Chapter 2, a Test of Knowledge
After about 40 minutes or so of getting away from the fallen tree, the rain had stopped, and the sun began to rise. I had laid both Chespin and Pikachu down on their backs. They were both unconscious, so it didn't really matter who I tended to first, but Pikachu's bones are definitely broken, so I started with him.
Of course I was not about to perform surgery or anything, but I know a good way to help Pikachu get through the next 3 days without being in too much pain.
First I braced his broken bones together with sticks and string I made out of vines. Second, using the same materials, I created custom joints, and strapped them to Pikachu's broken joint bones, which were pretty much just his elbows. This will allow him to move around just as easy, but the pain will still be unbearable without medication. I needed a pain medication called ZH-Oran 3 or ZHO for short. It's a powerful pain medication that can numb all pain for about 24 hours. Usually this medication is used in hospitals, and is a highly controlled substance due to its addictive nature. I know this because I have been working part time at Livley Hospital over the summer since I was 5. I actually mix it myself before each day.
It took some searching but I found the materials for 3 doses of ZHO, which will be enough if taken once daily. In case you are wondering, In order to make this medication, you need Zinc, Honey, and 3 Oran Berries for one dose. You have to first mix together the zinc and the honey into a paste, then slowly add the oran berries until the color becomes deep blue. It's also good to keep in mind that this pain medication is most often administered while the patient is unconscious, so I have to use my water gun to force feed it to Pikachu… If you don't get it, don't worry, it's pretty gross.
Anyway now that Pikachu is healed to the best that I can do right now, I moved on to Chespin, who was a lot easier to heal. All I had to do was use some of the leftover honey from the serum to glue leaves to Chespins wounds after pulling out the shards of the tree. This worked like bandages all over his body. Don't try this if you don't have fur though; The method only works because of how the honey sticks to Chespins fur.
"There," I smiled, "All those years of medical experience really did come in handy." Not to say that tending to patients back in Lively Town isn't a "handy" use of my medical experience, but, you get what I mean. Anyway, after about an hour, Pikachu woke up. I was distracted though, so I didn't notice at first.
"What… happened?" Pikachu wondered, confused.
"Oh- Hi!" I responded, startled, "You got hurt, so I healed you."
"Is that what these braces are?" Asked Pikachu while he examined the joint braces.
"Yep, these will help you move around since some of your bones are broken."
"Broken? How do they not hurt?" Pikachu worried.
"I gave you pain medication!" I mentioned.
"How?"
"Don't worry about it…" I laughed. Pikachu looked horrified. We sorta looked at each other for a few moments, then started talking again.
"So, what now?" Pikachu asked, trying to break the silence.
"Well we should wait until Chespin wakes up, then head out to find some of the stuff on our list," I quickly replied.
"What's on the list again?" Pikachu Remembered.
"Here, I'll read it," I said as I pulled the list out of my bag, "1 red ribbon, 1 silver spike, 20 oran berries, 5 pecha berries, 3 rawst berries, 4 big apples, and a luminous orb."
"I still don't know where to find the luminous orb," Pikachu puzzled.
"We'll just find the apples instead," Chespin yawned, just waking up.
"Goodmorning," both me and Pikachu said at the same time, letting out a little chuckle because of it.
"Hey we haven't run into many enemies yet," Chespin pointed out, "come to think of it, we've only seen a baby pokemon."
"Something was weird about that baby pokemon though," I pondered, "remember how it squealed and ran away?"
"OH YEAH!" Pikachu excitedly remembered, "why wa-"
"Not so loud!" Chespin complained. Pikachu didn't reply, just sat there with a blank face.
I knew he was most likely really embarrassed from that comment, but Chespin is right; If we don't stay quiet we might attract enemies. We sometimes call them forest zombies because of how they never speak or make sound and attack until they get knocked out or knock you out. That baby… whatever it was, definitely wasn't a forest zombie. At any rate, let's get going.
"Guys I think we should start looking for the 4 big apples," I reminded.
"Right," Chespin agreed.
"We will go south east, common lets get up and go," I commanded. They agreed and we started towards where we thought we might find some apple trees.
"Do you think we will encounter any pokemon on our way there?" Pikachu wondered, as we walked south east.
"Maybe," I effortlessly replied. Honestly I wasn't thinking about wild encounters at that moment, I was thinking about the exam. If we don't pass, I won't be able to be in the Expedition Society, and I will have to be a hospital worker for the rest of my life! Which By the way, the hospital workers in the Water Continent are underpaid severely. I don't make enough per week to even rent a place in Lively Town while I am working, so I usually sleep under the water by the docks; I do not recommend sleeping under water if you were raised on land though. As a water pokemon raised on land, my lungs are way more efficient than my gills, so occasionally I wake up in the middle of the night and have to swim to the surface.
"Mudkip watch out!" Chespin warned as I fell into a river. I quickly resurfaced and climbed out.
"Ick, now I'm all wet," I complained. I really should pay attention where I'm going sometimes. I was never good at looking where I am going, especially in new places; That makes forests like these pretty hard.
"Here we are," Chespin welcomed as he pointed across a short bridge to a field of apple trees.
"Oh wow! We can even eat lunch here!" Pikachu exclaimed as he jumped up and down. Me and Chespin looked at eachother, sighing dreadfully as neither of us wanted to tell Pikachu he was yet again being too loud… so we didn't say anything this time, knowing full well that either of us could just as easily be the next person to be shushed.
Anyway, we dashed into the forest joyfully, and began picking the low hanging apples from the already short trees. After about an hour, here's what we found: 34 Apples, 6 Big Apples, 14 Twigs, and 3 Rumbling Bellies. On that note, it's definitely lunch time.
"That was so much fun!" I mentioned, thinking of how long it's been since I've picked apples in a field like this, "you guys ready to make some grilled apples for lunch?"
"Definitely!" Pikachu and Chespin agreed.
"We even got the 4 big apples we need for our list!" Chespin continued.
By the way, here's what we have left to collect: 1 red ribbon, 1 silver spike, 20 oran berries, 5 pecha berries, 3 rawst berries, and a luminous orb. It's time to eat right now though.
I set out the 14 sticks in a pile, and looked over to pikachu. He understood my vague glance and used thunder shock on the pile, igniting it. We then each held up an apple over the flames, and completely burned our hands… didn't think that one through.
"OOOWWW!" We all yelped. I ran to the nearby river from before and stuck my hand in it, the others did the same.
"Aaahh, much better," sighed Pkachu.
"That went about as poorly as possible," Chespin laughed, "I can't believe we used all the sticks for the fire!" After the burn started to sooth from the cool river water, we headed back to the campfire and sat around it, beginning to eat the raw apples we didn't burn along with our hands. Lunch today was good, although pretty bland. I usually eat a lot of apples while adventuring, so they get boring after so many of them.
After lunch we thought we'd try and look for the 20 oran berries we needed, so we continued south east. On our way there we passed by a big lake, where we ran into another team. It was Dearling, Goomy, and Espurr!
"Good afternoon boys," greeted Espurr. We all said good afternoon back. Although she looked a bit pianiked.
"How is your adventuring going you two?" I asked, "and where's Goomy?"
"Not well, unfortunately," Dearling worried, "Goomy is hurt, and needs to be seen by a doctor. We are thinking about calling a rescue mission." For context, you call a rescue mission simply by wishing for it with your eyes closed. I really don't know how it works beyond that.
"No need," I said without hesitation, "I can help, where is goomy?" reluctantly dearling led me to a patch of dense trees where goomy was unconscious. She explained that goomy was poisoned by an enemy pokemon, and has been unconscious ever since. This isn't good, I have never administered an antidote to a pokemon like goomy before; since goomy is primarily a… gooey jelly like substance, he won't be able to take the antidote by mouth because of the way chemicals are broken down and absorbed into his bloodstream. Or more accurately, how they are not. No, instead I would need to inject the antidote directly into the bloodstream- It will need to be 3 parts pecha berry to neutralize the poison, and 2 parts oran berry to compensate for Goomys age. I don't have these ingredients on hand though, although usually I do keep pecha berries and a variety of medicine in my bag. Damn! If only I had my items, but they are back at the school.
My mind was racing, and going nowhere, so I guess Pikachu noticed that.
"Uh, are you okay?" He worried
"Yeah, sorry, was determining the best way to help," I said as I was pulled out of my thoughts.
"What do we do?" Chespin asked.
"Well…" I thought outloud, "we need an antidote derived of 3 pecha berries and 2 oran berries, as well as a way to inject them into Goomys bloodstream."
"I have the materials," Espurr noted, "let me do the saving part." We reluctantly agreed, unsure of what she meant. Espurr pulled out the ingredients and mashed them up into a liquid using psychic. Then, also using psychic, formed the antidote into a needle allowing her to push it into Goomy, healing him. We were all shocked in amazement. Espurr really is the smartest, she learned all that from my brief explanation, or perhaps she already knew.
Quickly there after Goomy woke up, he thanked us for the help and gave us the red ribbon we needed as a reward.
"Thanks again," Goomy gleamed, aware we were about to head out to prepare for sunset, "You saved me, and now we can continue the exam!"
"No problem," I replied as me and the boys began to walk deeper into the forest.
Really though, Goomy has Pikachu and Chespin to thank. Without them I would have just been stuck in my thoughts. That's why I don't work alone at the hospital.
