Hey, everyone! Ta-Ni here. Sorry about the infrequent uploads; I think one of my Porygon may be infected with a virus. I may need to visit Bill for a check-up soon, which will mean another trip to Kanto, and an extended absence. So, here's the next chapter for you guys!
italics = thoughts, "italics" = Pokespeech
As I slowly came to, my senses were overwhelmed by all new smells and sounds. Gone was the earthen scent of the soil and trees of the forest, replaced by chemical-like scents completely foreign to me. A rhythmic beeping noise broke the silence around me, slowly increasing as my fear mounted. Where am I? I thought, trying to open my eyes. However, the searing white light was too much to bear for more than a moment. I tried to stand, but something or someone grabbed me around the waist and held me down.
A gentle, female voice spoke up in my ear, saying, "don't try to move, dear. Otherwise, you'll open your wounds again." The force on my back eased, so I turned my head toward the voice and tried opening my eyes again. This time, the light was more bearable, so I could make out the source of the voice. A tall female human with bright pink hair and a white coat with a red cross on it stood over me, her arms wrapped around my body and holding me to what appeared to be a table or bed.
I started to panic and tried to roll away from her, but her grip remained firmly around me. "Whoa," she cried, struggling against me. "Calm down, Ninetales. I'm not gonna hurt you. You can trust me." Trust a human…never! I thought. I struggle a little longer, but my energy quickly ran out, forcing me to stop. "There," she said in relief. "You need to stay still for a while longer, until your wounds heal completely. Now, you behave yourself, and I'll go get the young man who brought you in."
She let go of me and turned away, and so didn't see me bristle at the thought of ANOTHER human. I lifted my head slightly to look around. I was in a large white den (room) with the only entrance/exit blocked by a large wooden object (door). There was another, smaller opening, but it was covered by a clear sort of substance that let the sunlight in (window). Long white strips covered most of my body (bandages), restricting what movement I had, and the only other object in the den was the table or bed I was laying on. "Where am I?" I asked myself, this time aloud.
"This is the Pokémon Center, silly," a familiar voice answered me, and I looked to see the sylveon from earlier walk into the den, through the wooden barrier. Her trainer walked in behind her, followed by the lady from earlier. "Nurse Joy helped patch you up after that terrible fight yesterday. We were lucky to get you here in time; a few more minutes, and you would have been dead."
Slowly, my memory of what happened returned, and a menacing growl rumbled in my throat. "So, I guess I'm forced to be your fighting slave now, aren't i?" I growled at the trainer, causing him to take a step back. The sylveon, sensing danger, jumped in front of him and said, "How inconsiderate can you get? He saved your life, and now you're threatening him? And what do you mean, 'slave'?"
"I saw him throw that ball before I fainted!" I barked. "Which means he caught me, AGAINST MY WILL I might add, and now's he will force me to fight for him. It's what all his kind do; that's what Nana told me!"
"That was a Medic Ball, a special ball used for Pokémon transportation ONLY!" she replied. "You're still wild, if you want to be. As for forcing you to fight, my trainer would never do that; I follow him because he cares about me. After all, I only evolved into my current form BECAUSE I care for him. tell me, who was your Nana, to be so prejudice against trainers?"
I hesitated, but said, "Nana used to be trained, but she was mistreated and forced to evolve, so she…escaped…back to the wild. Now, she's been taken again, by another abusive trainer, and I want to find a way to free her." I couldn't admit that she killed her previous owner, just in case he decided she should be put down as a dangerous Pokémon.
"Was she a ninetales, like you?" she asked. "And where are your parents? I can tell by your speech that you are still young, even though you've evolved."
"Nana was an…arcanine, I think. At least, that's what the trainer who toke her called her. As for my Meema, I never had one, at least that I remember. The first Pokémon I saw when I opened my eyes was Nana." These thoughts brought tears to my eyes, but I tried to act strong in front of them. Still, she leapt up onto the bed and put her ribbons around me, like she was trying to hug me. After she let go, I decided to take a risk. "I don't know where I am, but I was trying to reach the mountains before I was attacked. I have to get there as soon as possible; someone there holds answers that I seek."
Before she could reply, the trainer finally spoke up. "I wish I knew what you two were talking about, but visiting hours are over for today. I hope you feel better tomorrow, Ninetales. Come on, Sylveon." He walked over to the wooden barrier and opened it, gesturing for her to follow. She gave me one last look, then followed her trainer out of the den.
The woman (which she called Nurse Joy?) messed a little with the wrappings, but I paid her no mind. Why did I tell her so much? I thought. She's in league with her human, so why do I trust her so? Maybe…maybe she's right. Could he be trusted, and if so, how can I test him? While I was lost in thought, the nurse poked me with something and I began to feel extremely drowsy. As I fell asleep, an idea occurred to me, and I thought, It's worth a try.
And there you have it. Sol is safe, but what does he have planned for the trainer? Find out soon, hopefully.
Read, review, and may your Ember never fade!
