was filled with laughs, tears, and memories that will live forever in this group of friends' hearts.
Things were going well for the two rookie doctors. Thanks to the royal family's influence, Cream and Sana had a good amount of business despite it being small and run by rookies. If Cream or Sana weren't working with a patient, they were busy taking care of Poka and trying to find a cure. Cream and Sana would work all night trying to understand Poka's illness and how to fight against it.
The hospital doubled as Cream's home, but Sana lived nearby. However there were nights where Sana worked so hard she ending up staying in Cream's guest room. Cream had insisted turning that guest room into Sana's own room, but the Gardevoir kindly refused the offer. Because of this, Cream and Poka spent a lot of alone time together, and that time only increased when Ray finally graduated and got a job at the Homura Hospital as a nurse. It threw everyone off guard when the Gallade suddenly proposed to his old tutor, Ray claiming that that year without Sana made him realize how much he needed her in his life. Sana was shocked, but she happily accepted.
And so the next few years were going well for this group of childhood friends. Surprisingly, Sana was the first to get pregnant followed by Nina and Arylide, and before anyone knew it Mint was welcomed to the world. Within the next half year Tangelo and Auburn would also be born.
Young Auburn and Tangelo were practically raised as siblings, almost spending all their time together. But if Auburn wanted to play with another girl, she could always count on Mint. Mint and Auburn didn't have many chances to play together, but that didn't mean they weren't the best of friends. There was a third girl that sometimes played with them, Mint's next door neighbor Tea. The Litwick was extremely shy, and only seemed to stick by Mint's side, always hiding behind her whenever Auburn tried to make friends.
"You're working alone again today?" Poka asked as Cream entered his hospital room.
"For now, yeah," Cream smiled softly, taking a seat next to Poka's bed, "Sana has to watch Mint until Ray gets home."
"I hope she's not overworking herself..."
"Pfft, overworking is all Sana does!" Cream laughed. "She's happy though. She's got her dream job, dream husband, and an adorable child..." Cream looked away and sighed quietly. "Must be nice..."
"Cream?" Poka asked worriedly. "Are you..."
"Huh?" Cream jumped, realizing that she was showing a side of herself that she usually kept hidden from others. "O-Oh, I'm fine. It's nothing!"
"Cream is something wrong? You can talk to me you know."
Cream stared at Poka silently for a brief moment before sighed and lowering her head. "It's just... Everyone is married and has a kid now. I've never even had a boyfriend... I just feel... left behind I guess. I've never admitted this to anyone except Arylide, but I-I've always wanted to get married and have k-kids..." Cream raised her head and gasped at the look of sadness all over Poka's face. "B-B-But don't get me wrong! It's not like I'm sad or depressed or anything! I'm perfectly fine with how things are! I don't need romance! I'm too busy for that anyway, especially since Sana's only here half the time now. I don't have time for a family or love, I need to work on curing...you know." Cream looked away and blushed.
"C-Cream..." Poka gasped with widened eyes and blushed slightly. "W-Why are you working yourself so hard for me...?"
"Because I'm a doctor. It's my job." Cream looked back at Poka and smiled. "And because you're my friend. My precious, childhood friend. I still remember that day you know. How old were we? Six? Seven? You broke down as I held you because you wanted to be a normal kid. I still remember how heartbroken I felt as I held you. It wasn't fair. Why does everyone get to be normal and healthy while you have to suffer?"
"Cream..." Poka was speechless. He felt his eyes start to water up as he looked at the Audino, her face covered in determination.
"I know Sana feels the same way. I scolded her that day. She changed after that day. We both did. We both made a vow to heal you." Cream stood up and grabbed Poka's hands, holding them tightly and staring into Poka's shining grey eyes. "You're going to be a normal, healthy Pokémon one day. I promise."
"C-Cream... I-I..." Poka smiled with tears rolling down his face. Cream let go of her tight grip and wiped the tears away from Poka's blushing cheeks. "Thank you Cream..."
Cream stepped back and placed her hands on her hips and giggled, "Just doing my job!"
"B-But still..." Poka said hesitantly, "Y-You shouldn't have to put all your energy on me. I-If you want to find romance, you should go for it. I want you happy too, Cream..."
"And who says I'm not happy? Just being here with you makes me happy." Cream replied with a smile. "It'd be nice to have some romance in my life, but I'll live. As long as I can continue helping others and spending time with you, I'll be fine." Poka's face suddenly turned completely red, and his heart began pounding loudly. Cream noticed it too, as the sound from Poka's heart rate monitor became louder and the intervals between beeps decreased. "P-P-Poka? Are you okay?!" Cream suddenly panicked.
"Y-Y-Yes! I-I'm fine! I-It's nothing..."
"Are you sure? Your face is red and your heart rate is increasing. You're not feeling sick are you?"
"A-A-Actually... m-m-maybe just a l-little s-sick..." Poka suddenly hid under his blanket, trying his best to avoid Cream's worried gaze.
"Oh dear, hold on, let me get your medi—"
"No! I don't need any medicine!" Poka flung his blanket off his head, stopping Cream from leaving the room. Poka grabbed one of his pillows and shoved his face into it, muffling his voice. "I-It's a d-different kind of s-s-sickness..."
Cream turned around and looked at the flustered Pignite, completely confused and dumbfounded. "P-Poka...?"
"Cream... I-I..." Poka's heart was racing like crazy at this point. He was sweating bullets and breathing heavily, scared out of his mind at what may happen within the next couple of minutes. "Do... Do y-you know why I wanted to come stay at your hospital?"
"B-Because you missed us right? You wanted to be reunited with everyone and stay with Sana and I correct?"
"Y-Yes... I wanted to see everyone, and I wanted to stay with you guys too..." Poka looked away and took a deep breath, "Y-You especially..."
"M-Me...?" Cream asked. She had a slight feeling where this was leading too, and it was causing her heart to pound and cheeks to glow red. She was scared to ask why. She was terrified that she was just getting her hopes up. Cream gulped and gathered all her courage and went for it anyway. "W-Why's that...?"
"B-Because... Because I-I..." Poka took one more deep breath, deeper than the one before and exhaled. He looked straight at Cream and poured out his heart in his voice. "Because I love you, Cream."
Cream gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. Her body began to tremble with disbelief as she tried to respond to something she never once in her life thought she'd ever hear anyone say. "Y-You... you do...?"
Poka sighed and nodded. "I-I've had feelings for you since we were kids... We started spending more and more time together... As we grew older, strange feelings started to develop in my chest. It only got worse when we were in middle school. A-And then my condition got worse, and I had to move away... I wanted to confess my feelings to you then, but I held back. It would've only made things worst... I figured they would go away since I wouldn't be seeing you anytime soon. I thought they were going away... But then you and Sana were assigned to me, and we spent time together again... Of course these feelings ended up returning! And they only grew stronger! I was dreading the day of your graduation because I knew that would mean I would be separated from you again, so I begged the doctors to let me go with you!" Poka began sobbing as he struggled to continue, "I-I couldn't bear the thought of n-not seeing you again... I-I j-just..."
At this point Cream was holding her friend tightly as he buried his face on her shoulder and sobbed his eyes out. "It's okay Poka..." Cream whispered as she rubbed his back gently, "Everything will be fine now. I'm won't ever leave you again. I promise." Cream backed away from the hug and wiped away Poka's tears once more. She placed her hands on his shoulders and gently pressed her lips against his.
"I love you too, Poka."
The door to Poka's room slowly closed. The pair of teary blue eyes closed as Sana leaned against the wall, her cheeks red and a smile stuck on her face with newfound determination.
"Well I bet get to work on finding that cure. It's not just for Poka's sake anymore."
Cream had gained a newfound determination. She doubled—no, tripled her efforts to find a cure to Poka's illness; a cure to her boyfriend's illness. Of course, it only caused Poka to worry as Cream was working harder and harder. Luckily, Sana was there to make sure the Audino didn't overdo it. Sana spent less time at hospital, which mean less time working towards a cure, but by watching out for Cream she was helping find a cure indirectly.
"...N-No way..." Sana muttered, her body trembling like crazy. She and Cream were in the medicine lab in their hospital working on curing Poka's illness. "N-N-No way...!"
"Sana? What is it?" Cream turned around and gasped, "Hey, are you okay?"
"I-I think I found it...!"
They had finally done it.
...
Or so they thought.
After multiple and multiple tests, the duo had indeed found a cure to Poka's so called incurable illness. But there was just one little issue. Sure, this medicine would definitely cure any other Pokémon with the disease, but in Poka's case the medicine would more than likely cause an allergic reaction that would likely be fatal to him.
"W-We're s-so..." Cream looked down on the table as she rested her elbows on it and rubbed her temples. The gears in Cream's head have been running nonstop for the past several days, but she and Sana have unfortunately run into a roadblock. "Why does Poka have to be allergic to the one key ingredient?!"
"You know, even though he's allergic to it, there's a chance that it will cure him completely." Sana said bluntly with a monotone voice.
"You know we can't do that! That chance is WAY too low! If we were to take it and the allergic reaction took effect, he would die a slow and painful death!"
"I know, I know..." Sana sighed. For Sana, it was like she found the one thing she wanted in life, only for it to be a mirage. She was so close, she thought she had it, but after running the tests hundreds of times with Poka's parameters, there was a less than 5% chance that Poka's body would accept it without the allergies acting up.
Cream and Sana worked like crazy, but unfortunately could not overcome the roadblock. They tried everything, but there was just no way to make this medicine without that key ingredient that Poka was allergic to. To make matters worse, Poka's condition suddenly worsened. Cream and Sana couldn't figure out why, especially since he has been doing well for the since they first became his caretakers back in University Hospital many years ago.
"Cream, I think we should just go for it." Sana said sternly, the two of them standing in front of the ER room where Poka was currently sleeping. He was moved there after he slowly grew worse and worse.
"Sana, you can't be serious." Cream answered back with her arms crossed.
"Cream, he is dying! We're out of options! He could literally die at any moment!" Sana began shouting.
"Yeah, and if we use the medicine then he will die slowly and painfully!" Cream shouted back while throwing her arms in the air. "5% is too risky!"
Sana stepped forward, her face just centimeters away from Cream's. "5% is better than 0%!"
Cream gasped with widened eyes. She knew Sana was right, but she still couldn't do it. There would be a 95% chance that Poka would suffer a slow and painful death.
"No."
"But why not?! Do you want him to die?! I thought you loved him! I thought you wanted to marry him and start a family! How are you supposed to do that if he's dead?!"
Cream stood there, completely speechless. Everything Sana said was true. She had already considered everything, but her answer was still the same.
"...No."
Sana's face dropped completely. She couldn't believe her partner still refused to use their cure. Sana was furious. Sana gritted her teeth and tightened her hands into fists.
"...Fine." Sana turned around and headed towards the exit. "Go ahead. Let him die. I can't believe this. I'm leaving. I'll come back once you come to your senses!"
"S-Sana!" Cream gasped and cried out, trying to run after her. She ran out to the outside of the hospital, but Sana was nowhere to be found. Cream fell to her knees in complete disbelief. "...S-Sana... D-Don't you know how badly I w-want to use it on him t-too..."
It took all of Cream's energy to get back up and walk back into her hospital. It was only her hospital now. She had lost her partner, her childhood friend. And she had a feeling that it soon would not be the only childhood friend she would be losing.
Cream stopped in front of the ER room before taking a deep breath and slowly opening the door. Upon opening it, a Pignite with wires and cords attached to him and an oxygen mask over his mouth slept on the bed in the center of the room. Cream slowly walked up to Poka and sighed.
"P-Poka..."
"C-Cream...?" Poka said quietly in a raspy voice. His eyelids slowly opened, reveal the dull grey eyes behind them. He looked weak, and the life that usually shined in those grey eyes have died out. "I-I heard arguing... A-Are you o-okay?"
"Shh, don't speak. Save your energy... It was nothing, don't worry..."
"C-C-Cream..." Poka coughed loudly. Cream panicked and tried to calm down the dying Pignite, trying her best to fight back the tears. "I-It h-h-hurts... C-Cream..."
"I-I know..." Cream sobbed, no longer able to hold back her tears. "I-I d-don't know what else to d-do... Y-Your usual medicine i-isn't working anymore... I-I d-don't know what to do!" Cream turned around as she couldn't bear to see Poka's worried, dying plea for help. Through tear-filled eyes, however, Cream noticed a vile and syringe on a nearby counter. She stared at it intently and walked up to it. It was the cure. Cream's body began to tremble as she slowly reached for it.
"D-D-Don't... C-Cream..." Poka called out weakly, his trembling arm reaching out for Cream. "P-Please... N-No..."
"B-But!" Cream quickly spun around, "Poka, you're dying! You're in pain! I'm running out of options here!"
"C-Cream... we t-talked about this...r-remember...?"
"Of course I remember! You said you'd rather die from your illness than risk dying a slow and painful death from the allergic reaction! But you're already dying a painful death! Poka there are literally no other options here!"
"I-I... I know..." Poka suddenly started coughing roughly and vigorously.
"P-Poka...!" Cream rushed to Poka's. He was dying. And there was nothing she could do about it.
"Cream... come closer..." Cream complied and leaned in. Poka moved his hand around slowly around the bed, trying to find Cream's. Cream got the hint and grabbed it with both of her hands.
"I-I... don't have m-much time left..." Poka's breathing suddenly became erratic "C-Can you come closer a-and... removed m-my mask..."
"B-But...!" Cream cried. Poka needed all the oxygen he could get to breath properly and removing it would surely bring the inevitable closer.
"P-Please..." Cream frowned but reluctantly removed it and leaned in even closer, her head just hovering above Poka's. "C-Cream... I want you... to be h-happy... Y-You and S-Sana... are the p-perfect team... P-Please... please make up with her... Y-You need to tell her the truth... that the reason you k-keep refusing to use the medicine... is because I don't want to take it..."
"P-P-Poka..." Tears were pouring down Cream's face as she sobbed and listened to Poka's final words. "I-I..."
"A-And... Y-You have to m-move on..."
"P-Poka! D-Don't say that! Y-You'll live! You're a fighter! K-Keep f-fighting... k-k-keep l-living..."
"Ahaha..." Poka managed to chuckle despite the difficulty he was having speaking and breathing. "C-Cream... I'm sorry I-I couldn't keep my promise... W-We were supposed to s-start a family... Even if it was n-nearly impossible, t-there was always adoption... W-We were supposed to grow old together..."
"Poka, please, stop saying things like that! Save your energy, stop talking! Let me back your m—" Cream was suddenly stopped when Poka slowly lifted his head and gently pecked his lips on hers for a weak and final kiss.
"I-I love y-you..." Poka quietly muttered. His head slowly fell onto the pillow as his eyelids slowly closed, never to open again.
The only sounds left in the room was single, never ending beep sound from the heart monitor and the sobs of a heartbroken doctor who had lost yet another childhood friend and the love of her life.
OH GOD FINALLY I FINISHED! THIS TOOK ME SO MUCH WORK TO WRITE AND YET I THINK IT'S SUPER CLUNKY AND THE PACING IS BAD AND I'M BAD AT WRITING DESCRIPTIONS AND IT JUST FEELS SO DULL AND UGH!
...But I hope you enjoyed it. I'm glad that I finally got out Cream and Sana's past. I feel like I should do some sort of timeline because I'm terrible at pacing and stuff so HERE YOU GO (this is using Cream as a baseline):
Age 7: Cream saves Poka, and Sana and Cream make their vows.
Middle school, age 12: Poka leaves to University Hospital
High school, age 18: Everyone graduates. Cain and Arylide get married and have their coronation. Cream and Sana move to University Town.
College, year 2, age 19: Ray enrolls into the Nursing program and Sana becomes his tutor. A few months later Cream and Sana get their internship and reunite with Poka.
College, year 4, age 22: Arc and Nina get married. Cream and Sana graduate and move back to Homura City to open their hospital. Poka transfers to their hospital.
Age 23: Ray graduates and gets a job in Homura City. He proposes to Sana and they get married.
Age 24: Mint is born. Tangelo and Auburn are born several months later.
Age 25: Poka confesses his love to Cream.
Age 26: They find a cure, but there's a 95% chance it will kill Poka. Poka's condition gets worst. Sana and Cream fight and Poka passes away.
So there you go. I know I wasn't very clear during the chapter, but I hope this clears things up. I know it takes more than 4 years to graduate as a doctor, but CREAM AND SANA ARE SUCH GREAT HEALERS THEY GRADUATED EARLY! Y-YEAH, THAT SOUNDS LEGIT :D
Thanks for reading!