Chapter 25: An Injured Pokémon
"Are we almost there?" May asked.
"Yes, Your Highness." The coachman answered.
May is currently riding in a carriage to the entrance of Petalburg City. Some royal guards informed May's parents that there's an injured Pokémon at the entrance of the city and it'll attack anyone if they approach it. May told her parents that she'll try to calm it down. After begging them for a bit, they finally said okay. May left the castle quickly to go and help this Pokémon. She doesn't like to see anyone sad, even Pokémon. And she makes it her job to help anyone who's hurt.
The carriage stopped. "We're here." The coachman said.
May saw the injured Amaura laying down on the ground. It's bruised and scratched everywhere on its body. May quickly exited the carriage with her Ninetales that came along for the ride. They walked closer to Amaura.
Amaura opened his eyes because he heard someone approaching him. He saw May and Ninetales coming closer to him. He managed to lift up his head a little bit and he opened his mouth to use Aurora Beam.
May stopped in her tracks and the rainbow-colored beam launched towards them. Ninetales jumped in front of May and launched a Blizzard attack at the Aurora Beam. The moves canceled each other out.
"Amaura, we're here to help you." May said.
"Maur…" Amaura said weakly. He continued staring at May and Ninetales.
After a moment, Amaura dropped his head to the ground, closing his eyes.
May gasped. "Amaura!" They ran to Amaura. May kneeled down next to Amaura and gently touched his body with her hand. "Ninetales, use Frost Breath."
Ninetales opened her mouth and a breath of cold air came out and touched Amaura. The Frost Breath cooled Amaura's body temperature. He slowly opened his eyes.
"Maur…" Amaura said weakly. He looked up at Ninetales. Ninetales stopped using Frost Breath.
"Amaura, we're going to get you to the castle to get healed." May said.
Amaura looked at May's eyes. "Maura…" Amaura said.
"You can trust me." May said.
Amaura didn't respond. He didn't attack either. May looked towards the carriage at two royal guards that May told to come with her. She signaled at them to come.
Amaura noticed the people approaching him. "Maura…" Amaura said weakly, but angrily.
May looked at Amaura. "Amaura, don't worry. They're going to help you into the carriage." She said, gently petting Amaura. Amaura relaxed.
The two guards got on both sides of Amaura and kneeled down.
"Please be careful with him." May said, taking her hand off of Amaura. She stood up.
"We will." A guard said. The two guards lifted up Amaura.
They all walked to the carriage. The guards gently placed Amaura on the bench. May, Ninetales, and the two guards entered the carriage as well. They started heading back to the castle.
"Maura…" Amaura said weakly.
He's laying on a Pokémon hospital bed in the castle's infirmary. The Nurse that works at the castle is doing what she can to treat him. May is waiting outside of the treatment room.
The door opened and May saw the Nurse walk out of the room.
"How is he?" May asked.
"Amaura will be just fine, Your Highness." The Nurse said, smiling.
May breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank Arceus…"
"Amaura just needs a long rest. You can go in and see him if you want."
"Thank you." May said. The Nurse walked away and May entered the room. May stood next to the hospital bed. "Amaura, how do you feel?"
"Maura…" Amaura answered weakly, but with a small smile on his face.
May smiled. "That's good. The Nurse said that you just need to rest, okay? I have school tomorrow, so I'll come and see you when I get home. You'll be better by then." May said, petting him. "I'm sure of it."
"Maura…"
"Oh! I know!" May said. She took out a Pokéball. "Come on out Ninetales." The Pokéball opened and Ninetales materialized on the ground.
"Nine~!" Ninetales said happily.
"Ninetales, do you think you can stay here until I come tomorrow after school?" May asked.
"Nine~!" Ninetales answered, giving May a yes.
"Thanks. And be sure to keep the room cold, so Amaura feels at home and doesn't get too hot."
It's been a week since May and Drew had their short argument about what May is hiding from him, and she's been trying to ignore him since then. They did tell the teacher that they want to audition for the lead roles of the Spring Play. And they did get their audition scripts. They just haven't talked about it since the first day back at school. Drew's been trying to speak with May during that first week back, but whenever she saw him, she remembered their small argument where she yelled at him, and she immediately walked away from him, not wanting to start a conversation. The gang has been noticing their lack of speaking and asked them about it, but they didn't answer them about why they're not talking to each other.
They're now in theater class.
"Daisy." Drew said.
May/Daisy didn't respond or look at him. She just continued doing something on her phone.
"Daisy." Drew repeated.
May still didn't respond.
Drew reached out and took May's phone away from her.
"Hey! Give me that back!" May said, trying to take her phone back from Drew. Drew held it behind his back.
"No. You're going to let me talk to you first." Drew said.
"But, but-"
"Daisy." Drew cut May off. "You've been ignoring me for a week. And I need to know why."
"No you don't." May said. "Now give me back my phone."
"Daisy, just let me say something."
May's eyebrows furrowed. "Fine. What is it?"
"Listen. I'm sorry for trying to find out what you're hiding from me." Drew said. "I don't want to find out anymore."
"You don't?"
"No." Drew answered. "I just want my friend to talk to me again."
May frowned when she heard those words. Drew looked hurt. She's never seen Drew so...worried about anything before. He's worried about her. May could see this. But what she's wondering now is...why? She's just a friend. She's nothing special...right? She's just his friend, Daisy. Or does he see her as something more?
"I don't have to know about what you're possibly hiding from me." Drew said. "It's your personal life and it's not my business to find out. I just want it to be like it was before that little argument. Can you forgive me for it?"
May stared into Drew's eyes. He seemed sincere. He really just wants her to talk to him again. May smiled.
"Of course." She answered. "I forgive you Drew, and...thank you for dropping the topic. I'll tell you what I'm hiding eventually, but...now isn't the right time."
Drew smiled and held out the phone to her. "Okay then. I'll wait."
May took her phone back from Drew. "Thanks."
Drew pulled out a rose and held it out to her. "Will you be able to come to my place sometime this week, so we could practice our lines together?"
May blushed at the rose. She accepted it. "Yeah...I'll be able to go." She answered.
"Okay then. I'll text you the time."
May nodded. "I'll be there."
May opened the door to Amaura's hospital room. She saw Amaura standing on the bed and Ninetales sitting on the floor. They were talking to each other, but they now looked at who walked into the room.
"Amaura, you're better now!" May said happily.
"Maur~!" Amaura said happily.
May pet Amaura on his head. Ninetales nuzzled her head against May's leg. May pet Ninetales on her head.
"You were great." May said.
"Nine~!" Ninetales replied happily.
"Now, Amaura, I'd really like to know how you ended up coming to Petalburg." May said. "You're an extinct Pokémon. How'd you come back to life?"
"Maura, Maur…" Amaura said.
May's eyes widened a bit. "I...could understand you."
"Maur?"
May nodded. "Explain what you remember."
"Maur." Amaura started. "Maura, maur. Amaura, maur, maura."
"So...scientists had some sort of fossil and they used a machine to bring you back to life?" May asked for confirmation.
Amaura nodded. "Maur, maur, maura. Amaur, maur, maura." Amaura frowned. "Amaur, maur maur, maura. Maura, maur."
May gasped. "People tried to capture you? The scientists seemed nice, but some random strangers tried taking you away by force?"
Amaura nodded.
"And that's when you escaped them and ran away." May said. "You came here to this city and that's when you saw people approaching you and you attacked them, because you're now afraid of humans." May finished Amaura's explanation.
Amaura nodded.
"Well, you're safe here." May said. "This city is known as the safest in all of Hoenn. I'm one of the rulers of Hoenn and we have royal guards everywhere in the city. If bad guys were to enter the city, we'll catch them." May assured.
"Maur~!" Amaura said happily.
"However, we should try and find those scientists." May said. "They're probably looking for you."
"Maura…" Amaura said sadly.
"Don't worry. We'll hang up posters that you're here and if the scientists come here, you will reunite with them.
"Maura~!" Amaura said happily.
The door opened. The Nurse walked in.
"Okay Princess. Amaura is good to go."
"Thank you." May said.
"No problem." The Nurse said. "Amaura seems to have taken a lot of damage from many Pokémon attacks. And he was out of the cold for so long that he was starting to get sick. It's good you brought him here when you did."
"Yeah…" May said. "Thank you for treating him."
"You're welcome, Princess. Take care."
May, Amaura, and Ninetales left the room.
"Ninetales, you're in charge." May said.
"Nine~!" Ninetales said.
They're in the backyard and May just told Ninetales to make sure that Amaura is safe until the scientists come for him. Ninetales will be like Amaura's bodyguard. And Ninetales could keep Amaura nice and cold, so he doesn't get sick from the heat of the sun.
Ponyta came running up to Amaura. She neighed happily. Amaura just looked at Ponyta, confused.
"I think Ponyta wants to play." May said. Ponyta neighed excitedly.
"Maur~!" Amaura nodded, smiling. Ponyta and Amaura ran off.
May smiled as she watched them go and play. "She's really playing with the other Pokémon now." She muttered.
May looked at Ninetales. "Keep him protected." Ninetales nodded and walked to where Ponyta and Amaura were.
May soon followed. "Ponyta!" May called.
Ponyta looked at May approaching her and she galloped to her.
May bent down to Ponyta's level. "I think you're ready to live in that greenhouse, okay? You've made a lot of friends. You no longer need to sleep in my room. Starting today, you sleep in there."
Ponyta neighed happily. May smiled.
"Okay then. Go and play." May said.
Ponyta galloped back to Ninetales and Amaura. May stood up. She saw Ponyta and Amaura chase each other. May giggled.
May thought back to when she could hear a voice talking to her from Ponyta's egg. And now, she could understand what Amaura was saying today. May still wonders how that's even possible. Just like in a fairytale...the Princess could speak with animals. May wonders how it's possible, but she's more happy that she has that connection with Pokémon in the first place.
("Just like a fairytale…") May thought. ("Now I just hope for a happily ever after…")