RECAP: Morf was poisoned by the Shroomish Mari caught, and was not helped by any antitoxins. Dying, Morf and the Shroomish were sent to Dr. Ghilbee.
Chapter 12: Countdown
Nurse Joy had watched the vid-phone conversation with interest.
"I've gotta get my things, I left everything in the forest. What's the fastest way to Fortree?"
"Unfortunately," Joy said, "the fastest way is to walk. You can catch a boat at the base of the mountain and route 118. It usually takes two days. But you can't go alone!"
"What are you talking about? I—oh, dang!" Mari recalled she was now without a battling Pokemon. She turned to the vid-phone again and dialed another number. "Jerry, is Leader Wattson there?"
"Yeah, just a minute." The boy left the screen. A few moments later the bald leader appeared.
"Hi Mari," he said to his granddaughter. "How's—"
"Grandpa, Morf's very sick. I sent her to the Doctor on route 118, but now I need another Pokemon to get there, can I borrow Blue?"
"Oh, yes, yes, I'll send him right over. Is she going to be okay?"
"I don't know yet, please hurry."
Wattson nodded, disappearing and then reappearing with a Pokeball. "Here he comes."
The ball materialized in the receptacle in front of Mari. "Thanks Grandpa, I'll send him back as soon as I can."
"Be safe."
"I will," she said and cut the connection. Outside the building she released Blue, a Manectric. She slipped onto his back and rode to the campsite, quickly packing it away. The afternoon was setting in as she made her way to the docks. She thought of Morf and her enthusiasm the last time they were here. The irony was not lost on her.
As the mountain of Fortree came into view, the sun was descending behind its peak. At the foot of the mountain was a little boarding house with fruit trees all around. Mari was already exhausted and gave in to staying there for the night instead of on the mountain trail.
Her sleep was plagued by her own thoughts and she tossed until sunrise. She immediately started up the mountain on Manectric's back. During the first hour she was challenged by at least a dozen trainers, some of whom became angry at her refusal. She would not be slowed down. Farther up she crossed a river where a flock of Tropius were resting. 'Morf would have loved to see this.'
The sky grew grey, the climb steep, and Manectric was tiring. "Please, Blue," Mari said, "it can't be much farther."
He pushed on. They stopped briefly to rest for lunch, and it began to rain. They were on the road again quickly, riding through the water and thickening trees. Rivers became more common, and they came to a waterfall. Next to it through the streaked sky was a large building. Some of the weight on Mari's chest was relieved; Manectric breathed a sigh of relief. At the entrance she jumped off him and gasped at the pain in her loins. 'I haven't rode in a long time,' she reminded herself. She recalled Manectric and hobbled in, bringing a trail of water with her. The small reception room was empty. She passed through a door labeled "Private," entering a library with a woman in a white coat inside.
"Where's Dr. Ghilbee?" Mari asked.
"Oh, you're Mari. He's on the second floor in the medical lab, you can take the elevator. Can I get you a towel?"
"Later," she said and went up to the second floor.
"How is the Savior supposed to know when we need him unless he is told?"
Reiki looked up at Stanzi. "What?"
"How is the Savior supposed to know we need him unless he is told?"
There was a long silence, then a groan. "What are you thinking now, Stanzi?"
"Reiki, we are running out of time. The people are scared. You can sense it too! If he does not wake up soon, they will leave this place. Whether they will join the outsiders, look for the homeland on their own, or find a new place to live, they will leave. What would happen then? Our way of life that has survived for hundreds of years will end forever. You know as well as I do that would devastate the balance of Hoenn."
"Please, keep you voice down! If the villagers hear you they will get angry. You know as well as I do how fickle they are. If they don't like what you say, they will revolt against you."
She nodded. "They need focus, direction. I don't have that kind of influence over them anymore. We have to wake the Savior now."
"How do you expect to do that?"
"I don't know!" She sighed. "I don't know. I will talk to it, shake it, topple it down if I have to. The important thing is to wake him."
Reiki shook his head. "Stanzi, I will follow you to the end of the earth. But the people will not like this. Do me this favor: wait seven more days. Seven days, and we will tell the people together. You can then address the Savior."
"Thank you Reiki, I would not be able to do this without you."
Mari ran out of the elevator and spotted Morf on a sickbed. Ghilbee was on the other side of the white room, staring into a computer screen.
"Ghilbee!" She was surprised by the trembling in her voice.
He turned around. "She'll be okay."
"Ho," she exhaled, and her tears were finally released. She ran to Morf. The sleeping Castform was pale, but breathing easy. "Thank you," she whispered and wiped her face. "What happened?"
Ghilbee walked to the other side of Morf. "She is allergic to grass based poison. Obviously, it is something I didn't discover before, but you seemed to learn easily."
A pang of guilt went through her, but she quickly put it aside. What reason would she have had to suspect it? Ghilbee was Morf's creator and, if anyone, he should have tested her for allergies. "I'll be more careful."
"See that you are. I have treated her, and she will survive. It will take her at least a couple weeks to recover, and remember to not let her battle against grass based poison using Pokemon again. The Shroomish you sent helped, here it is," he said and gave Mari the Pokeball out of his pocket. "If by accident Castform is poisoned again, use this." He took a squirt bottle off of his computer desk. "This should help her. If it doesn't, send her to me immediately."
Mari nodded and took the bottle. "Thank you." She looked down at Morf. 'Thank goodness. You can't ever leave me, do you hear? I don't know what I'd do if . . .'
"You are soaked," commented Ghilbee
"Yeah, it's raining outside. Hey, why isn't Morf in her water state?"
"She isn't being exposed to the weather itself. Morf?"
"Oh, I named her Morf. I forgot to tell you."
He smiled. "I used to call her C-1, since she was the first Castform born."
"She never told me that."
"I don't think she liked it. Come, I'll show you where the towels are."
Mari spent the rest of the day near the sleeping Morf. She let the puppy Growlithe out of his Pokeball and played with him a bit, but he sensed her worry. He nuzzled her hand and fell asleep in her lap. She never took Shroomish out of its Pokeball. Ghilbee offered her a bedroom, but Mari slept on a bed next to Morf. She would not have been able to sleep away from her anyway.
The night passed uneventfully, and the following morning Morf woke. Mari was the first to see her little eyes flutter.
"Morf!" she exclaimed, then quickly lowered her voice. "Can you hear me?"
The Pokemon's eyes blinked in the light. "Mari?" She was barely audible.
"You were sick, but Dr. Ghilbee made you better. I'm so glad you're awake!"
"The lab?"
"Mm-hm."
Dr. Ghilbee came running in. "You're awake!" He pet Morf's head. "Good. We were worried about you."
Morf smiled a little, but closed her eyes again. "I'm hungry."
Ghilbee nodded and went for food and water.
Mari put her hand on Morf. "You're going to be okay."
The rest of the day, Morf woke only for regular, though small, meals. The day after, she was awake more and even got out of bed for a quick breath of fresh air. It was then that Mari met several other Castforms who welcomed Morf back. They spoke mostly in their Pokemon-language, as several of them apparently didn't speak English. Mari had never seen Morf as happy as when she in their company, even though she was obviously tired. Mari spent more time with these other Castforms, curious to know the only other Castforms in existence. They all had soft voices and small grey bodies, but the similarities ended there. They were like people, with different personalities and interactions. They sparred with one another all day long, and Mari quickly understood the reason for Morf's quick adjustment to battling. Ghilbee had been right on when he told her that the Castforms' skills were varied. Some could use no special attacks at all, others were good only in fire or water, and a couple could use rain dance when the sky was cloudy. Mari, Morf, and Growlithe all immensely enjoyed their company over the week they spent there as her health returned.
Routine exercise was part of Morf's therapy, and the three took a walk every day, though Growlithe tended to pounce more than walk. They were on one of their walks when Mari asked, "Why did you leave this place?"
"What do you mean?" Morf replied.
"You enjoy it so much here. Dr Ghilbee and the other Castform, I can see they're your family. Why did you leave?"
Growlithe saw them talking and jumped up on Mari, desperate to be part of the conversation. She patted his head.
"I do love them all," Morf said, "and this place is my home. But I wanted to see more places that just this forest. Why did you leave your family?"
"True."
Failing to get Mari's attention, Growlithe pawed at Morf as she hovered above him. She didn't pay him any mind, and was quiet for a moment. "I do love it here, but we should leave soon. I can tell that Dr. Ghilbee wants me to stay. He blames you for me getting poisoned. If I stay, he might not let me leave."
"You really think so? I mean I know he blames me, but do you really think he'd make you stay here?"
"I love him like a father, but I know he would do anything he thinks would keep me safe. That's another reason I left. He won't let me do anything! You hear how he talks. 'Don't go too fast, don't go too far, don't eat that, it will make you fat.'"
"That's true, but are you ready to leave? I was thinking we could go to Lilycove. The sea air would be great for you, I think." Growlithe ambushed Mari's leg so that she almost fell. "Oof! I don't think Growlithe would mind getting on the road, either."
Morf agreed with Growlithe, she was ready. Despite Ghilbee's protests, they said their goodbyes and on their seventh day at the lab, walked to Fortree, riding Manectric for the last part of the trip.
Mari had never seen anything like Fortree. It was a web of giant tree houses and bridges. They ate lunch fifty feet above the forest floor, and the air was scented with pine. Growlithe barked at the Aipoms smiling down on them and birds flitting around. Sunlight trickled down through the leaves, sprinkling the wood houses with golden light.
Morf had been to the tree city before, but enjoyed it nonetheless, delighting in Mari's awe. She was done by sunset, and Mari got a room at the Pokemon Center. After seeing Morf safely asleep in the room, Mari went downstairs with Growlithe in her arms to the vid-phone. She called her Grandfather.
"Mari, nice to see you! How is Morf's recovery coming along? I can see Growlithe is doing fine."
"Yes, and Morf's good, thank you. We're in Fortree right now, on our way to Lilycove. Would you mind very much if I kept Manectric until we get there? He's awesome for rides."
Wattson laughed. "That he is! I miss him in my Gym matches, but you can keep him until Lilycove. Just try to catch your own ride, okay?"
Mari nodded. "I'll keep my eye out for one. Thanks so much! Say hi to Mom, Dad, and Spencer for me, will you?"
"Sure. Try to call them more often, eh? They'd like that."
"I do try, almost every time I talk to you, but they're never home."
Wattson agreed and laughed. She then called the rest of her family, and as before, they were not home. Mari went up to bed.
The next morning Mari said goodbye to Fortree, and they headed down the trail to Lilycove. The sun was bright and a breeze kept them cool. Soon, the city was out of sight and they thought themselves alone.
"Reiki, your time is up," Stanzi said.
He nodded. "I know. Do you still want to do this?"
"Yes."
"Okay let's go."
"Thank you Reiki."
Stanzi walked to the center of the clearing that was their village with Reiki at her side. She stood in front of the Savior's pedestal. This caught the attention of every person there. She paused. Then: "People of the Silver Village, we are in need of our Savior. The time has come for him to awaken. We must tell him so."
There were nervous glances among them.
Reiki spoke up. "Guardians, to your places!"
Several of the villagers darted into rows on either side of the pedestal. They stood up straight, if with uncertainty.
Stanzi spoke again. "Does anyone object to addressing the Savior? He is to save us, and we need saving now."
No one dared object with her.
Not waiting for the crowd to change its mind, Stanzi turned and looked up at the small black orb on top of the pedestal. "Savior, it is time! Awaken!"
Nothing.
She raised her voice. "Savior! We need you! Do you not hear our cries for help?"
There was murmuring among the people.
She saw Reiki glance at her. 'I'm losing them! There is no time!' She leapt up and put her hands around the orb. "Wake up!"
The villagers shrieked. No one dared soil the Savior's orb!
Stanzi panicked. For that brief moment, the orb did not respond. Her people would turn on her. Reiki would go down with her. The people would go to pieces. They would leave, destroying every hope they ever had of reuniting with their brothers. But then the orb opened. A bright light shot out of it. Stanzi fell back. Out of the light formed a figure.
Savior!
Author's Notes: Don't you love cliffhangers? I do. I can't wait to post chapter 12. It's gonna bust this thing wide open. I'm not giving any hints! All I'll say is that a lot of chapter 12 will be done from a different point-of-view. It's going to be so much fun. laughs maniacally