Helix Arc: 6
Aria let out a shaky breath as every camera lens in the arena followed her to the tunnel. Winning the match was great, the attention that came with it, wasn't. Several staff members wearing smiles too big to measure were waiting at the lounge door as she approached. Aria froze and glanced between them, unsure if she had to fight them to get back into the lounge with her pokemon released or not. One of them stepped closer as if being caught loitering in front of a VIP ace.
"If you follow me, I'll take you to the clinic," he said.
Aria narrowed a curious eye before following him through several hallways and a set of double doors into B Group's medical bay. Nurses, a doctor, and one or two nurse pokemon walked around the ER. There were two stretchers off to the side by the door, several examination tables in the center, rolling carts for supplies, and a large bay door in the back that led to a patio for larger and/or aquatic pokemon. A health machine hummed in the background and dulled the beep of various equipment scattered around the room. A chansey wearing a medical badge spotted Aria and gave a small cry. Head Nurse Joyson looked up. She scanned the canines then Aria, after all, trainers often got caught in the cross fire. Seeing that there was nothing wrong with Aria except for a little dust, she settled her gaze on the houndour with tired eyes, labored breathing, and blood slicked side.
"Looks like we've got a bleeder," Nurse Joyson said as she came around to one of the examination tables. "Put him down here."
Aria walked into the bay and set Lopo on the table with one hand lingering on his stomach for support. With the snap of a fresh set of latex gloves, Nurse Joyson fell into routine.
"Battle report?" she asked.
Aria stiffened.
"The summary of all damage done to your pokemon during the battle including attacks, movement, and response."
Aria lightly jumped in recognition. Pokemon diagnosis was her second nature.
"Oh, yes, of course," she fumbled before straightening out. "A raticate got a good bite on'em with a hyper fang after a scuffle. When they separated, Lopo here fought through it and chased after him before getting doused in a flamethrower. He's practically immune because of his flash fire but he landed on his bad side after a fire blast midair."
A few seconds of silenced passed. Nurse Joyson paused and glanced at her watch. Without the usual boasting, excuses, and ineptitude, it only took thirty seconds for Aria to give the entire report. It was short, simple, and accurate, exactly how she liked it.
"I can tell it was a raticate," the nurse added. "This is a classic bite: two punctures with clean edges directly above and below. The flamethrower explains the cauterized wound. It cleaned the outside of the bite so it didn't bleed as hard as it could but that can be bad for healing. It's a deep bite but there's so much muscle in there that it's keeping everything together."
"Can we do therapy, or does it have to be machine based?"
"Therapy is fine. It's what I'd recommend for this type of bite."
"How long's recovery?"
"It'll take a day or two, and he'll have trouble walking, but there'll be no permanent damage."
"Wow, only two days. I expected two weeks."
Nurse Joyson stopped checking diagnostic boxes to tilt down her glasses and give the trainer in front of her a good hard look. The file on Aria said she was supposed to be a Newbie. She cleared her throat and continued.
"Is he on any medication?"
"Pokesnacks and moonlight."
"Does he have any allergies?"
"If rainy day's count."
Nurse Joyson set down her clipboard and took off her glasses. Aria was too busy smoothing Lopo's fur to feel the nurse's eyes scan every inch of her personality. With nothing physical to prove Aria was one in a million, Nurse Joyson continued her work. She put her glasses back on, cleaned up the blood around the wound, and transferred Lopo to the "day bed". It was a piece of technology developed from psychic pokemon research by studying moves like heal bell, regenerator, synthesis, leech seed, and aqua ring. Aria assisted with a few soothing words, making the transition smoother than anything Nurse Joyson experienced short of a feinted pokemon. A few conditions were set, and with the press of a button, the machine turned on. Lopo flinched as an arching strip disconnected from the front end of the machine and slowly slid along the track to the other side with a hum. A green glow washed over him as it passed. Unlike machines designed to heal pokemon while they were in their energy state, the 'day bed' was built for physical tissue regeneration. It did not work as quickly as the machines but it did provide more effective treatment. Aria pulled over an empty chair and sat next to the bed. Nurse Joyson looked at Aria, where the chair had come from, and the empty waiting room at the front of the ER. It was so awkward that it pulled for some type of conversation.
"Congratulations on your win, by the way" she said. "You should be proud. We don't get to say that often."
"Thank you," Aria replied with a somewhat straighter back.
"And your growlithe, did he also compete?"
"It wouldn't be a tag team without him. This is Rolo."
"Nice to meet you, Rolo. You look like you could use a little cleaning up. If you like, I can heal him in the machine while we wait."
Aria was only too eager to have both of her canines at 100%. She withdrew Rolo and passed off his pokeball. Nurse Joyson set him in the machine and turned it on before glancing at the empty lounge for a second time and the 15 minutes she had to kill.
"Who was your opponent?"
"Stacy Smith."
"Sounds familiar."
"She's a good trainer, got the jump on Lopo after all."
"But not as good as you."
Aria turned her head down to her shoelaces.
"Don't be shy, you deserved the win. Who was her second?"
"An exeggutor."
"I'm glad I didn't have to tend to that one tonight. Against these two, I bet he went up faster than a piece of lint in a lightning strike."
"Let's just say, my boys know how to bring the heat."
"I like that. I'll have to watch the match on the battle reel tonight."
Aria felt her blush strengthen. The highlight and battle reels were special television programs aired after each round of the tournament. All competitions had them. They could be as simple as highlights from the best matches or full blown reruns complete with discussions, dissections, and analysis. The NWFT was renowned for the amount of detail and effort put into each reel. To think that she could make it on both. . .
"It'll still be a little while until your houndour is ready," Nurse Joyson continued. "If you want to go out and watch the matches in the lounge, you're more than welcome. We can't have any TVs or radios in here because it's too distracting."
"Thank you, but I'd like to stay, if that's alright."
"Of course you can, Honey. Besides, I think you sitting there is keeping him from fidgeting."
The two exchanged smiles before Nurse Joyson stepped away to finish the paperwork on Rolo. Chansey quickly took her place. A "thank you" floated over from the machine and the nurse put on a smile.
"No problem," she answered. "As you can see, we don't have -,"
Nurse Joyson turned and realized that Aria was addressing Chansey with a smile and a nod. There was no sarcasm, babying, or over exaggeration in her words. They were said exactly as if communicating person to person. The sight lingered until Nurse Joyson shook it away in disbelief. Fifteen minutes passed quickly with talk of the battle, and when Rolo was finished, Aria put him on a table for an inspection. There was a certain shine to his coat, roughness to his paws, and hardiness to his build that made it clear to any medical professional that he lived a life outdoors. A beep from the 'day bed' signaled therapy completion. Nurse Joyson transferred Lopo over to Rolo's table and made sure that the wound was healing properly. It was a good thing Lopo lived the same life as his brother. Pokemon that healed on their own responded two times as well to treatment than those who used healing technology as their main source of recovery. There was something about the natural strength and regenerative properties of pokemon tissue when left on their own that enhanced the healing effect. Compared to what Nurse Joyson encountered with the dozens of ace pokemon she treated, the fire canines were Olympians in a world of coach potatoes. Aria handed over her badge upon request and Nurse Joyson punched the information into the computer. She then scanned the barcode before handing it back. Aria waited for paperwork and fees but received none.
"Umm, excuse me but don't I have to pay?" she asked.
"You really are new to this aren't you?" Nurse Joyson answered as Aria picked up Lopo to avoid addressing the question. "Don't worry, your sponsorship will take care of it. The only thing we need is your badge number and some information for the record. You're good to go."
A verbal hyper fang pierced Aria's chest through and through. She wobbled lightly and steadied herself by placing a hand on the table. Nurse Joyson was too experienced too miss it. She strode over with full medical instincts kicking into gear.
"Are you feeling alright? You look a little pale," she asked.
"No I'm fine, really, just a little tired from the battle."
"Have a seat on the table. Were you injured in the match at all? Don't be afraid to tell me about every scratch and bruise. Poisoning can happen in the slightest nick."
"Heh, I'm familiar, but really, I'm fine. Thanks for the help. I'll be back tomorrow."
"Wai-,"
Aria slipped out of the clinic and jogged down the hall into the network of tunnels between the arena and coliseum before Nurse Joyson could stop her. Without the heat of battle induced adrenaline to warm the chill of the dream eater, terror knocked Aria's legs out from underneath her. She stumbled into the wall, careful to knock her shoulder, and not Lopo, into it. Her breath strained with each pull. Every scuffle of feet sounded like the oncoming steps of an assailant. The cold cement walls around her made the coliseum another 'box' holding her prisoner for a crime she didn't commit. Aria's hand went for the black ball on her belt but only caught wires as she slid down to the floor. Pokemon medical treatment put more people in debt than the invention of the credit card, and she just slipped the bill into the pocket of the richest man in town. The panic spread to the fire canines who were unable to fight an invisible and unreachable enemy. Rolo pawed at Aria's leg until fabric stuck in his claws, and when she didn't respond, bit her knee with the charm of a puppy gnawing on his favorite bedtime blankie. Aria slowly looked down at him out of nostalgic reflex, and when she saw those sap soaked eyes glistening as bright as amber, color returned to her face. The heat of Lopo's internal fire as he pressed against her chest thawed the icy grip around her heart. Several minutes went by until Aria calmed into a logical state of thought. A few more lies to the bucket now wouldn't tip it over. She could always foot the bill with her prize money and come up with some excuse about how her sponsorship wouldn't allot anymore compensation. A few deep breaths later, Aria stood and pushed away from the wall. She had to keep moving. She had to keep going. Stopping now would make all of Raven and the GCPD's efforts meaningless.
"Just a few more matches," Aria told herself as she walked for the door leading to the lounge. "Just a few more."
But as she looked down at the doorknob separating truth from lie, silver colored brass never contained so much doubt. Nobody would catch her if she ran now. No camera would broadcast the escape. It would only take seven minutes to walk through the coliseum and out the door where the train station was waiting just a few blocks away with a ticket to River Wood in her name. Aria closed her eyes against the panic bubbling into her will. Running, walking, moving . . . it was her specialty.
The lounge door flung open and Aria stepped inside before she changed her mind. Moving forward meant pulling out of Dragon Fang's grasp, and pulling out of their grasp meant getting home where she could return to Mile City, release Sebastian, and finally have her family whole again. Lopo and Rolo didn't experience hell on land and sea so that she couldn't collect the ultimate prize. Aria closed the door and managed to remain unnoticed by the trainers gathered on the far end of the lounge. Spending so much time in the ER had given her win time to cool and fall into place. She headed for the couch farthest away from the others but froze when a guard appeared in front of her. He took a good long look at each of her pokemon before fixing his hat and putting a hand on his belt. Pokemon weren't allowed in the lounge. Aria's hand went for Sebastian's pokeball on reflex.
"Good job today, Aria," the guard exclaimed. "We haven't had a match that exciting in a long time. Keep it up, will ya? If you make it to semi-finales, I can finally brag about my B Group trainers to those A class A-holes. Rest up for tomorrow, I'll be rooting for ya."
With a wink, the guard left and patrolled the rest of the lounge. Aria did not move for a full two minutes. She waited until the stupor passed before laying on the couch with both canines settled in her lap. Several trainers trickled over at the sight of the canines and inquired about her battle. Aria had forgotten the comfort of peers with similar interests and experiences. Discussing pokemon and battles with people who actually shared her enthusiasm lifted a yoke off her shoulders that she forgot existed. The only thing strong enough to pull their attention away from the origin stories was the sound of the crowd as one of their favorite competitors stepped out onto the field. An honest smile finally pulled across Aria's lips as she turned to the TV with the others and watched Azura Valenis enter his trainer square. A good pokemon battle had the power to lift anyone's spirits and set aside reality if only for a moment. Aria was only too willing to take that step. It may not have mattered to the ace but she was rooting for him.
With both trainers in their squares, the referee prompted the pokemon release. B Group's, Sylvester Garrison, released a Shuppet that appeared with a twirl of its ghostly cape. A torkoal materialized beside it, stamped a foot against the ground, and snorted smoke from its nostrils so hard that it sounded like a steam train. Azura threw out his pokeballs without a bead of sweat dotting his brow. Darius, the marowak, materialized with both hands resting on his bone club with more swagger than a gentleman and his cane. He closed his eyes as his partner, Loki, the gengar, materialized beside him. The ghost put on a grin, bounced up, and slipped into shadow form when he hit the ground. He zigzagged around the rocks before returning to his original position and popping up into normal form. The pokemon settled. Smirk met sneer. The bell went off and the match began.
"Marowak, plan B. Gengar, Action 12!" Azura shouted.
"Flamethrower! Will-O-Wisp!" Sylvester commanded.
A blue ball of fire flew off of Shuppet's horn while a torrent of flames streamed out of Torkoal's mouth. Azura's pokemon split off in opposite directions. Loki slipped into shadow form and navigated the maze of rocks for Torkoal. Shadows were always faster than flames. He by passed the flamethrower, slid right underneath the coal pokemon, and popped up behind him with dark energy coating his hand. Loki slapped the shadow ball into Torkoal's shell, prompting an automatic smokescreen. Black smoke poured out onto the battle field from the holes in Torkoal's shell. Loki jumped away from the choking heat and onto a rock where the smoke was thin. He fired another shadow ball into the cloud, swirling the haze a dark black as it exploded. The cameras' lost sight of the gengar as he slipped into shadow form again and carefully maneuvered deeper into the cloud. It was hard to see more than a few inches in all directions but Torkoal didn't need to see to find his opponent. Living in constant heat and smoke made the chill of a gengar as noticeable as a flashlight at night. An ember from Torkoal's shell showered the field like the bubbling top of a volcano. One struck Loki, throwing him out of shadow form where the chill was even more prominent. A flamethrower licked half of his torso before he collapsed into shadow form again and retreated.
Meanwhile, Darius ran along the edge of the field with Shuppet spitting blue fireballs as predictable as a batting machine. They splashed against the rocks with every dodge and split in half against the club like bamboo against a katana. Smoke crept over to their location like the fog of a monster movie, but the boomerang that cut through the air was scarier than any horror flick. Shuppet dipped out of range and expressed his displeasure with an ear piercing screech. Azura put hands to his head and threw a glare at Sylvester who adjusted the ear plugs already set into place. Darius winced and grabbed his helmet to try and still the vibrations rattling his brain. Shuppet swooped in for the kill but didn't make it far as the returning boomerang cracked the back of his head. He face planted into the dirt as the club slapped into its owner's hands. Darius took off in an Olympics' worthy baton sprint. He lunged through Shuppet in a headbutt, whirled around, and wacked the ghost with a bone club the moment his body reformed.
Loki smiled from on top of his rock across the field and jumped away from the thinning smokescreen towards his partner. He passed with a snicker and swiped Shuppet off the ground by its bulbous head. A sucker punch blew the puppet pokemon out of his hands and into a nearby rock where it slumped to the ground in silence. Darius rolled his eyes before settling them on the smoke cloud. He ran inside, slowed to a stop, and put the end of his club against the ground. As light as wood and as strong as iron, the bone was Darius' most valuable tool. The special marrow running the length of the bone picked up vibrations better than a seismograph and the nerve endings in Darius' hands let him read them better than a geologist. A single step revealed Torkoal's location. Dirt flew under the marowak's steps as he rushed headlong into the smoke, pulled back his club, and cracked Torkoal up underneath the stomach. The tortoise belched out smoke like vomit. Darius grunted and followed through with the strike, flipping Torkoal better than a jack to a car. The ground shook with the following thud. The roar of the crowd drowned out the victory buzzer as it rang out across the arena. Darius scoffed and swung the coal dust off his club. For him, it was just another day in the arena. For everyone in the crowd, including Aria, it was another match worthy of the North White Fantasy Tournament.
