Carrie felt refreshed. A night spent in Celestic Town did wonders for her. Her tent and clothes had been washed. She got a decent shower in. Supplies were restocked as well. Everyone's Pokémon were healed too.
"I guess we head back to the mountain?" Carrie asked as they left the Pokémon center.
"May as well. We still have to get to Hearthome City," Skylar replied.
Carrie gave him a look. "I thought you were going to Orebrugh?"
Skylar suddenly blushed. "W-well, I figured traveling through Mount Coronet it's better to have more people. Safety in numbers."
Esper nodded in agreement. "Absolutely. It'd be too dangerous just us two Carrie. Plus we need to start training if we want to battle Fantina and we haven't really done so. The more we have the better it'll be."
"It's good I'm coming with you three!"
They turned to see Zeyno walking out of the Pokémon center. Her Meganium walked behind her with a pleasant look on his face.
"Zeyno?" Esper questioned.
"You want to come with us?" Skylar asked doubtfully.
"Why?" Carrie turned fully to face the girl. Second years usually didn't travel with first years. Usually, but Zeyno seemed way above the grade of a second year.
"Like you said, safety in numbers. Plus I need to battle Fantina again. Plus I want to battle you." Zeyno pointed a finger at Carrie.
"M-me? Why?" Carrie felt her cheek scar burn. Her whole face went red.
"I want to see your skill set. I have a good understanding of this guy," she jerked a thumb at Skylar. "And she doesn't interest me. You do."
"A-alright," Carrie said a bit shyly.
"Hey, if you don't want to then you don't have to," Esper told her.
"No, I should. I need to prove myself."
Esper nodded.
"Right now sound good to you? We still have the Pokémon center and we won't disturb any wild Pokémon."
Carrie nodded. "I agree. We can use the fields behind the Pokémon center."
Zeyno agreed and they went behind the center to use one of the practice fields. Skylar sat on a bench while Esper gave Carrie a pep talk.
"Listen, she's going to be way more knowledgeable. You worked with Candice so you have some techniques from her. But Zeyno will be on another level than myself or Skylar. You got this. I believe in you," Esper said with a smile. She gently squeezed Carrie's shoulder as a sign of support and made her way to the bench.
"Two on two, single, no substitutions. We can decide when our Pokémon are unable to battle."
"I agree," Carrie called out.
Zeyno nodded and let Meganium walk forward. He bellowed out and gave a menacing glare. Carrie shivered and called out her Sneasel.
"Alright Nox, don't underestimate Zeyno and her Meganium. He's really strong."
Zeyno called across the field. "You have the first move!" She adjusted her bandana and made sure her prosthetic arm was secure.
This was going to be fun.
"Nox, quick attack into ice punch! Evade if you need to!"
Nox nodded and swiftly made his way over to Meganium. He just stood there.
"Reflect!"
A pink barrier washed over Meganium's body a second before Nox hit him with an ice punch. The attack hit but didn't seem to phase Meganium.
"Shit," Carrie muttered.
"Ice shard! Then night slash!"
Nox launched a barrage of small ice chunks that clattered off of Meganium like nothing. He then slashed at Meganium's legs with claws dripping dark energy. The third hit managed to cut through the barrier and Meganium raised his leg in pain.
"Relax. Use vine whip then body slam." Zeyno calmly ran a hand through her hair.
Meganium nodded and quickly grabbed Nox with two vines. He dragged him back underneath him and then let his full weight crush into Nox.
"Nox! Oh shit, use ice beam!"
Nox unleashed a blast of ice energy which seemed to interact normally with Meganium who howled in pain.
"Interesting. Toss him then use toxic!"
"Carrie is outmatched here. Zeyno isn't even doing anything technical or complex and Carrie is struggling."
Skylar noted as he watched.
Esper hated to agree with him, but what Skylar said was right. She was floundering. Usually she managed to just overpower opponents which worked when she was a gym trainer. But, that opened her up to being outmaneuvered.
Zeyno had total control in the battle.
"Cut it up with night slash then use quick attack into ice punch!"
Nox nodded and used his claws to disperse the toxic. As he landed he dashed quickly at Meganium. His fist became icy, but then his whole body became an icy figure. He slammed into Meganium who let out another roar of pain.
"Oh that's interesting!" Zeyno felt herself get excited. Maybe Carrie wasn't so bad after all. She seemed to think quickly.
"Meganium, use vine whip under the ground then use Synthesis!" Meganium nodded and began to heal himself as he used several vines to tear up the field. Going from even ground to an aerated field that was lumpy and craggy.
"Zen," Carrie said to herself. Nox returned to her side of the field as Meganium was nearly healthy again.
"Alright Nox, use-"
"Use energy ball then grass knot!" Zeyno said with a snap of her finger.
Meganium quickly launched a green orb at Nox who barely managed to escape. However, he couldn't escape the large blades of grass that tied him down. All his struggles were for nothing.
"Ice punch! Break them!" Nox quickly used ice punch to try to break the grass. When one blade was destroyed, two more took their place.
"Alright Meganium, use grass pledge!"
The leaves on the ground began to glow as they formed a tight pillar. They flattened down and spread under Nox. They exploded into a frenzy of leaves and grass that unleashed an incredible amount of damage.
Nox somehow survived but was breathing heavily.
"Nox, buddy, you can't," Carrie said. She felt tears form in her eyes at seeing her Pokémon be completely overpowered.
The Sneasel shook his head and turned to face Meganium who yawned.
"I'm deciding Nox is unfit to battle. He's taken too much damage." Carrie then recalled Nox.
"Admirable. It's good to know better than your Pokémon. That's what makes you the trainer and leader of your team. If you want them to get better, they must believe in you and your judgment. Call your next one."
Carrie nodded and let out a shaky breath.
"She's going to use Froslass, isn't she?" Skylar asked as he crossed his legs. He straightened his pant legs.
"Most likely. Snover won't be able to do much damage, and that's if he even decides to listen to her. And that other Pokémon she has…"
Skylar formed a scowl on his face and straightened his gray suit.
"That thing is a monstrosity. It isn't natural."
Esper clicked her tongue as she saw Froslass appear on the field.
"I disagree. It's a Pokémon. I don't know what specifically it is, or how Carrie even got it."
Skylar scoffed. "It looks like it was made in a lab. Have you seen it up close? It's made of nightmares."
Esper glared at him. A blizzard attack had been used as the temperature plummeted.
"No, it's a real being. We'll talk to her about it once Zeyno leaves. The less people know, the better."
Skylar simply huffed. "Fine, but if you ask me, she needs to have it investigated. Pokémon like that…they're dangerous. You saw how it was able to manage against a raging Kommo-o."
An ice beam flew over their heads as Carrie cursed out loud. Esper internally lauded Carrie for doing better with Froslass. Meganium actually looked like he was trying.
"Maybe so. You could be nicer to her. I know things started rocky with you two, but she's making an effort."
"Is she?" He raised an eyebrow. A stray solar beam blew up a tree as Zeyno chastised her Meganium for being careless.
"I think so. She's quick to defend herself and put up a wall. We got off right so we're good."
"We'll see what happens. For now though, we're on okay terms."
Esper scoffed. "If this is you two on okay terms, I'd hate to see you both actually fight."
Skylar flicked his hair. "She shouldn't pick fights if she can't win. Like right now."
Esper simply brushed off his comment but then realized he was right.
Various parts of the field were frozen and Meganium legs were frozen in place. He had shown in his battle against Sneasel that he didn't need to move much to be efficient.
"Alright Meganium, grass pledge siphon!"
Carrie licked her lips. Moonya looked worse for wear. Part of her dress had singed from a solar beam and she was barely maintaining her flight.
A grass pledge began to form. As it exploded underneath her, Carrie called for a protect. Thankfully it worked as tendrils formed from the explosion to use a giga drain but Moonya was quick.
"Blizzard!" The temperature plummeted again as small rays of ice began to strike Meganium as they grew in size and power.
"Okay," Zeyno clapped her hands. "Sunny day." Meganium raised his head up and launched an orange orb out of his throat. The sun began to shine brighter and helped the temperature rise and melt the ice.
"Solar beam. Aim and fire."
Meganium used his petals to gather even more energy and quickly launched a green bean at Moonya who couldn't dodge. She took a direct hit and flew back from the explosion.
"Moonya!" Carrie called out and chased down her partner.
Skylar and Esper winced. That was a brutal hit.
"Moonya it's okay. You're done, we're done. It's okay." Carrie returned her partner to her Pokéball and wiped away tears. She looked up at Zeyno who was praising her Meganium. Carrie felt anger rise in her.
"Don't you think that was dangerous?"
"Battles come with that cost. They have consequences. I'm gauging your power. She survived, didn't she? She didn't even faint. Your Froslass is powerful now, but train her right and she'll be unstoppable. At my level, you have to be a bit reckless. Not every trainer shows the care you and I do. You will find dangerous people who won't hesitate to punch without restraint."
Zeyno offered a hand to Carrie. She looked at it and tentatively shook it.
"Look, I'm not trying to be an ass. Being strong takes a lot of strength. Not just physically, but mentally. You have to go above and beyond. Risks have to be taken."
Carrie nodded. "I guess so. I just hate seeing any of my Pokémon hurt."
Zeyno smiled but Carrie couldn't tell. "As do I. That's why I train them to be strong. Meganium is my partner and ace. I keep my whole team to his level though. No one is left behind and we can be prepared for most confrontations."
Carrie nodded letting the words sink in. "How many badges do you have?"
"Eight," Zeyno nonchalantly said.
Carrie balked. "Eight? You've been to the conference."
"Yep! Got past preliminaries and made it to top 64."
"Wow."
"Hey, chin up. For a first year you're pretty good. I've heard you were a gym trainer under Candice. You learned some things from her. Traveling will have you grow far more than being confined to her gym. Here," Zeyno held out her cell phone.
"What for?"
"I want your number. We can communicate and I can give pointers. Before I go, do you want to see another one of my Pokémon?"
Carrie nodded as she typed in her phone number into Zeyno's phone.
"Alright," she said with a smile. She went to her belt and grabbed the last Pokéball on it. She tossed it several yards away as an elegant yet intimidating Ninetales appeared. This one has blue fur that crystallized the air around it. Big gray eyes looked up at Carrie before it began to clean itself licking it's leg.
"My Arceus!" Carrie said with wide eyes. "How did you find an Alolan Ninetales?"
"I've been to Alola before. Don't you remember our interrogation yesterday?" Zeyno grinned as she sent a text to Carrie's phone. Skylar and Esper made their way over as Carrie fawned over the newly seen ice type who relished the attention.
"Wasn't that solar beam a bit overkill?" Esper questioned with venom.
"Maybe it's tough love? She is powerful. Carrie could learn," Skylar said with a shrug.
"This is why I like Esper and not you," Carrie said as she stuck out her tongue.
Zeyno pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Are we children?"
"I mean technically? We are all teenagers."
Zeyno sighed. "You're right. I started my journey late when I was twenty. Here I am now in the middle of teenagers squabbling. How did it come to this?" She said dramatically.
Esper smiled. "You get used to it."
"I guess so. I don't miss being a teenager at all."
"It is…interesting to watch them."
Carrie had sent a rather sharp insult at Skylar who actually seemed upset by it.
"Ah shit. I'm sorry," Carrie apologized.
"They seem to grow though."
"They have their moments," Esper sighed out. She walked toward the two with a more serious demeanor.
"Carrie, we need to talk. Let's go to the Pokémon center so your Pokémon can heal."
Carrie looked shocked and immediately ran inside the Pokémon center. The trio followed her and by the time they got to her Nurse Joy had taken away her Pokémon to be treated.
"Is your Meganium okay?" Carrie asked nervously.
"Yeah he'll survive. He's been through worse."
Esper cleared her throat, interrupting. "Carrie, we need to talk about your…other Pokémon."
Carrie stiffened. Zeyno seemed intrigued. "A hidden Pokémon? I'd love to see it."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Yes you do. Before you even ask, if Zeyno is going to travel with us through one of the most dangerous areas of Sinnoh, I think she has a right to know too."
Carrie internally cursed. "Okay, alright. Let's go to our room so I can show you all."
They walked away from the counter and into an elevator. Carrie felt anxiety ball in her stomach as Skylar tapped a finger on his elbow. A ding notified them that they were on their floor and they went to Carrie's room in silence. It was deafening.
"Alright, let me release them so you can properly meet."
Carrie dug out Boreas' Pokéball and released the Type:Null into the room. It took up all the free space so they sat on a bed.
"What the fuck dude," Zeyno said. Boreas dipped their head in shame.
"They're…something," Skylar said, more perturbed than ever.
"Hey! Be nice! Boreas is a sweetheart," Carrie said in defense and began to pet them.
"They do seem docile now. But in battle? This thing is a monster." Esper was a bit shaky in her words. Now that she could inspect Boreas for herself…they were nothing like she'd ever seen. An amalgamation of different species into one body with their head locked in a cage. A shame. There was an energy emitted from Boreas that almost seemed like it was seeping out like small streams from a dam waiting to burst.
"Their species name is Type:Null," Carrie started off slowly. The normal type put their massive head in Carrie's lap who began to rub their neck.
"Their typing is normal. I don't know how to evolve them or if they even can evolve. But apparently my mom found them in Alola," Carrie continued.
"Alola?" Zeyno perked up.
"Yes. She gave them to me to protect me while I was gone. I see them as my own."
Zeyno thought about what Carrie said. It almost reminded her of a friend that she had.
"It is rather a force to be reckoned with," Skylar said quietly. He kept a brave face during the exchange.
"I haven't been using them in battle because of their strength and because of their…lack of information makes it hard to gauge how they'll act and how other trainers will react. I don't want Boreas to be taken."
Esper nodded a bit solemnly. "We'll make sure Boreas isn't taken."
"I trust you more than anyone else to take care of…them," Skylar said.
Zeyno pulled down her bandana to hang around her neck. "If anyone wants to hunt this sweet thing they'll have to get through me and my squad."
Carrie smiled and began to tear up. "You all are too sweet. Even you Skylar, you have your moments."
The blond teen scoffed.
They spent a few more minutes looking over Type:Null. Skylar noted he needed to leave to start his nighttime routine and left. Zeyno eventually followed. Esper shared her room with Carrie but had decided to take a shower. Carrie kept Boreas out to enjoy some more time with them. She groomed them, told stories, and tried to show her love for them. Spruce was kept inside his Pokéball albeit he was most likely asleep. Tomorrow she'd be getting Nox and Moonya back from Nurse Joy. She knew her Froslass would be sour from the crushing loss to Zeyno's Meganium.
"You know Boreas, eventually I am going to start using you in battle."
The normal type perked their head up and their tail began to wag.
"Yep! You're too strong to not show off. Although, Moonya might be jealous." Both of them snickered.
Carrie let out a sigh and looked up at the ceiling as Boreas lay their head in her lap.
"It's hard trying to be open with them, you know? Skylar is…Skylar," Boreas growled at his name. "Zeyno is too new. Esper? I feel like I can be open with her but I still can't. I'm trying to be better but fuck is it hard. I always keep a wall up to prevent getting hurt."
Boreas let out a small whine. Carrie gently scratched their shoulder.
"I know. Making friends is hard. It seems so easy but forming that connection is hard. I still can't let go of how Skylar first reacted to you and me. I hadn't felt…shattered like that in a long time. I'm trying to accept my scars but when there's a visceral reaction like to them it brings me back to being a kid. Then of course he had to go an insult you." Boreas growled again.
"I know you don't like him. I'm trying to but he can be such an ass."
Boreas maneuvered their head so their massive headgear wouldn't bother Carrie.
"What do you think of Esper?"
Boreas thought for a minute. On the hand she seemed nice, yet Boreas could tell she was hiding something.
"Yeah, me too. She isn't telling me the whole story."
Boreas let out another whine and a growl.
"I do not!" Carrie blushed intensely. She could Boreas was happy with themselves for that one.
"Alright. How about we go walk outside? I need fresh air." Boreas jumped up and wagged their tail. Carrie needed some cool air on her face to relax after Boreas' comment.
Carrie smiled as clouds ran over the stars like small blankets. The slim moon cast a small glow on the gray clouds. A cool breeze swept over the duo as they walked through Celestic Town. The cold mountain air caused Carrie to huddle closer to Boreas.
"This is nice, isn't it? We should do this more often."
Boreas nodded as Carrie zipped up her white parka. Her hands were stuffed in her pockets as they carefully walked through the town. Street lights were on but buildings were dark. The town had gone to sleep except for Carrie and her Type:Null.
Another breeze swept through. It was different this time. Carrie felt her instincts go fire. Boreas growled and got defensive. Suddenly a figure appeared in the middle of the street before them.
"You!" She called out to the cloaked figure. Two green eyes poked out from the darkness. Boreas jumped in front of her.
The figure didn't say anything as it slowly looked up at Carrie. The two stared at each other. The hackles on Boreas were raised straight up.
"What do you want?"
"The same thing you do." It's voice piercing through the night. Carrie felt her skin crawl but she mustered up courage.
"You know about Chien-Pao?" Carrie gasped. "Tell me what you know!" She took a step forward.
The air changed. It became oppressive. A Corviknight had appeared in front of the cloaked figure.
"N-no!" Carrie took a step back. The sound of gusts of wind filled her ears. Boreas took a step forward growling fiercely.
"You don't know what or who you are messing with! Impudent child, you do not know the truth about Chien-Pao! You think you can make demands of me? That I'll listen to you? You've earned no right to order me around, girl!" The figure spoke sternly. The Corviknight clacked it's beak as it walked closer to Carrie. The sound of wind got increasingly louder as it got closer.
Carrie felt herself tighten up. She tried to remain strong as her breathing became rapid.
"Why are you," a deep breath, "looking for Chien-Pao? Is it real?"
"It's very real. It isn't the only one of its kind either. Like those in Alola, there's a group that Chien-Pao is associated with. I will reclaim it and all of them! You will not get in my way!" The entity took another step towards Carrie who backed up. Boreas took a step back with her as Corviknight began to nip at Type:Null. The normal type swung its head piece to defend themself and Carrie.
"Leave them alone! Why are you hunting Chien-Pao?" Carrie balked internally as the Corviknight glared at her. It raised its wings and she screamed.
Flashbacks to a horrible day. Pecking, tearing, scratching. Skin being ripped apart as blood flowed freely onto the forest floor. Overwhelming, surrounded!
"You'll see." The figure raised their hand calmly. "I don't know why Chien-Pao has revealed itself to you or why you hunt him. You will not find him. You're entering a maze with no prize. I have grudge and fear, you will not take hatred. Envy is last on my list."
"Chien-Pao isn't hateful! It saved me!" She called out. She clutched her chest as it felt tight.
"A mistake, a lapse in their great judgment." He took a few more steps closer to her as Corviknight began charging energy. The cloaked figure approached slowly as a knife was pulled out.
"It has to be this way. I'm sorry that you're a casualty, but I will not be denied. Especially from a child. I've worked too long for this." He moved his hand forward. The Corviknight charged at her as Boreas jumped in with a double edge.
Carrie screamed as she collapsed to the sidewalk hyperventilating. Her vision was narrow, breathing shallow, heart rate rising rapidly. She was waiting for the Corviknight to attack her and rip Boreas to shreds.
The onslaught never came.
Boreas looked around confused. Where did it go? It was as if they just vanished. They turned to their trainer who was on the ground.
Carrie began to ball up and stopped speaking. Her breaths were short and her vision narrow. She could see Boreas' face but it was as if she wasn't focused on it. She couldn't focus on anything except for that Corviknight and the cloaked figure. Her mind raced as her skin crawled from the sensation of a death that never came.
It felt like a figment of her imagination. It felt like she was about to be ripped apart by the bird. It felt like it was right there. But where was it? They weren't here.
Boreas began to panic. They didn't know what to do. They laid down and wrapped themselves around Carrie. They lay there for several minutes as she hyperventilated.
Eventually, she found it in herself to reach out and touch Boreas. She felt herself center and anchor down as her heart slowed down. Carrie suddenly felt very tired and dehydrated. Had she been crying?
"C-can you carry me?" She weakly asked. Boreas nodded and laid on their stomach as Carrie weakly climbed onto their back.
Despite the time of night there were a couple trainers who were in the lobby of the Pokémon center. Type:Null paused in front of the automatic doors.
"It's okay, just g-go in," Carrie said to them as she rubbed their side. Her arm weighed a thousand pounds.
Type:Null nodded and went into the Center. The trainers all looked in fear at them. One ran outside as others tried to hide. One poor trainer barely kept his food in him.
Nurse Joy was horrified at both the Pokémon and the trainer.
"This is my Pokémon, they're harmless," Carrie said as she tried to dismount. Nurse Joy gasped at her face.
"We're going to check you in. Blissey?"
Esper nearly ran down the stairs to the human wing of the Celestic Town pokemon center. She had been notified by Nurse Joy about Carrie being taken into care for a panic attack.
"Which room is Carrie Price in?" She asked the Nurse Joy at the desk. The Nurse Joy found the room, a little too long for Esper's liking.
"Room 4, second on the left."
Esper quickly made her way down the hall and into the room. She was met by the sight of another Nurse Joy who's hat and pin showed her to be the hospital manager. Type:Null was at Carrie's bedside who softened their gaze when they saw Esper.
"Carrie! What the hell happened? Why is she her?" Esper walked closer and directed her attention to Nurse Joy.
"She had an intense panic attack. Her…pokemon brought her here thankfully. Her heart rate was 235 beats per minute. For her age that's above and beyond dangerous. Do you know of anything that could have caused a severe panic attack like this?"
Esper had grabbed at the edge of her sweater tightly. "I-I don't know."
"She needs to stay here for a few days to monitor her heart as well as her mental health." Nurse Joy walked over to a wall mounted computer and began typing. Type:Null tracked her. "Does she have any other Pokémon with her?"
Esper carefully walked over to the side of the hospital bed and grabbed at the arm rests. "Y-yeah. A Froslass, Sneasel, and Snover." Esper looked over at Nurse Joy.
"Nurse Joy, you can't write down about her…other pokemon. We don't even fully know about it yet and we don't want it to be taken away." Type:Null growled and whined at the idea of being taken away from Carrie.
"Well miss…"
"Call me Esper."
"Esper. I'll tell you what," she turned away from the computer and faced Esper fully. "If you can give me contact details for either her parents or her guardians, I won't tell anybody."
Esper let out a shaky breath. "Okay. I'll try."
"Thank you." Nurse Joy finished typing on the computer as Esper worriedly looked at Carrie.
"How long has she been here?" Esper quietly asked.
"About an hour."
"W-when will she wake up?"
Nurse Joy lowered her head. "Soon. I had her sedated to relax her. Her heart rate should slow any minute now."
Esper merely nodded. Nurse Joy continued writing Carrie's vitals into the computer before exiting the room. All Esper could do was watch.
"Is she okay?" Zeyno asked. Esper had gotten ahold of Skylar and told him to bring Zeyno to the human wing. They all were in her room as they waited for her to wake up. Skylar stood in the corner looking at Carrie while Zeyno stood on the opposite side of the bed from Esper.
"Were there any incidents reported last night?" Skylar asked quietly.
"Not that I'm aware of. Then again, I necessarily don't know her triggers." Esper was upset with herself. If she were better this wouldn't have happened.
Thankfully, Carrie's eyes began to open. Once she began to awaken, she jolted up and started screaming.
"Carrie! It's okay!" Esper called out. Type:Null whined and put his head near her armrest.
"No! Get away!" Carrie yelled out as she moved her arms around. Wires were pulled as an IV insert was ripped out of her arm. Blood slowly trickled down her arm. Zeyno watched quietly. Skylar wanted to do something.
"Carrie! It isn't here!" He called out desperately.
Carrie grazed the side of Type:Null which made her slow down. She slowly kept her hand on their side as she began to calm. Esper gently laid her hand on top of Carrie's other hand that was tightly gripping the arm rest.
"You're okay," all three alternatively spoke out. Carrie was staring at the ceiling in shock. The more she blinked the more she felt herself fall down to earth. Her heart rate monitor spiked to higher levels than before.
As she began to calm down a Nurse Joy came into the room with a Blissey and Audino.
"You three: out!"
"Stay here Boreas!" Esper called out as Audino pushed them out.
All three were waiting in the lobby. Esper paced between the couches as Skylar sat with a finger to his forehead. Zeyno felt an urge to leave but also an urge to stay. Maybe these first years were wearing off on her.
"What could have caused this?" Esper thought out loud.
"You weren't there," Skylar started slowly. "You weren't there when I first met her. She had this…panicked look in her eyes when she saw my Farfetchd."
Esper looked at him. "What're you implying?"
"Maybe she has a phobia of Pokémon? Obviously not all of them but certain ones?"
"It's possible," Zeyno added. "I've seen this before. Usually panic attacks like this are from a deep trauma that's been repressed. It might be an association with a certain Pokémon or type. We'll ask when we're allowed back in."
After what seemed like an eternity, Nurse Joy let them back into the room. Esper rushed to her side as Skylar and Zeyno stood near the door.
"Esper!" Carrie called out rather excitedly.
"Carrie!" Tears pricked at Esper's eyes. "Skylar and Zeyno are here too."
Skylar gave a small wave while Zeyno simply nodded. Carrie waved back at him and returned a nod to Zeyno.
"Carrie…what happened?" Esper asked.
"Think maybe ya should've waited?" Skylar asked. Zeyno flicked his ear.
Carrie nodded and laid back down staring at the ceiling. Type:Null was laying down on the floor next to the hospital bed.
"I was taking Boreas for a walk just to bond with them. We were on Main Street when," she began to choke up. Esper gently put her hand on Carrie's.
"What happened?" She softly asked.
"He appeared."
"Who?" Skylar whispered to Zeyno. She shrugged her shoulders.
"It's been two weeks since we've seen him," Esper said quietly. "Are you sure?"
"Yes." Carrie said icily. "I know it was him. There's no mistaking it."
"What did he do to you?"
"He knows."
"Knows about what?" Esper squeezed her hand.
"Chien-Pao. He knows about Chien-Pao and that there are others like him." Carrie turned her head to face Esper.
"I could feel his power, Esper. I know he has at least one Pokémon. A Corviknight. It's huge and terrifying. It was going to kill Boreas then me. It vanished, he vanished. I don't know how." Tears slowly rolled down her scarred face. She tried to blink them away.
"What's Chien-Pao?" Zeyno whispered to Skylar.
"You're the one who's traveled more. I figured you knew."
"Others like Chien-Pao?" Esper asked.
"I don't know. There must be other Pokémon like it." Carrie squeezed Esper's hand. "That Corviknight attacked us. It went after me and Boreas. No one even helped us!"
Esper felt pain in her chest. "I'm sorry Carrie. I wish I was there."
Skylar made an attempt to approach but Zeyno grabbed his wrist to keep him back. He looked at her and she shook her head in response. He huffed and fell back in line.
"It isn't your fault. It's weird how no one heard us! That Corviknight…it felt like it was suffocating me. All I could hear and feel was the wind whipping around us. Those talons and beak, it could've," Carrie sobbed.
She couldn't even finish the sentence.
Esper just squeezed her hand. Sunlight began to poke through the blinds.
"You two can leave and rest up. I'll stay here," Esper said, turning to face Skylar and Zeyno.
"Should we?" Skylar asked tentatively.
"Yes. This should be between them and they'll tell us the cliff notes later." Zeyno pulled him out of the room and closed the door behind them.
"Carrie, what exactly did he say about Chien-Pao?" Esper asked quietly. Type:Null growled at the mention of the Pokémon.
"He said I didn't know the truth about Chien-Pao, that I'm getting into something over my head." Tears continued to roll down Carrie's cheeks. "I don't understand, Esper. Chien-Pao helped me and saved my life. This person is acting like it'll destroy a region or something."
"It's okay, Carrie. We're going to help you figure this out and find Chien-Pao. I don't know about Zeyno but I'll get Skylar on board," Esper said.
"He mentioned he's hunting 'envy' next and that he's acquired 'grudge and fear'. Do you have a clue?" Her heart monitor slowly began to decrease the more she talked.
"I don't, I'm sorry." Esper felt her chest tighten seeing her friend in such despair.
"We can try to find answers ourselves." Esper continued. "We can research and find any references we can."
"You think we'll be able to? Everyone has doubted me except for you and…him." Carrie kept quiet for a minute.
"Yes, absolutely. We will do everything we can. I promise."
They stayed there in silence until Carrie fell asleep. Esper remained by her bedside as did Type:Null. They both silently knew one thing: this would never happen again.
AN: Longest chapter to date. Pretty proud of this one. Hopefully I'll have two more chapters out before the end of the year. As always: read, review, and enjoy!