Chapter 9: To Touch Your Heart (Mystery Troop Snag)
Several minutes later, Wes and Rui were in the Pokémon Center, with the nurse and her assistant both working urgently to help both Wes and his Pokémon. However, while Espeon, Umbreon, and now Makuhita were quickly brought back to full health… Wes's condition proved to be much more precarious than even he realized.
"I've done all I could," the nurse informed both Wes and Rui worriedly, about an hour later. "I've set the ribs that were cracked back into place, and reduced the internal bleeding as well as I could."
Rui gave Wes a frightened glance where he sat in a chair, bare-chested yet wrapped up in a great deal of bandages to keep his ribs in place. His right arm, the arm closest to the injury, was put into a sling to reduce him moving it and hurting himself. Wes's face was impassive, but Rui could somehow feel his anxiety as she stood next to him. "So… what's the problem?" she asked.
The nurse sighed. "I fear there may be bruising done to the organs underneath… His lungs, namely… And I'm afraid I can't help any further with the equipment here in the Pokémon Center."
Wes sighed slowly, taking as few breaths as possible to reduce the pain inside. "So… what do we do?" he asked calmly.
"The only thing I can think of that would have a good chance of working is going up to Agate Village, where the properties of the leaves and water there have miraculous healing powers," the nurse replied. "But… it's a forty minute drive from here, and by then the damage could be too severe… You…"
"You're saying there's not much hope for me," stated Wes flatly, getting to his feet and throwing his trenchcoat around his shoulders. "I see."
"Wes…" Rui's lip trembled, and she threw her arms around him once again, sobbing. "You… you can't…"
The nurse looked terribly distraught. "I'm so sorry… I wish Orre had more facilities available, but…"
Wes smiled. "It's all right. I'm grateful for all your help," he assured her. "Come on, Rui, let's see if we can make it to Agate Village."
Rui was amazed at how calm and composed Wes was taking the entire situation. It was as if this was no big deal at all, and merely a minor setback. I wish I could be as brave as Wes… I'll try my very best… she thought.
After Wes got all his Pokéballs back on his belt, and stuffed his shirt into the back of his belt, the two departed the Center and walked back to the front of the city. Neither spoke a word to one another. The grimness of the situation was too intense for words. But… as the two approached the front entrance, where the speeder was parked, they were in for a terrible surprise.
One of Miror B.'s goons was standing there, guarding the entrance.
"Oh no!" Rui gasped, stopping short upon seeing the blue-clad fellow. "Wes, it's one of those guys who worked for Miror B.! What do we do?"
Wes merely blinked, and stepped towards the man. "Get out of my way," he demanded point-blank.
The man gave Wes a strange look. "Excuse me? Hey, you're Wes, right?" he asked. "Looks like you've had a rough time."
"Just get out of the way and let us go!" Rui pleaded. "This is very urgent!"
"Sorry little girl, but I'm afraid I can't do that. Miror B.'s ordered me to make sure you two don't leave Phenac City."
Wes's gold eyes flared with frustration. "Dammit, just get the hell out of my way!" he yelled, going to the man and shoving him backwards with his one hand. The man stumbled a bit, but retained his footing. With a hateful stare, he leapt forward at Wes, ready to fight back.
"Stop it!" Rui screamed, grabbing Wes and tugging him backwards just in time to avoid a punch from this mysterious blue man. "You… you can't fight him in this condition, Wes… You should battle him with your Pokémon, instead. Please…" Her next words bordered on something of a sob; not a frightened, crybaby-ish sob, but a concerned, frightened one. "I couldn't bear it if you got hurt even more… got killed…"
Her voice threatened to make Wes break down into tears himself, so mournful were her words. Why… why does her voice turn me so? he wondered. Why is it she can make me melt with her words, and touch my soul with just a few tears…? Rui… Dammit, I've only known you for a day and a half! Why…? In the name of Lugia, why am I falling for you…?
"Ok, calm down," he whispered, giving in to her pleas and selecting Espeon and Umbreon's Pokéballs. He momentarily considered using the newly Snagged Makuhita, but his bound ribs and the pain felt with each and every breath he took made him decide otherwise. It wasn't the Pokémon's fault, but Wes really didn't know if he wanted to place trust in a Pokémon that had nearly killed him. "All right, you. We're going to battle. If I win, you leave Phenac City with the other clowns that were with you and leave us alone from then on. If you win…"
"…You die, and Rui gets to come with me to join Miror B.," the man replied, looking a little peeved that Wes had called him and the other Mystery Troops clowns. "Name's Bluno, don't forget it!"
Wes rolled his eyes. What kind of retarded name is that? "All right, Bluno. Let's get this started. Espeon, Umbreon, go!" His two loyal Pokémon appeared once again to represent him in battle, even more psyched to win since they knew their master was hurt.
"Spoink, Grimer, I choose you!" Bluno yelled in return, sending the Psychic and Poison-type Pokémon out for battle. Wes and Rui wrinkled their noses in disgust at the smell of Grimer's toxic body.
Well, this shouldn't be too hard, Wes thought, taking note of each Pokémon's type. We've got type advantages on them… But I should still be careful. I can't let my guard down. "Espeon, Confusion on Grimer! Umbreon, use Bite on Spoink!"
"Grimer! Sludge Umbreon!" commanded Bluno in response. "And Spoink, use Bounce!"
Espeon moved forward with the speed and fluidity of water through a stream, his eyes blazing purple as he unleashed his Confusion attack on Grimer. At the same time, Umbreon leaped forward at the same time to Bite Spoink. However, the pig-like Pokémon used its springy tail and Bounced high into the air, surprising the Dark-type and making him skid to a stop. Grimer used this opportunity to fling a gob of Sludge at Umbreon, who yelped and tried to shake the nasty goop off.
"Espeon, get rid of Grimer!" Wes yelled next, his chest heaving in pain as he shouted the next commands. "Wait for Spoink to come down, and then use Bite, Umbreon!"
"Grimer, Sludge again! Spoink, attack Espeon next!" Bluno responded.
True to form, Espeon quickly rid of the field of Grimer with another power-packed Confusion. Spoink sailed down from the sky, intending to strike the Psychic-type with its unique Bounce attack—however; Umbreon was prepared for the pig Pokémon, and quickly leaped in the way of the attack for its lower-defense teammate. Both Umbreon and Spoink recoiled in opposite directions from the attack, both too stunned to make any further moves for the turn.
Bluno frowned at the fact that Grimer was so easily defeated. So, Folly and Trudly hadn't just been exaggerating; this Wes was indeed a worthy opponent. "Grimer, return!" he said, taking Grimer back into its Pokéball, before selecting a third one. "Sorry Wes, but this is the end of the line for you! Go, Croconaw!"
The Pokéball flew into the center of their 'arena' and opened in a flash of light, revealing a blue and yellow Water-type Pokémon. It growled and snapped its jaws threateningly at Wes and his Pokémon.
Very interesting… Wes mused to himself. A Croconaw? Those are pretty rare Pokémon, even in Johto, where they originally come from… But before Wes could devise a quick strategy to himself as to how he could defeat this rarity, Rui suddenly stepped forward with a gasp, her eyes growing wide and distant.
"Wes!" she exclaimed, staring at the Croconaw. "There's one! A Shadow Pokémon!"
"That's a Shadow Pokémon too?" Wes asked. Mentally, he thanked Rui with all his heart for identifying the Shadow Pokémon. If he had been unprepared, and the Croconaw got it into its head to attack him… the results could have been disastrous…
Rui nodded, backing up to Wes in an almost-protective way. "We… we must save this one, too!" she declared.
"No problem," he assured her. "Espeon, Umbreon, let's go! Return attack on Croconaw, Bite on Spoink!"
Bluno had absolutely no idea what Wes was planning, but he was determined to put an end to this battle quickly regardless. "Spoink, Psywave Espeon; Croconaw, Shadow Rush on Espeon as well!"
Espeon charged forward at the angry Shadow Pokémon fearlessly, slipping out of the way of the attack just in time and then dealing a strong Return attack to it. Umbreon quickly hit Spoink with a super-effective Bite attack as well. The Psychic-type was still ready for more, however, and hit Espeon with Psywave for some minor damage.
"Croco-naw!" Croconaw roared in frustration. Then, without waiting for orders, it suddenly snapped at Espeon with its own Bite attack, hurting him severely.
"Fall back, Espeon!" Wes yelled, knowing that the rules for Pokémon battles went out the window when it came to Shadow Pokémon. "Umbreon, finish up Spoink!"
How can they do this…? Rui thought, watching while Spoink was knocked out by another Bite attack, and Espeon leaped backwards to barely avoid another Bite from Croconaw as well. This… Team Cipher… and Team Snagem? They transform Pokémon into heartless beasts to do their dirty work… They hurt others with no care at all, and stop at nothing to obtain anything and everything that will help them in their plans for domination… Tears swam in her eyes at the thought. I wish I could do something to help… but I can only count on Wes to come through now. Please come through, Wes…
"Now, Umbreon, get in there with your Bite again!" Wes commanded, watching Croconaw with a practiced eye as his faithful Dark-type attacked once more. "Espeon, prepare a Return attack, but don't move forward yet!" When Croconaw becomes weak enough to Snag, I'll know—I'll know! I haven't been on Team Snagem for nearly twelve years as its best Snagger not to know. All I can do now is pick at it with weaker attacks, and hope I can Snag it before it defeats us…
"Croconaw, don't back down now!" Bluno urged, after recalling Spoink. "Shadow Rush! Destroy them!"
Destroy them… that's not what a Pokémon is supposed to be told… Rui thought with horror. In her mind's eye, the purple aura around Croconaw intensified, and it knocked Umbreon backwards several feet with a powerful charge. Your fear… your anger… I can feel it, Croconaw, I can feel it. Your true nature is hidden away… But you don't have to fear anymore… we can show you the light…
"Now, Espeon!"
At Wes's words, Espeon leaped forward and slammed into Croconaw with his own attack, staggering the Water-type backwards some. In a fury, Croconaw lashed out with its tail, knocking Espeon down and temporarily stunning him. It bared its teeth menacingly, prepared to deliver a final Bite attack to Espeon that would knock the Psychic-type out.
Wes wished he could race out and punch Croconaw, keep it away from his loyal Pokémon friend. Desperately, he screamed out a command to Umbreon, hoping that perhaps the Dark-type could help in his stead. "Umbreon, Secret Power!"
"Umbri!" cried Umbreon, flying through the air and hitting Croconaw with the force of an Ursaring Slashing down a tree in anger, of a bat hitting a baseball into a home run, of Misty pounding Ash into the ground with her mallet. The attack made Croconaw fly over Espeon and hit the pavement, critically weak from the massive blow.
Wes smiled in relief. Now was the time to Snag! He tucked his right arm close to him to hold back the pain in his chest as best as he could, and then pressed a button within the Snag Machine on his left arm. In a hum of energy, the machine charged up a Pokéball with purple light and slid it down into his hand. Biting his lip in a hope that this would succeed the first time around, Wes reared back, spun once in his characteristic Snagging style developed back in Team Snagem, and flung the Pokéball forward. "Snag Ball, go!"
"Snag Ball!" Bluno repeated, watching helplessly as the ball hit Croconaw and absorbed the Pokémon within itself. It hit the ground and rolled towards Wes a few inches, still wiggling as Croconaw struggled to break free of its prison. Clutching at his ribs, Wes watched the struggling Pokéball with apprehension; afraid the Pokémon within might break free. Come on, stayinstayinstayin…
Rui closed her eyes, hands folded to her heart as if in prayer. Remember your true heart, she pleaded mentally, her words seeming strange even to herself, but in her heart knowing they were right. You will find your way back… I promise…
And then… as if the maddened Shadow Pokémon had heard her plea… the Pokéball stopped moving. The light on it went out, indicating a successful capture.
Rui's eyes snapped open upon hearing the sound of capture. "It… it worked! You did it!" she squealed delightedly, throwing her arms around Wes's neck and hugging him. "You won, Wes! And you Snagged Croconaw!"
Bluno stepped backwards in pure shock. "What! No! My Shadow Pokémon!" he shouted. "You little… How could you come to have a Snag Machine!"
"Once was a member of Team Snagem," Wes answered simply. He bent over slightly to take Croconaw's fetched Pokéball from Espeon, and petted his two loyal friends in gratitude. "Now, you remember the deal we made before the battle started. Get out of here. I never want to see your face again, in this city or anywhere else."
"I won't forget this…" Bluno growled, clenching his fists. "You'll pay for this! Team Cipher will not forgive you for your insolence!" He turned and fled out of the city in a rush.
Wes sighed. Thankfully, that was over with. But now he had lost valuable time; time that he needed to get to Agate Village. There was nothing he could do about it now, though. He could only push forward, and hope that the nurse at the Pokémon Center had been wrong. He placed Croconaw's Pokéball on his belt and recalled Espeon and Umbreon into their own Pokéballs. As soon as that was done, Wes was ready to depart. Until… he noticed something…
"Um… Rui… you're still hugging me," he reminded her gently. "We need to go, remember?"
Rui's eyes widened, and she quickly let go of Wes. "Oh! I'm sorry!" she gasped. "It's just… I…"
Wes grinned at her. "Hey, it's not like it was bothering me," he said. "But…"
"…You're right. We should leave immediately."
Wes and Rui quickly ran out of the city and leaped upon the speeder; Wes in the driver's seat and Rui in the passenger's seat on the side. As Wes sucked in his breath and gunned the engine, Rui took one last, mournful look at Phenac City. A beautiful jewel amidst Orre's harsh terrain, where so many things had changed for her. She had been saved from kidnappers, met Wes and several other amazing friends, and began adventures that she could have only imagined. Now she was leaving it, without getting any real chance to say goodbye.
Rui only hoped that the next time she visited Phenac City, Wes would still be there next to her to hold her hand.
At precisely 2:00, Nascour and Sierra stood in front of the doors to the meeting room, within the partially completed Realgam Tower that would serve as Team Cipher's headquarters. As usual, Nascour stood stiffly at attention, his hand resting casually on the hilt of his rapier at his side. Next to him, Sierra waited patiently for any commands Nascour might issue to her at anytime. She fingered the handles on both her pistols out of anxiety, taking a bit of comfort in their presence at her sides.
"Are you ready, my dear?" Nascour whispered, smiling kindly down at her—a rare thing to see.
Sierra nodded. "Quite. Let's go."
As one, they both stepped forward and opened the doors, entering with brisk strides into the room, where—as expected—Evice was already sitting at one end of the table. Sierra bit the inside of her cheek to stop a smirk threatening to come upon seeing how short Evice was in the large chair he was sitting in. She followed Nascour to the chair at the opposite end of the table, and stood attentively at his side as he sat down.
"Greetings, Master Evice," Nascour said, bowing his head.
"Greetings, Master Nascour," Evice replied. "And… Sierra, wasn't it?"
Sierra nodded, and bowed her head too. "Yes, sir."
"I extend my gratitude to you and your brother, Ein," the Cipher Head continued. "For the ultimate Shadow Pokémon. What a powerful beast."
"Thank you, sir…"
"My master… you wished to discuss several things about the Realgam Tower proceedings, correct?" asked Nascour, snapping his fingers behind him in the meantime and bringing forth Travis, who was already waiting in the shadows prior to the meeting, where Nascour had sent him in advance. Nascour whispered a command to him, and Travis readily ran to a small table nearby, preparing something.
"Yes, that's quite true," Evice said. "I am interested in how we shall set up this tournament we plan to have when the tower is completed."
"Certainly. I have drawn up a few ideas that you are welcome to look over." Sierra felt a nudge from Nascour, and she instantly streaked over to the other side of the table to Evice. Trying not to look him in the eyes, she handed him a sheet of paper with the said ideas upon it, before bowing and returning to Nascour's side.
Evice is so creepy, she thought with a shudder, watching him as he read over the paper. I mean… true, Nascour has committed a great deal more atrocities, like how he's killed dozens of our members ever since Team Cipher was started about two years ago… But Evice is different. He's like… evil, almost… The way Shadow Pokémon are…
Travis came back over to Nascour, with a tray of two shot glasses and a whiskey bottle. Sierra could see Travis' throat bobbing with fright as he poured two shots, one of which he handed to Nascour. "A drink, my master?" Nascour offered.
Evice frowned, and Sierra could tell he was instantly suspicious. Not that she could blame him, really… But she knew Nascour wasn't planning to poison him. She knew.
"Let him drink the first glass," Evice said, pointing to Travis.
Ok… he's ruled out the whole bottle being poisoned, which would have been kinda obvious anyway… mused Sierra, watching Travis blanch at Evice's orders. Now he's going for the poison-in-the-glasses theory…
Nascour sighed, and waved his hand at Travis. "Go ahead…" he grumbled, sounding impatient at Evice's suspicions. Travis took Nascour's shot glass back with a trembling hand, and downed it all at once. He made a face at how amazingly strong the whiskey was—Nascour was very partial to high-alcoholic whiskey shots—but nonetheless made a smile and put the glass down.
Evice nodded. "Now the other one."
Travis' face fell at the thought of having to down another shot. Man… I'm gonna be drunk for sure, wait and see! he thought mournfully, taking Evice's glass and preparing to down it.
"No," Evice snapped. "The girl this time."
Travis and Nascour both gaped at his words. "Ah… um… Master Evice, I don't think that's a good idea," Nascour tried to protest. "It's very high volume alcohol, and she's only 16…"
"You heard me. The girl. Now."
With a pale face, Sierra nodded. "Ok… sure, if you say so…" she said, taking Evice's glass and staring at it.
Nascour took a deep breath. "Miss Sierra… I don't think…"
"It's ok," she reassured. She sniffed the whiskey, and cringed at the strong smell. Oh, I'm so going to regret this! she thought, closing her eyes and drinking the whole shot down.
Nascour, Travis, and Evice all stared at her, waiting for a reaction. Sierra made a face at the horrible taste of the whiskey, and slowly put the glass down. Well… that wasn't so bad— Her thoughts were cut off as she suddenly swooned with nausea, and passed clean out. Nascour quickly leaped out of his chair and caught her before she hit the floor.
Evice did not look too happy about this. "Well, well… what is this, Nascour?" he accused.
"This doesn't mean a thing, sir," Nascour reassured with biting annoyance. That bastard… How dare he! I didn't mean for anything to happen to Miss Sierra… "She's only 16, and has never tasted anything with alcohol in her entire life. Such a sudden shot of such high volume whiskey just caused her to pass out, that's all."
"Really."
Travis nodded. "Yes sir… I'll prove it," he said, with a boldness that surprised even himself. He poured yet another shot in the same glass that Sierra had drank from, and downed it to prove nothing was wrong. "See?"
Evice relaxed a little. "Well… I suppose… If she really is 16, than I guess I shouldn't be surprised."
Damn right you shouldn't… Nascour thought darkly. "Travis… take Miss Sierra out for air and try to revive her. We'll continue the meeting."
Travis nodded, and took Sierra's unconscious form out as Nascour re-poured the glasses and gave one to Evice. Once Travis got Sierra into the hall, he began fanning her with his headband, until at last she slowly came back to her senses.
"Huh… wha… wha happened…?" she groaned, rubbing at her temples. "I feel sick… and that was only one shot…"
"Well, it was pretty strong whiskey," Travis tried to reassure. "And you're kinda young…"
"Oh, and I'm sure you're way older than me," Sierra snapped, sitting up and frowning at him.
Travis shrugged quickly and turned his face away from her annoyed stare. "I… um… Well, I'm 18, but… I have tasted alcohol before. Unlike you."
Sierra stared at him for a few moments, before suddenly laughing. "Really. Ok, ok, I'll buy that," she said, trying to stand up. "Maybe I'm just never going to drink alcohol again in my life after this..."
"That would work," he smiled.
Sierra smiled back, before suddenly staggered and falling on her butt again. "Ow! Gah… my head…" She put her face in her hands and groaned. "That's some stuff, for it to affect me just like that… Oh…"
Travis knelt down in front of her, and, without even thinking, gently pulled her hands away from her face. "Relax, Miss Sierra," he instructed, gently placing his fingers over her temples and rubbing them. "Take a deep breath."
At first, Sierra was shocked at Travis' gesture. But her surprise was quickly replaced by genuine relief. "Mm… that feels good…" she murmured. Her eyes shot open at her own comment, and she quickly looked down. "I… um… thanks…"
Travis swallowed slowly, and nodded quickly. "You're welcome… Miss Sierra…" he replied, ruefully taking his hands away and putting them on his knees as he sat in front of her.
"How'd you know to…?"
"Hm? Oh… My sister… she always used to have migraines when we were little," he explained. "I always used to do that for her…"
"Oh. I see." Sierra was tempted to ask about where his sister and the rest of his family lived now, but she knew quite well that was none of her business. "So… um… Travis… How'd someone so… er… quiet as you get involved with Team Cipher?"
"Actually, I was part of Team Snagem first," Travis replied. "I was a kid off the streets and had nothing better to do… Then I was traded over to Team Cipher, and… I guess I was smart enough to become a peon under Nascour…" He sounded embarrassed as he ran his hand through his silvery-white hair.
"Hm… well, I guess that's not so bad," Sierra smiled, turning her face towards the long windows along the hallway. The crystal-clear panes that overlooked the desert let in beams of sunlight that warmed her young face, making her close her eyes with pleasure. "Bet it's unnerving working under Nascour, though, huh?"
At the sight of her drinking in the tender warmth of the sunlight, Travis quickly lowered his blue eyes in embarrassment. "Um… yes… But it's all right…" Dammit, Travis, why? Why are you letting her affect you like this? She's your superior… You can't be attracted to your superior!
But… she's so sweet…
Sierra smiled, and extended her hand to him. "That's good. I'll be sure to rub Nascour the right way about you," she told him, as he took her hand and pulled her to her feet. "I mean… after all, it would be a terrible shame to lose you to Nascour's blade…"
The thought of getting impaled by Nascour was not at all appealing to Travis; he could still feel the point of Nascour's rapier at his throat when he had accidentally angered him. But then, he stopped to think about what Sierra had just said. She thought it would be a terrible shame to lose him? They had never really spoken to one another before this day; how could she suddenly come to the conclusion he was worthy of life before Master Nascour?
Looking into Sierra's silver, gold-flecked eyes… Travis suddenly realized that she could see. With just a glance, she could see your soul…
The way Travis was staring at her unnerved Sierra, and she quickly looked away. Damn… I shouldn't egg him on like this… You'll get him stuck to you before long, just like Cail, she thought darkly. Besides, Cail's your guy. Isn't he?
She sighed. "Travis, take me to the water fountain before I fall down again… I need to flush this stuff out of my system…" she muttered, clinging on to Travis' arm. Damn Evice… By Mew's grace, I hope he pays for this…
Travis nodded, and graciously led her down the hall, trying as hard as he could to not think of Sierra. Damn these teenage hormones anyway, he cursed to himself. It's not fair… Why couldn't I have served underneath Sierra or Ein instead…?
Oh, no you don't. Don't you dare start thinking you might have a chance with her, because you DON'T, Travis. She's beyond you… just give it up before you get burned.
But, as he soon would come to realize, Travis had already gone in too deep with Sierra. There was no turning away from his thoughts now.
At first, Wes had been very keen to himself on driving all the way to Agate Village straight from Phenac. But, after twenty minutes of blazing across the desert sands of Orre, he realized right away that that was never going to happen. The heat of the desert sun was getting to him; causing him to feel faint and sick. He tried holding in a cough, and his heart jolted in horror at the taste of blood apparent in his mouth once again. He was not going to make it. He was going to die, and there wasn't anything he could to do save himself.
This can't be it… this can't be where I die! Wes thought, closing his eyes for a moment to hold back tears. Not when I've just discovered my purpose in life… Not when I've just found her… No! Please, Ho-Oh, don't let me… die…
Rui was presently startled as Wes slowed to a stop before Pyrite Town.
"Wes? What are you stopping for? We have to get to Agate Village!" She looked up at Wes, and gasped to see him slumped over, chest heaving in pain as he gasped for air. "Wes! Are you ok? What's wrong?" She jumped out of the speeder and ran around to the other side. "Say something… please!"
Wes glanced at her, eyes glazed over in agony. "R-rui…" he whispered. "I'm… sorry… I'm sorry that this is the end… for us…"
Rui's eyes widened. "No! It's not! It's not over! Come on… don't give up!" she pleaded, putting her arms around his midsection and pulling him off the speeder, causing them to both collapse in a big pile together. "Come on, maybe there's someone in Pyrite who can help…"
"Rui… don't try to fool yourself. I… Thank you for touching my heart… the way you have… But this… this is where we say goodbye…"
"No!" she screamed at him, jerking him to his feet and pulling him towards Pyrite. "I am not losing you now, not when we've just gotten to know each other…"
Wes momentarily looked surprised at her words. "Rui…"
Once inside the rough town, Rui momentarily wondered where to go first. She couldn't exactly ask for help from one of the passerby, she knew. This was not that kind of town. Spying a restaurant nearby, Rui decided that maybe she could ask someone working there to direct her to where a doctor might be. She half-led, half-dragged Wes over to the entrance, getting several strange looks from people standing around along the way, and shifted her grip on Wes long enough to reach for the door handle.
Just as the door swung open violently, hitting her hard in the left arm and making her cry out.
Rui whimpered and backed up, nursing her arm from the impact. She looked up to see a big, muscled man, one of those bodybuilder types, leering down at her with a crooked smile. From the look in his eyes… she realized he was more than just a tad under the influence.
"Who do we have here?" he asked, stepping towards Rui.
"Please step aside, sir," Rui managed to respond to him. "My friend is in trouble…"
The man laughed. "Forget him, babe. He looks pretty weak to me. I'll be sure to take good care of you…" He reached out and grabbed Rui's arm, making her shriek in fright.
"Keep your filthy hands off of her," Wes managed to choke, glaring helplessly up at the larger man.
"What'd you say, punk? I'm not afraid of you." The man balled up a fist and raised it threateningly at Wes.
Rui screamed. "Stop it! Leave him alone!" she cried, unable to do anything to protect her friend. "Wes!"
"Excuse me…"
The man froze, turning around to observe a young man in his late teens standing behind him. He had long aqua-green hair in a ponytail, and an Espeon at his heels. The bodybuilder frowned. "What're you looking at, you—"
The man's sentence was cut short by a sudden punch to the face, making him stagger and fall backwards. The young man stepped forward calmly, as the bodybuilder got back to his feet.
"Ya wanna fight, punk?" he yelled, adopting a fighting stance. "I'll take you—"
Once again, the teen interrupted by kicking the man in the stomach, and then quickly drawing a longsword that was hanging on his belt. Rui feared at first that the older teen would kill the bodybuilder, but instead, he leaped forward, sidestepping the man's awkward punch and striking him in the back of the head with the hilt of his sword, knocking him out. As quickly as he had drawn the sword, the teen then sheathed it again, gazing coldly down at his opponent.
"Two lessons for you," he said softly. "One, don't talk so much in battle, especially if you're half-drunk. And two…" At this, the man turned to regard Rui for a moment. The words he was about to say then suddenly died on his lips when he saw her, and his face seemed to go pale for a moment. The Espeon that suddenly reappeared at his side seemed a bit stunned as well, but quickly recovered to give her master a brief nudge. At his Pokémon's soft urging, the young man quickly snapped back to attention. "…Two… don't ever treat a lady with such disrespect…"
Rui smiled a little, despite her worries. "Thank you…"
"You're quite welcome. Are you hurt in any way?"
"I'm fine, but my friend isn't." Tears filled her eyes once again, and she went to Wes's side, where he had passed out. "He… he's badly injured… We were trying to get to Agate Village to heal him, but…" Rui's lip trembled, and she burst into agonized tears. "I don't know if he'll make it now…"
The young man looked pale again, and kneeled down next to her. "Sweetheart… don't cry… Tears are not good for such a beautiful face as yours…" He gently wiped away some of the tears spilling down her face. "Can you tell me your name?"
"Rui… I'm Rui."
A long pause. "Alexander." He suddenly went to Wes, and lifted him up in his arms. "Come with me. I may be able to help you."
Rui was shocked. "What? Where are you taking him?" she asked, following Alexander as he walked briskly down the street.
"To the hotel, my dear. Trust me… I want to help."
"But why?"
Alexander smiled slightly. "Because… you're such a lovely young lady," he replied simply.
They soon arrived at the hotel, where Rui quickly opened each door they encountered until they came to a particular door. "Stop. That one's my room. Take the key out of my right pocket and open it, my darling."
With a trembling hand, Rui reached into Alexander's right jean pocket, and came out with a card key to the room. She swiped it and opened the door. Alexander immediately breezed past her and to the bed, upon which he laid Wes down. Rui waited for Espeon to enter, and then shut the door and ran to Wes's side. "What can you do for him?" she asked tearfully.
Alexander shrugged. "First off, you need to tell me where and how he was hurt," he said.
"Ok… um… About an hour and a half ago, Wes was in a Pokémon battle when the opponent's Makuhita… um… punched him. Right there." She pointed to the right side of Wes's chest.
Alexander raised his eyebrows. "The Pokémon attacked him?" he repeated. Rui nodded. "So… what happened? Broken ribs, I'm assuming?"
"Yes… and internal bleeding. And… the nurse at the Pokémon Center said there might be bruising on his lungs as well…"
"My… that's quite serious. No doubt the heat of the desert made things even worse…"
"What do you mean by that?" Rui asked.
"Heat promotes blood flow… The internal bleeding has probably been made worse by traversing the desert…" Alexander mused, reaching underneath his shirt and pulling out a gold necklace. "Pray tell, where did you come from?"
"Phenac City."
Shaking his head, Alexander carefully undid the clasp on his necklace and took it off, holding it out to Rui. "Do you see these feathers here?" he asked her, indicating the two red-orange feathers hanging off the chain.
"Yes…" Rui reached out and gently touched the feathers, admiring their softness. Next to them, she noticed a golden, crescent-shaped pendant that looked somewhat familiar; though at the moment, Rui wasn't interested in recalling why. "What are they from?"
"The Legendary Pokémon Ho-Oh," he replied simply, sliding one off of the chain and offering it to her. "Do you know about phoenixes, Miss Rui?"
"Um… a little… They live forever, don't they?"
"Well, they live quite a while, and then they burn themselves up. But from these ashes, they are reborn to live their lives once again. So, it is virtually forever." Indicating Wes, Alexander added, "With this property of eternal life, a phoenix's body is filled with immeasurable healing properties as well, assuring its long life. So, this feather is also filled with vast healing powers."
Rui's eyes went wide. "Really? So it can save Wes's life?" she asked.
"I sincerely hope so. Place it underneath his bandages, right over the point of injury, and we shall see if I am correct." Alexander refastened the necklace around his neck once again, watching as Rui undid the bandages around Wes's chest and gently placed the feather over where Makuhita had punched him.
Rui closed her eyes, hoping against hope that Alexander's story of the Ho-Oh feather was true. She gently touched Wes's face, a prayer filling her heart that he would survive. "Thank you, Alexander," she whispered, turning around to see the young man looking pale and troubled. "I… I am so grateful to you…"
"You are so welcome, my darling," he replied, twisting a lock of hair around his finger vaguely. "I do hope your friend will be all right."
"Thank you…" Rui paused, sitting on the end of the bed and glancing back at Wes. "Where did you get those Ho-Oh feathers, may I ask?"
Alexander looked up, a bit startled. "Hm? Oh…" He hesitated a moment, and then smiled warmly at her. "Shall I be truthful?"
"Of course…"
"Truth be told, then… I stole them. From the Pokémon League Grand Master in Johto. She is the Affinity of Fire, and bound to Johto's divine Ho-Oh."
Rui was shocked. "Really?" she gasped. "But you… stole them? That's… not very nice…"
"She can always get more," Alexander said dismissively. "Besides, it's what may give your friend a fighting chance."
"That's true…"
Silence fell over the room. Rui quietly glanced over at Wes, who was—to her relief—still breathing. She hoped he was healing as well… She then looked to Alexander, who sat in a chair quietly petting his Espeon in his lap, his aqua-green hair curling about his face and giving him a tender look. There was no doubt about it, she found Alexander quite handsome. And yet… The attraction was not quite there. Perhaps it is because I'm concerned for Wes, she decided. He is my first and foremost priority.
With a fraction of hesitation, Rui slowly leaned over Wes… and kissed him on the cheek. "Ho-Oh's grace be with you," she whispered, before sitting back up and continuing her vigil. She wondered if she were blushing, but even if she were, she had no regrets.
Wes… please don't leave me… I would be lost without you…
Notes: Now that I have a bit more experience, I don't particularly like the scenes with Sierra and the alcohol, or Wes's injury anymore. I'd definitely do a better job with making them more realistic if I were to rewrite them.
Croconaw was chosen out of the three starters because that's what I ended up going with in my personal playthrough. :)