The doctors emerged from the operating room, slightly relieved but still worried. The two paramedics that brought the young man in and a few other bloody citizens stood in the hallway, requesting an update on his condition.
The paramedic, a short man with a bushy mustache, asked first. "How's he doing now? Is he gonna make it?"
The doctor, Dr. Page, sighed and placed his hands in his white coat. "We've managed to stabilize his condition so his life isn't in immediate danger anymore. However, surprises do occur."
"Ah, that's good then." The paramedic shifted, unsure about whether to ask his next question. Deciding that he needed to know, he inquired, " Do you know what did this?"
Dr Page wanted to know as well. However, any wild pokemon could have done this, it was hard to know for sure. Many bug pokemon had bladed body parts or arms capable of cutting. Page clarified, "No. We don't know what kind of wild pokemon could have done this."
"Yes we do." Another doctor emerged from the operating room, wearing blue scrubs. He was an older man around his fifties, with graying hair at the sides. He looked disturbed and a bit sick, having just seen the boy's injuries.
"Dr. Royce. What makes you say that?"
"Well, just look at the sheer amount of injuries he sustained. And what kind of injuries they were." His voice grew deeper, giving more weight to his words. "Twenty seven cuts and slashes across his legs, arms, face, and torso. All of which were done by a bladed weapon of some sort. There is no way that a trainer or criminal did this, the cuts were much too large and were irregularly shaped. A pokemon did this." Wild pokemon did not usually hunt on the main roads, many of them were wary enough of humans to actually avoid the main roads. Attacks like this were uncommon at the worst of times.
"Well that maybe so but what pokemon?" asked Dr. Page, listening intently to Royce's hypothesis. The older man was fairly good at deducing things like this. He worked in forensics for a brief time, before he went back to medical school to become a surgeon. He could trust his assessment. Granted, no one could accurately guess what happened but it was worth a try.
"I'm assuming that it wasn't Beedrill. They typically leave stab wounds not slash wounds. The only other pokemon capable of large swarms is…damn. The only other pokemon capable of that is a Scyther."
Everyone in the room gasped, knowing just how deadly hungry swarms of Scyther were. They'd lost good people to them in the past. Trainers and normal citizens alike. The Scyther just swooped in and shredded them to pieces. No one really survived to tell the tale. The last had been heart breaking. Three young trainers traveling together were cut down by presumably, the same swarm. They were so young too, the tender age of eleven, going back to Littleroot to visit family. Obviously, they never made it.
"Scyther? Holy shit. Why didn't he run? Even experienced trainers have been overwhelmed by Scyther swarms before. He was just a starter! He couldn't possibly take them on!" Page exclaimed, appalled by the trainer's carelessness. He knew most young men were reckless and impulsive but not quite like this.
"Page. Don't be so quick to judge. Scyther are quick, too quick for a human. Even the fastest human couldn't hope to outrun a single Scyther. If he tried, he would have been cut down soon enough. He stood and fought, and because of that he's alive. Of course, he was carrying two blades. Sharp too. Cut my finger on them, I did."
"Swords? What does he need swords for?"
"Does it matter? Imagine if he wasn't carrying them, Page."
Page grimaced, acknowledging the fact that it was probably the entire reason why this kid wasn't dead yet. "Okay. Point."
Royce turned to the paramedics, "What about his Absol? Any news?" It had arrived in a far more dire state and it was bleeding much more than the young man was. He'd have to go check up on it soon.
The paramedics shook their heads slowly. There had been no news coming from the pokemon center. The doors were closed but the lights were still on in the operating room, they were still fighting to save the Absol's life. Nurse Joy declined to comment on the pokemon's state, tears visible in her eyes as she spoke with a shaky voice, urging them to come back later.
Dr. Royce turned his gaze towards the floor. "I see. Well. I'm going to head down there and check up on it. I want to be able to tell the young man what condition his Absol's in after he wakes up. Hopefully alive." Excusing himself, he walked towards the exit. "If anything comes up, don't hesitate to holo cast me. I'll come as soon as I can."
After watching him leave, the rest of the concerned citizens and doctors stood in the lobby, awkward silence spreading throughout the room. It was broken by a woman, who asked how this even happened.
A man answered her question, giving her details of the terrifying experience. "I saw him come through the gates, he was limping and panting real heavy. He was carrying a bloody Absol in his arms and was basically dripping blood like a damned fountain. I've never seen so much blood in my life. It was …something else." He shuddered, remembering the sight. " Anyway, he screamed and then collapsed. His Kirlia was out cold in his pack and his Torchic was the only thing that wasn't knocked out or dying. Hell, it could barely stand. They must have fought hard, real hard."
The woman cupped her hands over her mouth. She imagined her boy, who was about to turn ten that year, coming into Oldale a bloody mess. Her eyes started to water, and soon sobs were heard. Other concerned parents also pictured their children ending up like that, which made them very uneasy about letting their children go off on their own at such an age. A nearly fully grown teenager with three pokemon and weapons couldn't hold them off. What would a young, unarmed little child do?
The rain fell outside of Oldale hospital, rivulets of water running down the windows of Riven's room. The steady drumming of the water woke him from a drug induced sleep. He opened his eyes slowly, feeling immensely sluggish and disoriented. His entire body ached like mad and his head felt like someone had bludgeoned him with a hammer.
White walls surrounded him and equipment similar to the ones found in Birch's lab were scattered around the room. Strange beeps filled the room and a strange smell reached his nostrils. It was unpleasant and nauseating, making his head spin. He was still very weak and could not move much at all at the present moment. He felt useless. Bandages covered his body like a suit. Not being able to move around, he glanced at the window, watching the rain.
I hate the rain.
A nurse came in and jumped, seeing him awake. She ran out of the door and returned a minute later with a doctor. Forcing painful memories back into his brain, Riven turned his head weakly towards the man, unable to do much else.
The doctor then spoke, "Young man. I need to ask you some questions. Do you mind?" Riven shook his head side to side, giving permission to the doctor to ask him anything about the attack.
"Do you remember what happened?" Riven nodded. The doctor continued, "Alright. What do you remember?
Feeling drowsy, Riven opened his lips, "Traveling…..buzzing….s-stop." He coughed violently. "buzzing….Scyther….at-t-t-ack…pain…Absol." Remembering the critical condition in which his Absol was in, he tried to get up, feeling only immense pain.
"Stop! You are still healing! If you move around too much you will reopen your wounds and bleed out again. Do you want that?" The doctor said, scolding Riven's reckless behavior.
Riven slumped back into the mattress, feeling helpless, feeling worried about his Absol. She was his friend. He wanted to know how she was doing. Looking the doctor in the eye, Riven gritted his teeth and asked the doctor, " Ab…..absol…..how?"
The doctor's face shut down, looking back at the nurse, then back at Riven. "I'm sorry but we haven't received any updates from the pokemon center since you arrived last night. We will inform you of anything regarding your Absol. Please excuse us."
Riven clenched his teeth and his fists together, head crashing into the pillow. He was sitting here recovering while White Queen could be dying or worse. If she dies, I will go back there and kill every single one of them until there are none left. I swear it. They will not take her from me. He thought to himself, looking at the rain outside. His body was covered in white bandages and he was dressed in a white hospital gown. White everywhere. He hated this place. I do not want to return to this place ever again. The colors and the smells are all wrong, all they do is reek of death and suffering.
Leaving the room, the doctor headed back out into the lobby.
"He woke up at least." The doctor informed everyone. "He's still weak from the drugs but I'm surprised he's healed that quickly. He may only need one week before we remove the stitches. His healing rate is quite remarkable. He must have one powerful immune system."
"That's good news."
"At any rate, Dr. Royce was right. The boy confirmed it was a Scyther swarm. Honestly, if it weren't for the armored leather he was wearing, his wounds would have been far more severe. It was already badly damaged but it did take most of the damage for him. I don't know whether to say he has luck or that he has none at all." Page paused, "I mean seriously. What kind of luck do you have to have to get attacked by a rabid Scyther swarm on your first day as a trainer? By Arceus, the legendaries must hate him."
The people in the lobby nodded in agreement, wondering what cruel beast could do such a thing. Feeling much better now that the young man was on the road to recovery, the people headed back to their homes.
The doctors watched them go and scoffed. One moment they act like they are his parents and the next they just leave him to his own devices like an abandoned child. "Hypocrites," Page hissed, bothered by such fake concern.
Opening his holo caster, he dialed Dr. Royce to receive any news on the kid's Absol. Royce picked it up after twenty seconds. Always so punctual, Page mused.
"Hello Dr. Royce. I've got good news. The boy woke up and is on his way to recovery. He'll need about a week to fully recover and then we can take his stitches off." He flashed a smile, which quickly faded when he saw Royce's tired face.
"Hey, you look exhausted. What happened there?"
Royce blinked a couple of times, licking his dry lips as he formulated words to describe last night's events. "The Absol is incredibly stubborn. And she nearly scared us to death a couple times. We didn't sleep a wink at all, we kept expecting another incident."
Page laughed a bit, wondering why a straight laced guy like Royce would say that.
"Treating it-her, was a rollercoaster." Royce rubbed his eyes, trying to ward off the sleepiness. "She flat lined three times."
Page stammered, unable to reply coherently. Three times?! Usually most people or pokemon are done at one or two. But three? This absol really didn't want to die. Her will to live must be incredibly strong. Heh. Just like her trainer. I guess that some pokemon really did resemble their trainers. Both of them are incredibly stubborn to have lived through that, go critical and keep on kicking. He had to commend them, it was impressive.
"She just flat out refused to die, Page. She kept coming back again and again. She hung onto her thread with a vice last night. She's fortunately stable now. Hopefully no surprises anymore. I'm done with surprises." Royce rubbed his eyes again. " She's receiving rapid recovery treatment at this moment." Royce concluded. Now maybe I could get some fucking rest. Shutting off the holo caster, Royce dumped himself on the couch in the waiting room, falling asleep within seconds.
Fucker hung up on me. Page thought, smiling to himself. Looking out of the lobby window, the rain had subsided and the sun shone through, creating a beautiful rainbow. Oldale no longer had a dark gloom lingering over it, now replaced by a cheerful aura like always. Walking back to the boy's room, he whistled gleefully, ready to deliver the good news.
Opening the door, he peered through the door and noticed the young man wide awake, blankly staring at the ceiling. He looked bored out of his mind and an emptiness of life could be seen in his eyes.
Momentarily forgetting the trainer's situation he asked ,"Hey what's going on? Why the long face?" Absolutely wrong question to ask a patient. He forgot the number one rule of being a doctor, never ask how a patient's day is going, if they're here, it's not by choice. He flinched, expecting the boy to erupt in a fit of rage like most teenagers do. Instead, what he got was something that scared him stiff.
Riven slowly turned to him looking into the doctor's eyes. Riven's eyes were not like a normal person's anymore. His eyes promised cold murder. That look could drill holes through a person's damned soul.
Riven spoke up, coldly furious. "Do you know how to get rid of a body, Doctor?"
"Errrrr…no?"
"Because I do." A simple statement.
It pretty much translated to, Ask me another stupid question and I will feed you your teeth with a sharp object. Terrifying, but effective nonetheless.
Pace, who was now sweating rather furiously, nodded his head in agreement, unconsciously stepping back a few feet. He stuttered to speak before letting out a short statement. "S-S-Sh-She's alive."
The young man's face lit up instantly and his eyes instantly returned to normal, losing the hollowness Page had seen the moment before. He tried to get up but yelled in response to the pain of his wounds. The white bandage covering his largest wound now became slightly reddish, he had reopened his wound with the sudden motion. Growling lowly, the boy slammed back into the bed, nearly tearing his hair out in frustration. I want to see her. I want to see if she is alive and well. She may be a stubborn little queen but she is my friend. Dear god... those Scyther messed me up. I need... I need to recover first.
Accepting defeat, Riven motioned for the doctor to leave, which Page did without hesistation. He definitely was not going to stick around with a scary thing like that. I felt bad for this guy? The kid is a freaking psycho! Do I know how to hide a body? What kind of fucking question is that? Shaking himself off, he walked into the smoking area and fired up a cigarette. Damn crazy, that one.
A nurse and a few others were now stitching his wound again. Great. This is only the first day too. Thinking about staying bedridden for a week made him grow even more restless. He was useless and uncomfortable. He wanted to move. Staying idle for extended periods of time largely aggravated him.
The long idle waits he endured for months back in the regiment were the epitome of torture. Nothing to do. Just clean out the ditches, sharpen some swords, pick some dirt out of your fingernails, stare at the campfire for hours on end, and wonder when this damned conflict was going to end. At the time, it seemed so foolish, waiting for a one thousand year old war to end so soon. Now he was not so sure. But if a person were to ask what was the worst thing about war, every soldier would agree that it was the accursed waiting. Everyone hated it.
Riven turned his head to the right, looking at the clouds outside. Everything seemed peaceful in this world, except for murderous swarms of pokemon that wanted a piece of you. Literally. People were not killing each other, or exchanging knife edged words that cut like real blades. They were genuinely friendly, something he did not have the luxury of in his world. That world was simple. Kill or be killed. There was no in between. Feels…strange, not being there.
He knew this was not his world. Not anymore. Nothing was the same. On one hand he was glad, but on the other, he felt empty. No purpose, no goal.
What will I do when I find my answers? Shall I continue onto this pokemon league? So many uncertainties, not enough definitive answers. For now, all he could do was wait.
Resting his head on the pillow, Riven tried to will himself to sleep, which did not seem to work very well. The more he thought about sleep, the less sleepy he actually felt. He had issues falling asleep, partly due to nightmares and trauma he sustained during the war, watching his comrades die. The lack of rest had certainly fueled his irritation, at least until he discovered something.
Drugs were wonderful!
They could put someone to sleep and numb pain, something that would have worked magnificently well when limbs became infected and needed amputation. Biting on a cloth until your teeth nearly shattered sounded horrifying. Luckily he had managed to avoid most damage during his service. He had scars, sure, but he always took the utmost care dressing his wounds to prevent infection. Burning the wound worked well but these disinfectants worked wonders, while not permanently destroying tissue. Quite remarkable. Medicine sure has improved.
A bittersweet smile came to his lips. Progress. Any time someone tried to make the world a better place, someone else just came in and ruined it. Teeth gritted together. Just like what happened to my family. Try to change an era and reactionaries rip you to pieces. Someone had to try. One thousand years of war never did anyone any good. By the looks of this world, someone had. And succeeded.
"Change is a frightening thing," his father had once said. He was a proud man, strong and collected, with a cunning wit and tactical brilliance that inspired fear in his enemies. The Rossean troops would call him the Devil's Hand, whose tactics would decimate entire regiments of soldiers, even armies. He frightened them so much that they ran when they saw his army. "Miniscule amounts of change alter very little and take years and even decades to bring about something greater. This is the most effective form of change as it gives others the chance to adapt and adjust to these fluctuations. They do not feel threatened but rather, embrace change. Tempers do not flare and wars do not erupt. However, this chain can be easily broken. One opposing decision and the process is degraded, requiring more and more time to fix, eventually spiraling into chaos. As you see here."
Riven would stare at him in wonder, hoping one day to become a master tactician like his father before him.
His father would point to their city and continue. "However, on the opposing side, there is change on a massive and grand scale. It is the most controversial and most radical form of change. The alteration is quick, violent, and ultimately irrevocable. Such an act could shift the world out of balance and transition a new era, one for the better or worse. This by definition, terrifies people. It threatens their way of life, the only thing they know." His father looked back at him, like a master teaching a student, "Remember this Riven, the thing that frightens man and beasts the most is not death nor having enough to eat, but the aspect of the unknown. That is why the fear us, Riven. That is why they fear the dark and also why they fear change. They are walking blind into something they know nothing about."
Riven, only seven at the time, was confused, his father's profound words lost on his young mind. However those words would stay with him forever, and would guide him through some of the most important decisions of his life that were yet to come.
His father looked at the map, eyes fixated on the enemy's cities. "Such change, is sometimes necessary. When views are divided and small picks are insufficient, a furious blow must be dealt. If it brings the entire world to our doorstep then so be it. We will pay that price. It is the risk that comes with such radical action. It must be done, to ensure that we do not destroy ourselves. Ponder this Riven, for you must decide your path as well."
"Will you chose to be a river, carving canyons over the decades, or will you be the eruption of a furious volcano, changing the land and the earth in an instant? Think my son. Think and choose."
Those were his father's last words before the Rose clan raided the city, torching it to the ground and killing all of its inhabitants, including the royal family. All except one. He had wandered out to the forest that day, and came back to smoke and flame.
Decades of work, craftsmanship, history, culture, and technology lost in a single night. Their entire people snuffed out like a flame under water, extinguished like a light. His father was right, they feared them. And what his father and the rest of them were trying to do.
But all of that does not matter anymore. It is gone. Lost to time. What should I do now? What next?
Mind heavy with thoughts, he drifted off to sleep.
Haona's eyes fluttered open, taking in a room unfamiliar to her. She was on top of a metal bed, covered almost entirely in a bandage. It was painful to move, painful to breathe. She felt alone unsure of where she was. Where were Bib, Torchic, and Riven? Why weren't they here?
Her limbs wouldn't move, they felt like heavy logs tied to her. The only thing she could move were her eyes and mouth, she felt trapped in her own body. It was like an electric pokemon's paralysis but far worse. She panicked, causing a monitor on the screen next to her to start beeping uncontrollably, monitoring her heart rate.
Nurse Joy came crashing in, startled by the sudden spike in the Absol's heatbeat. Saving its life had been one of her most intense tests yet, driving her to the absolute edge of her wits and ability. She noticed its eyes darting around the room before locking with hers, full of mortification. Sighing in relief, Joy walked up to the Absol's bed and placed a gentle hand on her soft, white fur.
"Shh…Shhhh." Joy smiled, reassurance and kindness radiating from the simple gesture. This seemed to calm the Absol down slightly. "It's alright. Don't stress yourself out too much okay? It's just a strong paralysis medicine we used so your wound wouldn't hurt as much." Joy ruffled her fur. "We don't have to use it if you like but don't move around too much, it can reopen the wound we worked hard to close. Also, the pain might be unbearable if we do remove it."
Haona visibly relaxed, heart rate gradually dropping back to a normal healthy beat. Joy had a magical way of calming pokemon down. Her smile and her touch seemed to melt worries and erase fear. However, she still wanted to know where her trainer and her friends were. Straining herself with a dry throat, she cried , "Ab…sol…absol."
Although Joy couldn't understand the Absol's strained speech, she knew that she missed her friends. "Your trainer is still recovering at the hospital. He will be released in about five days, judging from Dr Royce's information regarding his condition. He was hurt pretty bad, but not as bad as you. He's as stubborn as you are." A light hearted giggle. "Your friends, the Kirlia and the Torchic, are in the lobby. They've been worried sick these past five days. They care about you a lot. Dangerous battles have a way of doing that, forming bonds between people and pokemon." She smiled again. " I guess that's why I love this job so much. I get to see those bonds up close. It makes all the gruesome and tiring experiences memorable and well worth it. Rest now, okay?"
With that, Joy turned around and walked out of the room, closing the door slowly. Joy was always respectful to pokemon, treating them like she would a person. They were friends not pets.
But the female Absol just wouldn't stay out of her mind. She thought reflectively, She's strong. All of them are. They are going to do something amazing one day, I just know it.
The door shut and Haona was once again by herself. Joy's words brought serene relaxation to her mind, dissolving worrisome troubles. She rested her head on the soft pillow underneath her, now enjoying the feeling. She wanted to see her friends but she knew she had to wait. She didn't want to scare them by suddenly reopening her wound and gushing blood everywhere.
The thought sent memories flooding back into her mind. Back to when they were fighting the Scyther.
She remembered the pain in her side as one of the Scythers' blades raked across her side, cutting her open. She remembered Bib desperately trying to stall the scyther blades, torchic blasting them away with embers. But most of all, she remembered seeing her trainer. The way he stood over her like a protective angel, not daring to let any of the Scyther touch her. She saw every painful slash he took for her, every Scyther he cut down just to save her, to save all of them. Haona already had respect for him ever since he saved them from the Mightyena. With this, she felt even more admiration for him.
Before, she never thought she would ever trust humans because of what they did to her life by taking her parents away. The depressive episodes were unbearable and miserable, tempting her with thoughts of taking it all away with one quick dive into the canyons below. However, now she saw what some humans were really like. Some were kind and considerate, like Nurse Joy, and others that were selfless like Riven. Was this what other pokemon saw in human trainers? Why they respected them enough to die for them?
It felt liberating, to replace hateful thoughts with new ones, new ones full of hope and trust. She now understood what Bib felt like, back in the forest. To see someone else wash away your pains and demand nothing back made you want to pour your heart and soul into them. Making them happy made you happy. Leaning on each other like a scale, balancing each other out. It brought a smile to her lips.
When I see that quirky human again, I'm going to tackle him.
All that's left is the wait.
The final days of his recovery blurred together for Riven. The last five days he spent his time watching the Hoenn News channel and talking to his pokedex. Apparently it was some sort of "artificial intelligence" that thought and felt like a human being. It was fascinating, seeing the extent at which technology had grown.
His pokedex was named Charles and spoke in a seemingly Curian accent. Although the Curians were one of his family's most bitter enemies, he had to admit their eloquent way of speaking words made them sound very intellectual and suave. Charles was polite and actually responsible for warning him about the Scyther a few days ago. Something he was grateful for.
Flipping the pokedex back, he bid a good sleep to Charles and took a metal box suspended by cables down to the lobby. It was an elevator, a magnificent and efficient contraption. It made it far easier to ascend and descend, and saved time. Taking the stairs while recovering from grievous injury was not advised at all.
Now in the lobby, dressed in his normal attire and looking more like a homeless reject than a trainer, he walked out of the hospital doors, waving his hand up in the air before shooting a glance at Dr Page, who cowered slightly.
Feeling fresh air fill his lungs and not the smell of disinfectant, he stretched his arms and legs, reveling in the cool breeze and warm sun. Spotting a building with a red roof, he merrily walked to its doors, excited to see his friends again. Which felt odd... considering pokemon as friends. But they were friendly enough, and were not taking an active role in furthering his death. He would allow it.
Before he was fully inside, a white blur collided with him, tackling him to the floor. Licking his face once then rubbing her face on his, the now fully healed White Queen was delighted to see him. Riven laughed, seeing her gleeful reaction.
She continued licking his cheek. "Ah hey. I miss-Gah! I missed you too, White Queen." Looking past her, he saw a smiling Kirlia and a joyful Torchic standing a few feet away. Riven scowled, " Mischief, Torchic! What are you doing? Come here!"
The Kirlia and the Torchic walked up to him, happy to see him alive and well. Their trainer then let out a snort, pointing to Bib, he said , "Hah. You look like a girl. And with a dress at that." Bib responded by psychically flicking a pebble at his head. Torchic chirped, further lightening the reunion of the group.
Riven's laughter died down and now looked at the small fire type with curiosity. "Hey Torchic, I have not had the time to give you a proper name have I?" The orange chick shook it's head, affirmative. "Well, you are a fire type and female. So, do you feel content with the name Aine? It means fire."
The Torchic thought for a bit. She chirped back loudly, confirming her choice.
Riven smirked, pointing to route 102, "Well then. Aine, Mischief, and White Queen, shall we?" His pokemon nodded, eager to get moving again after a week of recovery and idleness. "But first, the doctor told me to go pick up some medicines and supplies at the mart. In case we almost die again."
The young trainer reeled his head back, laughing at their exasperated faces. "Just kidding! Back soon."
Picking up his supplies: ten potions, five super potions, and ten pokeballs, he put them into his new bag, which he received for free from the clerk. Slinging it over his shoulder, he looked at his friends in front of the store. Grinning like an idiot, he signaled them to follow him, heading towards the town exit to route 102. Most trainers would've quit after an ordeal like that, but he'd been almost killed so many times it barely fazed him. "To Rustboro!"
His three pokemon, reveling in his newfound resolve, glanced at each other and paused. Something wasn't quite right here.
"Wait, didn't we almost just die?"
"Yes, yes we did."
"And he's fine with it?"
If they were capable of paling, the three would have. Because as they soon discovered, their trainer was not, in fact, any form of sane.
Riven ignored all of this, happily strolling along. After all, what was life if something wasn't trying to murder you in the best fashion possible?
If any of you are wondering what Curian sounds like, just picture a nice fancy English accent. Monocle worthy, I assure you.
Chapter revised as of 8/14/2020.