Chapter 40: So Many Sick Days
(dream)
He didn't know what was happening. Everything that unfolded in front of nine-year-old Caiseal was so alien to him. His hazel eyes, huge with abject horror, saw nothing but two adult-sized silhouettes arguing in front of him. Sometimes, they leaned back and forth. Other times, one of them flailed her limbs at the other, with the latter holding her own up to defend herself.
Not even the frigid snow beneath his knees, tattered pants riddled with holes allowing the cold to bite his skin, was enough to pull his gaze away.
All he knew was that everything he once knew and held dear was gone. Completely gone. Ripped right out from underneath him, like someone pulled the carpet out from underneath his feet, laughing as he helplessly fell on his rear. Caiseal could do nothing but sit in the snow and watch the silhouettes argue, his body completely frozen in place. Not from cold, but from abject misery.
Sirens wailed in the distance. Ghostly red and blue lights flickered in the greying horizon down the street, coming closer and closer. But Caiseal's ears heard nothing except the violent pounding of his heart and angry and hysterical yelling.
"I hate you! Get that murderer away from me! Get him out of my sight! He'll hurt my darling Violet!"
Murderer. Whoever said that words could never hurt people was a big fat liar in Caiseal's eyes. To a nine-year-old boy, just hearing that made everything go black. Not even a large hand stroking his shoulder could pull him out of the darkness.
"Hey, kid? Hello? Are you alright?" A man's kindly voice was naught but white noise to the child.
Tears burned the rosy flesh on Caiseal's cheeks. Wretched sobs escaped him, and he found himself shuddering. With each desperate breath he took, frigid air made his already dry throat ache. He tried everything. Everything he tried failed. Nothing worked for him. Now, all he had was the cruel realization laid out before him, and there was no escaping it.
Snowflakes gently drifted downward as little Caiseal screamed. He screamed until his throat gave out, but he tried to scream again anyway. Maybe, the agony would leave him. It didn't. He beat his fists onto the ground. BAM! BAM! BAM! He beat them down and down until they were hands were freezing, red stubs of raw meat, but the agony couldn't compare to the torture inflicted on his heart. The sorrow gripped him like a Pinsir's Guillotine attack, and he wanted it to squeeze the life out of him.
The hopes, dreams, and love he had were gone. There was nothing left. Everything went black, but his bellowing, primal screams still lingered.
(end dream)
Eyes slamming open, Caiseal awoke with a start and a great gasp. Sitting up like a bolt of lightning, he kicked the sleeping bag he cocooned himself in. Only after several frantic seconds did he realize where he was. He was safe in the dark blue tent he set up the day after he and the girls left Mahogany Town.
Still gasping for breath, he put a hand on his chest in an attempt to slow his beating heart. It didn't slow down. It was beating at what felt like a million beats per second, and each time it pounded, it felt like it might pop right out of his chest.
"Again…?" Caiseal whispered. "Seriously, Nollaig. Stop making me lose sleep..." He hissed the name, Nollaig, like it was poison. Terrible, seeping poison that he wished would just get out of his body.
Nollaig...
He closed his eyes and took in deep breaths to further calm his heart. Gradually, the beating slowed. Not much, but it was getting there.
'There's no point in dwelling on that,' Caiseal told himself. 'But...it keeps playing in my head over and over and it won't stop!'
This wasn't the first time he had that particular nightmare. Or nightmares at all, for that matter. They had plagued him since that awful day. For the most part, their frequency had ceased. Recently, however, they came back, rearing their ugly heads. Every nightmare, every replay of those awful memories, always managed to bring back that fear and horror, no matter how many times he tried to push them back.
Something wet tinged his cheeks. Blinking and lifting a hand, he wiped the liquid substance away. Tears. He blushed. "Tch. This stinks."
"Marowak?" Blessedly, a familiar, skull-covered face welcomed him. Caiseal's mouth turned upward as Mallow crawled over to his side. "Marowak?"
Caiseal extended an arm out, wrapping it around his dear friend and pulling him close. Their bodies made contact, and Mallow closed his eyes, reveling in Caiseal's warmth, hoping it'd console him some.
"Did I wake you up, Mallow?" Caiseal asked. "Sorry, buddy."
The bone keeper Pokemon shook his head left and right, indicating no. "Marowak."
"We're lucky Route 44 is so long. Honestly…" Caiseal frowned again. "I don't want to go back there. I know my adoptive parents would love to see me, and it is my home, but…" He let that sentence drift away.
"Marowak…"
It's natural for every child to feel homesick when they're away for a long time. Even Caiseal yearned for his home. There was no denying that. However, even his hometown had demons he really didn't want to face. She was there. He knew Blackthorn City was a pretty big town. Not like Goldenrod City, but close enough. A lot of people lived there, and his new house was far away from his old one, where she lived, so for all he knew, he would never run into her. But what if he did? What were the odds of that? Caiseal shivered. He really didn't want to think about running into her.
A tender, brown hand caressed Caiseal's fingers. Rough, like the earthen ground, his element, but warm and kind, just the way Caiseal liked it. The blonde boy met his trusted friend's eyes with his own. This bone keeper Pokemon was his family. He didn't care if he didn't have anyone else in the whole wide world. As long as Mallow was with him, he could go on.
"I don't know where I'd be without you."
Neither Pokemon nor human exchanged words. All they did was stare into each other's eyes, a wordless trust and communication they had perfected for three years now. Feeling his muscles to be stiff, Caiseal broke away from his friend's gaze, stretching his arms up in the air and his legs outward.
"I guess we better get up," Caiseal noted. "We have a long trek ahead of us."
"Marowak."
Caiseal threw off his pajamas and put on some fresh new clothes, namely a dark green sweater, a black vest, beige khaki pants, and his grey boots. He rummaged through his bag, pulling out some packaged food items, and other things, before crawling out of the tent. The sky was still a deep shade of blue, with vivid streaks of vermilion red and rose pink painted across the vast canvas. A very small ocean of orange came creeping out from the tips of the trees surrounding him and his friends.
Mallow threw a small pile of wood onto the grass, and Caiseal rubbed two twigs together to make a flame appear. Once the flame blazed enough, Caiseal pulled out a small frying pan and some eggs. Tapping them on the frying pan, Caiseal watched as the yolk spilled onto the pan, exposed to the elements. Then he pulled out a small whisk and batted the eggs over the flame until they turned yellow. After that, he set up a small stand so the frying pan could sit on the flame for a couple minutes.
The dawn's early light was normally a quiet, solemn time, and it was beautiful. But the sound of harsh coughing put a damper on the sky's incomparable beauty. Caiseal looked around, confused. Who was coughing, and where was it coming from? Standing up, his eyes fixated on the purple tent he had set up for Julia the night before. Walking closer, the coughing grew harsher and louder. Yes, the coughing came from Julia's tent.
"Marowak?" The bone keeper Pokemon cocked his head to one side.
"Watch the food, Mallow. I'll be back in a bit," Caiseal told him, keeping his eyes on the tent. Being the faithful Pokemon he was, Mallow stayed with the frying pan and the fire.
"Marowak!" The bone keeper gave a faux military salute.
"Julia?" Caiseal called out. "Jule? You okay in there?"
All he got in response was yet another bout of coughing, louder than the last. The seeds of worry began to bloom. Was she okay?
"Caiseal...I...I…" A weak, shuddering voice barely made it through the thin tent's fabric. In fact, any time she tried to breathe, she'd expel at least five or six coughs.
Unable to wait for her to come out, Caiseal found himself crawling inside the tent. As much as he wanted to respect her privacy, since she was...well, a girl, and he himself a boy, she sounded sick. Very sick. His worries were confirmed the moment he went inside. Julia was sitting upright, with a hand covering her mouth, her face flushed and totally red, like a Cyndaquil's flames. Her green eyes, which normally sparkled with delight, were now red and puffy. Strands of her disheveled hair, bangs included, faced the sky, defying gravity. She still stayed in her sleeping bag, and Hikaru, Tokiko, and Saoirse all gathered around her with worried looks on their small faces.
"Jeez. You sound terrible," Caiseal crawled closer, bending to her level.
Julia looked up, taking notice of his presence. Before she could even get one word out, another coughing fit silenced her for a moment. "Ugh! Sorry...I...my throat's...been dry...drinking water...didn't work...my head hurts...really bad…" Shivers completely wracked her body, her incessant coughing only making them worse. Not only that, her voice was nearly gone. Raspy and hoarse, like a severely dehydrated Miltank trapped in a desert, further stripping away any coherent attempt at communication.
Good thing Caiseal didn't need words to figure this out. He gently placed a hand on her forehead, making contact, and started back the minute he noticed how hot it was.
"Arceus, you're burning up," It was redundant for him to say it, but being lost in his surprise made him spit it out anyway.
"Pikapi," Hikaru echoed Caiseal's statement. Even he could see the worry on the orange mouse's face. "Pika pika pikachu!" The mouse kept gesturing toward Julia's sleeping bag.
"Hikaru's right. You'd better rest," Caiseal pulled himself away, giving Julia some space to tuck herself back in. But another look at her told him she didn't seem too keen on the idea. She stuck her swollen red lips out into a pout, and she remained upright. Saoirse grabbed a bottle of water and handed it to her.
"But...I don't wanna...be stuck in here all day!" Julia cried, her voice unable to disguise the whine it took on. Yet another series of coughs overcame her right after she finished that sentence. "It's boring!" Already, her voice was on the verge of disappearing, becoming little more than a Froakie-like rasp.
Caiseal could understand her concerns. Being sick wasn't fun. Being stuck in one place all day was just as bad. With Julia being autistic, he wasn't sure how much worse it could be for her. He could only imagine that she wouldn't like being stuck in one place one bit. Then again, she did have to stay in the hospital for a little over a week. At least hospitals had showers, bathrooms, medicines, and changing rooms. Here, they were in a tiny tent far in the wilderness, with no access to such luxuries. Mahogany Town was pretty far away on foot, now that the kids had left some time before. Last time he checked, they didn't have regular cold medicine, either.
Boy, were they going to be in a pickle.
"I can imagine," He was not looking forward to the days ahead. "I'm sorry there isn't much I can do to help somehow. We're already so far away from Mahogany Town. I am making breakfast right now, so do you think you can eat something?"
She had no energy to talk, so she answered with a nod. Her voice was giving out, and she didn't feel like using it. Even talking was becoming extremely exhausting. Like it wasn't before.
"I'll be right outside. Give me a shout or send one of the Pokemon out to get me if you need anything," He told her right before leaving the tent. The morning sun had already risen, and the strip of light from Caiseal pushing the entrance up was enough to completely blind the girl. Naturally, she squeezed her eyes shut and held her arms up like a barrier.
For a newly awakening person, sudden light would already seem harsh and unwelcome, if one didn't adjust quickly. Since Julia was autistic, with her senses being heightened far more than usual, even that strip of light was like staring right at the sun, burning her eyes to the point of making them water. Being sick only exacerbated her already weary, sensitive eyes. With an angry groan, Julia flopped back into her sleeping bag, squeezing her eyes shut. Of course, all she saw were green spots dancing around in the darkness, and the excessive light was still breaking through the tent. Excessive to her.
She had been awake for several, agonizing hours, and already she was exhausted.
"Uuuuuuugh…"
By the time breakfast was finished, Julia was caught up in yet another fit. She was able to swallow her food, but if she opened her mouth even a little, she'd hack and gasp, like she was dying. At one point, she tried staying silent and keeping her mouth closed for a long period of time in the hopes that the cough would just fade. Of course, that persistent cough broke right through, like a battering ram.
"Jule?" This time, Perrine crawled into Julia's tent. "Gosh, you're really sick," She sat down next to her ailing friend, her blue eyes soft with concern. Behind her, Baloo and Fuwari toddled inside, their stubby legs carrying them.
"Puuuuff?"
"Pupupuuuu?"
Once again, Julia made no attempt to speak. Her voice was still raspy and hoarse.
"It's okay," Perrine put a reassuring hand on her friend's shoulder. "You'll get better soon. We'll make sure of it."
Julia nodded, grateful to her friend for being there. Perrine smiled back, seeing all too clear the gratitude on her friend's face. Who said people needed to say thanks aloud? Julia was always appreciative of everything Perrine and Caiseal did, so just seeing her smile was good enough, even if said smile was forced. Perrine could tell her friend was trying to smile through the pain her sickness was causing her.
With that, Perrine left the tent, ambling toward Caiseal. He could still see that she looked quite concerned, and rightfully so. "What are we gonna do about medicine?" Perrine asked. "We're too far from Mahogany Town."
"I know," Caiseal folded his arms. "I'd ask Ravenclaw to try and fly back there, but I highly doubt any pharmacist there would just give cold medicine to a random Murkrow that came out of nowhere."
"True, and we shouldn't try to make Julia walk the whole way back, either," She suggested. "She's in no condition to put herself through that kind of strain."
The kids stood there, ruminating to themselves. Unfortunately, no solution popped into mind, and too much thinking was making their brains hurt. Caiseal buried his hands into his arms. "I knew we should have stayed in Mahogany…" His complaints were muffled by his calloused hands.
"I should have bought medicine just in case something like this happened," Perrine lamented aloud. The only medicine they had on them were for Pokemon only, and neither child wanted to see if it'd work on humans, either. The risks were just too perilous, and no way were they going to put their already sick friend in danger. If only there was some way to get back to Mahogany faster…
Suddenly, the gears were turning in Perrine's mind. A way to get back to Mahogany Town faster…What if they didn't have to walk? They could use one of their Pokemon. But which one? None of them were big enough to carry a kid all the way back to a town. Except...
"Oh snap!" Perrine exclaimed, snapping her fingers. The yelp and gesture were so sudden that Caiseal found himself taken aback. "Why didn't I think of this before?!"
"What?"
Perrine yanked out a PokeBall, releasing Florian from his confinement. The flower Pokemon was too happy to nuzzle his face against his trainer. "Manyuuuu!" Florian cooed. Perrine's nostrils took in the faint, pleasant scent of fresh roses that came out from the flower around his neck.
It didn't take long for Caiseal to put the pieces together. "Ohhhh! I get it! You're gonna try and ride Florian back to Mahogany?"
"Yeah!" Perrine affirmed. "I can take Florian with me to get some medicine. It'd be way too risky for the both of us to go and leave Julia here all by herself," She explained.
Good points.
"Plus, Florian can only handle having one person riding on his back," She continued. "And he can cover twice the distance in half the time, since Pokemon like him can run much faster than us humans when they want to. This way, we can go and get some medicine, and you can stay here and make sure Julia's safe."
"Good idea," Caiseal agreed. "This should work. Alright, you get the medicine and I'll keep an eye on things here. My PokeGear will be on."
"Okay! Oh! That reminds me!" Perrine found Baloo and Fuwari sitting in front of Julia's tent. She kneeled down to their level and said, "Hey, girls. Would you mind staying here and keeping an eye on things? Florian and I are gonna go back to Mahogany Town and get some medicine. Is that okay?"
Both Baloo and Fuwari jumped up once and squeaked in elation, happy to oblige.
"Jiggly!" Baloo raised one hand up, attempting and failing at a mock salute.
"Pupupu!" Fuwari simply chirruped, spinning the flower on her head.
She then turned to her green friend. "I hate to ask you this, Florian, but do you mind if I ride on your back? We need to get back to Mahogany Town real quick."
She didn't need to worry about him minding the journey at all. He simply smiled and nodded without hesitation, letting out a coo as Perrine climbed on his back. He had attempted to run around with two of the kids on his back once before. It didn't exactly go well. But if it was just one person, and Perrine at that, that was perfectly okay with him.
"Okay! We'll be back soon, and I'll let you know if I get delayed!" With that, Florian ran down the dirt road in the opposite direction, with Perrine saddled on his back. It didn't take long for them to disappear into the horizon.
Which only reinforced the fact that he was all alone with Julia. A very sick, grumpy, vulnerable Julia. True, their Pokemon were with them, and that alleviated some of his worries. But new ones immediately sprung up. What if Julia's condition got worse while Perrine was away? He knew that a cold could easily grow into something worse if left untreated or if Julia was exposed to certain things. Caiseal shook his head back and forth. No. He couldn't think like that. His Pokemon were here, and he needed to be there for Julia.
He crawled back into her tent. Like before, Julia was still in her sleeping bag. This time, she was hugging Saoirse, holding her quite close, like she was a stuffed animal she didn't want to let go no matter what. The fairy Pokemon didn't show any signs of discomfort, nor was she squirming to get out of Julia's grip, so it was safe to say that she didn't mind. But Julia's face was still flushed, red as a Tamato berry, and Caiseal could see snot trickling out of her nose, drying just above her upper lip.
"Uuuuugh…" Julia let out a hoarse groan. The red orb on Lucretia's head glowed, and she telekinetically hovered a piece of tissue paper across Julia's nose, wiping off the still drying snot.
"Espeon…"
"Thanks, girl. Sorry you have to do all this for me…" A pang of guilt and shame shot through her. In her mind, Julia's Pokemon deserved better than to act as her maids and servants, waiting on her hand and foot. She certainly didn't ask them to take care of her. But she could tell by the way they kept on taking care of her all this time and the fact that they never complained about it that they didn't mind. They volunteered to do this of their own volition. That spoke volumes about how much her Pokemon thought of her.
"Espeon espe!" ("Don't worry about it!") Lucretia put a reassuring paw on her trainer's hand. "Espeon peon peon!" ("We want to help you get better, so we don't mind!")
A warm smile spread across Caiseal's lips. "They really love you, you know?" He said aloud, kneeling down to her level. "I highly doubt they'd willingly do all this for you if they didn't."
It was Julia's turn to smile this time. "Yeah. I love all my Pokemon. All of them," She kept her voice low, as raising it was becoming far too exhausting, what with her voice almost disappearing. "I just hate that I feel so lousy and have to sit here all day."
"Yeah. Being sick sucks. I can relate."
"Where's Perrine?"
"She went back to Mahogany to get some medicine," Caiseal explained, noting that Perrine was riding on Florian's back to try and get there faster. He did feel she had a right to know, since she was the center of all this. Why leave her in the dark? Doing so wouldn't do her any good, and it certainly wouldn't make her feel better.
"Is she gonna be okay?"
"She'll be fine," Caiseal told her reassuringly. "She's a tough girl. She didn't win seven badges for nothing, y'know."
Although the seeds of worry and doubt still sprouted in her heart, they didn't grow so much that they consumed her entirely. Caiseal was right. Perrine was a good trainer, and a strong one. She could handle this. She had seen her in action, so Julia found herself satisfied with Caiseal's answer. But even she knew that Perrine could only do and handle so much. She hoped with all her heart that nothing bad would happen to her. She could never forgive herself if Perrine got hurt or killed on her trip.
For now, all she and Caiseal could do was wait. Too bad waiting was proving to be a challenge in and of itself, with Julia in her current condition.
Bubbles materialized all around Suicune as he dove into the ocean, his body becoming one with the huge body of water that consumed him. Using his front legs, he swam further down, descending toward the ground, among a whole garden of seaweed. As much as he liked the quiet solitude of the deeper parts of this underwater world, this was not the time to appreciate its beauty.
He had one mission only, and he had to get it done, lest it be too late.
The depths of the ocean were dark. Far too dark for any typical water Pokemon to traverse. No light could ever come down this deep. Good thing Suicune had the power to make his body glow in a magnificent light, illuminating any darkness that stood in his way. After all, he was going to need some light if he was going to find what, or who, he was looking for.
Thankfully, his target wasn't hard to find at all. Lying down in a bed of seaweed was a large, white, bird-like creature with shimmering fur. Deep blue, fin-like plates laid flat on the bird's back, and it's closed eyes also donned similarly colored spikes. Its long tail curled into a C shape, the tips having two spikes protruding out from the end on both sides. The creature's body was rising and falling with every silent breath it took.
Suicune flashed a smile as he swam over to the large creature. It's neck was long, enough for a small human to climb on top of it.
"Lugia?" Suicune called, raising his voice not too high, but high enough for the diving Pokemon to hear.
No answer.
"Lugia!" Suicune exclaimed once more.
Again, no answer.
"Hmmm...this is going to be tough," Suicune muttered to himself. But an idea hatched into his head just as quickly. His body was glowing. Perhaps using Safeguard would make it glow even brighter. It could produce just as powerful a flash as the actual Flash attack.
With that in mind, Suicune curled into a ball, allowing his body to gleam in a stunning light. He was already bright enough to produce light, but Safeguard amplified the glow his body radiated, illuminating almost the entire area. In that moment, Lugia stirred. Raising one of its wings to cover its eyes, Lugia let out a low groan as its eyes were forced open.
"Goodness…" Weary from sleep, the diving Pokemon didn't miss a chance to protest. "Whoever you are, please, turn that light down!" It commanded in a strong, authoritative male voice. A light tenor.
Obeying Lugia's wishes, Suicune allowed his Safeguard to dissipate, but still kept his body glowing so Lugia could see him better. The diving Pokemon raised his neck up to get a better look. Floating before him was Suicune, his aurora-like mane flowing in time with the waves on the surface. The more he stared, the more awake and alert Lugia became.
"Suicune? Is that you?" He asked.
Suicune gave a slow, solemn nod. "It is, Lugia. I do apologize for rousing you from your slumber in such an improper manner," He bowed before him with utmost respect.
Oddly enough, Lugia no longer looked or sounded offended. He simply flashed a smile with her large beak, unknowingly showing one of her teeth in the process. "Now now! You needn't worry about that. You're one of my dearest friends, and I'm always happy to see you," One look at Suicune's face told the diving Pokemon that he was in no mood for small talk. "...But it is unlike you to come down to my domain. Dare I ask why?"
The north wind Pokemon raised his head to face Lugia, his eyes solemn and determined. "I'm afraid there is trouble afoot, and you and Ho-Oh are in great danger."
He wasted no time telling Lugia about Pokemon Hunter J, her plans, their previous encounters with him, Entei's fate, and what her current mission was. The more Lugia listened, the more his irises shrunk. At first, he was quite dumbstruck. How could something like that possibly happen? But she knew all too well that Suicune would never tell a lie. He kept herself calm, knowing that if he even so much as growled, storms and tsunamis would come forth.
"...What about Ho-Oh?" Lugia asked. "Does she know?"
"I'm not sure," Suicune answered ruefully, wishing he could provide his friend a real answer. "Raikou is on his way to meet her right now. I can only hope he is successful in doing so."
But something was odd. When Suicune met Lugia's eyes, he could see doubt in them. Doubt that he really didn't want to see.
"Even if he does manage to tell her," Lugia began. "I know that Ho-Oh will go to Tin Tower no matter what."
"What makes you say that?" Suicune was taken aback.
Lugia averted his gaze, fixating it on a garden of seaweed that she rested on. "Unlike Ho-Oh, I have no interest in humans. Not after the way they cast you, Raikou, and Entei away after she gave you life…" He had seen too much of what humans had done. Catching Pokemon from the oceans, taking them away from their homes, all for their own ends. Putting trash in his beloved home, items that could easily hurt or kill small Pokemon. Harpooning others with no regard for their safety. Dumping corpses and letting them rot.
Suicune didn't say a word. He simply let the diving Pokemon speak. There was truth to his words.
"But Ho-Oh loves and cares for the girls who dance to offer their thanks to us every year," Lugia continued. "She is steadfast in her belief that humans and Pokemon should coexist and understand each other, even if our relations aren't ideal. She will never abandon her duty, even if danger is present."
"That's true. She has always been a kind, punctual soul…"
The memory of being revived was strong in Suicune's mind. He could see it replaying before him. Being consumed by flames from which he could not escape. Smoke burning his lungs and airway. Trapped and crushed underneath piles of fallen planks and debris, taking their lives. Rainbow hued light shining before his eyes. Himself, Raikou, and Entei standing before the burnt remains of Brass Tower, revealing themselves to the humans. Rocks being thrown at him. The trio of dogs scurrying away, pitying the humans who feared what they could not comprehend.
Fluttering wings pulled Suicune out of his reverie. Lugia stood on his long feet, extending his long, arm-like wings outward, stretching them to get the kinks out. He took care not to flap them too hard, lest he conjure a tsunami or a storm.
"That is exactly why I worry about her," Lugia mused before looking down at his four legged friend. "Thank you for warning me about this. I'll see if I can help Ho-Oh in some way."
"Please be careful," Suicune warned. He didn't know what he'd do if both Ho-Oh and Lugia were caught in J's grasp. Guilt of epic proportions would weigh down on his soul if that were to happen, and he would never be able to forgive himself if they got hurt or killed.
Lugia flashed a reassuring smile in his friend's direction. "I will. I'm stronger than I look. You are a good friend, Suicune. We will save Entei and our Pokemon friends."
"That we will."
With that, Suicune ascended back to the ocean's surface. As did Lugia, who made a more...grandiose entrance by swirling around in a whirlpool, using it to propel herself out from the ocean. The only audience he had was four uninhabited islands that took up most of Route 41. That was fine with him, as he wasn't too fond of having humans stare at him anyway. That was one of the many perks of living deep underwater: no human eyes to gaze upon him, and no annoyances to deal with.
Even so, he was going to help her friends. Underwater slumbers could wait.
It's normal for common colds to persist for a few days at most for some people. Others could get over them within a day or two. Not the case for Julia. Perrine and Florian brought back medicine from Mahogany Town with ease, and Julia took it once every four hours, as instructed. However, it wasn't enough to make her cold go away. All it really did was suppress her coughs, which in itself was great relief for Julia, since she could finally talk without sounding like she was losing her voice.
But on her second day of being sick, her nose was both stuffy and runny at the same time. Sniffing so much left her with pounding headaches, strong enough to render her unable to do much of anything. Being stuck in the tent all day didn't exactly help matters, either. Even so, Caiseal and Perrine didn't leave her side, and if they had to, they usually let the Pokemon stay with her, especially for stuff Julia needed to do privately, like go to the bathroom outside.
On the third day, her eyes were puffy, itchy, and kept on watering, even at the slightest amount of light or stimuli. This one continued for a whole two days, and with her nose getting terribly itchy and stuffed up the minute she tried to sleep for any amount of time, sleep didn't come as easily to her as it used to. To say it was getting to be a bit too much would be an understatement.
"Uuuuugh! I hate being sick!" Julia roared once she sipped another dose of the medicine Perrine got her.
"We know the feeling," Perrine mused.
"Man, this cold doesn't seem to wanna leave anytime soon, now does it?" Caiseal noted. Five whole days of being nothing but sick as a Growlithe. That just wasn't right, and there was no denying it, Julia still looked, felt, and sounded utterly awful and lousy. But what else could they do? They were just a bunch of little kids living out in the wilderness with their Pokemon.
The minute Julia laid eyes on her two friends, guilt weighed down on her heart, making it sag like a plastic bag trying to hold too much inside. Perrine and Caiseal...they did nothing but stay with her, take care of her, and do whatever they could for her for five days straight. None of them even complained about it. Not once did they ever protest caring for her, and Julia never even asked them to. They did it of their own volition. They didn't owe her anything, but they still put their own journeys on hold...and all for her.
But they had their own lives, too. Julia knew in her heart that Caiseal and Perrine were their own people, with their own hopes and dreams. As far as she knew, her being sick was putting a damper on them being able to fulfill those hopes and dreams. Dark thoughts began to swim in her brain. Was she...holding them back? Being nothing but a burden on them? Arceus, she already felt bad about being sick in the first place, even though she knew it wasn't her fault. People get sick all the time, and it's not like she wanted to feel so lousy. But her friends deserved better than this. They deserved to go out on their adventures and do what they wanted, not be stuck caring for a sick friend who was already weak all on her own.
Julia's hand clutched a piece of her sleeping bag.
"Snubbull?" Saoirse cocked her head to one side, growing concerned as she saw a frown on her trainer's face.
"Do you need anything?" Perrine asked.
"Whatever it is, just say the word," Caiseal reassured. "We'll be on it in no time."
Her teeth clenched. Just say it, Julia. She kept telling herself that this would be for the best. She couldn't drag them down with her. They deserved better, she told herself. They didn't need this. She needed to grow up, get stronger, and learn to do things on her own sometime.
"I'm fine," She told them in a low, soft whisper. It was still audible enough for everyone to hear it. "Actually, there is one thing. I think...you guys…" With that, the floodgates opened. "You guys should go to Blackthorn City without me."
Both Perrine and Caiseal exchanged surprised glances, their irises wide. It was as though they had been punched in the stomach. Julia was telling them to leave? Were their ears playing tricks on them? No, they heard their friend loud and clear.
"Pika?!" Even Hikaru's ears shot up in alarm.
"Chokki?"
"Snubbull?"
"Jule…" Perrine's voice was completely overcome with shock. "You want us to leave?" She repeated, like she was taking it all in.
"Don't worry about me," Julia waved her hands back and forth. "You guys are probably itching to go to Blackthorn and get your last gym badges," She suggested. "I'll stay here and get better on my own, then I'll catch up to you-"
Any attempt to finish that sentence was immediately cut off. Caiseal shot a worried glare at Julia, and it was seething with both concern and anger. "Julia! Do you hear yourself right now?!" He shouted.
He didn't mean to shout, as he knew she didn't like yelling. Even seeing her flinch and crawl away from him was enough to shoot an arrow of guilt right through his heart. But her suggestion was such a bombshell that he couldn't help it. "You're sick, and you're suggesting we go to another city while leaving you all alone here, therefore throwing you to the Lycanrocs?! Absolutely not!"
Good thing Perrine took a calmer approach. "We are NOT leaving you here," This time, her voice was firm and solemn, strong like stone. "Friends don't leave their sick friends all alone."
"But…but…I'm dragging you all down…" Julia's voice finally returned, and it was trembling with sorrow. Then her eyes blurred, drowning in tears that refused to stop falling. She buried her wet face in her hands and sobbed. "I don't want to hold you back or drag you down with me! You...you…" Now her voice was bordering on hysterical. "You deserve better than to put your adventures on hold to spend five whole days caring for a sick retard like me-!"
Caiseal was quick to take one of Julia's hands into his own. Her normally soft, tender hands were now rough and dry, probably from the cold air. Then, in a calmer but still firm voice, he said, "Don't ever say that about yourself. Ever. You're not dragging us anywhere, nor are you holding us back. None of that is true."
"Pikapi!" Hikaru agreed, throwing herself onto Julia's covered lap to prove it. "Pikachuuuu!"
"I don't know why you think all that, but none of it is true," Perrine told her reassuringly. "You're not holding us back at all. Besides, we're friends. You know that. If we really thought all of that stuff you said was true, then we wouldn't even be doing all of this for you. We wouldn't even be hanging out if you at all if we really did. But we don't. We want to stay with you and help you. That's what friends do."
Julia could hear the conviction in every word she spoke. She just knew that both Perrine and Caiseal meant everything they said. The fact that they actually did spend five days taking care of her without complaint proved it, and spoke volumes of their overall character.
"Besides, we don't mind having our journey put on hold for a bit," Caiseal added, crossing his arms. "To be honest, I don't want to go to Blackthorn City, so you're actually doing me a huge favor. The League is still a long ways away, so we're not in any rush to get there. Five days in one place isn't going to make a huge difference."
Perrine shared his sentiments, showing her silent agreement with a smile. "Do you really think we'd stoop so low as to leave you here? No way we're letting that happen. We want to stay with you, so don't say we should just leave you behind."
"But…are you sure?" Julia asked in wonder, as if she had never met anyone who even had such feelings for her, let alone feelings this strong. "I...I don't want to be a burden, and I'm already being one right now-"
"Ahhh!" Caiseal held his index finger up in the air, right at Julia's face, silencing her. "Enough with putting yourself down," Julia silently pulled her face away from his finger before he said, "Julia, the last thing in the world you are is a burden. We love having you around, silly," He asserted fiercely.
Any lingering doubt she had immediately vanished, and a smile returned to her face. That looked much better on Julia than sadness. Goodness, where had these people been all her life? Her heart swelled with an overwhelming joy that she found herself unable to describe. It was just as strong as the bonds she shared with her Pokemon, and just as beautiful.
Tiny hands rested onto Julia's bigger one.
"Chokki!" Tokiko flashed a bright smile at her trainer and pseudo-mother.
"Snubbull snubbull!" Saoirse wasted no time nuzzling against her trainer's hand, warming it right up.
"Tokiko...Saoirse…"
Hikaru flashed her 1000-kilowatt smile that she knew her trainer was weak too. "Chuuu!"
"Hikaru…"
"See? Even your Pokemon love being around you, and for good reason," Perrine pointed out.
She knew Julia knew that. Julia knew that too well. Even so, she liked hearing it. She didn't need to hear it to know it was true, both of her friends and her Pokemon, but hearing it just made it feel more real to her. Not even wondering whether she truly deserved to have these awesome people and Pokemon as friends was enough to push away how much they meant what they said. Just like they would for her, Julia would put her life on the line for them if she wanted to.
Thankfully, the next two days proved to be far better. Gradually, Julia's symptoms began to vanish. Her nose was still stuffy, but it didn't give her as much grief as it used to. Her body no longer ached, and her fever finally broke. She was even healthy enough to finally be able to go outside for a while. Being stuck in a tent was coming with its own set of problems, and the kids figured she could use some fresh air. The Pokemon needed some exercise too, so Julia and Perrine decided to have a short practice battle.
"Saoirse, use Bite!"
"Chirin, use Power Gem!"
The bulldog Pokemon bared her fangs as she rushed toward the electric sheep. On the other hand, Chirin let out a harsh whinny as purple, rock shaped structures magically materialized. "Flaaaaaaaffy!" With another baa, the magic rocks fired right toward Saoirse. Since they charged at a slow pace, Saoirse was able to not only jump up and down to evade them, but even managed to hop on one of them, allowing her to gently dig her fangs into Chirin's fur.
"Shake her off, Chirin!" Perrine commanded.
Using his short paws, Chirin was able to smack Saoirse on her dress-like fur, pushing her right off without much effort.
"Now use Tackle!"
"Headbutt, Saoirse!"
The two pink Pokemon charged at each other, heads held down and ready for...well, headbutting and tackling. But they didn't put too much pressure into their attacks, as it was only a practice battle, so there were no serious injuries. Just playful rams and headbutts.
Perrine clapped her hands twice. "Alrighty, that's a wrap!"
"Flaaffy!" The pink sheep Pokemon ran to his trainer, cooing and all smiles, leaping into her arms. "Flaaaaffy!"
"You did great, Chirin," Perrine exalted her wooly friend before pulling out a piece of caramel. "Here's your reward."
"Flaaffy!" Chirin wasted no time throwing the candy into his mouth, chewing and savoring the sticky but sweet flavor. "Flaaffy!"
All of a sudden, Chirin's body was consumed by light. It was so bright, everyone couldn't help but notice. But confusion turned into awe once they realized what was happening. The last of Chirin's fur completely vanished. His neck, body, and tail grew longer and leaner, and when the light vanished, out came a perfectly yellow and cheerful Ampharos.
"Paaaaar!" Chirin announced his presence with a cheery, upbeat whinny.
"Awesome! You evolved, Chirin!" This time, Perrine was the one throwing her arms around the de-wooled sheep, nuzzling his golden fur with her heart exploding with joy.
"Ampaaaar!" The light Pokemon openly returned the friendly hug, and he and Perrine danced around like they were in a disco music video, not caring that their dancing was utterly terrible.
Caiseal and Julia laughed at the sight, not out of malice, but out of genuine joy. It was nice seeing Perrine and her Pokemon hop around and act like kids. After all, even trainers needed to relax and have fun. Finally, on the seventh day, Julia's cold finally took the hint and left, leaving no trace behind. Back on the road to Blackthorn City they went.
A/N: Hey again. I know I said the next update wouldn't take so long, but...another month, another super late chapter. Best of all, this is gonna be the last chapter for 2016. I thought about writing the next one earlier, but it's gonna be a dark chapter involving Team Rocket, so I thought I'd put that off in favor of this one, which is more lighthearted. Wouldn't want to end 2016 with a sad chapter, now would we? This also turned out a bit longer than I intended, and I even wanted to add more, but I'll save it for another chapter later on.
Also, Sun and Moon. What does everyone think so far? I like it! There's a lot to love about it, but I am sorely disappointed with the lack of post-game content, and this is coming from someone who's normally okay with little post-game content! Anyway, this is the team I beat Sun with: Primarina, Alola Raichu, Comfey, Steenee (Not a big fan of Tsareena's design), Midday Lycanroc, and Baile Oricorio.
And yes, both Ho-Oh and Lugia are female and male in this universe. I know they're technically genderless in the games, and Lugia has a male voice in Pokemon 2000. Besides, the Diancie movie made Xerneas have female voices, so why not?
Update, 6/11/2020: Updated the chapter to make Lugia's pronouns consistent with later chapters. I thought I'd make Lugia female, but I forgot I did that and turned Lugia back into a male. So I said "Oh, screw it!" and made Lugia back into a male in this story, pronouns and all. I really need to get better at keeping track of these things.
Julia's Party:
Hikaru (Shiny Pikachu, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Thunderbolt, Disarming Voice, Quick Attack, Volt Tackle
Lucretia (Espeon, Female, Bashful Nature)
Ability: Magic Bounce
Attacks: Psybeam, Trump Card, Bite, and Shadow Ball
Tokiko (Togetic, Female, Hardy Nature)
Ability: Serene Grace
Attacks: Extrasensory, Headbutt, Dazzling Gleam, Magical Leaf
Saoirse (Snubbull, Female, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Intimidate
Attacks: Ice Fang, Bite, Fire Fang, and Scary Face
Rino (Nidorino, Male, Modest Nature)
Ability: Poison Point
Attacks: Double Kick, Poison Jab, Peck, and Horn Attack
Twilight (Ponyta, Female, Lonely Nature)
Ability: Flash Fire
Attacks: Flame Wheel, Solar Beam, Hypnosis, and Stomp
Perrine's Party:
Kitsune (Ninetales, Female, Quiet Nature)
Ability: Flash Fire
Attacks: Heat Wave, Extrasensory, Confuse Ray, and Faint Attack
Florian (Meganium, Male, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Overgrow
Attacks: Petal Blizzard, Vine Whip, Body Slam, and Grassy Terrain
Baloo (Jigglypuff, Female, Docile Nature)
Ability: Cute Charm
Attacks: Sing, Wake-Up Slap, Disarming Voice, and Body Slam
Mushi (Paras, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Effect Spore
Attacks: X-Scissor, Stun Spore, Growth, and Giga Drain
Fuwari (Jumpluff, Female, Relaxed Nature)
Ability: Leaf Guard
Attacks: Bounce, Giga Drain, Fairy Wind, and Energy Ball
Chirin (Ampharos, Male, Adamant Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Discharge, Cotton Guard, Power Gem, Signal Beam
Caiseal's Party:
Mallow (Marowak, Male, Lax Nature)
Ability: Lightning Rod
Attacks: Bonemerang, Bone Rush, Headbutt, and Rock Smash
Apollo (Typhlosion, Male, Bold Nature)
Ability: Blaze
Attacks: Flamethrower, Flame Charge, Rollout, and Smokescreen
Viole (Gloom, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Chlorophyll
Attacks: Petal Blizzard, Sludge Bomb, Sleep Powder, and Sweet Scent
Ravenclaw (Murkrow, Female, Hardy Nature)
Ability: Super Luck
Attacks: Wing Attack, Steel Wing, Dark Pulse, and Roost
Heracles (Heracross, Male, Relaxed Nature)
Ability: Moxie
Attacks: Brick Break, Megahorn, Aerial Ace, and Endure
Flippy (Quagsire, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Damp
Attacks: Water Gun, Mud Bomb, Mud Slap, and Slam