Chapter 6

Phillip:

Brian just sort of started to fall down all the sudden, like he couldn't keep standing anymore. I managed to shove him in the direction of the bed though so he fell there instead of on the carpet. He looked totally beat, and who could blame him? How many times since we started traveling together had I seen him awake at night, pacing the room or just staring at the ceiling? What was wrong? What had him so rattled or confused or whatever was wrong with him? Whatever. Questions could be answered later and I didn't want to or feel like prying into his life. He was a good person, that much was clear. So I felt I could trust that whatever his reasons for hiding the truth were that they were good. I ripped off my clothes (well, they were already halfway there due to the Zubat attack) and took a shower. The hot water stung all my cuts pretty badly, and the soap was worse, but I was really too tired to care about a little stinging sensation. After all, who would I have been to complain after what I had just witnessed happen to Brian? That Iodine, wow, it just hurt to watch it, you know? Like when you're watching a guy grind a rail on his board and then he falls and straddles the bar? Ouch. It just hurt to watch, and all you can do is just wince. Could I take a little sting? Sure. The shower made me feel a lot better but I was still exhausted. I dropped onto my bed and zonked out within a few seconds I think. The next morning around eight I got up and decided to have some breakfast. Brian was still asleep, in the same position he had been in when he had collapsed there the night before. I headed downstairs to the Center's Cafeteria and got some eggs and bacon. They were out of toast, unfortunately, so I tried a bagel. It was okay, a little stale though. I guess getting fresh food way out in this area wasn't all that easy. The eggs were fantastic though. Whoever the cook was had to have been some kind of master chef. After breakfast I headed over to the front desk. Nurse Joy was entering in some reports or something at her computer and a few people were milling around in the lobby. I walked up to her and she smiled when she saw me.

"Oh, good morning, ummm, Phillip was it?" she asked. I nodded.

"That's right. Mornin' to you too," I replied, still a little groggy. "Ummm…I was just going to check on our Pokemon and make sure everything is okay." She nodded with understanding.

"Oh okay. Let me see…" she started typing quickly, bringing up reports of some kind I suppose. "Phillip, your Ivysaur and Ralts are doing just fine. Your Pidgeotto had a small bruise on its left wing but it isn't anything serious and should heal in a day or two," she continued typing. Her face turned a bit grim suddenly. "Brian's Pokemon…," she started slowly. "Aren't as good. Snorlax is doing okay; it just needs some more rest. However Golbat has a severe laceration on its stomach. Also, I believe it may have a mild concussion. Scyther may be the worst off. It seems to have lot a substantial amount of blood. It also has a fracture on its right arm and the blood loss has it so weak still that it can't seem to keep its balance." She looked away from the computer screen and at me. "It wouldn't be wise to move them just yet, I would suggest talking it over with Brian and seeing if you can stay a day or two here. We'll monitor their conditions and they should be ready to leave in a couple of days. After that I would strongly suggest they keep out of battles for a week or so. Scyther's shoulder was nearly ripped to shreds and Golbat's cut could open again with too much exertion."

"Okay, I'll let him know," I told her. "When he wakes up that is." Nurse Joy looked surprised and glanced at her watch.

"He's still asleep? It's almost noon! Is he okay?" she asked me, her eyes full of concern.

"I imagine so, yesterday was just rough. Really rough. I mean really, really rough. Like the roughest day of my life. And it was worse for him. Those Zubat were really after him and if you ask me he's lucky he got out with only a few scratches and some ripped up clothes." She nodded.

"Oh my. In that case just let him sleep until he is ready. His Pokemon need more rest too, and so I think it would be best for you two to stick around for a while."

"Yeah, I think you're right," I agreed. "Can I get my Pokemon back now? Then I think I'll head out to the pool since we're staying for a few days." Nurse Joy smiled pleasantly.

"Sure, hold on for a moment." She walked behind the counter and went back into the back room to retrieve my Pokemon. She brought them to me and we exchanged smiles before I left. I went back to the room and changed into my swimsuit and ratty old white t-shirt I never could bring myself to throw away. Brian was still knocked out, so I left him a note and headed out to the pool. I called out my Pokemon and dived in head first to the icy water.

Brian:

I woke up suddenly, sweating all over. I remembered the dream too well; my father, chasing me with a bottle of Iodine. Blasted Chansey. I thought with a sigh. My dreams were bad enough already. I stood up and winced on my right leg. There was a large gash there that hadn't been discovered until Nurse Joy took over my treatment. Praise the Lord. I hobbled into the shower and ran the warm water on myself. I burned everywhere. Who would have ever thought that a bunch of Zubat could cause so much trouble? After the shower I got dressed and began to wonder where Phillip had gone until I saw the note on his bed: "Down at the pool, come on over if you can!" it read. The idea of swimming didn't sound all that good but the thought of relaxing in a lounge chair sure did. I ate a sandwich first though and headed slowly over towards the main desk. When Nurse Joy saw me she jumped up and asked if I needed some help.

"Oh no, no, I'm okay, really," I reassured her. "It just really hurts to walk right now." I said, leaning over on the desk to take some of the weight off my bum leg. "I just wanted to check in and see how my Pokemon are doing." She looked at me kind of funny.

"Didn't you talk to Phillip yet?" she questioned.

"No, I think he's over at the pool now. I wanted to check on my Pokemon first before I go out to the pool." She nodded and got that "Ah, I get it" look on her face. She gave me a rundown of everything. Not good news. I had hoped to never hear words like "concussion" "fracture" and "severe" when talking about my Pokemon. But she said they would pull through just fine with enough rest. "Oh, good," I breathed a sigh of relief. "If that's what they need then we'll stay here however long we need to. Is Snorlax okay to come with me now?" I asked her. She nodded with a smile.

"Yes, he should be just fine now, let me go get him for you." She went off and disappeared into the back room and emerged a minute later with my Pokeball.

"Thanks," I said appreciatively. "I guess I'll head to the pool now." I told her.

"Wait Brian," she called, stopping me. "I don't know if it would be a good idea for you to go swimming right now. I think I'd be better if you just took it easy." I smiled back at her.

"Are you kidding? Swim in chlorine water with these cuts? You couldn't pay me, Nurse Joy!" she smiled back.

"Okay then, be careful." She told me.

"I will." I called back. Using the walls for a little additional support I made my way down the hall past the rooms and took a left to get outside by the pool. When I reached the outdoors I could see Phillip was drying as he lounged in a pool chair off to the right side of the pool. His new Pidgeotto was perched on one of the branches of an old oak tree near the back of the pool, apparently asleep, Ivysaur was relaxing next to Phillip while Ralts seemed to be wandering around looking at the flowers and plants that peppered the outskirts of the pool area. Phillip looked to be reading some kind of manga book at the moment but noticed me stumbling about like a crippled old man. He got up and pulled another chair over next to his from the other side of the pool. I dropped down in it, thankful for being off my feet again.

"Hey, you're awake," he said. "You sleep okay?" I shrugged.

"Pretty much I guess," I replied, trying to sound casual. "Sorry about kinda collapsing like that." He shook his head.

"Nah, don't be. Give us both a chance to relax for a few days. Not to mention the Pokemon."

"Yeah, I think we need to hang out here for a few days, Scyther and Golbat are in pretty bad shape." I told him. He chuckled a little.

"You're not looking so good either, man." He said with a wink. I groaned a little.

"I heard that," I replied. "Man, I'm sore all over. I'll be fine in a few days. Just as long as that Chansey keeps away from me." I said darkly. Phillip just laughed.

"I would have helped you out but, hey, those Chansey looked like some rough customers." He snickered. I rolled my eyes.

"I know, what was with that anyway? Who knew Chansey are so strong," I muttered. "Or so sadistic. Sheesh." I tossed Snorlax's ball and Snorlax appeared in a flash of crimson light. "Hey Snorlax," I greeted him with a smile. "How are you doing?"

"Snorlax, lax, lax snor." It replied cheerily. Then it got this really sad and worried look on its face. It clomped up to where I was laying and started poking me and turning me over, inspecting all the cuts and gashes and slashes all over me.

"Ouch! Hey Snorlax, thanks for the concern but I am just a teensy bit sore!" I yelped. Snorlax immediately backed off looking sad and really sorry.

"Snor…" it moaned in sorrow.

"Hey, hey, hey, its okay buddy, lighten up," I told him quickly. "You didn't know, and for crying out loud at least you weren't trying to kill me…" I trailed off, thinking of the darned happy little Chansey again. Snorlax still looked like guilt was weighing him down but seemed to accept this. "Why don't you go swimming, huh? You always liked that." Snorlax almost instantly cheered up and smiled brightly as it spun around and dashed towards the big pool, the ground shaking beneath its feet. "Wait, Snorlax, no!" I yelled at it but it was too late. Snorlax sailed through the air and splashed into the pool. And when I say splashed I do mean splashed. The pool did a pretty good imitation of a geyser as water erupted from it and sloshed all over us, Ivysaur and Ralts. Ralts hung onto a little bush and kept from being washed away in the wave of water and Ivysaur, Phillip and I just got drenched. The chlorine water hit every cut and abrasion on my body. This was not fun. This I didn't need.

"Oooo…wow that's gotta hurt, huh?" Phillip commented dumbly as I began to writhe in pain on the lounge chair. I grabbed one of the towels that Phillip had not used and dabbed up as much of the water as I could. Phillip picked up a towel of his own and called Ralts over and began drying off his Pokemon and then himself. I gently dabbed my skin dry so as not to irritate the various cuts and gashes that were healing. Snorlax didn't seem to notice all of this as it floated quietly in what was left of the water with a stupid grin on its face. I dried off the lounge chair and lied back down.

"Sheesh," I breathed. "Was I made to suffer or something? It's all a bit too much at times." Phillip gave me a half smile.

"Well you know what they say about those that have such horrible runs of luck…" he commented as he stared off into the sky. I glanced over at him.

"Yeah, what?" I asked, intrigued. He turned towards me.

"Oh, heh, I don't know, I was just making conversation." He told me with a sheepish smile. I rolled my eyes and then closed them, trying not to focus on the diminishing pain. We just lied there for a while, not talking but just relaxing, letting the past twenty four hours drift out of our minds. Our Pokemon seemed to have the same ideas as they all were resting or just enjoying a quiet time outdoors in their own ways. I sort of shifted back and forth between alertness and a really light sleep. The sun began to set around six and we all just sat around and watched it in silent appreciation as it began to move behind the mountains to the west of the pool area.

"Well," I grunted as I stood up slowly. "I think I'm gonna hobble back inside and get some dinner." I called Snorlax back into its Pokeball and made my way back the short distance to the building. "You want to come?" I asked Phillip over my shoulder. He shrugged slightly and shook his head.

"Nah, I'll be in a little later a guess," he jerked a thumb over to the tree where Pidgeotto rested. "It would seem a shame to wake him up." I nodded.

"Yeah, okay. I'll catch you later then." He gave me a quick wave and I slowly made my way back into the building and back to my room to change. Once I had gotten regular clothes on I hobbled down the halls and ordered a smoked turkey sandwich in the Center Cafeteria. I ate it slowly and gazed out the windows at the forest, covered now by night's shadow. It was a nice view, really peaceful. It wasn't the type of thing you get used to growing up in a large city, even one that's surrounded by thick woods. I finished my light meal and headed out to the lobby. Nurse Joy greeted me and told me that Scyther and Golbat were doing better and showing good progress. I thanked her and walked over to the couches and chairs to the side of the front desk. I plopped down on a faded red couch and picked up the current issue of Pokemon Friends and flipped through it, reading a few select articles. Interesting stuff. I thought. Guess I'll have to get a subscription sometime. I relaxed there for about a half an hour and made small chit-chat with a couple of lady trainers about general stuff. I excused myself after a bit and headed back for my room. Phillip wasn't back yet and I considered talking a shower but the thought of more water scared me away. Besides, the chlorine from the pool water was pretty cleansing, right? Well, that's how I justified it in my mind anyway. I leaned back in the recliner and clicked on the TV as I propped up my legs on the chairs foot rest. I flipped around from news to a basketball game and finally settled on the Viridian City Pokemon Pairs Tournament. There were going to be some good matches, or so I had heard. The first battle was what appeared to be a couple with a Ninetails and Fearow which were up against a pair of brothers with a Wartortle and a Snorlax. I think you can guess which team I was cheering silently for. The Snorlax/Wartortle team advanced and the second match was just getting underway when Phillip arrived back at the room.

"Hey," I greeted him without taking my eyes off the screen. "Did you eat anything?" He nodded and sat down on the edge of his bed.

"Whatcha watching?" he asked curiously. I jerked my head towards the TV.

"Viridian Teams Tourney." I replied casually as the Kadabra and Jolteon on the screen got knocked out by a Venusaur's Solarbeam. Phillip lied down on his stomach and muttered "Sweet" at the sight of the triumphant pair of Venusaur and Onix. We watched all the rest of the matches, whooping like a couple of idiots as most of our favorite teams advanced. The tourney lasted for a few more hours and at the end the Snorlax/Wartortle using brothers won the whole thing in a battle with a Scizor and Ampharos that lasted a full twenty minutes. It was just classic. I clicked the tube off as the battling brothers lifted the huge trophy high above their heads and began to celebrate their victory.

"Good stuff," Phillip said with a small yawn. "I think I'm gonna hit the sack now.

"See you in the morning." I told him as I rose from the recliner and headed into the restroom. When I emerged Phillip had rolled over and was sound asleep. I felt a little sleepy myself but knew that there was no way I'd be able to fall asleep. I turned off the lights and crept out of the room. It was nearly midnight now and as I walked into the lobby Nurse Joy was shutting down her computer and getting ready to head off to bed. She noticed me and looked at me strangely.

"Brian? What are you still doing up? Is anything wrong?" she asked concerned. I waved her off.

"Oh no, no I just couldn't sleep I guess." She nodded.

"I'm sorry to hear that." I shrugged.

"It's okay; I've been this way a lot lately." I told her. She looked even more worried.

"Well, is there anything I can do to help?" she implied. I thought for a moment and was about to tell her no but then a though occurred to me.

"Actually, do you have a public computer with internet access?" I inquired. She nodded at me with a smile.

"Yes, it's upstairs on the top floor at the end of the hallway in the meeting room." She told me. I thanked her and made my way towards the staircase halfway down the corridor past my room. It took me a while to make it up the stairs to the third floor; I was feeling better all the time but it still wasn't too easy to walk around a lot. I reached the third floor meeting room and walked through the open door. One of the female trainers I had met in the lobby earlier was finishing up something and getting ready to turn off the computer.

"Hey, um…Christina was it?" She turned around and smiled at me warmly.

"Yeah, that's right Brian. Need something?"

"Oh, yeah, the computer if your finished with it." She nodded.

"Yep, sure am. Time for bed," she said with a yawn. "Aren't you going to bed too?" she asked me.

"Later I guess. Can't sleep." I explained. She gave me a small smile.

"Oh, to bad. Well, it's all yours," She said as she rose from the chair and made her way past me and towards the door. "'Night, Brian." She said with a wink as she left.

"Good night." I called after her. I shuffled over to the computer and entered my trainer number and password to open my Global Trainer Network account. I opened a browser and decided to check my email. There were three new messages. One was from the Organized Pokemon Tournament Association. I opened the mail and read it. It was announcing a free entry to the Vermillion City Teams Tournament, like the Viridian one Phillip and I had just watched, which was taking place in three weeks. I read through the information and saw the prizes section near the bottom: $5000 cash prize and two ferry tickets to anywhere in the world for first place, along with cash prizes for second and third place finishers as well. The tickets caught my attention. If we one them than that was one less thing we would have to buy. And we were heading to Vermillion soon anyway. I printed the online flyer, planning to show Phillip in the morning. I returned to my inbox and saw one of the other emails was from Misty, an old…friend and pen pal of mine for years, who was one of the Cerulean City Pokemon Gym's leaders. I clicked it and read the message that popped up a few seconds later.

"Brian, I'm so glad you're coming for a visit! You, you know, you don't come nearly enough. Of course it's okay if your friend comes along too, the more the merrier! I can't wait to see you and catch up on old times; I already have the guest room ready for you. See you in a few days!"

Misty

I smiled as I returned to the inbox once again. Misty and I had met years ago when we were both kids and had become fast friends. She was a bit temperamental at times but was really sweet. We had kept in touch over the years but hadn't seen each other since I made a visit to Cerulean after she had returned from some really extensive traveling with a couple of other friends. It was going to be really nice seeing her and her sisters again. I scanned my inbox and read the sender of the last message; "JoyofNursing8708"; Nurse Joy from home. I wasn't sure I could open it. I hadn't seen or talked to her since I had left home. I finally got the nerve up and clicked the link to open the message and read it slowly:

"Hi Brian, how are you doing out there? You're dad came in the other day and posted a missing flyer for you. Did you really run away? I am very worried about you, you know. Why did you leave? Is something wrong? Please get back to me when you can, I'd like to hear from you."

Friends Always,
Joy

I just sat in the chair for a while and stared at the screen, not knowing what to say in the reply. What could I say, that my dad was a criminal? That I left and now he was looking for me to keep me quiet? It all sounded a little bit too dramatic, and even though I knew she would believe me there was no way I was going to dump all this on her and worry her that much more. I thought for a moment and began typing my response.

"Hi Joy! I'm doing just fine out here, I met up with a new friend and caught a Scyther and a Golbat already! I know, I ran away, but my father would have never let me leave on my own. I had to go, Joy, I just had to. Something out in the world is calling my name and I have to answer it. I'll be fine, so please don't worry about me."

Always Thinking of You,
Brian

Well, it was about as best as I could come up with without straight-out lying to her. I considered being a bit more detailed but I was sure that she might tell my father, thinking it out of my own good that he know where I was. I couldn't let that happen though. I sent the message and surfed the net for a while, not really doing anything or going anywhere. At about three a.m. I got tired of it and shut down the computer and headed back towards my room. The hallways were pretty dark now as the entire center was asleep but there were still enough lights on so that I wasn't walking blind. I got back to the room and crept inside as quietly as I could and lied down under the covers, trying to fall asleep. But I just couldn't get my brain to stop going and my worries to subside, so I lied there awake the rest of the night.