Chapter 3:

When I woke up, I met with a few surprises. First, I was alive, safe in a hospital bed, still in the clothes I'd been wearing for the past few days: my newly torn blue jeans and a red-and-black flame-patterned shirt. Second, Mario's Skarmory was sleeping on the bed next to mine. I was sure it would have flown off as soon as it got a chance, but there it was, head under its wing. I rolled over (which was a feat in itself, I was so weak) and took a look out the window, brushing my hair aside. I swore to myself that next chance I got, I'd cut it. Judging from the tall ships and flocks of gulls, I was in Vermilion City. Still confused about how I ended up there, I propped myself up into a cross-legged sitting position (another chore) and gazed at the armored bird on the adjacent bed. Its breathing was light and rhythmic, accompanied by soft clinking noises. For the first time, I noticed a collar around its neck, it's gray almost camouflaged against the dull iron color of its feathers. I wondered again why it was still with me. I couldn't think for long, because at that moment, a woman I took to be the nurse walked in, closely followed by a man who was probably the doctor.

There really are no such things as "Pokémon Centers." Honestly, I don't know where the hell they came up with some of this stuff. Anyway, what really exist are your typical human hospitals with extra services for Pokémon. You see, whatever power Pokémon use to battle each other (no, we don't know anything more about it than you do), it's effects are easily healed with Potions and the like, which is why the medicines in Saffron worked so well on my Pokémon-induced burns. However, if a Pokémon gets a broken leg or something, it takes just as long to heal as a human.

I noticed that both the doctor and the nurse were wearing small PokéBall-shaped badges on their uniforms, and vaguely wondered why I was being treated by Pokémon medics. The doctor saw that I was awake and whispered something to the nurse, who then walked out of the room. H couldn't have been more than a few years older than I was.

"I'm glad to see you're awake. Now we can finally treat your Skarmory." I must have looked confused (I certainly felt so), because he went on to explain, "He flew all the way here to get help, and then led us back. We think it's just a case of exhaustion, but he may have been attacked by something on the way. He wouldn't let us take him out of your room. That's one loyal Pokémon you've got there." He? Oh. Duh. Pokémon have genders, of course. As he spoke, the Skarmory woke up and stretched its wings. Seeing me awake, it flapped over to my bed and sat in my lap, looking up at me expectantly. I cautiously reached down and scratched his neck. I then remembered the collar. I turned it around and read the name engraved on it: Daggerwing. Interesting.

"It– I mean, he...led you to me?"

"Yes. You seem surprised."

"Hmm, never mind." I couldn't believe it. When I had first let it out, he almost looked like he had wanted to eat me. How much could he have changed in...? "Uh, how long have I been asleep?"

"Judging by how long it took us to get to you, and assuming your Pokémon left right away, I'd say about, oh, five or six hours. By the way, what's your name?"

"Gavin Marsh." Six hours? It had felt more like a few days. I continued scratching Daggerwing absentmindedly.

He scribbled down my name on a form and then handed it to me. "I'm Ryan Anton, the resident Pokémon medic. Can you sign this for me?" I took the release form and signed it. Ryan continued, "You'll probably be fine once you eat something and get some water in you."

I then realized how damn hungry I was. "Speaking of which..."

"There's a restaurant right down the street. You think you're up to it?"

"Yeah, I think so." I swung my feet over the side of the bed, Daggerwing squawking a bit at being displaced. "Sorry." I got to my feet slowly, and found I could stand easily. I was already feeling stronger.

Ryan stood up as well. "If you'll let us take your Pokémon to the treatment room now..."

"Sure, go ahead. Daggerwing, go with the doctor. I'll be back soon." To my surprise, the Skarmory flapped to the ground and hobbled over to Ryan, who picked him up and carried him out of the room. Still trying to figure out why that damn bird was being so loyal to me, I walked out into the hall and out the revolving door. I asked someone where the restaurant was, and headed off in that general direction. I found it easily, strolled in, and sat down. I swear, I must have ordered half the damn menu. As I stuffed my face with tasty food, I noticed something weird: aside from the staff, the restaurant was completely empty. In fact, the person I had asked directions from was the only person out on the streets. What the hell is going on here? I thought it over as I devoured some fries.

"Gavin?" I looked up, a few half-eaten fries hang out of my mouth. It was Ryan. I tried to greet him, but all that I could manage was a muffled "Mmff." I swallowed with some effort as he sat down. "Enjoying yourself?"

"Yeah, I feel a lot better. What's up?"

"Your Skarmory's been healed. It's waiting at the hospital for you."

I thought for a moment, then asked him, "Why's the city so empty?" He sighed heavily, and I could see that he didn't want to tell me.

"Where did you come from?"

"I'm from Cerulean."

"So you must have come by way of Saffron." Smart. Very smart.

"Yes," I replied cautiously, not knowing where the conversation was headed.

"And you're asking me why no one's around?"

"What? People are too afraid?"

"Well, yes," he said, as if there was no other possibility. Come to think of it, there probably wasn't. "Aren't you?"

"Not with Saffron between us and them."

"You don't understand..." He gathered his thoughts for a moment, then continued. "The Black Mask has occupied Saffron as well as Cerulean. There's only a few of us medics left, even. I'm still here because the hospital needs to keep running. My sister – the nurse you saw earlier – and I are the only Pokémon medics left in the whole city."

"Why? The ghosts'll drive 'em out in a few days." I remembered the Gym and shuddered. "What's to worry about?"

"They've made a truce with Mara," he stated gravely.

It took a second for that to register. "What?"

"You heard me. I don't know how, but they did it. A League official came earlier today and confirmed it. They also announced a voluntary evacuation, which most people responded to immediately. After what happened in Cerulean, what else can you expect?" He stopped for a moment, and the door opened, admitting Ryan's sister, carrying Daggerwing in her arms. On seeing me, the bird flew out of her arms and onto the table. It started pecking at my fries as the nurse sat down.

"Hey, Gavin. My name's Lori." She was about 17; in other words, my age. And she didn't look half bad, either. She smiled at me sweetly. Ryan rolled his eyes.

"Any way," he continued, "the evacuation's expected to become mandatory by tomorrow, at the latest, though it could be within the next few hours."

"So, you're saying I should leave?"

"As soon as possible," he replied sternly. I don't think I'd ever seen anyone that young and that serious.

"Right then. I'm staying."

"What?" the siblings cried in unison, looks of absolute disbelief on their faces.

"I'm staying, at least until the mandatory evacuation. I've been through a lot lately, and I still need to rest for a while. Anyway, I've survived one of their attacks already, so why should I worry?"

Lori sighed. "What makes you think you'll be so lucky this time?"

I had no response to that, so I just stuffed more food in my mouth to buy time. After I had swallowed, I said, "Because I'm just lucky." Okay, so that was lame, but I had to say something.

Ryan glared at me. "Right. Just lucky, huh?"

"Yeah, so what?"

Ryan sighed even more heavily. "Well, I guess we can't stop you. After all, you're about as old as we are." He got up, Lori following suit. "Just come to the hospital if you need anything."

"I will." I turned back to my food as they started toward the door. They were almost out, however, when I remembered why I had set out for Vermilion in the first place. "Hey, Ryan?"

"Yeah?"

"Are there any ships going out to Sevii before the full evacuation?"

He frowned. "They all left yesterday. The only other port I know of that sails all the way out there is Olivine."

"Oh. Okay then." They left, and I worked on finishing my meal, or what was left of it (Daggerwing had obviously been as hungry as I had). When we were done, I paid and left the building, my new Pokémon in tow. I walked down to the shore and sat down on the sand. It was about an hour before sunset and the place was absolutely deserted. I lay down and closed my eyes, feeling content for the first time in days. I had almost drifted off to sleep when...

Boom.

Crap.

NEXT TIME...

The horrible feel of a gun barrel against the back of my head was more than enough to make me cower. Add to that a knife against my throat and a few hundred violent Pokémon ready to attack at any moment. I was about to shit my pants.

"Give it up, or else."