"The results are in." The Nurse said, the tension thick in the air and obvious on the teenager's faces. "The good news is that Floatzel is alive and stable." They sighed, Ash letting out the biggest breath. "However, Floatzel is suffering a serious concussion. He nearly checks off all the signs and symptoms. He'll have to stay here for two days before he can start doing everyday things, and may take a week after that before he could battle again. I'm sorry." After taking a deep breath, Ash replied,
"It's... okay. He's still alive, and he'll eventually be able to battle again. Despite the situation, this is good to hear. Can I see him, even if it's behind glass?"
"That is allowed. Follow me." And thus, Ash, Maylene and Dawn followed her to the viewing hallway where they saw Floatzel sedated, connected to a heart monitor, and his head heavily wrapped in bandages, only leaving his snout and mouth visible. With the nurse leaving them to do further check ups. The three teenagers could feel as if gravity was pulling at their hearts, making the atmosphere heavy and uncertain. Ash adjusted his hat so that covered not just his hair but also forehead as he looked down, not wanting to turn away completely but unable to look at his injured friend for the moment. Once again, the sound of crying brought him out of his thoughts, making him turn his head as Maylene started to cry.
"This is my fault." Like before in the lobby, she collapsed into a sobbing heap, unable to hold her emotions back. Dawn and Ash went to comfort her on both sides. "I'm unworthy to be called a gym leader!"
"Whoa whoa whoa, you're a great gym leader. We saw you handle everything like you owned the place." Dawn stated, wondering where this was coming from.
"For a couple of months." She admitted. "I was really nervous to have been given the title and I lost due to rookie mistakes. But I kept at it, and my confidence started to grow. Things were eventually going perfect, and then this happens. How can I be a good gym leader if I put the challenger's Pokémon into a concussion?! Especially while being a gym leader that specializes in fighting!" Jumped up and getting out of the comfort of Dawn and Ash, she sprinted out and left them in a crying hurry.
"Ash, stay here, I'll go get her." Dawn told her partner before running off to catch up with the depressed gym leader. However, by the time she came out of the center, Maylene was already gone. "Wow, she's fast. Makes sense since she's extremely fit. It seems that some point during the couple of hours waiting for Floatzel's battle, it started to rain. Not too heavily, but there was still nothing dry. The young researcher sighed. The girl didn't know what to do. She wasn't sure if Maylene would listen to her or even be able to enter the gym. Dawn was about to reenter the center when a noise started to ring through the rain; the sound of distress.
"Help! Someone please! Where's Officer Vinny!" Entering her line of sight, Lucas was running towards the Pokémon Center and caught sight of her. "Dawn? Dawn! Thank goodness I found you!" Lucas started running towards her direction but then tripped and fell onto his knee, crying out in pain.
"Lucas!" She cried out as she went to his side and looked him over. A small hole was visible in the fabric and his knee was scrapped. Swiftly, the girl picked her childhood friend up and helped him into the center. Nobody was in the room for the moment so they had to shuffle to the chairs and Lucas was plopped onto the plush chairs against the wall. She saw blood was trickling down Lucas's leg, but he tried to brush her concern off, albeit with a pained groan.
"Don't worry about that. It's just a scrap. Dawn, you got to help me. Where's Officer Vinny?"
"He's helping with a problem out of town. What's wrong?" She asked. He then explained in dead seriousness.
"Team Galactic. They beat my entire team easily. I even had a clefairy and a kadabra just in case but I still couldn't beat them. Not only that, they stole all the research I was carrying that Rowan entrusted to me. I need your help getting them back."
"Where were they last?"
"The warehouses. They're in the Northwest corner of the city. Quick, before they escape."
"But what about-"
"Don't worry about me!" He cut off desperately. "Just go!" With no other choice, Dawn ran out of the Pokémon and dashed through the rain and wet roads, fairly easily finding warehouse section. Taking out two tiny Pokeballs, keeping them hidden just in case, she scoped out for any signs of danger that might leap out at her. Given the environment, this was easily the most cold, colorless, and creepiest part of the city, due to the area being so spacious and devoid of life. Not even local Pokémon. Making sure she stayed away from corners so as not to be suddenly jumped, the young researcher looked around every corridor and corner to spot any danger. And sure enough, once it seemed like she was in the middle of the place, two Galactic goons jumped out and snickering sinisterly.
"Don't you know girls aren't supposed to be walking around warehouses? They might find people that will take advantage of them." The one on the left said threateningly. He was the one holding a briefcase whom placed it down.
"Give me back the research you stole!" Dawn demanded, not wanting to listen to their fiendish words.
"Oh, you're that brat's friend?" The second man asked. "We'll sure get a kick out of sending you packing empty handed to your loser friend. He wasn't even a challenge, even with a kadabra."
"Nobody talks about Lucas like that! You're horrible people! Prinplup, Sparky, I choose you!" She shouted enraged as she summoned her water starter and electric type.
"Huh?! A luxray?! Why does she have such a powerful Pokémon?!" One of the goons asked shocked.
"We can't give up because of a luxray! We need to uphold the glory of Team Galactic! Go Stunky!"
"R-right! Go Croagunk!" Dawn studied the two poison types. She'll finish them with one attack each.
"Sparky, use Charge!" She instructed. Her body in response started charging with power, which was especially potent from the rain making her wet.
"Stunky, use Slash!" One goon ordered.
"Croagunk, use Poison Sting!" The blue and black frog spat out bright purple needles aiming towards Sparky, but Dawn countered,
"Bubble Beam!" Obeying, Prinplup spewed out a barrage of bubbles that stopped the needles in their tracks. In fact, because of the rain, they were successfully pushing back the poisonous attack until the attack plowed right into the Toxic Mouth Pokémon, pushing it back into the left goon. Stunky made it though and managed to land the slash attack, leaving a red line on Sparky's head. The small skunk laughed at its success before it really made eye contact with her eyes, giving it a death glare. The Skunk Pokémon then froze from such an intimidating gaze, like she could burn holes through its eyes just by looking. "Spark." Dawn simply said. Cackling with electricity, Sparky bashed into the smaller Pokémon, delivering an especially potent shock thanks to the rain. Like his partner, he too was knocked back when his Pokémon was knocked into him. The two goons tried getting out their other Pokémon, but they were knocked out of their hands by a bubble beam and a paw swipe. They gazed fearfully at the lumbering prinplup and luxray looking down at them, ready to strike again if need be. Dawn walked up to them, holding Lucas's briefcase, and stared at them with an uncharacteristic look of anger.
"Who do you people think you are? Doing whatever you feel like with no regard to the consideration of others. This is not how people do things!"
"How would you know?" One of the goons asked, sneering at her. "You don't see the full picture like we do. We're making the world a better place. We are its savior. Everyone should be thankful that Team Galactic exists to make the world complete. They just don't know it yet, and if we have to lie, cheat and steal to achieve that goal, so be it. What's small collateral damage compared to making the world a utopia?" A familiar voice answered his questions.
"If Utopia is what you're trying to make, then the 'small collateral damage' will add on forever, because Utopia is impossible." Dawn turned to see Looker walk up behind her and pass by approaching the two goons. Snapping handcuffs onto them, Looker gave a slight smile at the young researcher.
"Well done, Miss Berlitz, for feuding with Team Galactic. You've made apprehending this place much easier for me. Although, why are you here, preventing the criminal behavior of them?"
"A colleague of mine who works for Prof. Rowan had his stuff stolen." She answered, lifting up the briefcase a bit. "And I came to get it back for him."
"Hm, how noble. Well, I'll take things from here. You go back to your colleague now." Looker instructed before he took out a watch and started talking to it. Satisfied, Dawn returned her Pokémon and started walking back to the Pokémon Center. When she did eventually get their, she was pleasantly surprised that Ash and Lucas were talking to each other while looking at Ash's laptop.
"Are you two watching a video about something?"
"Is that Dawn? Hi Dawn!" Barry's voice came from it, sounding excited.
"My briefcase!" Lucas gasped. With some slowness and a small limp, he was able to walk and take the briefcase back. "Thanks Dawn, honestly. You were a great help." Dawn smiled from his gratitude.
"You're welcome, Lucas." She said before going over and sitting next to Ash to see Barry. "Hey Barry. How are you doing?"
"I'm doing great! With my great speed combined by your shuckle crawling speed getting from place to place, I've made it to Pastoria! The Great Marsh is cool and all, but I got to see CRASHER WAKE! He's so cool since he's part time gym leader, and part time wrestler! I've also decided that he's going to be my mentor so that I can be as awesome as him!"
"I doubt the mentor thing is actually a thing." Ash told his piece. "Crasher Wake doesn't seem like he can do a mentorship with the schedule he has."
"Dawn, you got to believe me! Don't you think I'll be as cool as Crasher Wake?!"
"No, I don't think you will." She replied.
"Wha...?" Barry uttered in disbelief.
"I think you'll become greater than Wake without him. You do want to be Pokémon Champion, right? Ash is always there to give you a kind of challenge that even gym leaders can't. If you become champion, then you'll far surpass any teacher you have." After a few seconds of silence, Barry started crying but with a smile on his face.
"That-that was beautiful D-Dawn! I didn't think of it like that!" Shaking off his tears and excessive emotion, Barry then spoke to his rival, "You hear that Ash?! She thinks I'm so awesome I'll surpass any teacher I'll have!"
"Sure, whatever you say." Ash sarcastically replied while rolling his eyes, but had a genuine smile on his face. A bit of yelling was heard on Barry's end which he responded,
"Sorry! Hey guys, apparently I'm making to much of a ruckus, so I'll see you later."
"Alright. Bye Barry." Dawn stated happily.
"See ya." Ash said before ending the call and closing his laptop. Closing the briefcase shut attracted the attention of the two traveling partners as Lucas got up.
"Well, it's been nice, honestly, but I should be getting back to Prof. Rowan now. Since I've been beaten twice now by Galactic goons, I need to ask Prof. Rowan about transferring some stronger Pokémon. Perhaps an alakazam, staraptor or luxray. These goons are thankfully consistent."
"Okay, good luck Lucas."
"Quick question though, what are you going to be doing now?"
"What I've always been doing; helping Ash along with completing the Pokedex." Dawn answered, but without expressing it, she realized something. She meant to say that in opposite order. Why was Ash first on her priority list? Is it because of his journey? The journey that's making her dream possible and exciting? She'd have to think of these more later.
"Alright, that sounds good and all. I'll be going to Route 212 to see the Pokémon Mansion. I'll be going now. Farewell, and watch out for more Galactic goons." Lucas said as he nodded his head and left the Pokémon Center.
"Did he get his Pokémon healed up?" The girl asked Ash.
"He'll be back for them. He and I gave our Pokémon to the nurse and they're still recovering. I'd say he's just getting himself prepared to leave Veilstone."
"Right." Dawn uttered quietly.
A/N: Again, I'm surprised that the last chapter got little reviews. Just one. But for that one, I sure got you didn't I? I wasn't going to have Floatzel die. For this story at least, Floatzel is too important. I may likely include death in my stories of Ash B&W and Ash XYZ but not here. Or at the very least, not yet anyways. Tell me what you think of this chapter. The next one will cover something you won't be able to guess. Hehehe. And just making sure Imballinst, your question about IVs is answered in the last chapter. Thank you for being so supportive guys. Sayonara for now.