Sorry this update took ten times longer than usual… I had almost the entire chapter typed up on a flashdrive, but then I lost it at school… I'm still hoping I'll find it, but I had to totally retype it… But the new-n-improved version is a lot longer and more sentimental, so that's a good thing, right? I hope it was worth the wait!
I was originally going to post this as a dramatic Halloween chapter, but it turned out to be a special Christmas chapter, so… Happy holidays!
Enjoy!
Read and review,
Raven's secret-keeper
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A Work of Magic
Chapter 3: The Confusion in Pain
It was quiet for quite a while in the forest. Even the wild creatures had stopped their nightsong, as if they were all mourning for Misdreavus's loss, and even Murkrow eventually fluffed his feathers a bit uncomfortably.
Then the distant sound of thunder crashed in the skies.
Misdreavus let out an uneasy whimper, and Jess looked up from her embracing the ghost, just then noticing exactly how unnatural the silence had been – and then she noticed that every star in the sky seemed to have disappeared, hidden behind the heavy, deep-purple clouds.
A raindrop fell from the sky and hit Murkrow right on the sensitive nare of his nose, and the soft note of surprise he let out startled Jess out of her entrancement.
Jess blinked at him, then up at the sky. More tiny bead of water were falling from the dark clouds above now.
"We need to get out of here," Jess told them, and then she took off into the forest at a jog. "It looks like it's not a good night to sleep under the stars…"
A flash of lightning blanketed the forest in its white glow, and more thunder crashed in the skies above them. Just as the last echoes of the sounds faded away, the clouds began releasing bucketfuls of water at a time upon them, sending Jess into a desperate gate of speed.
Misdreavus let out a soft note of worry.
"Mur-mur, krow-krow?" the black bird asked, his voice shaking with her heavy steps.
"We need to find somewhere safe, out of the rain…" Her voice trailed off as she began scanning the trees – It wasn't long before she spotted a suitable tree branch.
Jess jogged over to it and took a moment to catch her breath. Misdreavus let out a soft note of discomfort as a soft gust of wind blew a few of the raindrops onto her, and Jess muttered, "Hold on, I've just gotta… Stay here for a sec…" She let Misdreavus into the air by the tree's trunk and bent down to dig through her bag.
The moment she had the tarp in her hand, she threw it over the branch. She watched as both of her Pokémon rushed into the crude tent, and almost laughed as Misdreavus let out a noise of obvious relief.
"Okay," she sighed to herself, drawing her coat around herself just a little tighter. Then she picked up one of the yellow stakes and began trying to get it into the ground.
Another chilling wind blew, and Jess felt a shiver run down her spine as the stake slipped. She grabbed it tighter and tried again, this time with a more powerful stroke, but it was a futile attempt – the ground was just too muddy from this rain.
Jess sighed to herself in frustration, then began trying to force it in any way she could – still with no results.
"Mur…?"
Jess turned to the tarp and saw Murkrow's head poking out of the tent, Misdreavus looking around him, curiously.
"These s-stupid things won't g-g-go in."
The bird fluttered over, then gave the situation a quick look-over before he grabbed the stake in his foot and began pecking forcefully at the head.
Once it was secure in the ground, he stepped back and lifted his beak proudly.
Jess blinked at his handy work. "Oh, wow… Nice… I never would've though about using Peck on those… Any chance you'd be willing to do the others?"
"Mur!" He fluttered to the other stakes and finished the job.
Once he was done, he looked up at Jess. She smiled, then gestured towards the warm shelter. "Come on in!"
Murkrow immediately shook himself, spraying crystal shards of water around the tent.
"Drea?" the ghost asked, and Jess smiled.
"Yeah, he's a smart birdy!"
Murkrow looked up and puffed out his chest feathers proudly.
"And the best part is we managed to not kill each other this time."
Murkrow made a huffy noise and went back to his grooming.
Jess kneeled by her bag and pulled out the blankets. "Anyone else freezing their toes off?" She held up a thin but warm and fuzzy blanket, and Misdreavus let out a noise of agreement. Jess smiled, then spread out the blankets and put one down in front of Murkrow.
He eagerly stepped into it and began moving the blankets around with his beak to form a sort of nest.
Jess muffled a laugh, and he looked over and thrust his beak up indignantly.
Misdreavus tilted her head quizzically at Jess, and the trainer just smiled back at her.
Murkrow muttered something softly before he sat down comfortably and began grooming himself.
Jess couldn't hold back another breath, and she began laughing hysterically.
"Murkrow?!" the bird squawked, his dignity obviously injured.
After a few moments, Jess finally managed to calm herself down enough to say, "It's just that – ! You look so much like a Honchkrow!"
Murkrow's expression became confused, and Misdreavus squealed a couple of notes in a slightly concerned and extremely puzzled voice.
Jess sighed jovially. "Okay, well, you know – or, well, you should know – "
The bird let out a huffy noise and flashed his hackles – if there was one thing he hated being compared to, it was one of those arrogant, lazy birds that call themselves worthy of dominance.
Jess didn't even notice his degradation and went on. "– how Honchkrow are always grooming themselves and sitting in their nests and acting like they own the place…"
Misdreavus glanced at Murkrow, then let out a soft noise to get the trainer's attention.
Jess glanced at her, then back at Murkrow and sighed – he had turned his head away from her and was fluffing up his chest feathers.
"Oh, Murkrow, you just look like you're trying to evolve all too soon!"
The bird shifted his position and looked at her indignatly.
"You don't plan on evolving any time soon, do you?"
Murkrow opened his beak, then stopped and had to think it over. After awhile, he shook his head.
"Good, then I'm glad you're still my cute little Murky."
She smiled at him contentedly, then left him to his confusion – most trainers tended to rush their Pokémon into evolution and they all knew it – and she began setting up her own blankets. Then she closed the tent's entrance tightly to help retain their heat and make it just a bit warmer in there.
Once she set her head down on the pillow and closed, Misdreavus hesitantly glided over and nestled herself under the blankets. Jess looked down at her, a bit startled.
The ghost blinked, her expression half disappointed and half apologetic, and she began to move away –
Jess laughed softly. "No, it's okay Misdreavus, really!" And she shifted her position to make room and wrapped her arms around the little ghost.
Misdreavus willingly snuggled even closer. Then she blinked a little sadly. It was so nice to actually be welcomed within a foot of her trainer… Marie would never have let her sleep next to her…
She shook her head gently to clear away those thoughts, hopefully forever, as she remembered where she was… She shifted her position and felt Jess move just a bit to accommodate for the change, and she smiled to herself and let out a soft noise of comfort. There was no reason for her to let herself be upset about Marie anymore… Those days were over.
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The next night, Jess opened her eyes to see Murkrow grooming himself yet again. She sat up with a wide yawn and began thoroughly stretching.
"Murkrow Murkrow?" the bird asked playfully.
Jess let her arms fall to her side let out another yawn, then replied jovially, "It's not my fault I'm a sleepy-head."
Then she heard a sound from outside that made her look up and immediately forget about the bird: Misdreavus's high, screeching voice called out desperately from just outside the tent.
"Hold on Murky," Jess said as she got up and went out to her.
"Misdreavus?" she asked softly as she emerged into the misty forest. It was drizzling lightly, and it was only faintly detectable, but the small amount of water falling down from the sky was made up for by the amount of mist shrouding the ground. The trainer wrapped her arms around the ghost's neck lightly and held her close.
The creature whimpered softly, mournfully.
Jess sighed. "I know…" She was calling for Mismagius… "Oh, Misdreavus, it's not really safe to be out here in this weather…"
Misdreavus muttered a few high-pitched, heart-broken notes wistfully.
"I know you want to see her, but I don't think – " Jess stopped herself and immediately took another path. "You're shivering… Come on, we should get you inside…" She held the small ghost just a bit closer as she walked into the tent.
Once they were safe in the crude but warm shelter, Jess let Misdreavus into the air and watched her sympathetically. She couldn't help noticing that Misdreavus was drooping a little as she drifted closer to the floor…
She blinked sadly, knowing exactly how and why Misdreavus was feeling so desolate, then she sighed softly and went over to her bag. "You guys hungry?"
Murkrow fluttered over to her shoulder with an eager, "Mur-mur-murkrow!"
Jess smiled and chuckled a bit. "Yeah, you're always hungry, aren't you?"
Murkrow nodded so fervently, his entire front half bobbed with his head. "Krow, krow!"
Jess laughed. "Okay, okay!" She began digging through the bag, pulling out three bowls, a small pan, a handful of leaves sealed in a Ziploc bag, and a pile of stones. "Oh no…" She suddenly looked a bit dreading and began ransacking her bag's other contents.
"Murkrow?"
Jess sighed. "It's just… Wow, I didn't realize we were so low on supplies."
"Murkrow murkrow?!"
"Don't complain, I fed you the last Pokémon food yesterday!"
He shrugged his feathered shoulders and let out a small noise of agreement.
The trainer sighed. "Looks like we have to go to the next town we come across… Sorry, Misdreavus, but we can't wait that long for Mismagius to come back… We're running out of berries, potions, food, water, everything…"
The ghost whimpered softly and bowed her head.
"I'm really sorry, but we can all starve if we wait around here too long… She can find us if we leave… right…?"
Misdreavus was silent.
Jess sighed, then walked over to the entrance and laid the stones down in a small circle.
"Mur murkrow…?" the bird asked as she unzipped the plastic bag and began laying the leaves down.
Jess chuckled. "Hey, if you're gonna camp out, I say you do it the right way!"
"Krow…?" He glanced around uneasily.
"Don't worry, this thing won't catch fire," Jess reassured him. "Besides, I'm doing this by the entrance, and it's much colder outside… Most of the heat's gonna go outside, and the smoke's going with it."
"Mur… Murkrow?"
"I'm going to use a stone."
Murkrow tilted his head, eager to know exactly how she could use an ice-cold rock to make a burning fire.
"Just watch. You take two of the stones, strike 'em together juuust right, and…" She took two palm-sized, flat rocks and struck them together with a swift, deliberate stroke, just above the pile, and a spark flew off the bottom rock and jumped into the leaves. A small flame soon began glowing and growing within the confines of the stone circle. "Tuh-duh! See?"
"Krow…" The bird tilted his head, blinking thoughtfully and trying to work it all out.
Jess went back to her bag, feeling Murkrow flutter off her shoulder to gaze into the flames. After a bit more searching, she found something they could eat – it wasn't exactly Pokéfood, but it was edible…
"Have you guys ever had instant ramen..?" she asked, holding up the package and looking at it quizzically.
"Murkrow…?" The bird turned to her, his near-laughter in his expression.
"I have it for situations like this. It doesn't go bad for awhile, and… it's instant, and… and… Well, I like it… I think it's the perfect travel food. And it's all we have left, so if you aren't hungry enough to like it, I'm sorry, but you're going to have to wait until we get to Eterna City…"
Murkrow made a soft noise of discontentment, but then he turned away and decided that it was much better than going hungry.
Jess poured a little bit of the water from her thermos into the pan, then decided that there was a better way – she put the pan outside and let the rain fill up the rest of the pan. "Trust me, it's not that bad… It's my favorite flavor, and you should like it unless you don't like ginger, soy sauce, things like that…"
"Mur-murkrow?"
"I don't expect you to know if you like it or not! I just want you to try it."
"Mur mur…?"
"You can cook some things without boiling the water," she told him as she opened the package and poured in the noodles. "Besides, the noodles get a different texture if you actually cook them slower and for longer…"
"Mur murkrow..?"
"Yes, different in the good way."
"Murkrow murkrow?"
Jess poured in the seasonings, and the bird blinked curiously, watching as Jess stirred the mixture with such deliberate strokes… He eventually noticed a specific pattern of stirring and flipping the noodles over themselves.
"Here, wanna try some?" Jess asked, spooning some out into a bowl for Murkrow.
The trainer watched expectantly as he eyed the bowl inquisitively. He blinked a couple of times and tilted his head, then dipped his beak into it and lapped up a bit.
"It's different, isn't it?"
He tilted his head thoughtfully, then swallowed and snipped off a bit of noodles. After a bit of contemplation, he turned to Jess and nodded. "Mur, Murkrow!"
The trainer smiled. "I'm flattered! What about you, Misdreavus? Are you hungry?" And she was quite surprised with the reply.
Misdreavus shook her head weakly.
Jess looked at her confusedly. "Are you sure? You haven't eaten since.. since whenever you ate before I found you guys…"
The ghost didn't reply.
Jess sighed. "Well… okay…" She shrugged, completely empathetic with the fact that losing someone close was pretty rough and didn't exactly induce one's appetite… After another quick glance at the heart-broken creature, she turned back to her own food and slurped it down.
Murkrow made a loud, raucous noise to get Jess's attention once his bowl was empty.
Jess looked over, and he fluttered over to her side and looked up expectantly.
"Sorry Murky, but I don't have any – "
"Krow? Murkrow, mur, mur…"
"I know that was only a little bit, but I don't think – Wait… maybe… Yeah!" She stood up and went to her bag, Murkrow fluttering right behind her.
"I think they're… Hold on…" After digging through her bag for a few long seconds, she managed to find a semi-crushed packet of saltine crackers. "Nice job, Murky! You're right!"
The bird nodded his head slightly to acknowledge the compliment, but he still watched the crackers in Jess's hand with an unmoving gaze.
"Let me guess… you want some."
"Krow!" He fluttered his wings impatiently.
"Okay, here." The trainer pulled about half of the dozen or so crackers out and held one out to him.
Murkrow eagerly snapped it from her fingers and gulped it down. "Krow, krow!"
"Okay, here you go." She started to get up to hide them somewhere in their small temporary living space; another game she and Murky had developed involved her hiding whatever he wanted and he would find it – the Murkrow got as much enjoyment from the mental stimulation as the trainer did from her amazement at his intelligence. Most of the time, he managed to find whatever she hid and distract her, steal something of hers, and hide it somewhere in the forest, leaving behind little clues in whatever way he could.
The bird watched Jess with playful anticipation, but Jess couldn't think of anywhere to hide them… she just wasn't in the mood… and she sat back down.
The bird made a soft noise of disappointment as Jess put them right in front of him.
As she began eating a few of her own, Jess couldn't help noticing it. "Sorry Murky, it's just one of those days…" She stroked his back with her finger as he bent down to eat. "Hey, Misdreavus?"
The little Pokémon lifted her head.
Jess's heart was torn to shreds at her expression. "Ohhh… Come on, don't you want to eat anything? Here, try one of these… They're great for when you're not really hungry or not feeling good… and crackers are really light… Please, just at least try it, you have to eat something or you'll starve yourself…"
Misdreavus blinked her large eyes, and, not wanting to disappoint her new owner, she hovered over and nibbled meekly at the edge of one of the squares Jess held out to her.
"See? It's not that bad…"
After she swallowed, with a little bit of force, Jess offered her the rest of it.
She shook her head.
"Oh, Misdreavus…"
The ghost turned away sadly.
"Are you really sure…?"
She nodded her head slightly and turned to Jess, bowing her head apologetically.
"Oh… Um… Okay… I don't want to force you… but… I'll save these just in case…" The trainer put them back in the package.
After a quick stretch, Jess sighed and moved over to the back of the tent, leaning her back on where the tent's fabric met the tree behind it, and Murky fluttered onto her shoulder in a flash of black iridescence.
The Murkrow made a soft, contented sound in his throat as he shifted comfortably on Jess's shoulder. There wasn't much food to go around, but he felt a lot better than he did a few minutes ago, with at least something in his stomach…
A small gust of wind managed to make its way into the tent, and the small flame still flickering from the leaves was reduced to burning embers.
Jess sighed in fascination – there was something magical about the way the glow always looked like it was the reflection of red and orange water… Murky's views were about the same, only he was more inquisitive than fascinated. But both were entranced by the shifting colors.
Misdreavus let out a soft noise as she glided over and settled herself against Jess's side.
The trainer smiled tenderly and reached out to stroke her, and hopefully console her –
The wind blew with sudden fierceness, and it caused the tent to sway precariously.
Everyone looked up uneasily. Jess felt Murky fluff up his feathers, a sign of the desire to be warmer, and she shivered herself; the tent suddenly became chilly…
Jess walked over to where her warm blankets were and lay down where it was warm. The bird lifted off her and landed in his own pile, drawing himself up close to his body in an attempt to retain warmth.
"Come on in, Misdreavus," Jess offered gently, holding up the blanket and gesturing for her to come in.
The ghost let out a soft note and drifted under listlessly.
"You know, you're really worrying me now… I mean, I know what it's like to lose someone really important, but…" She reached out to stroke her – The moment her hand touched the ghost's free-form body, she jumped back and yelped, "Misdreavus, you're burning up!"
Misdreavus could only whimper softly.
Murkrow looked at his trainer inquiringly as Jess stumbled up and rushed to her bag. She began rummaging desperately through her bag, searching for medicine, herbs, a berry, anything… But there was nothing to find.
She ran a hand through her hair and sighed, desperately apologizing, "Oh no – Misdreavus, I'm sorry, I'm so, soo sorry, I don't have anything to – "
A gust of wind cut her off. Murkrow let out a soft questioning noise.
"That doesn't sound good," Jess muttered as the relentless wind continued on, seeming to grow stronger every second.
Then one of the pegs was ripped from the ground. Murkrow gripped Jess's shoulder tighter, his tension obvious in his talons, and Misdreavus whimpered fearfully.
A sudden doubling in the force of the gale, and yet another stake was pulled from the ground.
The trainer blinked at the folds of the tent flapping around wildly, then she set Misdreavus down on the pile on blankets and rushed over to her bag and began throwing everything in.
"Murkrow murkrow?!?!" the bird asked, absolutely alarmed.
Jess gathered up the rocks and threw them in. "We have to get out of here, it wouldn't be safe if the tent came out…"
Misdreavus whimpered and let out a few desperate notes, begging Jess to not make them…
The trainer came over and picked her up gently to get the blankets, then carried her over as she stuffed the blankets into the bag hurriedly. "I know it seems safe here, but it's really not."
The ghost whimpered fearfully.
"Besides, I have to get you to a Pokécenter!"
Jess zipped up the bag, threw it on her shoulder, and took the tarp off the tree branch, being careful to make sure that the other two stayed under it, then she doubled it up and threw it over herself; it would have been impossible to maneuver with it full-size, though doubled-up it was almost too small…
Murkrow fluttered to her shoulder, and Misdreavus hovered to her side as she took off into the rain at full speed.
Even though Jess held the tarp as widely and as close to herself as she could, the small cover couldn't protect them from the razor-point droplets that the wind blew onto them.
Murkrow fluffed his feathers uncomfortably and brought his head as close to his body as possible. It wasn't even like the rain was warm, and the water was making its way into his warm down feathers.
Misdreavus looked out into the rain and whimpered – she couldn't help thinking about Mismagius and wondering if she was okay…
Jess looked down at the little ghost and blinked, then she sighed sympathetically –
She had to force herself to look away from the little ghost, and had to squint her eyes from the rain and focus on making sure she didn't run them into a tree.
Mismagius looked out into the forest and softened her senses, allowing herself to feel the rain as it pounded softly against her body. She tilted her head up, smiling pleasantly at the sensation of the stream of water running down her back from her – what was that, a hat…? She let out a soft note of indifference and closed her eyes blissfully, embracing the chilling sensations the wind cast upon her. This weather didn't bother her at all. She had endured much worse during her life in the forest, and it was actually quite relaxing.
She opened her eyes again and surveyed the foggy beauty that always accompanied the rain this time of year, especially this close to the field… A smile crossed her face as she blinked peacefully and let herself hover just a bit more relaxed… It was nice to be alone again… Every other creature in the forest stayed well away from her, and she honestly preferred to be alone… and it was so nice to let herself slip back into the carefree life of a Misdreavus…
Then she bowed her head.
Misdreavus… She couldn't fool herself. It was nice to relax, but she couldn't keep that thought in the back of her mind from resurfacing. She missed her newest and only friend…
And then her sadness was easily overcome by desolate confusion. Why had she wanted to stay with that human?
She should go back and bring her – but no, she had offered to take her, and Misdreavus declined. The ghost let out a soft noise of frustration. What did she see in that human?
Didn't she understand?!
But she did heal Misdreavus… And Murkrow had said… Maybe this one was different…
And then she realized something that cast a heavy weight of remorse on her heart – she had been completely hypocrytical. Her judgements of Jess had been based off her own superstitions… Maybe… maybe she was no better than those humans…
Jess couldn't have been running for more than fifteen minutes when she was suddenly forced to a halt.
Murkrow cawed a few notes of desperate inquisition, and Misdreavus whimpered.
Jess turned around and began pulling on the fabric. "I-I can't – It's stuck!"
"Murkrow?!"
"Great…" She let out a grunt and gripped it even harder, now pulling with all her force –
Her fingers slipped from it and she nearly fell onto her back. "I can't get it out…"
"Krow," the bird muttered, and he lifted off her shoulder and followed the tarp.
His form vanished into the dark night; he was only a few feet away, but with the trees and the clouds combined, it was far too dark to see any more than the faintest sihouettte.
"Murky - ?"
"Krow, krow!" he cawed back.
"On what?"
The bird made a noise of thoughtfulness, then the sound of his fluttering was heard as he followed the material even further. "Krow, krow – Krow!"
"What – ? A thornbush –?! Perfect…"
"Mur, murkrow!"
"Are you sure – ?"
"Krow," he replied, and the tarp began moving up and down with the force of his beak. "Murkrow, krow krow!"
"Be careful – !"
Jess yelped as the material suddenly made a horrible ripping noise, and Murkrow let out a startled note as it collapsed beneath him. He barely managed to catch himself before he tumbled into the thick thorns, and he fluttered clumsily to Jess's shoulder.
He shook himself in an attempt to be at least a little drier – they were now completely exposed to the rain.
Jess barely glanced at the small piece of fabric remaining before she cast it aside and ran on, heedless of the rain.
"Ghosts aren't susceptible to colds, are they?" she asked at a weak attempt at humor.
Murkrow sounded yet another note of discomfort, and Jess stopped yet again with a sigh. "Murky, why don't you stay in here," she asked, opening the Pokéball and watching as the red ray of light engulfed him and brought him into the sphere. The fact that he didn't resist at all definitely eased her conscience about it.
She began running yet again, and she cradled Misdreavus close to protect her from the rain.
Jess felt her little body's feverish heat searing her bare arms, but she didn't care. She had to get the ghost somewhere, take care of here, and fast.
Misdreavus shifted, uncomfortable and tense in her sickness. Yet… For the first time she felt comfortable – really, really comfortable… Never in her life had someone actually cared for her like this… She nestled closer to Jess – the trainer's body felt amazingly warming, and it only made her feel even more feverish, but the security she felt in Jess's gentle yet secure grip was more than worth it.
Jess glanced down at Misdreavus anxiously, then she felt her feet slip and had to force her gaze back to the forest. And her eyes widened as she realized that the trees were much thinner – she could actually see the field beyond the forest.
The moment she broke through the last trees' branches, she burst into a full-sped run, barely noticing and not caring that the muddy puddles' water was making its way up her leg, causing a wet, icy, flapping piece of fabric to replace her once-warm pants.
"Hang in there," she muttered breathlessly, "we're almost there…"
And as she glanced to a farther point in the field, she saw the sign that proved it was true: a small pink light, blurred by the thick rain but a light nonetheless, and the exact color gave Jess the hope that it was a Pokécenter, and a new energy was suddenly found within her. Her steps became much swifter, and there was a bounce in each determined footfall, regardless of her exhaustion.
After a few seconds of running with heavy, pounding steps in the numbing rain, the inevitable happened. Jess mistepped, her foot slipped, and in a reflexive attempt to regain her balance, she threw her hands out to her side, sending Misdreavus through the air with a startled yelp, and the trainer landed on her back with the wind completely knocked out of her.
It was a few moments before Jess caught her breath. She expelled a tense and frustrated noise of pain as she tried to sit up cautiously. But her speed changed immediately when Misdreavus whimpered weakly.
"Oh my god," she muttered frantically as she jumped up and began desperately scanning the muddy ground.
Why couldn't that fall wait?! she wondered, realizing that she could barely make out the sky from the ground, the puddles from the grass… There's not nearly enough light! "Oh, where are you?" she mumbled desolately.
Another soft note answered, and Jess looked toward the source of the sound – and she was just able to make out the round form of the ghost's body.
She gasped softly and kneeled by her side before she, gently and carefully as humanly possible, picked her up and held her close to her chest. "Oh, Misdreavus, I'm soooooo sorry, I didn't know – ! I should've been more careful, then – Oh no, you're all wet – Hold on…" Tenderly shifting her to one hand, Jess took her coat and began gently rubbing Misdreavus dry. "Are you okay?" she asked.
Misdreavus whimpered a few notes miserably.
"Oh, I know it hurts, and I'm really really sorry, but there's nothing I can do," Jess told her, close to tears in her helplessness. "I'm sorry…" She shifted the little creature again and began rubbing her back –
Misdreavus yelped in startled pain so suddenly Jess jumped. "Misdreavus - ?!" She withdrew her hand and immediately let the damp coat slap against her side. "What happened?" she asked urgently, and then she gently placed her finger on Misdreavus's back, just below the space in between two of the pearls encircling her neck.
Misdreavus tensed at her touch.
"Okay, okay, sh, sh, please, calm down, okay… Shhh…"
Reluctantly and with quite a bit of effort, the ghost managed to calm herself down just enough to stop herself from yelping as Jess slowly moved her finger just a bit down on her back, then stopped.
Misdreavus blinked up at Jess with a weak note of confusion.
"Okay," Jess said softly, sensing the Pokémon's unease and noticing that her eyes were clouded with pain, "I'm going to try to figure out exactly where the injury is, okay? So, when I get to where it's hurting, even just a bit, let me know, okay?"
Her reply was a quiet, nervous sound.
"Don't worry, I'll be careful, and I'm going to be very, very gentle, okay?"
The ghost nodded, but still watched Jess's face when she began moving her finger down her back, her expression the same uneasy fear and nerves that a child watches her mother with when she knows that something bad is about to happen. The suspense and titillation of Jess's tender touch made her as tense as the knowledge that –
Jess's finger brushed right into the center of pain, and Misdreavus yelped so suddenly and with so much short but definite pain in her voice that Murkrow forced his way out of his Pokéball with a scolding and curious cry.
"Sorry – Sorry, sorry, okay, Missie, sh, I'm sorry, I can't check it out if you're so – !"
Misdreavus whimpered desolately and tried to shift away from Jess's finger. Noticing her motions, Jess moved her finger away as she caught her own breath before she began rocking and muttering comforts to the little ghost, reusing the nickname she realized she had just given her and rhythmatically stroking the side of her cheek with a tender finger in an attempt to soothe her.
"Murkrow murkrow?" the bird asked, playfully but accusingly.
"Not now, Murky," Jess told him softly before turning back to the one that actually needed attention. "Shhhhh, Missie, can you calm down for me? I'm only trying to figure out how badly that fall hurt you… I know ghosts probably aren't used to falling…"
Murkrow muffled a laughing croak, and Jess snapped her head to him and blew a brisk gust of air at his neck, causing him to let out an awkward cry of half-startled indignity.
Jess, satisfied in the fact that he always shut up whenever indignitated, turned her gaze back to Misdreavus. "Okay," she said approvingly at the fact that she was looking at them and not snapping her eyes in pain. "Are you ready?"
Misdreavus blinked.
"Can I check it out now?"
Misdreavus watched Jess for a few seconds before nodding and closing her eyes.
"Okay," Jess reaffirmed softly, a smile spreading across her face – she was honored and elated to still have Misdreavus's trust, even after that fall. She couldn't help noticing that, as she slowly moved her finger closer to the spot of pain again, the little ghost was becoming steadily more tense, and she grit her teeth in tension as Jess neared the injury.
Misdreavus gulped back another screech, but she couldn't suppress the tight whimper when the trainer touched the spot, even though her touch was even more fragile than before, though it hadn't seemed possible.
Jess's finger lingered for a moment, then she sighed and let her hand fall at the sound. "I hate to say it, but I can't tell," she confessed, to herself and Misdreavus, feeling even worse about making Misdreavus go through all that pain for nothing than her lack of knowledge. "I have no experience with ghosts… I'm sorry, Missie…" She expelled a sympathetic breath –Misdreavus was shivering from endured pain and whimpering relentlessly –
"Okay, we need to get you to a Pokécenter, now," Jess said, recalling Murkrow back into his Pokéball. "Sorry, no time," she muttered when he tried to protest, then she took off at a run towards the pink blur of lights.
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"Oh my," Nurse Joy muttered as Jess handed her the helpless and shivering Misdreavus.
"Please tell me you can help her!" Jess pleaded desperately, knowing exactly how little people knew about ghosts – Misdreavus are probably the most popular, she reminded herself – but then she remembered how the research books and Pokédex themselves had said that ghosts have such a mysterious background – and foreground…
"I'm sure there's something we can – "
"I can promise that she's not that different – I gave her an oran berry, and it worked just as great as it did on – !"
"I believe you, it's just that we don't usually treat ghost Pokémon – "
"Please – "
"But I think we can make an exception." And she gave Jess one of those pleasant Joy-only smiles.
Jess blinked, her mouth still open. "Oh, okay – Thank you soooo much, that really means a lot to us…" She let out a breath of relief, then turned to the shivering ghost and smiled tenderly. "See, Missie? It's all going to be okay."
The nurse set Misdreavus down on a cushion and bent behind the counter. "While we're treating it, you'll probably want to – "
"No, I'd rather stay with her!" Jess nearly yelped as Joy offered her the key to a room.
"But – We don't – "
"Please? Trust me, it'll make her feel a lot more comfortable – she gets nervous easily and she's been through a lot the past couple of days, and I don't think I could stand waiting and waiting and waiting – "
"I'm terribly sorry, but I can't allow you to go with her."
"Drea…?" Misdreavus wearily raised her head and blinked at Jess, then blinked at the nurse, her expression wistfully asking why and pleading all at once before she whimpered weakly, and her head drifted back down.
Her trainer sighed. "It's that whole "sterile environment" thing, isn't it…"
The nurse nodded sympathetically. "I'm sorry. It seems like you two are very close… I promise we'll take good care of her."
Jess blinked with another soft sigh, then went to Misdreavus and gave her a gentle but close hug. The ghost let out a barely audible whimper, and Jess looked into her pleading red-and-yellow eyes. "I'm so sorry, Missie, but she's right… I can't go with you… But I promise I'll still be here when you're done, okay? I promise."
Misdreavus blinked with a soft note of wondering inquisition, and Jess smiled. "I promise."
And she gave her one last embrace before Joy called in the Chansey, and Misdreavus was taken into the "Employees Only" section of the Pokécenter.
Jess sighed, then turned back to Joy.
"Here, you might want these," she told her, and she handed Jess the keycard to the room.
"Thanks," Jess said half-heartedly with the shadow of a smile before heading off to find the room.
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-Raven's secret-keeper