~~Hello readers, I'm back with a new chapter.
I do not own anything from Pokemon.
Only my original characters belong to me.~~
It was now late afternoon in the Gallar region.
My five Pokemon and I were still in the Pokemon center with that same Dracovish who I met earlier on Route One.
Dracovish had just fallen asleep after Nurse Joy stabilized its condition with medicine.
Many tubes protruded from Dracovish's body.
Nurse Joy left me in charge of Dracovish while she left to take care of other Pokemon.
My friend Chloe had also left the room to take her Eevee for a walk.
The room was mostly silent except for quiet beeping noises coming from the machines that Dracovish was hooked up to.
I sat down in a chair by the bedside with my arms wrapped around Dracovish.
Dracovish slept peacefully on the bed with its head resting against my shoulder.
Even though this place was a medical facility, I didn't feel scared at all.
I kept my focus on the sleeping Pokemon beside me.
Fortunately, Dracovish's stats on the monitor had remained stable since Nurse Joy left.
A half hour later, I heard a knock at the door.
"Come in," I said quietly.
The door slowly opened to reveal Chloe and her Eevee standing in the entrance.
"Hi Chloe, how was your walk?" I greeted with a smile.
Chloe walked in and closed the door behind her.
"Eevee and I enjoyed it very much. How is Dracovish doing?" she replied.
"Dracovish is doing well," I answered.
"That's great," Chloe said as she approached me.
Eevee hopped onto the bed and started walking around.
Dracovish sensed her presence and woke up.
My immediate response was to calm Dracovish down before it could freak out.
I stroked its head in a comforting way.
"You're okay Dracovish, it's just Eevee. She won't hurt you," I assured softly.
The hybrid Pokemon closed its eyes and drifted off.
Chloe picked Eevee up and carried her over to a leather couch across the room.
The fox Pokemon sat down in Chloe's lap.
"I already told you not to do that," she scolded.
Eevee shook her ears in response.
I couldn't help but giggle at the sound.
A long period of silence passed by in the room.
Chloe stared at Dracovish while keeping a tight hold on Eevee.
I was suddenly startled out of my thoughts when I felt Dracovish trembling like a leaf.
"Dracovish, what's the matter?" I asked while tightening my hold on it.
All of the monitors began to beep erratically.
Dracovish twitched in response to the loud noises.
"Please wake up Dracovish," I said sadly.
Chloe heard the commotion and rushed to my side.
Eevee hopped off of the couch and ran behind her.
"What's going on Sioku?" Chloe asked worriedly.
"I don't know Chloe, Dracovish just started shaking out of nowhere. It might be having a nightmare," I answered frantically.
Chloe put a hand on my shoulder and said gently. "Calm down Sioku, I'm sure Dracovish will come out of this very soon. You just need to be here for Dracovish when it wakes up."
"You're right Chloe, I don't know what I would have done without you. Thanks for your help," I replied gratefully.
"You're welcome Sioku, I'm always happy to assist. I'll give you two some space now," Chloe added graciously.
Eevee stood on her hind legs and placed her front paws on the side of the bed.
"Don't even think about it," said Chloe as she lifted Eevee into her arms.
Eevee rested her head on Chloe's shoulder and sighed.
Chloe then made her way back to the couch and sat down.
"Please come back to me Dracovish, this is your friend Sioku. I'm right here," I said softly.
Dracovish was too scared to respond.
I continued to hold the frightened Dracovish close to me and pet it soothingly in order to calm it down.
Ten minutes later, Dracovish calmed down enough to relax in my embrace.
The beeping on the monitors slowed back down to a normal rhythm.
"Are you all right Dracovish?" I whispered.
The hybrid Pokemon snuggled against my chest in response.
Another long period of silence passed by.
Dracovish wasn't shaking anymore which put my mind at ease.
Chloe looked at me and asked quietly. "Is Dracovish okay?"
"Yes, Dracovish most likely had a bad dream. It just fell asleep," I answered.
I sang a song to the Pokemon which helped it fall asleep once again.
Dracovish allowed the soothing melody to take its mind to a better place.
Eevee's ears perked up as she listened to my singing voice.
"Hey Sioku, Eevee really likes your singing voice. Your singing is beautiful by the way," Chloe commented.
"Thank you for the complement," I replied while blushing.
Chloe giggled at the sight of my pink cheeks.
In the midst of our conversation, we heard a second knock at the door.
"Come in," said Chloe.
The door opened to reveal Nurse Joy who entered the room.
I carefully released my hold on Dracovish in case Nurse Joy wanted to examine it again.
"Hello Nurse Joy," I greeted.
"Hi Sioku, how is that Dracovish doing?" Nurse Joy replied as she stepped closer to me.
"Dracovish just had a nightmare, but I mannaged to help it calm down. This Pokemon has been asleep since you left the room," I answered.
"That's good to hear," Nurse Joy added.
She then examined Dracovish's body a second time and checked its vital signs on the monitors.
After finishing her examination, Nurse Joy smiled at me and said. "Sioku, Dracovish is looking much better now. It should be released from the Pokemon center very soon,"
"Really? That's great news," I replied with a smile of my own.
Pardon me Nurse Joy, but where will Dracovish go as soon as you release it?" Chloe chimed in.
"That's a good question," I said quietly.
"Dracovish will be released into the wild if its trainer doesn't come back for it tomorrow. That's what I do with all abandoned Pokemon after I heal them," answered Nurse Joy.
My facial expression changed from relieved to concerned as I remembered the incident that happened this morning.
"I understand your plan Nurse Joy, but Dracovish shouldn't go back to Kiera. I don't want it to get hurt physically or mentally anymore. This poor Pokemon has already been through enough," I said sadly.
"Sioku has a good point, Dracovish deserves to be with anybody except Kiera. She shouldn't own Pokemon anyway," Chloe added.
"We'll just have to see what happens tomorrow morning," replied Nurse Joy.
"If Kiera really did abandon Dracovish, I would like to take it in. Dracovish and I are already best friends," I said with a serious expression.
"That is very responsible of you Sioku. I'm sure Dracovish would love to have you as its new trainer," replied Nurse Joy.
"I agree with Sioku's statement 100 percent. She has been there for Dracovish since they met. Dracovish trusts Sioku and relies on her for emotional support," Chloe chimed in.
I pulled Dracovish into another embrace and held it close to me.
Dracovish woke up and looked around the room.
"Hi Dracovish, I'm so glad you're awake. How are you feeling?" I greeted softly.
The hybrid Pokemon nuzzled my neck.
A brief period of silence passed by.
I smiled at Dracovish and asked. "How would you feel about becoming my Pokemon in the future?"
Dracovish's eyes widened in response.
I saw a look of happiness on Dracovish's face instead of the pained expression that I saw earlier.
Seeing the hybrid Pokemon happy made me smile.
Chloe looked at us and pointed out. "I think Dracovish likes that idea. It looks very happy to be with you."
I couldn't help but blush.
"I would love to have you on my Pokemon team Dracovish," I said while rubbing its head.
The hybrid Pokemon sat up and looked at me.
Dracovish didn't look sick or weak anymore which put my mind at ease.
I was relieved to see it looking healthy again.
"What's up Dracovish?" I asked while petting it.
Dracovish used its tail to pull me closer.
I grinned and pulled Dracovish into an affectionate hug.
Dracovish laid its head on my shoulder.
Nurse Joy and Chloe watched the scene with admiration.
"I love you Dracovish," I said softly.
Dracovish snuggled against my side in return.
Nurse Joy looked at Dracovish and then back at me.
"Sioku, Dracovish's condition has improved greatly. I am going to remove the IV lines from its body now," she said smoothly.
"That's good," I replied briefly.
She then placed her hand on the first IV line.
Dracovish let out a nervous yelp as he jumped with fear.
It began to tremble violently and closed its eyes.
I tightened my hold on the frightened Pokemon and said gently. "It's okay Dracovish, I'm right here. You'll be all right, I promise."
The Pokemon started to calm down as it listened to my voice.
Nurse Joy carefully removed all of the IV lines from Dracovish's body.
However, Dracovish was still hooked up to the electrodes.
"Hey Dracovish, it's all over now. Can you look at me?" I whispered soothingly.
A few minutes later, Dracovish relaxed and opened its eyes.
"You did great Dracovish," I praised softly.
I rubbed Dracovish's back in a soothing way to help it stay calm.
"I'm going to keep Dracovish on the monitor overnight for observation," said Nurse Joy as she put away the extra wires.
"Pardon me Nurse Joy, may I please stay in here with Dracovish tonight?" I replied.
"Of course you can Sioku, I'm sure Dracovish would love that too. This Pokemon has really bonded with you," Nurse Joy answered happily.
"Thank you so much Nurse Joy, Dracovish will be in good hands tonight. I promise," I added graciously.
A brief period of silence passed between us.
"Hey Sioku, why do you think Dracovish freaked out when Nurse Joy touched it?" asked Chloe.
"Dracovish probably has trust issues right now because of the abuse that Kiera has put it through," I answered calmly.
"That makes sense," added Nurse Joy.
Nurse Joy then looked at Dracovish and asked. "Would you like to stand up and try to walk?"
Dracovish stared hesitantly at Nurse Joy.
"Don't worry Dracovish, I'll be right here next to you. I promise," I assured.
Dracovish rubbed its head against my shoulder in return.
"Are you ready to go Dracovish?" Nurse Joy continued.
The Pokemon nodded and straightened itself up.
"You're doing a wonderful job so far Dracovish. Keep up the good work," I said encouragingly.
I put my arm around Dracovish as it carefully slid off of the bed.
Dracovish stood in one spot while scanning the area.
"You're still in a safe place buddy," I reassured.
Chloe looked over at the hybrid Pokemon and commented. "Wow, Dracovish is already looking great. Our team work must have restored it."
"Yes Chloe, I couldn't have brought Dracovish back to full health without you or Nurse Joy. We saved its life together," I replied gratefully.
"I'm glad I could help," said Nurse Joy.
I slowly led Dracovish over to the couch where Chloe and her Eevee were sitting.
"Hi Dracovish," Chloe greeted while smiling at it.
Eevee wagged her fluffy tail as she stared at Dracovish.
Dracovish looked at them in response.
"Chloe, please do not try to touch Dracovish. It might still be scared," I said protectively.
"You have my word Sioku," Chloe replied.
A brief period of silence passed by.
Dracovish fearfully hid behind me and closed its eyes tightly.
Its body trembled against my back.
I immediately embraced the terrified Pokemon and said smoothly. "Hey, Dracovish, I'm still here. There is nothing to be afraid of."
Dracovish stood in place with its head down.
Chloe's face saddened as she stared at it.
"Let's walk back to the bed now," I whispered.
Dracovish opened its eyes and followed me back to the bed.
I then helped it get situated in a comfortable position.
"Come here Dracovish," I said while pulling it into a gentle hug.
Dracovish snuggled against my chest for comfort.
I held Dracovish tight as it started to relax.
Dracovish closed its eyes and fell asleep in my arms.
I stared down at the sleeping Pokemon with an adoring expression.
A long period of silence passed by.
"I'll give you all some privacy now," said Nurse Joy before she left the room.
Complete silence filled the room as my friends and I relaxed together.
I drifted off to sleep as I continued to hold Dracovish.
Chloe and her Eevee slept on the couch.
~Morning~
I woke up to the sunlight shining brightly through the windows.
Dracovish remained asleep in my arms.
I smiled and petted its head softly.
"I wish you were my Pokemon," I whispered.
The clock on my Pokedex read: 9:00 AM.
A few minutes later, Dracovish woke up.
The Pokemon stared wearily at me.
"I'm right here Dracovish," I assured.
Dracovish nuzzled me in return.
Chloe woke up and looked at us.
"Good morning Sioku," she greeted.
"Same to you Chloe," I replied softly.
I looked over at Chloe and saw Eevee still asleep in her lap.
"How is Dracovish doing?" Chloe continued.
"Dracovish is okay," I answered.
In the midst of our conversation, Nurse Joy entered the room.
Dracovish lifted its head in response to the noise.
"Good morning you two," she greeted.
"Same to you ma'am," I replied.
"Dracovish is looking great," she commented.
I gently released my hold on the Pokemon.
Dracovish stared at me with a worried look.
"You'll be okay Dracovish," I reassured.
Nurse Joy then gave Dracovish another thorough examimation.
Dracovish sat still on the bed while staring at me.
After her examination, Nurse Joy looked at me and said happily. "Dracovish is ready to be discharged. I'll remove the monitors from its body now."
My cheerful smile was instantly replaced by a hesitant frown as I watched Nurse Joy.
"That's great news," I replied briefly.
"What's the matter Sioku?" asked Nurse Joy.
"I'm really worried about Dracovish's future. It could get seriously hurt again," I answered sadly.
"I agree with Sioku," Chloe added.
In the midst of our conversation, we heard the door open followed by footsteps.
Dracovish sat up in response to the noise.
"Who is it?" asked Nurse Joy.
"My name is Kiera. I'm here to pick up my Dracovish," answered a familiar female voice.
The room suddenly fell silent.
Chloe and I exchanged a concerned look.
The air around me grew thick as fog when the blond haired girl approached us.
"Not her again," I thought with irritation.
Dracovish began to tremble with fear and tensed up as it watched her.
"That Pokemon looks terrified," Chloe commented.
I embraced the frightened Pokemon and said softly. "It's okay Dracovish, I won't let her hurt you."
My words had no effect on Dracovish.
The shaking in its body intensified.
"Please try to calm down Dracovish," I urged gently while rubbing its head in a soothing way.
Kiera glared daggers at me and demanded. "What are you doing with my Pokemon? Didn't I tell you to leave it alone?"
I glared at Kiera and shot back. "You should be the one to leave this Pokemon alone! Dracovish deserves to be with a trainer who will actually treat it right!"
"You must have a lot of nerve to talk to me like that," Kiera said in a threatening manner.
"What are you going to do about it?" I replied boldly.
"I'll drag you away from Dracovish myself!" Kiera yelled back.
Nurse Joy looked at us and interrupted sternly. "Both of you need to quit arguing right now! This isn't helping Dracovish at all!"
"I don't care!" Kiera snapped back.
"So you admit that you don't care about Dracovish," I pointed out.
Kiera only remained silent at that.
At the sound of all the chaos, Dracovish fearfully broke free of my embrace and disappeared into the Pokeball that I used to carry it in.
I picked up the Pokeball and held it close to me.
Kiera looked around the room and asked. "Where did my Pokemon just go?"
"Dracovish is obviously hiding from you," I answered bluntly.
Kiera pointed to the Pokeball in my hands and demanded coldly. "Release that Dracovish at once."
"I won't do that unless you stop abusing the poor Pokemon," I said firmly.
"Don't tell me how to raise my Pokemon Sioku! Hand Dracovish over now!" she shouted impatiently.
Without another word, I opened up the Pokeball.
Dracovish hesitantly climbed out of the Pokeball and stood up while looking away from Kiera.
I stared at the Pokemon with a somber expression.
Kiera held up a Pokeball of her own and commanded. "Let's go Dracovish, don't make me wait."
Dracovish stepped slowly toward its trainer.
"Good bye Dracovish, I'll miss you very much. Please take care of yourself," I said sadly.
Dracovish let itself get pulled inside Kiera's Pokeball.
"You are in big trouble when we get home Dracovish. You know better," Kiera grumbled.
Before Kiera could turn around, Chloe looked at her and asked. "Pardon me Kiera, but how did you know that Dracovish would be here?"
"That's none of your business," Kiera answered roughly.
Chloe stared at her confused in response.
"Have a good day," said Nurse Joy to Kiera.
Without another word, Kiera walked out the door.
I stared down at the empty bed and sighed heavily.
A million fearful thoughts about Dracovish raced through my mind.
"Are you all right Sioku?" asked Nurse Joy.
"Not really," I answered quietly.
"Are you worried about Dracovish?" asked Chloe.
I only nodded in response.
"I'm worried about Dracovish too," Chloe said sympathetically.
"I wish I had more control of the situation," Nurse Joy added.
I stood up and then walked dejectedly toward the door.
"Hold on Sioku, I'm coming with you. You won't go through this alone," Chloe said as she hurried after me.
"Thanks Chloe," I simply replied.
"I wish both of you the best of luck," said Nurse Joy.
"Good bye Nurse Joy," replied Chloe.
Chloe and I immediately walked out as soon as I opened the door.
On our way out of the Pokemon center, my mom intercepted us in the lobby.
Umbreon stood right beside her.
I smiled and petted Umbreon under her ears.
Umbreon wagged her tail gently in return.
"Good morning Mother," I greeted casually.
"Hello Sioku, I am surprised to see that you're still here. You and your Pokemon should have arrived in Motostoke yesterday," Kara replied.
"I know Mother, but there was an emergency. My friend and I were helping a sick Pokemon after we found it in the Wild Area. It needed medical help right away. This Pokemon has an abusive trainer," I explained.
Kara thought to herself before she spoke to me again. "That was a reasonable explanation Sioku, but you should still get a move on. You must register for the Pokemon League at the stadium."
"Yes ma'am," I replied.
Chloe approached my mother and said graciously. "Hello ma'am, my name is Chloe. I am Sioku's friend."
She then pointed to her Pokemon and added. "This is my partner Eevee."
Eevee gently wagged its fluffy tail.
My mom smiled at the younger girl and replied warmly. "It's a pleasure to meet you Chloe. My name is Kara, and I am Sioku's mother. I also have Umbreon here with me."
Umbreon and Eevee sniffed each other and then began to play.
Yamper suddenly popped out of its Pokeball and landed in between the two playing Pokemon.
My face turned bright red in response to Yamper's behavior.
A feeling of embarrassment washed over me.
"Oh no... Yamper wasn't supposed to come out right now. What should I do?" I thought anxiously.
All three Pokemon chased each other back and forth in the lobby.
People stopped and stared at them.
Chloe and my mom watched them with amusement.
"I am so sorry Mother, I did not tell Yamper to come out. My Pokemon just came out on its own," I said in a flustered tone of voice.
"It's okay Sioku, newly caught Pokemon are going to do that. Yamper should break that habit soon," Kara reassured.
"Thank you for understanding," I added with a sigh of relief.
I held up a Pokeball and commanded. "Yamper, return!"
Yamper ran toward me while panting and wagging its tail.
The little dog then let itself get pulled inside the Pokeball.
Chloe picked up her Eevee and hurried to my side.
"Are you ready to go Sioku?" she asked.
"Yes Chloe, we'd better get a move on. Unfortunately I can't delay my registration any longer," I answered with a frown.
"Sioku, don't be a downer. I'm sure you'll rescue your new Pokemon friend at some point. You just need to be patient," Kara interrupted sternly.
My face saddened as I imagined Drakovish being abused by Kiera after it had just been discharged from the Pokemon center.
"I glared at her and responded boldly. "Mother, you wouldn't be saying that to me if you knew what Drakovish had been going through."
Kara gave me a disapproving look.
"Are you all right ma'am?" asked Chloe.
"Yes Chloe, I'll be just fine. My daughter is in a rebellious faze right now," answered Kara.
Mom's last comment immediately sent me into a fuming rage.
My cheeks flushed with absolute fury.
"Rescuing an abused Pokemon has nothing to do with rebellion!" I shouted roughly.
Chloe stood still wearing a surprised expression.
Before my mom could speak again, I hurried out of the building without looking back.
"Sioku Marie! Get back here!" yelled Kara.
"Sioku! Wait for me!" hollered Chloe as she raced after me.
Kara followed Chloe out of the Pokemon center.
I ignored their yelling and continued running down the street.
Right as I was about to enter the train station, my mom and Chloe intercepted me by a wall.
I stood in one spot with my head bowed.
"Sioku, what was that outburst all about?" asked Kara.
I looked up at my mom to see a frown of annoyance on her face.
"I'm sorry Mother, but I am very worried about Dracovish. The abusive trainer just came and got it before you showed up," I answered sadly.
"Dracovish's mistreatment has been getting to Sioku lately," added Chloe.
"I understand how you feel Sioku, but you must control your temper. I don't want you to get hurt," Kara said sympathetically.
"I'll try my best," I replied quietly.
"I'll see you later," Kara added before she walked away.
Chloe and I boarded the train as soon as it arrived at the station.
We situated ourselves in one of the middle seats.
Eevee sat patiently on Chloe's lap.
I stayed quiet and looked out the window.
Chloe looked at me as a thought crossed her mind.
"Hey Sioku, where do you think Kiera obtained that Drakovish?" she asked.
I let out a disappointed sigh and answered. "I don't know Chloe, but I want to get Drakovish away from her as soon as possible. It doesn't deserve to be abused."
"I hear you loud and clear Sioku," Chloe said sympathetically.
After a short ride, the train arrived at a station connected to the Wild Area.