I loved that last chapter. But I like this one even more, because I get to incorperate a very pretty song. It's called Bring on the Rain (hence the title of this chapter) and it's sung by Jo Dee Messina and Tim McGraw. And it goes along REALLY well with this chapter! And please don't hate me for what I did in the last chapter. Thank you! *dodges flung tomato*
Another day has almost come and gone…
Desperately Trina raced down Sunflower Alley, Panda in her arms. In her concern and desperation to get the severely injured Pokémon to the center in Rose Town she had completely forgotten about placing him in a Pokéball. The creature was completely still in her arms, whether knocked out or…Trina didn't want to think about it.
Can't imagine what else could go wrong…
The soft rain that had begun to fall just after her defeat was beginning to harden, stinging the girl's cheeks as she raced ever onward. She could very faintly see the lights of the town…and the welcoming light of the Pokémon Center, stationed near the center of town. They were the brightest things in the town as night fell. But it was hard to tell whether it was still day or whether it was night now that the storm had come.
Sometimes I'd like to hide away somewhere and lock the door…
Gasping for breath, willing her tired legs to continue their flight, Trina made it into the town. Yet she couldn't stop. Panda was still in pain. She could feel it. Dark eyes flashing with the lightning in the sky she blazed into the center, sliding on the floor in her slick sneakers.
"Hello, how may I help you?" the nurse behind the counter asked. Her orange hair fell in waves around her shoulders, sparkling green eyes smiling kindly as the young girl slipped over to the counter.
"Please help my Panmaro," she said urgently, placing the tiny helpless panda on the counter. As she saw the injuries inflicted on the tiny Pokémon the nurse's eyes widened. Then she gently slipped her hands beneath the creature's tiny form and walked into the emergency room without another word. The red light came on above the door as Trina stared at the place her only companion had disappeared. And finally it sank in. This was an emergency case. He might not make it through the night. And then what would she do?
A single battle lost, but not the war.
Slowly the girl moved toward a booth along one of the walls. The center was empty, oddly enough, but it didn't really matter. She had lost the battle, but not even that mattered. She was about to lose her friend. Only that mattered. She sat slowly down at the table, crossed her arms on the hard, cold plastic, then buried her head in her arms.
'Cause tomorrow's another day, and I'm thirsty anyway, so bring on the rain.
As her crying began to die down Trina began to hear the intensity of the rain as it pounded against the windows of the center. The occasional flash of lightning ripped the clouds apart, bringing more rain pounding into the windows. Slowly she turned her head, just watching the waves of water slip down the glass outside.
It's almost like the hard times circle 'round…
She began to think of what her parents had told her. She didn't bother reminding herself that they weren't her real parents. They were her only family, and they cared about her. That was good enough for her. She remembered that her dad had told her about his problems as a trainer. He had quit early, actually. He had never made it to the championships. But he told her that sometimes his Pokémon seemed very near death when he ended a battle. It took so much strength to believe one could lose such a good friend, she now understood. And yet…she had barely known Panda for a whole day. Still, he had become her family. In less than twenty-four hours he had become her best friend, and she his. Could she really lose him?
A couple drops and they all start coming down…
The rain let up after about an hour. It was still dark, but whether it was from the storm clouds or the fact that it was sometime near ten at night Trina couldn't tell. She didn't know if it was a new moon or a full moon or if the stars were supposed to be out in the sky like they always were or if they were mourning for the death of one of their own kin.
"Maybe that's what night storms are," she said to herself as she stared at the drops of water sliding down the windowpane. "Maybe they're the tears that the stars shed when one of their own dies." She heard someone sit down in the booth opposite her. Turning her attention from the outside world to the person who had sat down with her, she found herself staring into a pair of aqua eyes.
"How are you feeling?" Shandra asked, setting a cup of hot chocolate down in front of the other girl. Trina said nothing, but the new tears welling up in her eyes were enough to answer the other trainer's question.
"Why?" was all Trina could ask.
Yeah, I might feel defeated and I might hang my head…
"Because we all have to learn that we aren't invincible," Shandra explained, sipping from a cup of tea. "I'm not, you're not, the Pokémon master isn't. We've all got weaknesses, as do our Pokémon. And sometimes an opponent will exploit those weaknesses. So we learn to hide them. But they're still there. Still, losing helps us learn where to place our defenses. That way we're ready for the next battle with the same opponent. Do you understand?"
"I guess so," Trina whispered. For a moment she kept her head lowered, as though contemplating something. Then, slowly, she sat up, straightening her back before beginning to drink the hot chocolate that Shandra had provided for her. Again it began to rain outside.
I might be barely breathing, but I'm not dead.
Inside the emergency room, Panda was lying on his stomach, barely maintaining consciousness. He could see hazy images of a lady with orange hair and a few Blissey, and the lady was always shaking her head. He could only wonder why she did that. Was there something wrong?
He could feel something over his nose and mouth, as well. It was very uncomfortable, but he couldn't seem to move his paws. And even when he did get them to move it hurt too much to be of any help to him. So he just lay still, breathing, listening to his own heartbeat. It seemed a lot slower than it had been earlier that day. And it felt like he wasn't breathing enough. He couldn't get enough air into his lungs. But if he tried to take a deep breath his lungs began to burn. So he settled for the shallower breaths.
But at least he was still breathing.
And tomorrow's another day, and I'm thirsty anyway, so bring on the rain.
Shandra and Trina sat in complete silence. The only sound now was the gentle patter of rain on the windows and roof. The younger of the two couldn't stop thinking about how this resembled the stars weeping. Their light was gone because their sorrow clouded it over, and their tears were the rain that continued to fall.
But could it be a sign?
That was something she didn't want to think of.
No I'm not gonna let it get me down, I'm not gonna cry, and I'm not gonna lose any sleep tonight.
She finished off her hot chocolate, feeling sleep begin to weigh down upon her. Setting the empty mug onto the table, she curled up on the soft, plush booth and fell asleep a few moments later. Shandra smiled a bit, then unlatched one of the red and white orbs from her waist. Setting it on the table, she found a pen and a piece of paper, scribbling a note before leaving the center.
Panda felt cold. It was hard to breathe, as well. Moving his paws, ignoring the intense pain that flowed through his body, he pushed the oxygen mask away from his face. Instantly it became much easier to breathe. But he was still cold.
He was in what looked like an incubator, with its glass top curving over him. But without power there was no heat. And he was still so cold. Moving around a bit, trying to keep from hurting too much, the Panmaro was able to lift the top of the incubator off and slip out, landing lightly on the floor as the dome fell back with a dull click. Then slowly, painfully, he began to move toward an open door.
'Cause tomorrow's another day, and I am not afraid, so bring on the rain.
Panda looked around, blinking a bit. He could see a counter and lots of tables and booths…and there, lying in one of those booths, he saw Trina.
"Panma…" he murmured, slowly beginning to walk toward the girl. As he moved his strength seemed to grow, a silvery white glow covering his entire body. Slowly the lighted form continued toward Trina, deftly hopping up beside her as it reached the booth. Then it cuddled close to her, some of the light forming floating droplets that attached themselves to the girl's hair. Slowly the luminescence faded to nothing, leaving the same grayish black that had been there before.
Panda and Trina lay contentedly together in the booth, somehow knowing that they were both fine. Finally the rain stopped and the clouds dispersed, showing the evening stars in their normal places, twinkling happily as they played in the velvet fields of the night.
Ah, fun chapter. Enjoy, now! Chapter five will be along shortly. Bye!
