Another chapter reuploaded!

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Chapter Twelve: Now or Never

As usual, Jubilife was bustling with activity. Clowns were pacing back and forth in their designated areas, handing out freebies to anyone who could spare a second, while kids sprinted up and down much to the despair of their parents. Barry was half-tempted to run with them, but he was now so worn out from his run back to Jubilife, he could feel the burn in his legs. What he wouldn't give for a Pokemon that could carry him to his next destination. His Staravia could fly, but he couldn't carry them both. He could be back in Hearthome, challenging the gym leader for his badge right now instead of being here.

Dawn was probably leagues ahead of him now which meant he had a lot of catching up to do if he wanted to reach the league before her. The thought of being behind was upsetting – he was older than her by a few months and he was the guy. His masculinity was at stake here. Dawn might be his best friend and all, but getting upstaged by a female was embarrassing for any male.

He stopped temporarily to catch some air. His lungs were stinging now and his heart was pounding, it almost sounded a bit like a fast disco beat. Placing his hands on his knees, he bent down and did a couple of stretches, to relax his muscles and lessen the chances of developing strain in the future. Temporarily unaware of his surroundings, Barry almost stumbled over when he felt a tap on his back. He jumped and turned around, his gaze falling on a clown.

"Sorry trainer, I didn't mean to scare you, but I thought you might like a free gift from the Poketch Company! You do have a Poketch, right?"

Barry nodded. He remembered running into a clown earlier on in his journey and giving the poor guy a bruised backside. He had yet to use the device since he wasn't quite sure what it was used for, but he pulled it out anyway and gave it to the clown. "What's a Poketch used for anyway?" As far as he was concerned, it just looked like a cheap copy of a Pokedex.

"Social networking of course! And not only that, it can store data for you! You will never miss an important date again!"

Barry raised a brow and scratched his head, wondering what this social networking thing was all about. He had come across the term while browsing the internet, but he had never actually looked into it. It didn't sound like it had anything to do with Pokemon though so he didn't see the point. "What's that?"

The clown's jaw dropped. "All the trainers are using it! All you have to do is open the PokeNetworking App and register for a free account! You can share your progress with other trainers you befriend from around the world! Take photos of your Pokemon and upload them to your account! Keep track of the progress of your friends and loved ones wherever you are!" The clown turned on Barry's Poketch and opened the app.

"Oh, that sounds cool!" Barry exclaimed. It was like a public journal for selected friends to follow. "How do I make an account?"

"You just have to enter your name here and type in your trainer ID card number. You'll be logged in automatically every time you open the app," the clown explained. "Be sure to support our company by liking our page!"

Barry took the device away and put it into his bag. He'd look into it later when he had some leisure time, but right now he really had to get back to Hearthome. He thanked the clown and rushed away before the clown could speak again. His first stop was the Poke Mart. They sold energy drinks for trainers. He grabbed three (grape, lime and orange flavoured), hurried over to the counter to pay then exited the shop, almost barrelling over a mother. She said a few words, but he was long gone by that point.

"Hey, give me back my Pokedex!"

Barry stopped halfway up the street. It sounded like someone was in trouble? He glanced in the direction of the gate, debating with himself whether or not to continue on, but found his legs wouldn't move in that direction. He had to know what was going on. Every second counted, but that person could be in real trouble. He followed the source of the voice which led him down a dark alleyway. Up ahead, he could see three males. Two of them had the other male cornered. Barry hurried towards them. He was close enough to recognize that one of three boys was Lucas.

"Where did you get this Pokedex from? Your little sister?"

Lucas lunged forward, trying to grab his pink Pokedex from his tormentors, but they were taller than him. The boy holding the Pokedex simply held it up even higher, well without Lucas' reach. Both males were dressed in the typical starting out trainer male gear available at all clothing stores – bright yellow shirt and brown-coloured board shorts. "Don't be a thief!"

"Don't cry, we promise we won't damage it… much," the guy holding the Pokedex sneered.

Lucas spat at the boy's feet, earning him a punch in the stomach from the other guy. He bent over, clutching his injured stomach with one arm, while holding his other arm out to defend himself. Barry had enough. He threw a pokeball, summoning his newly evolved Monferno to the battle field. His monkey dashed forward then jumped, hurling himself at the Pokedex guy and grabbed hold of the guy's hair.

"What the… Bryan! What are you doing? Get this monkey off my head!" he screamed, desperately trying to knock the monkey off his head, trying not to get his hands burned in the process. In his panic, he dropped the Pokedex onto the floor. Lucas bent over and picked it up.

Eventually, Monferno jumped off the bully's head, landing on the ground. Barry walked up behind his Monferno and glared at them. "I can't believe they allow people like you to become trainers."

The boy called Bryan bared his teeth and hissed. "This isn't over!" He turned to Lucas, his glare intensifying. "You should thank your boyfriend for coming to your defence. Let's get out of here, Mike!" The two boys ran away leaving Barry alone with Lucas. The last time they had met hadn't exactly left Barry with a warm impression of the Rowan's assistant. It was like he resented them for some reason, but right now, he looked extremely relieved Barry was there.

"I guess I owe you an apology," Lucas said, examining his Pokedex for damages. He seemed satisfied with it and tucked it away in his bag then turned to look at Barry again. "Thanks, Barry, I mean it."

Barry shrugged. "It wasn't right what they were doing."

Lucas glanced down at his feet, looking uncomfortable all of a sudden. "I was wrong about you… and Dawn." He tilted his chin up. "I thought you two were going to be awful trainers."

"Well, you were wrong."

Lucas gave a sheepish grin. "Truce?" he said, holding out his hand in a gesture of friendship. Barry took it. Perhaps Lucas wasn't a bad kid after all. "We should return to the Pokemon Centre. I promised the professor I'd play a game of chess with him."

Barry wasn't even going to ask. Chess? Seriously? He followed Lucas towards the Pokemon Centre, but didn't even manage to set a foot inside when the professor burst through the doors, looking like he had just seen a ghost. "Lucas! Barry! Perfect timing! We need to leave now!"

"What's going on, professor?" Lucas said.

"Dawn has been hospitalized in Hearthome City!"

Barry's eyes widened. Hospitalized? His heart race quickened. Had someone attacked Dawn unexpectedly? All thoughts of competing against his childhood friend faded from his mind. Now he felt guilty considering Dawn was in bad health. The professor summoned a trio of Staravia's. The Staravia lowered itself to the ground prompting Barry to climb on the avian's back. Professor Rowan whistled and the birds lifted up into the air, flying their passengers towards their destination.

.

Roark was still reeling from the loss to Dawn even though it had happened a few weeks ago. She had destroyed his team with little effort, and he had been bitterly reminded of his defeat to that bastard, Riley. He could just see his father apologizing that it had been wrong to give him the role of a gym leader. A hot flood of emotion poured through him. He ordered his Onix to smash up another boulder.

"Uh, hello?"

He stopped, turned around and spotted Gardenia standing a few feet away from him, hands resting at her sides, not a single hair out of place. He realized then he must've looked a little rough in comparison – his clothes were covered in dust and he was sure there was mud smeared across his face. Great, he thought bitterly. What a way to leave a good impression.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Shaking his head, he said, "No. Not at all." Why was Gardenia here? Had she come to rub her victory in his face?

"Roark, I wanted to talk to you about something. You've been avoiding me, and I don't know why. Please, talk to me," she said, moving in towards him. She didn't stand right next to him though; probably didn't want her clean clothes to be covered in dirt.

"I didn't think you wanted to see me again. You defeated me," Roark pointed out, knowing it was a lame excuse. No wonder his father thought he wasn't ready to become a gym leader. "I'm not good enough to be your friend," he added lamely.

Her fingers brushed up against his arm, sending a shudder running down his spine. "Is that what you're concerned about? Roark! You know that doesn't mean anything to me. I just want to be your friend, but you keep shutting me out."

"And that's what you told Riley!" he blurted out, unable to stop himself. "But I saw you with him during my birthday party two months ago. You were supposed to be happy for me, but instead you were with him. Don't think I didn't see you two laughing at me the entire time," he accused. Gardenia recoiled, as if she had been slapped in the face. "You defeated me during a battle and that hurt, but I got over that. What hurt most was you being with him! You know I hate that Riley kid."

She looked at him with an expression he couldn't fathom –sadness, pain, uncertainty, concern, guilt– they all seemed to be there in the depths of her eyes. She looked away again, and he couldn't help but feel he had crushed her spirit. "I didn't know you felt that way," she murmured.

He felt an unpleasant sensation curling in the pit of her stomach. "You're just like my father. You both think Riley is better than me, but you don't want to say it to my face." Inhaling a sharp breath, he turned away, ordering his Onix to attack a boulder again. Onix seemed hesitant, but he did as asked and smashed it, causing Gardenia to release a shrill cry. Glancing over his shoulder again, he cast a dark look in her direction, hoping she could see it in his eyes the hurt he felt. "I thought you were my friend, Gardenia."

"Roark… I don't even like Riley! You're the one that I like."

He froze, feeling blood drain from his face at the mention of her words. "What?" Onix ceased his boulder-smashing activities and looked at his master. "What was that?"

"Riley and I were talking about you! He was telling me how you deserved to be the gym leader, and I agreed with him! We both agreed that you were a great trainer. We weren't laughing at you." She stepped towards him again, reaching out to touch him. "I'm sorry that I hurt you, really I am, but I didn't realize it. You know I would never go out of my way to hurt someone on purpose," she added, her voice lowering to a whisper.

He felt like a world's greatest jerk now. Arceus' breath, he was probably more of a jerk than Blue, the king of all jerks. He struggled to find the right words to say, to tell her that everything was going to be all right, but that would be telling a lie. "Just… I don't want to talk about, Gardenia. Please, leave."

Gardenia nodded, eyes lowered to the ground. "I'll call you later," she said, then turned to exit.

Damn Riley, thought Roark.

.

Barry hopped off the Staravia's back before it even landed on the ground and sprinted towards the front of the Pokemon Centre. He could hear Professor Rowan and Lucas telling him to slow down, but Barry didn't care. His greatest rival and closest friend was lying on a bed and there was nothing he could to do help.

He rushed over to the counter, placed his fists on the surface and yelled into the nurse's face. "Where is she?"

The nurse frowned. "Who are you looking for?"

"Dawn!" he blurted.

"Ward twenty-seven a."

He nodded, pulled away from the counter and immediately started storming off towards the ward. The nurse rushed out from behind and blocked his path. She placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back. "I'm sorry, sir, but I can't allow you to enter. No visitors allowed." She pointed to a couple of chairs in the lobby area. "You may sit down though."

Barry tried to argue back, but words failed him. Instead of sitting down, he ran outside and urged Professor Rowan to 'hurry up'. The professor walked as fast as his legs would carry him, Lucas right at his side, supporting the old man. Barry grabbed Professor Rowan's arm and dragged him towards the counter. "This is Professor Rowan! Dawn is a friend of ours! Tell her, professor!"

"Professor Rowan?" the woman replied, a tinge of red appearing on her cheeks. She bowed her head. "I'm sorry sir. I didn't realize you were a friend of the patient's. Please, follow me." Professor Rowan thanked her and followed the nurse into a hallway. Barry and Lucas stuck close to the professor's side, just encase the lady decided to push them away, but she let them proceed. Professor Rowan was more famous than he had thought.

Pokemon Centres were depressing places, Barry thought, as they strolled past a room. A nurse was consoling a woman who looked torn between grief and horror. Another doctor joined the duo to pass information onto the woman. It didn't appear to be good news. Barry tore his gaze away. He had never imagined he'd be here at the Pokemon Centre other than for healing his Pokemon. The nurse stopped in front of a room, said her goodbyes and walked away. There a couple of seats stationed outside, but Barry didn't feel like sitting.

Johanna stepped out of a room. Her eyes were red, her cheeks swollen, both clear signs she had been crying for a couple of hours or more. "Professor Rowan?" she said softly. The professor didn't say a word as Johanna rushed over, throwing her arms around his shoulders. "It's my entire fault!" she sobbed, crying into his left shoulder.

Professor Rowan patted her back then pulled back, looking down into her eyes. "Tell me what happened." He led her to the chairs and sat her down. Reaching down into a pocket, he pulled out a packet of tissues and gave them to the weeping mother.

"She was attacked!" Johanna sobbed, as she tried to open the packet with trembling hands. "Her Pokemon," she added, drawing in a sharp breath, trying to calm her sobs down, "attacked her!" Finally, she managed to tear open the packet.

Barry stood up, alarmed. "Her Pokemon attacked her?" He looked to the professor for answers. The professor seemed equally as shocked by the news. "Pokemon don't turn on their trainers," Barry added. "I learned that at trainer's school." Lesson one: Pokemon can be ordered to attack a trainer at the will of their master, but a Pokemon will never attack their own master, even if under the effects of confusion.

"I have not heard of such an incident before…" the professor murmured.

"I should never have allowed Dawn to go on her journey!" Johanna wailed, in between sobs. "What kind of a mother am I?"

The professor grabbed one of her hands. "This is not your fault, Johanna. Do not blame yourself for something you had no control over." He picked up one of the tissues and wiped a couple of tears away from her eyes. "You need to be strong for your daughter." He turned to Lucas. "Lucas, there is a coffee vending machine in next aisle. Can you please get us black some coffee?"

"Sure thing, professor."

"Barry, help Lucas."

Barry wanted to stay, but there wasn't much he could do to comfort in these sorts of situations. He stood up and followed Lucas towards the coffee vending machine area. "Do you think it's possible a Pokemon could turn on its trainer?" he said.

Lucas shrugged. "It's unheard of." He turned down into the opposite aisle where they found a coffee vending machine in between two pot plants. He drew out a couple of notes from his pocket and inserted five dollars into the slot. The machine whirred to life as it created the coffee while the two boys waited. "How are you feeling?"

He was having a difficult time trying to assess how he was feeling. There was anger at Dawn's Pokemon for attacking their master, but also shock and sadness that something like that could happen to his best friend. "A mixture of things," Barry admitted, bending down to remove the first coffee from the machine. "I don't know what I should be feeling… Should I be sad? Angry? Confused?"

Lucas inserted another five dollar note into the machine and pressed the same button again. "Just don't bottle it up inside." He bent down to remove the second coffee. "Let's head back."

.

Upon their return, Barry spotted a lady dressed in a purple ball gown having a conversation with the professor. She had a thick white bandage wrapped around a hand, making it look quite odd in comparison to her attire. Did someone get lost on their way to the fancy dress party? Barry thought, doing his best not to spill the coffee onto the floor or onto himself. Being on the receiving end of spilled burning hot coffee wasn't a pleasurable experience to have.

"Here's your coffee, professor," Lucas said, giving his cup to Professor Rowan, as Barry handed his one over to Dawn's mother. She offered him a faint smile, as if seeing him for the first time in her life.

The other lady regarded him coolly then spoke. "I am Fantina, the gym leader of this town. It was I who brought Dawn here."

"I want to see my friend," Barry said.

Fantina shook her head. "I would advise against it. Your friend is not in good shape."

Barry sat down. Normally, family and friends of the patient were allowed to visit during certain times, but if he was being advised against it… it must be a serious case. For once in his life, he didn't care about obtaining gym badges and proving himself better than anyone else. Dawn needed his support. Dawn needed everyone's support to help her overcome this.

"What did you see, Fantina?" Johanna said softly.

"I was able to detect a darkness coming from Dawn when I first battled her," Fantina said slowly. "At first I thought it was coming from her, but after this incident, I realize now that darkness belonged to her Deino. The bond between a Pokemon and its trainer is a powerful one that sometimes a Pokemon's feelings can be misinterpreted as the owner's."

Barry frowned. He was having trouble trying to follow. Was the lady saying that a Pokemon could corrupt its master? Wasn't it usually the other way around? Pokemon turned evil as a result of poor treatment from their masters. "Are you saying her Deino is evil?"

Fantina shook her head again. "Deino are native to Unova, so Dawn must've traded earlier on to receive one. There is only one trainer I know of who trades Deino's for Pokemon. He calls himself Ghetsis."

"You think this man was responsible for what happened Dawn?" the professor said.

Fantina nodded. "Criminal activity can happen anywhere and sadly it is occurring through the trading system. There are no restrictions on what Pokemon you can trade – stolen Pokemon, drugged Pokemon… you name it. Unfortunately, it's hard to keep track of trainers abusing the system – once the Pokemon is gone, the police lose their proof."

"Can't you follow the ID number?"

"It's not so simple. Trainers in the business of exchanging illegal Pokemon are often quite intelligent and cover up their tracks with fake ID numbers," Fantina replied. "Ghetsis is a criminal the authorities in Unova have been tracking for a long time, but so far he's always managed to be one step ahead. I believe he's been giving his Deinos a powerful and illegal drug to force his Pokemon to level up quicker than normal, but it comes at a cost. The drugs mess with the Pokemon's behaviour thus resulting in attacks against its master. That is what happened with Dawn. She knew nothing about Ghetsis and unfortunately became entangled in his schemes."

"Well, can't she just store her Pokemon in the storage box?" Lucas suggested. "She won't have to use it anymore and therefore won't be at a risk of getting attacked again."

Professor Rowan nodded his head in agreement. "It is a plausible option to take. If Dawn continues to keep this Deino at her side, a far more serious attack could happen and there might not be anyone around to help her."

Barry shook his head. "You can't just give up on your Pokemon!" That would be like a parent giving up on their child because they failed a course at school.

"Storing Deino is not an action I would recommend," Fantina said. "It may free itself from its ball and attack the other Pokemon. There's only one option to take and that's to put Deino down."

Lucas parted his lips and looked at the gym leader in horror. "Put the Pokemon down?"

"I'm afraid there is no other option to take. Deino has been given illegal drugs from birth. Dawn's Deino will never behave like a normal Deino will. Her Deino can't be trusted," Fantina replied. Her expression softened. "I wish we had another option to take, but we must do what it is best for Dawn's safety. Would you willingly place your best friend in danger?"

"No, but-"

"Then it's settled. Deino will be put down."

"You can't put Deino down!" Barry said in distress, rising to his feet, not caring his voice could be heard throughout the building. "Dawn should be the one to decide! It's her Pokemon and therefore it should be her choice!" he argued. The people around him claimed they wanted what was best for Dawn, but only Dawn could decide that.

"Deino is a danger to himself and those around him," Fantina said calmly.

Barry turned to Lucas for support on the matter. The boy was biting his lip and pulling at his earlobe – sure fire signs of stress. "What do you say, Lucas?" Lucas looked at Barry and opened his words, but not words came out. It was as if something had gotten stuck in his throat preventing him making an audible noise. Either that or he didn't feel comfortable sharing his opinion encase Barry attacked him.

Professor Rowan laid a hand on Barry's shoulder. "You are looking out for your friend, but there is a bigger picture here."

Barry pulled away, eyes flashing. "You're acting like she's incapable of making a choice! I've known Dawn since we were kids! I know she'd say no to putting Deino down! She won't abandon him!" Only trainers with no heart would turn their back on a beloved companion. Anger was one of those emotions he didn't experience on a regular basis – often he was too busy rushing to worry about being angry about something.

"He's right," Lucas said after a few beats of silence. "It's Dawn's choice. She was the one who was attacked – who are we to take that decision away from her?" He met Barry's gaze and tilted his head down slightly. Barry smiled. He knew someone would have to see things from his perspective. The adults needed to stop being selfish. "Speaking of Dawn, what's happening with her? Who are we waiting for?"

Everyone turned to look at the professor. He had been the one to receive the phone call after all. He cleared his throat. "Dawn needs a blood transfusion unfortunately she has a rare blood type. The doctors are hoping her father shares the same type."

A blood transfusion? It was so much more serious than Barry had thought, but it didn't change his mind. Deino should not be put down. "Her father? Isn't he dead?" He didn't get a reply. Professor Rowan was looking at the opposite end of the hall. Barry turned his head. There was a guy standing at the far end, dressed in a uniform of some sort, looking like he wanted to be somewhere else than here. Barry narrowed his eyes. He had seen this guy before at Lake Verity on the day he received his Chimchar. "That's her father?"

He turned to the professor again. The professor didn't seem surprised at all. In fact, he was wearing a grim smile, like he wasn't pleased to see this man here in the Pokemon Centre. Professor Rowan nodded. "Yes."

Barry spoke no further. There wasn't much else he could add to the conversation since he knew nothing about Dawn's father, other than he was alive and supposedly a decent trainer. It wasn't his place to ask, but he couldn't help but wonder why the man had abandoned Dawn and her mother twelve years ago. He looked at Lucas. Lucas shrugged. He was just as clueless as Barry it seemed.

"Rowan," Dawn's father said, glancing down at the shorter man, wearing a blank expression.

"Cyrus," Professor Rowan said tersely.

Barry didn't take much notice of it before, but Dawn's father had a regal bearing to him. Perhaps it was the way he carried himself, back straight, shoulders pinned back slightly, that emitted a confident aura or perhaps it was just his imposing stature that added to that regal feel. Barry was in awe.

His thoughts were broken when Johanna exited Dawn's room. As soon as her eyes landed on the new guy, a relieved smile spread across her face. She ran over to him, seemed to consider giving him a hug, but decided against it at the last moment. She grabbed his arm and pulled him into the room without saying a word to anyone else. The door closed behind them.

"What was that about?" Lucas said.

"Dawn's going to be so happy to see him when she wakes up," Barry said. Professor Rowan didn't seem to share his joy. In fact, he seemed unsettled. Barry could tell because the professor kept playing the tie hanging down from his neck. His other hand fiddled with his moustache. "Professor?" Barry said, breaking the man out of his thoughts. "You've known all along, haven't you? About Dawn's father?"

The professor glanced down at Barry and sighed. "Yes."

"And you never told her?" Lucas added.

"It wasn't my place to."

Fantina didn't say a word. She was looking at the door, brows furrowed in concentration. Was she worried about the transfusion or about something else? Did she know details about Cyrus as well? She seemed alert, as if something had spooked her, and Barry wondered if it had something to do with Cyrus's appearance. "…like moths drawn to a flame…" she murmured.

He sat down, his shoulders slumped, eyes listlessly gazing down at the floor. A couple of nurses hurried into the room. Did Dawn know what was happening around her? Was she afraid? Worried perhaps? He pressed his palms together and was surprised to find they were moist. He pressed his hands against his pants to dry them, but they didn't stay that way for very long. Sweaty palms. Gross.

He excused himself from the group and walked further down the aisle, looking for a bathroom to wash his hands. Fortunately, there was one just around the corner. He went in, walked over to a sink and turned it on, running his hands under the cool liquid until they felt fresh again. He looked in the mirror. A concerned face looked back at him. He could hardly recognize himself. Running his hands under the water again, he brought them together forming a bowl then splashed the liquid over his face. It brought him temporary relief.

Would Dawn survive this?