The Tree that Weathers the Storm
"Where is he?" Mrs. Ketchum asked frantically.
"He's currently at the hospital in Mahogany town. He's in the emergency room. Oh, I think I left Officer Jenny on the phone. Maybe she's still on the line," Tracey said hopefully.
This comment brought a slight hope to Mrs. Ketchum. She and Tracey ran back to the lab. Tracey made a mad dash for the dangling receiver. He lifted it to his ear with blinding speed.
"Sorry to leave you hanging," said Tracey apologetically.
Tracey's comment was answered by the dial tone of the phone.
"Oh, she hung up. I'll try to call her back."
Professor Oak burst through the door carrying an armful of containers with a variety of contents.
"Tracey you shouldn't leave the door open when you go outside. Well hello Delila how are you this fine day?"
The distraught look upon Mrs. Ketchum's face created an air of gloom that overshadowed the professor's cheery attitude.
"Is something wrong Delila?"
Mrs. Ketchum burst into tears. Professor Oak quickly set the containers down and seated Mrs. Ketchum.
"Now what seems to be the problem my dear?"
Seeing that Mrs. Ketchum was having trouble speaking Tracey relayed the story to professor Oak.
"Oh, no," said professor Oak.
"Well I take care of this in a jiffy."
Professor Oak walked over to the phone and dialed a number.
"Hello, operator. This is professor Samuel Oak. Could you patch me over to the Mahogany town hospital? Thanks."
Some music came over the phone as professor Oak waited to be transferred to the hospital. There were a couple rings and a voice came over.
"Hello, Mahogany town hospital. How may I help you today?"
"Hello, this is professor Samuel Oak. I've heard that you are keeping a Ash Ketchum under your care."
"Let me see. Ketchum…, Ketchum… I'm sorry but that person is not listed here in my records."
"Well my assistant received a call from an Officer Jenny saying that he was there."
"Officer Jenny? Let me see. There was a boy that was taken into emergency room 3, but there was no identification upon him."
"May I speak with Officer Jenny?"
"Let me see if she's still here."
The receptionist called out to one of the other desk workers.
"Is Officer Jenny still here?"
"I believe that she just left, but she left a note here saying that if a Professor Oak called back he was to be given this message."
Professor Oak heard the secretary on the other end set down the phone as she rummaged through some papers.
"Thank you for waiting sir. Officer Jenny just left, but she left a message here for you. It says that a pokédex was found here in the hospital belonging to an Ash Ketchum. She said that the picture matched a patient that was admitted to one of the Emergency rooms."
"Thank you. Is there any update on the boy's condition?"
"I don't have any paperwork here, but I might have some in a half hour. Shall I call you back."
"Sure that sounds great. Thank you very much for your help."
"Well Delilah, it sounds like Ash is there, but there's no word on his condition."
Mrs. Ketchum looked questioningly at Professor Oak.
"I tell you what, I'll see if I can book a flight to the Johto region. Hang on a sec."
Mrs. Ketchum sat on her chair fretting. Tracey stood next to her trying to comfort her, but he was having a hard time after hearing that his good friend had been hospitalized.
"How do we get to the hospital?" Brock asked the man at the desk.
"Well I'm afraid that they're keeping things pretty tight at the hospital after the situation we just had there."
"Why do you want to go to the hospital?" came a voice from behind them.
Brock turned around to come face to face with Officer Jenny.
"Oh, she looks so gorgeous," Brock thought to himself.
"This is no time for that!" came another voice in his head.
"They believe that their friend is at the hospital, you know the child brutality case."
"Come with me. I'll take you to the hospital," said Officer Jenny as she proceeded out the door.
Misty and Brock followed Officer Jenny to her motorcycle. They hopped up on the bike along with her. She handed them each a helmet as they prepared to leave.
"Finally, I get to ride with Officer Jenny, the love of my life! What a great day, but Ash isn't doing so well, but then again he was found and is at the hospital. This may just turn out to be a great day yet" Brock thought to himself.
The motorcycle went down the road at a moderate pace with the sirens wailing out their boisterous cry. Misty sat right behind Officer Jenny. In her arms she tightly held Pikachu, and Ash's backpack, which contained his other pokémon. Brock sat at the back of the bike, a bit disappointed that he couldn't be closer to Officer Jenny, the love of his life.
"So what did they mean by "child brutality case"?" asked Misty.
"Well it seems that your friend was badly beaten when he was brought to the hospital. We believe that Team Rocket did it."
"That sounds rather strange for Team Rocket" commented Brock to Misty.
"So where did you find Ash?"
"Well after Team Rocket was captured at the hospital we found him lying on the floor in the hallway."
"Something about this just doesn't make sense. Who brought Ash to the hospital, and what was Team Rocket doing there? What could they possibly have wanted from the hospital?" thought Brock to himself.
Misty and Brock ran up to the reception desk at the hospital.
"Excuse us, but do you know where we can find Ash Ketchum?" Misty asked.
"What is your relation to the patient?"
"We're friends of his."
"Let me check my records here."
"I believe that he is currently in ICU. He has a broken leg, some broken ribs, some internal hemorrhaging. I'm afraid that visitors aren't allowed at this time, until further notice."
"May I take them back to see the patient?" asked Officer Jenny.
"Oh, Officer Jenny, let me check with the doctor."
The receptionist picked up the phone and dialed a number. She talked for a few seconds and then hung up.
"Doctor Heiner says that you can go back, but only one at a time"
"Well, which of you would like to go first?"
Brock was about to say something when Misty blurted out "I'll go."
"I'll look after Pikachu and the other pokémon," said Brock grabbing Ash's and Misty's backpacks as Misty followed Officer Jenny.
Officer Jenny led Misty back to the ICU. When they arrived there they found Ash sound asleep in one of the beds. There were all sorts of tubes attached to the boy. Misty ran over to the bed side. She gently stroked Ash's hair as she gently said "Oh Ash, we were so worried about you". Ash just lay in the bed unmoving, showing no signs of reaction.
Misty returned to the waiting room, where Brock had eagerly been waiting for his chance to go see his friend. He had been looking after Pikachu while Misty was gone, trying to console the depressed little mouse pokémon. Brock had never had friends like Ash and Misty. For the longest time he only had his family. Brock dearly loved his siblings, but as much as he loved them there was still something missing. During the past two years he had become very close with Ash and Misty. At times they were like a brother and sister to him, but there was more to their relationship. During his travels with Ash and Misty he had opened up a lot more than he had been able to with his brothers and sisters.
Brock got up off of the chair still holding Pikachu in his arms. He began to follow Officer Jenny back towards the ICU when the receptionist spoke up "Excuse me, but you'll have to leave your pokémon here."
"I'll look after Pikachu" Misty said as she grabbed the little mouse pokémon from Brock's arms.
Pikachu squirmed in Misty's arms as Brock walked down the hallway with Officer Jenny towards the ICU.
"Sorry Pikachu, but you have to stay here for now"
The little mouse pokémon looked at Misty with a sad look on its' face. Pikachu's large beady eyes stared into Misty's as if asking her to bend the rules this once. Misty couldn't stand to see the pain in Pikachu's eyes as the little mouse pokémon stared at her pleadingly.
Brock walked into the ICU. The attendant stopped him as he entered.
"Excuse me sir, but who are you?"
"It's okay he's with me," said Officer Jenny.
"Well ok then. Are you here to see the new patient?"
"Yes."
"Right this way."
Brock followed the attendant to Ash's bedside.
"You can stay for a couple minutes, but he's currently unconscious and needs rest"
"Thank you" Brock said to the attendant as he went back to the desk.
"Hey there Ash. You know you really had us worried. Pikachu has been looking for you non stop since you disappeared. Misty was pretty upset too."
Brock got a little choked up as he spoke. He couldn't hold back any longer. Brock's arms wrapped around Ash's limp body and embraced him tightly.
"Oh Ash don't ever leave us again. The group needs you, especially Pikachu and Misty."