Fallarbor Town: A farm community with small gardens. This small town is well known for its fertile grounds, causing a boom in agriculture. While there are no gyms here, trainers are gifted food if they win against any wild Pokemon who attempt to steal crops.
The boys walked into the town limits. The ground was soft and earthy, but not fragile enough to suck anyone in like quicksand. The air was much cleaner than Route 113. A colony of Sandshrew rolled across the ground, weeds being ripped out of the earth and sucked into their hide.
The rich scent of meat-based broth hovered in the air. The boys sniffed the air, their stomachs growling loudly. They looked at each other and nodded; let's eat already, they thought. They walked on the left path and stopped at a one-story building. The sign on the window read:
"Forest Life: A farm to table experience"
Tank pushed the door open. The restaurant had a whimsical aesthetic; leaves painted on the walls, wooden floors with small feathers carved inside, elegant owl motifs carved into the tables and calm city pop music playing in the background.
"Welcome, please come in!"
a voice called out.
A purple ostrich walked up to the trio and bowed with a smile. She wore a white and pink kimono with a bright star pattern and pink belt. Her hair was styled in a dark purple hime cut.
She led the boys to a small table before walking back to the counter.
The boys took their backpacks off and sat down. Benedict grabbed the menu first, looking up and down
"The heck is this?" he asked. "I know this is some kinda meat, but I can't tell if it's Tauros, Pidgey or Spoink"
Tank glanced over at the menu
"Please tell me you can read some Hoennian"
"Yeah, uh, no" Benedict sighed and shook his head in embarrassment.
"Tamoko never taught me to read or speak Hoennian."
"It's fine dude" Tank patted him on the upper back.
"Heck, I'll teach you if you want"
"Aw, thanks Tank"
Benedict blushed slightly as he showed Tank the menu "So, which dish is this?"
"Toriten?" Tank looked at a picture on the menu. It showed a plate of crispy fried meat. "It's tempura fried Pidgey, you'd definitely like it. It's a Fallarbor speciality"
Kidd perked up
"Tempura style? In that case, I'd like some too"
Tank nodded
"Got it. I was gonna get some dumping soup too, you guys wanna split some?"
The two boys nodded,
"Of course"
"Heck yeah"
A few minutes later, the ostrich returned to the table. She held a small notepad in her wings
"And what would you boys like today?"
Tank folded the menu shut
"Well, miss. We'll get one pot of green tea to split, three orders of toriten, and three orders of dumpling soup"
The ostrich wrote on the notepad as fast as she could. Once she finished writing, she smiled and nodded before heading to the kitchen.
Kidd pulled his phone out and scrolled through an app
"Huh, interesting"
"What is it?" Tank asked.
"So Fallarbor Town has a Contest Hall"
Kidd explained. "And I was thinking of doing some training for my next contest"
"It's getting late out though"
Tank shook his head. "But hey, there's always tomorrow!"
"Hmm, good point" Kidd set his phone down.
"What Pokemon were y'all gonna use?"
Benedict asked. "'Cause if y'all were gonna use Libra, I think it'd be fun if Makoto helped with some trainin"
"That's….actually not a bad idea"
Kidd nodded. "I'll remember that for tomorrow"
"Your order's here, boys"
The ostrich walked back out to the dining area. She carried a large silver tray with several dishes placed on top.
The boys cleared their stuff off the table, watching as the ostrich neatly set down every dish. The teapot was white with yellow trim and a teal swirl pattern. The calming smell of green tea seeped from the lid.
The three red and blue bowls were filled with rich miso broth, tender hocho dumplings, finely chopped shiitake mushrooms, and steamed carrots neatly cut into little stars.
All three matching plates had large chunks of fried tempura-style meat, a bed of shredded cucumber and cabbage underneath, and a small container of dark brown sauce.
The ostrich bowed
"Enjoy your meal"
"We will, thank you"
Tank nodded.
The purple ostrich smiled and walked back to the counter, waiting on more customers to come by.
"Let's eat, guys!" Tank declared.
The boys grabbed their chopsticks and dug into their meals. All the flavors and textures blended together perfectly; the saltiness of the broth, savoriness of the dumplings and toriten, and the hint of sweetness in the ponzu sauce. The pickled ginger and warm green tea made great palette cleansers between each bite.
After clearing off their meal, the boys sighed in relief. They paid for their meal, then headed back into the rural town.
The boys walked through the dirt roads, looking for anything that caught their eye. The sun slowly set behind them. They stopped nearby a large crater. Something brightly sparkled in the middle.
"Huh, I wonder what's in there" Kidd pointed at the crater.
"Probably something cool"
Tank looked over. "We should race for it"
"Oh heck yeah!"
Benedict bounced in his spot. "Let's go!"
The boys stepped backwards, then raced into the crater with a huge leap. They dug around for what was sparkling so bright. Tank brushed some dirt off the middle and pulled out a pretty stone. The stone was bright teal and had a light colored star sparkling in the middle. Hey, he's seen this stone one before back in Rustboro City; a Dawn Stone!
"Hey, Benedict!"
Tank called out. "Can you get Makoto out for me?"
"Huh? Sure!"
Benedict grabbed a Poke Ball and released Makoto. The psychic type Pokemon twirled closer to his trainer's friend.
"Kir?"
Makoto tilted his head to the left.
Tank showed the Pokemon the stone he found
"So, Makoto, what do you think of this Dawn Stone?"
Makoto looked down at the stone. He held a hand up to his chin, thinking deeply about the stone. It looked very pretty, but he just didn't feel any connection to the hunk of rock. He looked back up, closed his eyes and shook his head.
"Kirlia"
"Oh, I get it,"
Tank awkwardly chuckled. "You'd rather evolve into a Gardevoir, wouldn't you?"
"Kirl!"
Makoto clasped his hands together and nodded.
"In that case" Tank placed the stone away in his backpack.
"I'll save it in case you change your mind, alright?"
"Kirl-ia!"
Makoto spun in his spot before skipping back to his trainer.
Benedict returned his Pokemon to his ball, then dug around the rest of the crater. Dirt blew into his face.
Kidd kept an eye out for anyone coming their way.
"Um, guys?" he called out. "It's starting to get dark!"
"Already?!"
Tank gasped in surprise.
"Well, guess we should call it a night"
Benedict said as he climbed out of the crater. "We can always check out the rest of this here town tomorrow!"
The other two boys nodded in agreement. They already had a whirlwind of a day on Route 113.
The boys walked into the Pokemon Center and got their Pokemon healed for the day. They checked into a guest room and walked inside. Yep, this was standard Pokemon Center lodging. Tank and Kidd each grabbed a bed, while Benedict called dibs on the futon sofa.
The night passed through without any problems; no intruders, pesky wild Pokemon or other trainers knocking for a space…
Morning came. Benedict woke up first. He looked around the room; yep, everything's in place as it should be. He tied his hair back then turned his Rotom Phone back on. He heard some unusual noises; loud coughing and violent wheezing. That's odd, he thought.
Everyone was pretty healthy just yesterday. Maybe it was the ash and smoke from Route 113, maybe it was the food they ate. "No, wait, I ate the same thing last night", Benedict shook his head as he thought to himself. He had to think quick of what could cause this…..
Benedict rolled off the bed. He threw his hoodie back on and stepped over all the clothes scattered on the floor.
"Tank?" he called out. "Are y'all alright?"
The bird stopped near the bed closer to the window. He flinched in disgust from what he saw.
Tank was curled up under the covers, coughing up a storm. His face was flushed while snot dripped from his nose. A puddle of sweat formed underneath his body and onto the sheets.
Benedict stepped back
"What the heck?!" he asked.
Tank looked up with dreary eyes
"Benedict…" he coughed out, his voice growing harsher "It's too hot in here, will you pleaaaaase turn the fan on"
"Um, sure?"
Benedict walked over to the light switch and switched the fan on.
"Th-thank you" Tank wheezed before covering his head with the bedsheet.
Benedict shrugged.
"No problem" he walked into the bathroom and stepped backwards from what he saw this time.
Kidd was on his knees, elbows placed on the toilet. His chin looked slightly wet while he looked utterly exhausted. His hair was a complete mess, while his eyes were slightly puffy. Several blankets were tightly wrapped around his body, yet he shivered like he was thrown in an ice lake.
"Uh, Kidd, can y'all please move for a sec?" Benedict pointed at him. "I, uh, gotta drain the snake"
Kidd rolled his eyes
"No" he snapped. "If you need to go SO badly, Benedict, just use the sink and leave me alone!"
Benedict facepalmed
"Kidd, all I asked for you is to move for five minutes! Please?"
"And why should I have to do THAT?! News flash, Benedict, I've been puking AND freezing my ass off since five in the morning" Kidd snarled. "Oh noooo my friend is literally dying! I better inconvenience him for my own selfish little needs! That's what YOU sound like right now you—"
Kidd retched before throwing up again.
Benedict facepalmed and cringed from the smell. Why did Kidd have to be such a whiny little priss right now! At least Tank wasn't this snappy over a little illness…
After taking care of business in the sink, Benedict washed his hands, stormed out of the bathroom and walked to the main door
"I'll be right back guys!" he hollered. "Try not to kill each other!"
He walked down the hallway and down the stairs. The Pokemon Center was nearly empty. He stopped at Nurse Shizue's counter
"Um, 'scuse me, miss?" Benedict placed his hands in his hoodie. "I, uh, got a quick question"
"Oh, yes what is it?"
Nurse Shizue tilted her head, her comically large bun falling over on its side.
"I know y'all mostly work with Pokemon but uh" Benedict blushed slightly. "I ain't from here, an' I have no clue what to do 'bout a sick trainer"
"A sick trainer?" Nurse Shizue folded her paws together. "Well, in bigger cities, yes there is service. But in a town as small as Fallarbor, our services are limited to Pokemon. But, I can give you the number for a local doctor if you wish"
"Sure, that'd help out" Benedict pulled his Rotom Phone out and handed it over. He watched as she quickly tapped in the number.
"And if you need anything else, just give me a holler"
Nurse Shizue smiled as she handed the phone back.
"I will, thanks!" Benedict placed his phone back in his pocket. He headed back upstairs to room 204, unlocked the door and walked back in.
Kidd was sitting next to the futon sofa, shivering and death glaring at his friend.
"Real nice of you to ditch us" he snarked, wrapping himself tighter under the blankets. "I LOVE staying in here and puking my guts out"
"I didn't ditch either of y'all!"
Benedict yelled. "And I need both a y'all to keep quiet while I call a doctor in!"
"Whatever"
Kidd rolled his eyes.
Benedict facepalmed. He stormed into the bathroom, locked the door and pulled his phone out. He called the number Nurse Shizue gave him. The phone rang three times before someone picked up
"Fallarbor medical services, how can I help you?"
a calm male voice asked.
"Yeah, uh, hi" Benedict explained. "Both my friends got sick overnight. One of them's burnin' up, the other's freezing and constantly puking. What time can y'all come by?"
"Hmm…" the voice sighed on the other end. "I can come by in thirty minutes. Where are you currently located?"
"The Pokemon Center, second floor, room 204" Benedict quickly explained.
"Sounds good, see you then"
the voice quickly cut off, ending the call.
Benedict sighed in relief, but not before hearing puking outside. He unlocked the door and stormed back into the main room. Well, at least Kidd made it in the trash can this time.
The next thirty minutes felt like hours. Benedict dug around in everyones' bags for anything that could help. He found some Potions and Antidotes, but facepalmed once he realized that was Pokemon medicine. Unless… He opened up a potion and took a sip, then gagged and coughed from the rancid taste. He put the Pokemon medicine away and kept digging around. He looked over his shoulder; huh, Kidd went back to the bathroom, what a surprise. What was he going to do now…
Another animal knocked on the door. Benedict sighed in relief and ran towards the door, opening up for the visitor.
A short black frog stood in front of him. His skin was decorated with curious yellow spots. He wore a white surgical mask and clean doctor's uniform, and he carried a small red bag in both arms.
"Oh, good morning Mr. Sussex" the frog bowed in his spot. "I'm Dr. Raddle Corroboree"
"Morning doc" Benedict waved. "So, um, I ain't sure how both my friends got sick overnight"
"Overnight, you say?"
Raddle walked inside then closed the door.
"I know, sounds pretty weird, doesn't it?"
the bird sighed. "I know it ain't food poisonin', 'cause we all ate the same thing last night. Some dumplins an' soup at Forest Life"
"I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for everything"
Raddle reassured him.
Tank poked his horn out of the blankets. He harshly coughed
"C-can I help you with something?"
Raddle set his bag down near the bed
"Yes. Your friend called me in. Would you mind telling me your symptoms?"
Tank sighed and weakly nodded
"I feel like I'm on fire, my throat is" he broke out into yet another coughing fit. "…like that. I'm sweating up a storm, and I don't want to get out of bed"
Raddle quickly wrote down everything
"Hmm…."
He adjusted his mask.
"Do you mind if I get your temperature?"
Tank coughed again, flinching from all the phlegm rising in his throat
"….okay"
Raddle kneeled down and opened his medical bag. He pulled a blue and white thermometer out.
"Alright, can you open up?"
Tank weakly nodded, staying still as the frog placed the thermometer under his tongue. After a minute, the small device beeped.
Raddle gently took the thermometer out and frowned as he cleaned off the thermometer
"Hmm…thirty-eight degrees Celsius. Just a small fever"
"And where's your other friend?"
Raddle asked Benedict this time.
"Inside the bathroom, but I gotta warn y'all, he's a little aggressive"
Benedict pointed at the door.
"Oh come on, surely he's not that aggressive" Raddle chuckled before heading into the bathroom.
Kidd was still crouched down near the toilet. He snarled
"Can I fucking help you?!"
"Yes, um, I'm Dr. Corroboree. Your friend called me in"
Raddle tried to explain himself.
Kidd rolled his eyes
"So he called a doctor in? Yippee-dee-doo, that's what I need, someone jabbing and poking me like I'm some science experiment in a terrible B-movie"
Raddle grimaced behind his mask
"Well, can you tell me everything going on?"
"If I do, will you go away?"
Kidd crossed his arms.
"Um…..yes?" Raddle pulled out his notepad again to write. He shook his head in disappointment.
"Fine!" Kidd turned his chin up.
"Let's see….. No matter WHAT I do I'm still freezing, I've puked at least nine times. Oh yeah, my eyes are burning up, and I'm too tired to even get up from the floor but I can't fall back asleep. Are you done yet?!"
"I see…"
Raddle finished writing in his notepad. "Do you mind if I get your temperature?"
"What? YES I mind!" Kidd snapped. "I'd rather not get brain damage from some doc stabbing me in the ears with a thermometer!"
Raddle facepalmed
"The thermometer goes in your mouth."
Kidd huffed and turned his chin up
"If that thing makes me throw up, you're cleaning it up, alright?"
Raddle sighed behind his mask. He checked for the temperature— same minute, same beeps, but…"Huh. Thirty five degrees celsius"
"Well, thank you for all that. I'm going to talk with your friend now"
Raddle took a deep breath in and walked out of the bathroom.
He closed the door and sat down on the couch
"So"
Benedict sat on the empty bed. "What exactly are they dealin' with?" He chuckled. "It's just a cold, right?"
The room stayed quiet except for the humming fan and faint coughing.
"Right?"
Raddle frowned behind his mask
"Believe me, Benedict, I wish it was just a cold. But after checking all the symptoms, it looks like your friends caught Dogarvirus and Betbevirus"
"Now what in the heck is that?!" Benedict asked.
Raddle handed him the notepad
"Well, they're two separate variants of the common Dokuvirus. It's an infection that occurs after elongated exposure to wild Poison-type Pokemon"
"Is that all? Just some poison types?" Benedict asked. "I mean, when we were travelin' through the Fiery Path, we did run into some wild Grimer and Koffing. Well, Tank and I saw the Koffing, Kidd dealt with some Grimer"
"Yes, that'll do it" Raddle nodded. "We get a lot of cases here from trainers who visited that path. Fortunately, these infections tend to go away after a few days with proper treatment"
"That ain't too bad"
Benedict sighed in relief. "So, what kinda treatment do I gotta get 'em?"
"It's very simple, Benedict" Raddle took the notepad down and scribbled on it. "Well the biggest thing is to get your one friend's fever down. As for your other friend, make sure he's hydrated. Trust me, you do not want to mess with dehydration"
"Anythin' else?"
Benedict asked.
Raddle nodded and finished writing
"Yes, there is."He ripped a piece of paper off and handed it over
"Here's a list of medicine you'll need to get. If I were you I'd also look into hot tea, some broth-based soup, and of course, plenty of water"
"Thanks" Benedict glanced over the paper; alright, looks like stuff he can make a quick Poke Mart trip for. Easy enough, he thought.
Raddle packed everything back into his bag
"If you need anything else" he said as he walked to the door. "Just give me a call"
"Sure thing!" Benedict waved, watching as the door was shut.
He looked back at his phone; hold up, how is it only 9:15 AM?! Well, at least he wasn't the one sick with some Pokemon virus.
The next hour passed, the room staying silent except for loud coughing and gagging.
Benedict looked over at the list he was given. But if he went to get the goods, he'd have to leave everyone behind... Hey, wait a minute!
He grabbed a Poke Ball and released Makoto from his ball.
"Kirrrr-lia!" Makoto trilled as he spun a pirouette.
The bird placed a wing on his Pokemon's shoulder
"Makoto, can y'all do me a huge favor?" he asked.
"Kir?" Makoto held his hands together.
"Y'all see, Makoto" Benedict explained. "Our friends are sick, and I gotta run to the Poke Mart for some stuff. Can y'all keep the fort down while I go there?"
"Kirrr-lia!"
The psychic-type cooed and nodded twice.
"That's what I like to hear!" Benedict high fived his Pokemon. He threw his backpack on and yelled to his friends
"Alright y'all, I'm headin' out for a couple minutes!"
"Don't leave me!" Tank begged.
Benedict headed into the Poke Mart. The bell ringed loudly above the door. He looked down at the list; alright, let's get medicine first. He ran into one of the aisles in the back. He piled up on everything the medicine list called for; nausea-reducing medicine, cough syrup in both day and night varieties, and of course, the ibuprofen.
His wings were full as he walked down the aisle, looking around for a handcart. He kept walking until he crashed into somebody else, accidentally knocking everything down on the floor. Well, at least everything was closed up tightly, he thought as he kneeled down to pick up his stuff.
The other animal gasped and snapped
"Watch where you're GOING, you filthy Unovan!"
Benedict grabbed everything he dropped off the floor. He looked up and glared, greaaaaat,
just the animal of the hour.
Raymond adjusted his glasses and sneered
"Aww did your stupid little friends finally abandon you?"
"If y'all gotta know, Raymond" Benedict rolled his eyes. "They're sick, an' I'm the only one who can get their stuff. What are you doing here?"
"Oh, nothing important" Raymond scoffed. "Just getting everything I need to win my next contest. But, I won't be here long" he smiled "Knowing that Kidd's too sick to compete, I can win this contest without any effort"
"Um, good for you?"
Benedict had no idea what else to say.
"Hmph" Raymond scoffed. "Whatever, I don't need blind praise from some uncultured Unovan like yourself"
he stormed out of the Poke Mart.
Benedict sighed in relief once Raymond left his sight. He grabbed several more things; a six-pack of noodle soup, a box of lemon mint tea bags, two boxes of tissues, and a pack of patterned scrunchies for himself.
He walked up to the counter, still carrying everything in his arms. The tea box rocked back and forth, on the edge of falling off.
The Poke Mart clerk, a tall green bear with brown curly hair, laughed
"Need a bag?" she asked.
"No, just two more arms would be fine."
Benedict snarked before snorting in laughter. He set everything down on the counter and paid for it all.
After everything was bagged up, he headed back to the Pokemon Center.
The next several hours drained Benedict of all his energy; running back and forth to boil the tea, heat up the soup, turn the fan on, get the pills and water, now turn the fan off. Well, at least Makoto could help out with double tasking, but even Pokemon had their limits. Benedict returned Makoto to his ball a few hours in.
Finally, Tank and Kidd were asleep.
Benedict gathered his stuff up. He checked the time; geez, dark already at eight thirty PM?! He threw his backpack on, left the room, and stormed outside of the Pokemon Center. He stood in front of a small cliff and glared at it. Everything was building up inside- the stress, the lack of breaks, the lack of a single "thank you". Tank kept breaking out coughing, unable to say a word, while Kidd would not stop snarking. But was a simple "thank you" too much to even ask for?!
He gathered up a pile of rocks, then threw each rock at the cliff. One rock bounced off the surface and smacked him in the forehead.
"Ouch…"
Benedict sat down on a flat rock and winced from the pain. He tried to fight back tears as the pain throbbed against his forehead. The bird buried his face in his elbows, trembling as he tried not to cry from the stinging.
"You okay?!"
a voice called out.
Benedict looked up to see who was yelling; oh hey, it's just Frank!
"No" he sighed. "No, I'm not!"
Frank cautiously walked closer to the smaller bird. He sat down next to the rock.
"You, um, want to talk about it?"
"Sure." Benedict took a deep breath in and ranted
"This day's been awful! It started with my friends getting sick with Dokuvirus"
"Dokuvirus, huh?" Frank lit up a cigarette before putting it in his beak. "That sucks"
Benedict continued his tirade
"Yeah, it does. I just had no idea how EXHAUSTING it was. I know they can't help being sick and all, but I feel like nothing I do is WORKING! All the medicine I gotta get, running back and forth in the same spot in the Pokemon Center for hours and HOURS. Turn the fan on, leave the fan off, the soup's too hot, now it's too cold. The tea's too bitter, now it's too sweet, it's the wrong brand. I know it takes time to get better, but. I just. I just—"
"I JUST FEEL HELPLESS, FRANK!"
Benedict stood back up, his eyes bloodshot and puffy from all the stress. His hair was a greasy mess, strands flying into his eyes and hanging limp against his shoulders
He grabbed Frank by the coat collar and heaved.
"No matter what I do, I feel like I can't do ONE SINGLE THING RIGHT! Even with having my Pokemon by my side, I CAN'T DO IT! For cryin' out loud, I feel like a selfish little prick just for being out here! And I know I deserve this! I got hit with a rock, and this is what I get for having the nerve to think about myself once all day. I DON'T KNOW HOW ANYONE CAN DEAL WITH THIS. FOR ARCEUS' SAKE I NEVER GOT THANKED ONCE TODAY! And...and..."
Frank stood up and glared. He moved Benedict's wings off his coat
"Benedict. Take a deep breath in. Now"
Benedict gulped. He sighed before taking several deep breaths in and out. His body shook as he tried to mentally stay together
"Sorry y'all gotta see me like this…"
"Trust me" Frank assured him. "I'd be stressed off my ass too if I dealt with two sick animals at once. You're not the only one who's been stuck there before"
Benedict sniffled
"Y- you mean it?"
"Of course" Frank explained. "Look, I think I know what your problem is. You're overwhelmed, and clearly you feel helpless because of it"
Benedict sat back down
"Yeah. Kinda obvious, ain't it?"
Frank patted him on the upper back
"Heck, I've been in that boat before. Had some friends get sick that week, Apollo and I bounced back and forth streets just to make sure they'd get better. And believe me, I felt much better having him by my side"
"Then how come y'all don't talk to him much anymore?" Benedict asked. "I mean, he told me y'all two were close"
Frank sighed. This was not the time to tell him what happened.
"You know what, Benedict?" he told him. "When I saw you break down, you actually reminded me of me"
He pulled out a small white plastic keychain shaped like a Croagunk. He squeezed the keychain tightly in his wing
"I lost someone close to me, and it hurt. It still hurts, but I had to bottle everything up. I just. couldn't take it. Heck, I was so close to losing it, I was tempted to run off into Meteor Falls and leap off the waterfall. But something stopped me"
Benedict tensed up
"So, what stopped y'all"
Frank finished his cigarette, then put it out on the side of the rock
"Well, I saw another animal, and that was my sign that it wasn't too late, maybe reach out to them. And then? I did"
"Another animal?" Benedict asked, crossing his wings. "What're they like?"
"Well" Frank explained. "He's another bird. Long red hair. Impulsive but a good heart. A funny Unovan accent"
Benedict chuckled a little
"Y'all don't mean—"
"Yeah" Frank flashed a rare smile. He placed a wing on Benedict's shoulder "It's you. And believe me, I feel a lot better after this"
"Y'know what?" Benedict smiled back. "I feel a lot better too. And yknow what? I think I'd feel better 'bout my friends being sick, if I did have someone by me"
"I've got your back" Frank nodded. "Just show me where everyone's at"
"Of course!"
Benedict got back up. The two birds walked through the quiet roads of Fallarbor Town, staying silent as they made it back to the Pokemon Center. With a new resolve, they were ready to fix their own problems.