"Daddy, it's me, Karania…….."
"Why hello my daughter, how's my little princess doing?" Her father asked.
"I'm fine, but then again I'm not fine." Karania said while sounding sad.
Now her father asked, "What's wrong, Karania?"
Karania replied, "Arinia's sick in the Lavaridge City hospital with pneumonia………"
Her father exclaimed, "Oh, no! Arinia!"
Then he asked, "Where are you now?"
Karania replied, "I'm at the Lavaridge City hospital. I was here visiting sick kids when I found out about Arinia…….."
Now her father said, "Karania, I'll be right there as soon as possible, stay strong my daughter…….."
Karania replied, "I will, dad. I'll see you soon…….."
"Okay, bye Karania, take care."
Now Karania said, "Bye, oh and dad? Some Team Aqua members saved Arinia from Maxie……."
Her father exclaimed, "Not that madman again!?"
"Yes…….. It was Maxie, dad……." Karania said.
Now her father said, "Okay, Karania……. I'll get your mother and we'll be there as soon as we can………"
"Okay, I'll be here waiting, love you dad, bye."
As soon as Karania had hung up the phone a group of kids ran up to her.
"Karania, can we have your autograph?" One boy asked.
"Yeah, please?" Another kid asked.
Karania replied, "Okay, sure. Of course you can."
"YAY!" The kids exclaimed.
Karania took out a pad of paper that she always kept in one of her dress pockets, and signed two pieces of paper and handed them to the kids. After she'd handed them to the kids, they thanked her and ran off happy.
"Well, that solved that problem……." Karania thought as she watched the kids run off. "Now to call Edgar, I really need him here with me……."
Karania picked up the phone and called Edgar's house.
"Hello, Prof. Birch speaking, who's this?"
"Prof. Birch, it's me, Karania, is Edgar home?"
Prof. Birch replied, "Why hello Karania, how are you? No, Edgar's not home, he left a couple of days ago towards Lavaridge City. Maybe you can call him on his poke gear……."
"Okay, I will. I really need to get in touch with him, it's about my sister, Arinia…….." Karania replied.
"Did something happen to Arinia?" Prof. Birch asked.
Karania replied, "Maxie had her kidnapped and he starved her so much that she contracted pneumonia……."
"Oh, my, poor girl……. I hope your sister gets better soon, have faith my dear, I know your sister will be all right……." Prof. Birch replied.
"Thanks, I'll keep the faith." Karania replied.
Prof. Birch replied, "Well take care my dear, and call my son when you can, goodbye…….."
"Bye." Karania replied.
Karania hung up the phone. "I'll call Edgar right now…….. I hope that he's still nearby………"
~*~
*Meanwhile in the Pokemon Center*
"Hi, Nurse Joy, can you please heal my pokemon?" Edgar asked.
Nurse Joy replied, "Sure Edgar, and how is your father, Prof. Birch doing by the way?"
Edgar smiled as he said, "Oh, dad's okay, he's working in the lab like always."]
Nurse Joy smiled back at Edgar, "I'll be right back with your pokemon."
Nurse Joy left to go heal Edgar's pokemon, and a few minutes later his poke gear rang.
"Edgar?" Karania asked.
Edgar replied, "Karania? Hi, sis!……."
Karania sounded like she was crying, "Edgar something's happened…….. I need you…….."
"What's wrong, big sis?" Edgar asked.
Karania sobbed, "Arinia's sick in the Lavaridge City hospital with pneumonia…… That's where I am."
Edgar replied, "Well I'm here in the pokemon center here in Lavaridge, and as soon as I heal my pokemon I'll be right there. Don't worry, sis…….."
Karania replied, "I'll meet you at the entrance…….."
"Okay, love ya, bye, and Karania be strong…….." Edgar replied.
"Bye, Edgar…….." Karania replied.
Karania hung up the phone and Edgar ended the call on his poke gear, a few minutes later Nurse Joy came back with his pokemon.
"Thanks, Nurse Joy." Edgar said.
"No problem." Nurse Joy replied.
Now that he had his pokemon back, he ran out of the pokemon center and ran to the hospital, and sure enough Karania was at the entrance waiting for him.
"Edgar! I'm so glad to see you, how are you doing?" Karania asked.
Karania hugged Edgar, thus causing him to blush.
"Uh……. I'm fine……" Edgar replied.
Karania giggled at Edgar for having made him blush.
Now Karania said, "let's go back to Arinia's room, I left her with some very caring Team Aqua members."
"How is she?" Edgar asked.
Karania replied, "She has pneumonia, I don't know whether she'll survive or not, yet…….."
Now Edgar asked, "But, who did this to her?"
"Maxie…….." Karania replied.
When Edgar heard Maxie's name he got angry, "Why that no good snake……."
Now Karania said, "Calm down, Edgar……. The Team Aqua members have pledged their help to take care of Maxie once and for all."
Tears started to fall from Edgar's eyes, "Why?……. Why did this have to happen to Arinia?……... It's not fair!"
"I don't know, come on Arinia's waiting for us to come back. She was asleep when I left her, she'll be glad to see you." Karania said.
Karania and Edgar came to Arinia's room and entered. Mark and Michael heard the door open and they glanced at the door to see who was entering.
"Karania, you're back………" Mark said.
Now Karania said, "Look who I found." She pointed to Edgar.
"Well, well…….. Edgar, it's nice to see you again." Michael said.
"Same here, Michael." Edgar replied.
Arinia woke up and saw Edgar, "Edgar, is that you?"
Edgar replied while holding Arinia's hand, "Yeah, Arinia it's me. How are you feeling?"
"Pretty crummy, I feel so weak……..." Arinia replied.
"You'll be fine…….." Edgar's voice
trailed off and he tried to hold back his tears.
"That reminds me, I was going to let Archie know about this…….." Michael said.
Mark asked, "Why don't you go tell Archie what happened?"
Michael replied, "Okay, I will after I'm sure that Arinia's all right."
Arinia looked at Edgar, "Edgar? Are you crying?"
Edgar replied while trying to sustain his tears, "I'm…….. Sorry……." Edgar sniffs to hold back his tears before he continued, "It's just that I don't like to see my friends get hurt especially when it comes to Team Magma……"
"Thanks, Edgar, you're a good friend." Arinia replied.
Edgar replied, "Aheh, I know I acted silly……. I'm sorry."
"No, you're not being silly, you have a right to be sad." Arinia replied.
"She's right, you know." Mark said.
"Yeah, but this brings back bad memories, like the time Karania and I were kidnapped by Maxie…….." Edgar said.
"That's true, it does……… I was lucky, I almost died at Maxie's hands like my sister almost did too." Karania said.
Now Michael asked, "You almost died? Thank god that you didn't……."
Now Edgar said, "Yeah, she was lucky……."
Arinia slipped unconscious.
"What just happened? Arinia!" Edgar exclaimed.
"Oh, no! Arinia!" Michael exclaimed.
Mark cradled Arinia in his arms.
"I'll get the doctor!" Karania exclaimed.
"Please hurry!" Edgar exclaimed.
Karania hurried out of the room to go get the doctor, Karania found Arinia's doctor, "Doctor! Arinia slipped unconscious!"
"I'm on my way!" The doctor exclaimed.
Karania and the doctor hurried back to Arinia's room.
"Doctor, please help her!" Edgar exclaimed when they entered.
"Could you please let her go so that I can look at her?" The doctor asked Mark.
Mark released Arinia.
Now Karania asked Mark, "Mark, I think you love my sister, is that true?"
Mark replied, "Yes, I love her with all my heart."
The doctor gave Arinia a check-up before he gave her a shot that would make her sleep for an hour.
"Thank you, doctor……." Karania said.
"No problem, now if you'll excuse me, I have to go check on other patients……."
The doctor left the room, and Arinia continued to sleep peacefully.