She approached it carefully, Ellie bristled next to her, but she knew what happened. Edgar was on his back; her rival had been mauled by his own pokemon. Finally his negligence had added fuel to the fire of their frustration and he had been beaten down and slashed, bitten, stabbed, and much more. His coat was torn and his face held bite marks and scratches, but he was alive, breathing, but terrified.

"Edgar?"

He didn't respond, but Edgar looked at Natalia with desperation in his eyes.

"H-help me."

"Oh good, you're alive." She frowned, "hello to you too you prick." Nonetheless, she knelt next to him.

"Where does it hurt?"

"Everywhere…" he gasped, too terrified to make a witty remark.

She ran her hand over his torn coat, feeling for blood or anything that would suggest that he'd been fatally injured. Thankfully, the deepest injury was a gash in his thigh, which looked painful but didn't seem life-threatening.

"Anything broken?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Come on, then. It's a couple miles to Goldenrod, I'm going there anyway." She released her Feraligatr.

"Viktor, can you carry him?"

Viktor looked at the injured human and picked him up gently with both hands.

"Good, be gentle, now." She said, walking quickly in the direction of Goldenrod city. Her foul mood wasn't helped any by the fact that her rival (who was a complete prick to begin with) was relying on her to help him, and she was actually helping him. She's dump him at the nearest pokemon center and leave, she decided, but she would have to go to the radio tower first.

"Hey… Natalia."

"What?" she said, not looking at him, because she feared that she'd immediately tell Viktor to drop him right there and eat him.

"Why are you helping me?"

"First of all, why'd your pokemon attack you?"

"I asked you a question first!"

"Well you're at my mercy wonder-prick." She growled in response.

Edgar decided against arguing, since her massive Feraligatr, though docile now, could probably eat him alive and would not hesitate to.

"I don't know, two got sick, so I thought I'd give 'em a few oran berries and we'd continue, but… They couldn't see right, so I didn't use them, but when I pulled them out today they attacked me and tried to attack my Meganium."

"Which ones were attacking?"

"Golbat… and Sneasel."

"Where'd they go?"

"I don't know."

She pulled out her phone and called Elm as she walked. She could see the department store over the trees. They were close enough to safety to relax a little. It was still early noon.

"Elm?"

"Hey, you there?"

"Yeah. I have a question."

"Go."

"I was wondering if steel types like Magnemite or Porygon could be affected by this."

"At the moment, I don't think so."

"Okay. Also, I found Edgar."

"Really? Did he try to fight you?"

"No, actually he got his butt kicked by his own pokemon."

"Hmm… what did he do?"

"Gave them Oran berries."

"And they still attacked?"

"Yeah?"

"I'll tell Oak, you get to that Radio tower!"

"Alright. Bye."

She hung up.

"So why are you helping me, Natalia?"

"That infection your pokemon had is spreading across the region. We were attacked by a rabid Pikachu and almost got run over by a Ponyta that had such a high fever it set itself on fire."

"It beat you?"

"No, but evidently it beat you."

Edgar fell silent. When they got to Goldenrod, the security guard at the front looked at them.

"Good lord what happened?"

"Long story, I need to get this guy to a pokemon center. At least to rest."

"I'll take you there. What's your name, Miss?"

"Natalia."

"I'm Leonardo. Leo if you don't like it."

"Alright, Leo."

Viktor wondered what would happen if he himself were to attack his trainer. The dull imagery he could conjure up in his brain scared him out of his own thoughts. He lifted Edgar a little higher.

"Here we are, be careful."

"Alright, thanks Leo."

"It's a pleasure." He turned around and jogged back to his post. The doors slid open and Viktor entered first.

"Nurse?"

"Oh hey I remember you! How have you been?" the nurse asked pleasantly.

"I'm fine. He isn't."

"What happened?"

"Turn on your radio in a couple hours you'll hear about it."

"Oh... alright, please, bring him in." she frowned, curious but no willing to push the subject. Viktor followed the nurse obediently.

"Sorry if we're a little full, we've got an outbreak of Pokemon with fevers lately…"

Natalia felt her stomach drop.

"Really?"

"Yes… is there a problem?"

"You just… need to listen to the radio broadcast… in a few minutes.. in fact, keep it tuned to Goldenrod."

"Oh, alright."

"I want to leave him here, I have to go."

"Alright, will you return for him?"

"Maybe, maybe not. If I don't come back tomorrow don't worry."

"Okay, thank you for bringing your friend in."

"It's nothing." Natalia frowned, putting Viktor back into the pokeball and turning around to walk out.

Edgar wanted to say something. Anything. But his leg was too sore and he couldn't think. His own pokemon…

Natalia sprinted to the Radio tower with her Growlithe in one arm, and she burst in.

"Where's the director!" she barked at the lady.

"Oh! You again, he's upstairs-"

She sprinted as fast as she could, careful not to trip or drop her companion. When she reached the top, she saw the director seated on a sofa.

"Hey!"

"Oh, hello again. How have you been?"

"Fine, but I need to make a radio broadcast right now. It's an emergency!"

"What's the problem?"

"An epidemic, the region's in danger!"

"Okay, okay, calm down. Come here." He led her to the radio room and sat her down. He turned on the transmitter and spoke into it."

"This is a serious issue coming up today, folks, tune your radios in right now and listen to what this young lady has to say, we are very possibly in danger." He turned the microphone to her.

"Thank you. There's been an outbreak of fevers in pokemon all over the region. I warn you now this is no common virus. This is Natalia from New Bark town, you may know me as one of the trainers who defeated all eight gym leaders in the region and I have since returned home to help around the town, but last night, at about four AM, I was attacked by a Ponyta who had caught this virus. The Ponyta was mostly unharmed, but not an hour later was I attacked by a diseased Pikachu!" she breathed in, "If your pokemon has a high fever and it is neither fire or ice type, you may have to put it down. This is for your own safety. This infection is similar to rabies, it drives any pokemon mad, it rots them from the inside, and they are essentially zombies. I have been asked by Professor Oak to pass his message along to anyone who will hear it, but I am warning you if your pokemon has a high fever and it is not fire or ice type or if it is not mechanical, you may be forced to put it down. Should your pokemon be defeated, it is wise to incinerate the body to take away the infection and prevent it from spreading! Already it has spread all the way across the Region, and though it is not transmissible to people, it is very dangerous. These pokemon could be your pets, they could be your childhood companion, but this virus will drive them mad, they won't remember who you are, they'll attack you with the intent of spreading the infection and they will reanimate the body so much that it will keep going until decay itself stops them. The Ponyta that attacked me had caught the virus and its body was no longer able to keep the fire off the rest of it, it is now being treated for third degree burns back home." She breathed in again, "I repeat, This disease is not transmissible to humans but any pokemon that is not fire or ice type and is not at all mechanical is capable of harboring the virus, they are developing a cure now but until then it is advised that you carry a fire type with you everywhere, and that you keep your other pokemon in their pokeballs." She sighed, "That is all. Stay tuned to Oak's pokemon channel for further information." She backed away. The director stood stunned, speechless. He approached the microphone and took in a shuddering breath.

"Folks…" he stammered, "Th-this is possibly the worst outbreak in history. Please, obey all suggestions Natalia has just given you and stay tuned to Professor Oak's channel for further information. Thank you." He switched off the transmission.

"Natalia I… I don't know what to say…"

"You don't have to say anything. Just don't let any rabid pokemon into your-"

Her phone rang. She had a sinking feeling it wasn't anything good. She lifted the phone to her ear and shakily spoke.

"Hello?"

"Natalia?"

"Lily, what happened?"

"M-M-Marik…"

Marik had lost. He was gone.

"What happened?"

"H-he tried to bite Liam, he broke the boy's wrist… but… he couldn't see him, it's like he…, he could sense him…"

"What happened then?"

"Grant was able to fend him off, transformed i-into a fire type and… and he… right in the lab…" she began to cry on the line.

"Lily, calm down. I'll be there soon, alright? I just finished giving the broadcast…"

"Another thing, though…"

"What?"

"Sparky… he came back…"

She checked the clock on the wall. It was 11:15 AM. Not even noon.

"What happened then?"

"Liam just lost it… Sparky attacked him and… we had to burn him too…"

"What did he look like?"

"He already looked like he had been cooked… all his fur was gone he was just… pale and decayed… his… Tail was already falling off…"

"I'm so sorry…"

"Sparky escaped, though… we don't know where he went…"

"I'll be there soon, alright? Then I'll continue."

"Th-thank you…"

With a click, the phone hung up. She sighed.

"What happened?" the Director asked.

"Finally had to kill one…"

"Oh, I'm so sorry…" the older man sighed.

"Not your fault, but I need to head back, I think I'll need to be grave-digger… and I think I'll be digging more graves until this is done and over with."

"Be safe, Natalia."

"I will, you too, alright?"

"I'll see you soon. I will spread the message."

"Thanks so much."

With that, she left, sliding down the railings in that small amount of joy she could take out of the entire ordeal. Ellie followed her, yipping and jumping down the stairs.

"Well we need to go check the pokemon centers now, don't we?"

"Wuff."

When they got there, it was a very different scene. People in the waiting rooms were crying, holding each other or their pokemon, a few of them which were burning with fever or already put down.

"Natalia!"

"Nurse Joy."

"I we heard your broadcast…"

"I know."

"So… does this mean we have to destroy every pokemon here?"

"I'm afraid so…"

"Mama, why do we have to let Leo go? Where's he going?" a small child asked, crying over a sick Persian.

"He's going to a better place, Miles…" she was trying not to cry, but her eyes were filled with tears.

"Those poor people… how are we going to tell them?"

"the radio should have done it. Nurse. If the pokemon are put down, there's a chance they'll reanimate. You have to burn them as soon as you can-"

A piercing shriek cut through the conversation. A Pidgeotto flew blindly out of the side hall, screeching. People ducked, covering their pokemon or their children (or in some cases, both).

"Ellie! Flamethrower!"

Ellie obeyed, blasting the bird with flames so hot the Pidgeotto fell to the ground, screaming. Ellie, knowing what she had to do, bounded up to it and blew fire at it again until it was nothing more than a pile of ash.

"M-mama…"

A girl screamed in horror, tears burning her face.

"M-Maya… No!" she cried, running up to the pile of ashes that were all that remained of her beloved bird.

"Why? Why did you do this! WHY!" she screamed at Natalia.

"Do you want the rest of your pokemon to be infected?" she barked, "I know it's very hard, I have a kid back in my hometown who lost his Pikachu he grew up with but every other pokemon is going to be infected if we don't take measures to stop it."

The girl retreated, sobbing.

"I-I'm sorry, I know it's hard, but… we have to protect everyone… or there may be no pokemon left…"

"Mama, why did she burn that Pidgeotto, why did she do it?"

"She knows what she's doing, Miles, I know it…" she sobbed.

"Everyone. If you have a fire type, please help anyone you know who has an ill pokemon dispose of the body as quickly as you can! The longer you hold on to it, the more likely it is to attack you!"

"But Leo…"

"Kid, your Leo has to go to the better place, alright? He won't remember you or your mommy or anyone it ever knew."

"What does this infection do to them?" a young man asked.

"It rots them from the inside. It eventually gets to the brain, I don't know the details, but they don't remember, they can't see, but the disease drives them to keep going until everything rots and they are unable to move."

"That's horrible…"

"What do we do? I have to go to the next town tomorrow!"

"Either take a flying type pokemon or carry a fire type with you. Bring two or more if you can, but make sure you're on the alert. As I said, you can't catch the disease, but other pokemon can."

"So… what do we do with the rest of them?"

"Keep them safely away in your PCs, or keep them in your pokeballs if you must. "

"What are you going to do, though? You know so much!" the mother cried.

"I've been asked to take care of every town, starting with this one, and then I'll move on to the safari zones, battle frontiers, bug-catching arenas…"

"Alone?"

"As far as I know, yes."

"I'm going with you." One man called.

"What's your name?"

"Jeremy."

"What types of pokemon?"

"Fire, steel, and ice. The types you mentioned were the best to take."

"I appreciate the help, Jeremy. I suggest you go ahead and pack your things, we have to leave almost as soon as I'm done here."

"Right."

"Also, I need your number, I'll contact you when we need to leave."

He registered his number onto the pad. So did a younger man, Luke, possibly around fifteen, and a woman, Miranda, a flying pokemon expert who liked to carry around other pokemon. Each had already lost at least one pokemon to the epidemic and were determined to stop it.

"Good. Go and pack up, I'll call you three when we have to go. I need to head back to my hometown to check with the professors."

"Right." They all left to get themselves prepared.

"It's good you have friends." The Nurse commented.

"I know. It's convenient."

"What do you plan to do with them?"

"From here on? We'll probably have to go on foot to root them all out."

"That sounds like hard work…"

"It will be. I can only hope people take the news as well as they can."

I got one review. I'm glad it wasn't a flame review so if you really like this story enough, please review!

... I'd threaten you with zombie pokemon but it's gonna get a lot worse. =n=