Some time passed, and I could hear again. I was shocked by what`s happened, and now was worried more by our pokemon.

I barely got up and found Mithry with my eyes. Professor Oak was already near him, observing the body. My Golbat was on the other side of field, obviously showing some signs of life. I quickly returned him back into the pokeball and then hurried to old man.

"Is he… all right?" I interested from professor.

"He is all right, don`t worry." He just waved away. "Some pokemon like Voltorbs explode several times a day, and they are fine. I`ll take Mithry to rest."

Professor took Eevee on his hands and slowly headed back to house.

"Wait for me in the dining room." He said to me and left. After some seconds of thinking I decided to leave the field too.

Professor didn`t make me wait for too long and came to me in some minutes. Judging by his face, he wasn`t really worried, but excited. He ran to the table and grabbed the notebook to begin writing something in it.

"So… Everything is fine?" I asked him with care.

"Yes, yes, of course. Pokemon explosion is a bit... different thing than you are used to." He answered calmly and sat on the chair.

That is right, I had some experience battling Voltorbs and Koffings that have Explosion moves in their arsenal. I remember that nothing too bad happens to exploded pokemon, it`s just… after the events in Saffron police station I will shake from each boom my whole life.

Professor finished his writings quickly and returned his attention to me.

"Well, my boy, I think I have a theory about the problem of your Golbat. Just give me to check it closely." He stood from the chair and headed to the middle of room where was more space to summon a pokemon and took a device from his pocket. "And let`s also check other guys as well."

"Yes, of course." I nodded and released Moment before professor. The old man began checking his body immediately, sometimes switching his comments between 'Oh...', 'Huh?' and 'Meh…', and talking to the pokemon like to a person.

During the medical check Samuel Oak was making writings in his other notebook and device. Sometimes he was positively humming, sometimes – negatively grumbling. He collected all the data from Moment and turned to me.

"This one may go back. Release all other patients, I`ll check them all at once and load the info in my computer." He said and cleaned the device with a cloth. I finally felt that my partner is in good hands, and released all other pokemon into the room. It was a bit tight for all of them, but professor didn`t object.

One by one, my pokemon were checked by professor. He observed each one of them, made notes in his notebook and readings in his device. When he finished with Lei Sheng for the last, he just shook his head in some disapproval and turned to me.

"You`ve got quite a company here." He seriously said to me. I didn`t actually like his tone, and expected him to find something bad.

Then he sat to the table and connected the device to computer to check the data taken from my pokemon. I wanted to give him time to work quietly, but then I remembered one thing… A thing that Giovanni once said to me, and that got stuck in my mind for a long time. A thing I just couldn`t throw away…

"There is one thing that bothers me, professor…" I carefully said to him.

"What is it, my boy?" He asked without distracting from computer.

"Is it true… that… pokeballs… suppress pokemon will?"

This question actually distracted professor from the work and he stared at me seriously.

"What in the world made you think so?"

"You see… The whole my team… Every one of them… Is so different. They follow me because they have their own way, their own goal. But… is this the only reason? The only reason that they still don`t escape from me each time I release them outside?"

"Why would they?" He didn`t completely understand my doubts.

"To return back to their home, to their family! I took all of them from the wild – maybe, you took Dumpling this way too – but no one of them tried to break free…" I explained my worry to him, and professor crossed his hands on chest and nodded. "All of Team Rocket`s pokemon obey them in their evil deeds without question. The only case was when I found one grunt dying in the depth of mount Moon. His pokemon noticed the close death and just disappeared … They were sent to seek help on their own, and they didn`t do it because they couldn`t do that without a proper order… Because they couldn`t act on their own anymore. Because pokeballs… suppress their will?"

Professor closed his eyes and shook his head in disappointment.

"Oh, my boy… This works completely another way, you see." He quietly said.

"Then how does it work, professor?"

He suddenly got up from the chair and approached the window. Through the glass we could see the beautiful night forest under the moonlight…

"We live in a strange world." He began his explanation. "A dangerous world. Do you know why pokemon training became so popular? Why almost EACH family has a pet pokemon in their house?"

"Well… No, I don`t know. The danger of wild pokemon, maybe?" I supposed.

"Exactly. The danger of wild pokemon." Professor sharply turned back and raised his forefinger up. "We live together with them for so long, and we all know how dangerous they can be. They know how dangerous they can be. They can be dangerous to themselves too."

"How is this possible?" I was a bit confused.

"I have spent so much time on understanding that. But, in the end, I think I found the answer." Professor slowly approached the window again and looked around, then shuttered it. "Pokemon obey trainers because they fear of themselves. They fear of the power they possess. And much more they fear of other pokemon."

"This… makes some sense."

"Pokeballs do not suppress their will, you see." Old man returned back to his chair and computer work. "They suppress their power instead. Wild pokemon don`t measure the strength, they don`t follow our rules. In the wild… Not all battles end in just fainting. Some battles are actually end with deaths."

"And we never fight to death…" I finally began to understand what he wants me to say.

"Yes. For some sick people like Team Rocket having a wild pokemon on their side that doesn`t have such… power lock would be the advantage. But only if they could tame the pokemon without capturing it. This is too hard, actually. I`m sure, they tried, and failed… Fatally failed." The last words sounded like he was the witness of that failure.

"Yeah, I see."

Once more professor distracted from the computer and turned to me, assisting his explanation with jests.

"And now just imagine yourself as a small Caterpie. So small, weak and cheerful… The nature gave you a bug-type. And now imagine that a ton of pokemon of rock, fire, flying type exist that can actually KILL you, and you can`t even protect yourself properly! Maybe if such don`t inhabit your area, you will live long and almost carefree life. But you still remember they exist. You always remember. A foe that you will never be able to beat by yourself. Us people gave these types some order, but… In a wild nature the rules may differ a bit. It`s like living a whole life with a sniper target on your head."

"You know, professor, you have just changed my world completely." I honestly said. Now I actually understand how cruel the nature is… It`s like each pokemon in wild live like… me? No wonder that they WANT us to catch them! But… this still doesn`t make sense!" I exclaimed, still trying to make order in my thoughts. "How`s that possible that tamed pokemon can destroy a building, but can`t kill a person? Why is this so difficult for a Scyther just pierce through a body?"

"Well… This is a thing still unexplained for us." Professor guiltily admitted. "Even the creators of pokeball technology didn`t know how exactly that works. There are some theories, adequate and not… The most interesting one explains this through the connection of Soul."

"Soul?"

"Yes. The presence of soul in the opposing object – whether it is a human body or a fridge possessed by Rotom – is a thing that makes pokemon weaker. A pokemon connected to a ball will never be able to actually hurt something animated. You should know that pokemon battles aren`t actually aimed to hurt opponent`s health… In pokemon battles the target is opponent`s energy to deplete and make him unable to continue the fight. This is how screen indicators work."

"I see. I don`t understand a crap, but I see now."

"Language, young man! You should understand that people and pokemon make a special connection that helps both sides. Pokeballs are just the middle chain element, it`s actually people that help pokemon to realize their potential. THIS is why pokemon usually see the trainers as sort of a… saviors." Professor literally repeated my earlier thoughts. "The relationship between trainer and pokemon are sort of symbiotic. People make pokemon bring their best, and they do the same thing. People that can teach pokemon how fight, how to protect themselves and their home. Of course, usually proud wild pokemon just have to check your strength first, to understand that you are strong enough… And to show trainer that YOU can be strong too. Only then both of you understand how powerful your bonds can be."

"The power of pokemon is just amazing…" I exclaimed with excitement. "Such a large destructive potential lies in just a small creature… The power of a legendary pokemon could be much, much more dangerous."

"You were too lucky when faced the legendary Articuno, see? Because this could be actually the end for you." Old man reminded me of my stupidity once more.

"I see, professor. Thanks for the explanation. I have a couple of things to think about now."

"This should be always on your mind. Don`t be afraid of a man with the strongest captured Onix. Be afraid of a little girl that befriended a wild Butterfree…"

That sounded weird, but he seemed to be right. Very, very right…

"Well, looks like we have finished here…" Professor pressed some more buttons and his printer nearby began to push out a paper with results. I could see nothing from my point of view, but I was sure that I will understand nothing from those papers.

Professor Oak carefully examined the paper and finally looked at me.

"Well, you still have some work to do with your pokemon." He announced the result. "Let`s look through each one of them. Your Charizard is in perfect condition. But… it could use some strict behavior teaching."

"You found it out through the check?" I confusedly asked.

"No, I just know it. This one is a hooligan, all right… Forgetting a man that gave him home." Professor sounded like his feelings were really hurt by Dumpling, but this had nothing to do with physical health that I want to know. "Okay, next one… Beedrill. This one has a lot of energy inside, very much. I noticed some small scratches on its stings… He may have a lot of training… without you."

"Yes, I know." I nodded in return. "Reaper sure likes battling and trains even when others have rest. This… is a thing I can`t do anything with."

"You will find out. Now… Gengar! It`s a rare chance to observe a ghost-type pokemon, but this one sure looks fine."

"Yeah, Loser is always fine. He is already dead." I answered pleased. "But he doesn`t seem to enjoy battling too much. He seems… distracted sometimes. Loser likes to have fun with other ways, like… scaring the shit out of people."

Reacting on my comment, the old man just shook his head. But looking at the next patient`s paper, professor really changed his face to confusion and mistrust.

"The Victreebel… Has a lot of serious injuries, you know? What had you done to it?" He asked me like I was the one who did all those injuries.

"Eh… Harry had a tough life before me. He fought poachers on Route 24, and it was some really brutal war." I told him the story of my pokemon.

"This is a rare case of wounds that will never heal." Professor sadly said, checking the paper once more. "His eye mark definitely will not."

"We don`t need this to be healed. His scar is as important as mine is." I seriously answered. "A reminder of how you must live."

"This is your opinion. But right now your Victreebel is in deep depression and looks to have some violent nature. You should be careful with it. His mental health is not very good."

I stayed silent this time, because I already know it.

"Okay, now… The most curious one… Gyarados." When switched to Lei Sheng, professor sounded a bit more positive. "It has some bond energy inside that usually created when connecting to a pokeball…"

"And what does that mean?" I asked with interest.

"That means your Lei Sheng was already captured, several times. And released too." That surprised me by fact that he somehow managed to find it out, not by the fact that Lei Sheng was previously caught still as Magikarp. "Still, it is unusually calm and peaceful for a Gyarados."

"Yeah, he`s not that atrocious as people say."

Professor nodded and finally came to the last patient.

"Please, take out your Golbat." He asked me. I slowly grabbed the dented pokeball and released Moment outside. The large monster handed on ground and looked at me with small tired eyes. "Whatever you feed it with… the blood is the thing that your Golbat needs most. They all drink blood, and if they don`t… they just waste away."

"I know that, but… where do I get blood for him? I can`t just let him go hunt wild pokemon and drink their blood."

Professor looked down, deeply thinking. He had a solution, but he didn`t want to use it. In the end, he agreed to himself.

"Wait a second." He told me and walked away into another room. After nearly a minute he returned with a plate and a red pack… of blood. "This is my personal blood sample, kept for an emergency."

"Will you give it to us?" Naively I asked.

"No, of course, not!" He loudly objected. "What if tomorrow I will be hit by car and need it? No, but I will give you a small try just for you to understand."

He unpacked it and poured a bit on the plate. The cold blood wasn`t going to spill that easy, still he placed the plate on table and went back to return the pack where it was.

"So, Moment… Try it." He pointed at the plate with blood. My pokemon unsurely looked at it, then – at professor, and then – at me.

"Come on, it`s for you." I told him to move on.

Unusually timid Moment made a few steps towards the table and carefully placed his high hangs in this small pool of blood. Somehow he sucked it in through the fangs themselves and then retreated back.

The effect was surprisingly fast – the paleness went away, body returned its original bright color, and the whole Moment now looked more… alive.

I looked into his eyes and actually saw the small flame of determination that he had earlier. He looked like woke up from an extremely long slumber, full of energy now. It actually worked!

"Welcome back!" I cheered him and petted a bit. He gladly screeched in return – as always, ear-tearing sound was horrible, but I was glad to hear power in it again.

"Great." Professor proudly said and looked at Moment. "This will let you feel alive for some time." Then he looked at me again. "But you need to find a solution to this problem, because this will happen again."

"I… I`ll think of it." I promised to professor and shook his hand. "Thank you."

"Don`t mention it." He waved away. "But it`s quite late already. You should stay until tomorrow."

He was right, a bit of rest is really a thing that I need before heading to Viridian City and challenging the gym.

"I can`t refuse such an offer, professor." I nodded with smile. "I don`t even need a bed, just give me a floor."

"Oh no, if you`re my guest – then you have to listen to my conditions. Supper, shower, bed – in this order!" He strictly gave me a command.

"Yes, sir…" I had to obey in this situation. Well, I didn`t mind about it too much.

We all need to rest sometimes.

In the midnight I could not sleep. I was thinking about my Moment and his problem. Professor said it will happen again, so we need to find new blood some time later… But where?

Damn… Of course, the simplest answer lies on the surface. Right here, before my nose… But I don`t dare to do it.

Who the heck I am?! I am Vengeance! I am not afraid of anything! I dare do things no one would ever do! What`s stopping me? How can I call myself trainer if I`m not ready to make sacrifices for the sake of those who battle alongside me?

"Moment, go out!" I said with determination and released Golbat outside. In the darkness of night he felt himself better, so it was the best time.

I squeezed my fist and put my hand on table before Moment. With other hand I took a sleeve from my shirt.

"Bite it." I said to my pokemon. Golbat didn`t get me first time, and looked at me with very confused face. "Come on, I know that you need it. I can`t give you someone else`s blood… So I give you mine."

He hesitated before doing something. This was too strange for him to take my offer, and he stared at me once more. We have been through a lot, and gained trust in each other.

So he opened his mouth wide and carefully pierced my forearm with his sharp teeth. I pushed the cloth sleeve in my mouth to hide the painful scream, because it was really painful. For some seconds Moment was sucking the blood from me through his teeth and then pulled the fangs out, leaving two blood marks on my hand.

"I will not let you suffer anymore." I said while bandaging my wound. Moment carefully howled in return.

We will withstand this. Together.