Pokemon Virus Version Chapter 145: Pneumonia
Chapel, Yumi, and Rose continued their journey.
Seth remained in a comatose state and was being carried by Ursaring.
Chikorita walked up front with Chapel, while Banette walked next to Rose.
The girls' long string of days with good weather had been broken, as it was raining profusely. Ground was muddy, and thunder clouds were on the way.
The girls could've set up camp a while back, but Chapel suggested they forge ahead.
"…"
Yumi and Rose were on board with the idea.
"…"
"…"
Truth be told, everybody was just tired of camping outside. Many days have come and gone since they've had an actual bed to sleep in. Yumi and Rose began questioning if everyone would be better off had they took a different path when leaving Mahogany Town. But they also knew that going back in the way of Ecruteak City was not an option. The city was in such an uproar when they left, and has since fallen into darkness. The had no choice but to continue walking the path in front of them. Troia was their next stop, and they wanted to reach this town as soon as possible.
There was no stopping the girls' wish to reach the next town…until.
"Choo!" Rose let out a sneeze. She followed up said sneeze with a sniffle.
Banette, holding the Pokemon Egg, put a hand on Rose's shoulder to comfort her.
Chapel and Yumi both turned to Rose.
"…" Rose's clothes were soaked, just like everyone else.
"Are you okay?" Chapel asked.
Rose nods. Maybe it was just allergies.
Thinking nothing of it, Chapel and Yumi returned to their walking.
…
The girls had to watch their step. Mud was everywhere, and one careless step could lead to slipping to the ground.
Yumi, Chapel, and Chikorita stepped around a sizable puddle.
"Ur." While Ursaring stepped right through it.
Rose kneels down to smell flowers which were growing on the side of the path walked. "Choo!" Again, Rose sneezed. "Choo!" And again.
This time, Ursaring gives Rose a glance. "Ur." He asked if Rose was okay without putting it in to words.
"I am fine." Rose again insists that nothing is wrong.
Ursaring passed Rose's sneezes off as allergies as well. Rose was sniffing flowers, after all.
….
The further the girls walked, the muddier the path became.
"Chi?!" Chikorita, careless while walking, slipped on the mud and fell to the ground. She got up and looked at her reflection in another puddle, "Chicori…?!" Chikorita was disgusted. Mud was all over her leaf. "Chi…" Chikorita drooped. Being covered in mud couldn't be helped. The rain would wash it off anyway, but Chikorita hated getting dirty in the first place. She continued walking.
Rose, having received her Egg from Banette, had her eyes completely off the road before her…Her movements were a bit sluggish too. "Woah!" Not looking where she was going, Rose stumbled over the same puddle that tripped Chikorita. "WOAH!" It was a rare occasion where she raised her voice, prompting Chapel and Yumi to turn to Rose again. "…" She narrowly avoided falling into the puddle and dirtying her dress.
"Are you okay?" Yumi asked.
Once again, Rose replied with, "I'm fine." Not wanting to take any chances with the mud, Rose started glowing the aura of the virus, and ascended into the air. "Ngh…" The power of the virus was unusually taxing today, as Rose let out a cold sweat. Nevertheless, she was determined to protect her Egg and herself.
Yumi had a hint of concern. Rose gave her an assuring look. Yumi returned gaze to the path in front her, giving Rose the benefit of the doubt.
Banette was more concerned than the others. Rose didn't want to believe that she was coming under the weather, but her body was telling her otherwise.
…..
Rose's cold sweats continued as she used the virus power, but she was able to maintain.
The muddy path that the girls followed led them to the foot of a mountain.
"This path will take us to the other side of the mountain." Chapel proceeded forward.
The rain kept the girls from truly savoring the view of the forest below. For the first time, the girls could hear lightning in the distance. This did not deter them, though.
"Odd."
"Ran."
The rain and lightning did a great job to mask the cries of the pokemon which lived in the forest below. Rose's sniffling began fading into the background as well.
"Rrr…" What the lightning and rain couldn't mask, however, was what Ursaring's ears perked up to. "Ur." He called to his trainer.
"What is it?" Chapel asked.
Ursaring paused, hoping for Chapel and the others to hear it as well.
"Um…" Yumi was starting to hear it, "It sounds like something is coming down the mountain."
The sound gave off a huge crack that echoed throughout the sky as if it were going in all directions. This alarmed the girls. It…sounded like an avalanche! But there was no snow, so what was it?
"No…" Chapel froze.
Coming down the mountain was indeed an avalanche. It was a tidal wave of not snow, but mud. The surrounding area was obviously muddy, but who would've though this much?
It was a mudslide, and it was headed straight for the group.
Chapel desperately looked around for a place to take shelter. Nothing. The girls' lives were in danger. What was she going to do?
Rose continued coughing and sniffling. Her skin was beginning to turn pale. It took all of her energy to float past the level of the mudslide. "…" She was breathing heavily, seemingly about to fall over from fatigue at any minute. Her mind was determined, but again, her body told her otherwise. She hadn't the energy to hold onto her Pokemon Egg, and it began falling.
"Rose!" But Banette was able to ascend into the air, catching the Egg. Rose's condition was worrying…
"Urrr!" Ursaring had no defense for either Seth or himself.
"Chi!" But Chikorita was determined to keep her trainer safe. "Chicori!" She stepped in front of Ursaring and used all her power to summon forth a Reflect strong enough to withstand the mudslide.
Chapel quickly took out a Pokeball, "Skarmory!"
"Skar!" Skarmory was called upon. Immediately after being released, Skarmory's mouth hung agape seeing the magnitude of the mudslide in front of him.
"Skarmory!" Chapel called again as she held out her hand.
Sakrmory dove down and grabbed Chapel with his talons, flying her to safety.
Rose, Banette, Chikorita, Seth, Ursaring, and Chapel were all safe. That left
"Oh no…" Chapel cursed inwardly.
As the mudslide closed in, Yumi was scared into paralysis. She had no way of avoiding the natural disaster!
"YUMI!" Chapel screamed at the top of her lungs as the mudslide swept Yumi away, carrying her off the side of the mountain. 'Damn it! How could I let this happen to her?!'
"Skar."
"Skarmory, go after Yumi!" Chapel commanded.
"Skar!" Skarmory did as Chapel said.
The stress in Chapel's voice began to surface as she yelled at Skarmory, "GO FASTER!" She wasn't mad at Skarmory, she needed to save Yumi before it was too late.
Skarmory couldn't see a thing. The mudslide, coupled with the rain, made impaired his vision greatly. Neither he nor Chapel could locate Yumi.
"YUMI!" Chapel screamed Yumi's name again.
Just then, a bolt of lighting struck near Skarmory and Chapel were.
"Skar?!"
"Ack?!" Startled, Chapel unintentionally slipped from Skarmory's talons.
"Skar!" Skarmory's heart missed a beat as Chapel crashed into the muddy ground.
"…" Chapel was downed…wasn't she? She didn't move, and no words came from her mouth.
"Skar…" Skarmory was truly unnerved. What if Chapel didn't survive?
"Ngh…" But alas…Chapel was able to slowly pick her face off the ground.
Skarmory didn't realize it, but all the mud from the mudslide actually cushioned Chapel's fall. There was a bruise on her thigh which could be seen through her white stockings, but she was alive nonetheless.
"Mm…" Chapel is about to fall back into unconsciousness.
"Ow…" But then she hears whimpering, as well as coughing.
"Y…Yumi…" Chapel fought to stay conscious and forced herself to her feet. The bruise on her thigh stung.
"Help…"
"D-don't…w-w-worry…" Chapel limped all the way to Yumi.
Yumi was drenched, and she continued coughing. "I-I-I'm s-s-sorry Chapel…I couldn't p-p-p-rotect mys-s-self…" She was shivering.
"Don't worry. I'm here for you…" Chapel reassured Yumi that none of this was her fault.
"…Rose has been coughing…and sniffling…I'm sorry I can't hide it any longer…but I think…I'm under the weather too…" Yumi was beginning to turn pale. "I…really wanted…to reach the…next town…"
"We have to find shelter…until this storm is over…" Chapel held her hand out, hoping to help Yumi up.
Yumi grabbed Chapel's hand, but by the time Chapel helped her to her knees, "Ngh…" Yumi collapsed.
"Yumi?" Chapel got down to see if she was okay. "Yumi! YUMI!"
Yumi was unconscious.
"It's no use…" Chapel reached for Yumi's Pokegear and opened the map, "There has to be a place to rest around here."
"Skar?" Skarmory landed for a Roost, seeing what the Pokegear read.
"There's a small cave on the other side of the mountain." They needed to get back up to the mountain path. Chapel looked to Skarmory, "I don't think Skarmory has enough strength to lift Yumi and I at the same time. I don't even think Skarmory can handle Yumi's dead weight, since she's unconscious…"
Chapel turned to the mountain above.
"ROSE!" She screamed, hoping Rose would hear her through the rain. "ROSE!"
Chapel knew that Rose had great strength. She could handle Yumi's unconscious weight with ease.
"Chi!" Chikorita had tears in her eyes. "Chicori!" She screamed back at Chapel.
"What's wrong?!"
Chikorita was telling Chapel that Rose had collapsed. When Rose wasn't responding, Chapel thought as much. Rose and Yumi were both coughing, their body temperatures were going downhill, and they both fell unconscious. There was one illness they both shared – something Chapel has heard of before:
Rose and Yumi had Pneumonia
Horror struck Chapel. "She's down too?!" She grabbed her own hair in frustration. Chapel so stressed she could rip her hair out right now. "What do I do? WHAT DO I DO?!" It was here that Chapel's composure began to break down. She wanted to cry…but crying would make Skarmory and the other Pokemon unnerved.
"Chi." Chikorita turned to the one trying to care for Rose: Banette. "Chico!"
Banette took her eyes off Rose.
"Chi! Chicori! Chico chico!"
Banette, having understood Chikorita's cry to help Chapel, rushed down the side of the mountain and landed in front of Yumi.
"Banette?" Chapel had a momentary look of relief in her eyes when Banette appeared.
"Chikorita told me what's up." Banette then approached the unconscious Yumi, "I'll float Yumi up."
"Thank you…" Even if tears were in Chapel's eyes, nobody would ever be able to tell, due to the rain.
On the way back up, the rain started slowing down. The raging torrent was slowly being replaced by soft flakes of snow descending their way to the ground. It was snowing.
Chapel, Banette, Yumi, and Skarmory were able to make back to the mountain path, where Ursaring and Chikorita were surrounding Rose.
"Rose…" Chapel's own eyes confirmed what she suspected.
"Skar." Skarmory landed Chapel on her feet.
"Thank you, Skarmory," Chapel said before approaching Rose's body. "There's a cave on the other side of the mountain. We'll rest there."
With Banette carrying Yumi and Ursaring carrying Seth, Chapel had to carry Rose. Upon touching Rose, Chapel's composure began to unravel again.
"Oh no…" Rose's body temperature was ice cold. She was already unconscious, making this urgent. "Come on! We need to go!" Chapel's urgency stressed the importance of making haste to the other pokemon.
…
Chapel and the group made their way to the other side of the mountain.
"Here it is." They didn't need to look for the small cave, as it was right along the mountain path.
Chapel and Banette respectively put Rose and Chapel on the ground. Chapel quickly reached for a Pokeball from both Yumi and Seth.
"I choose you!" Chapel called.
"Zen!"
"Lure…"
Out came Braixen and Chandelure.
"Zen?" Braixen, confused, approached her unconscious trainer. She inwardly asked herself just what was going on.
"Lure…" Nobody could tell what Chandelure was thinking. The glass surrounding his flame reflected a bolt of thunder which struck the ground outside.
Chapel commanded the attention of Braixen and Chandelure, "Yumi and Rose…their body temperatures are ice cold. Without warmth, they're going to die…"
"Zen…" Braixen shifted her gaze between Yumi and Rose.
"We need your flames to warm them up. Please…" Chapel was pleading.
"Lure…" Again, nobody could guess what Chandelure was thinking. Maybe it was thinking about feasting on Yumi and Rose's souls if they die….But as hard as it was to believe, Chandelure was not a Shadow Pokemon. It still had a conscious to decide between right and wrong. "Lure…" Chandelure floated toward the center of the cave between Yumi and Rose, and allowed its blue inner flame to grow in power.
"Zen!" Braixen grabbed her wand-like stick from her tail and ignited the tip with a steady flame.
Slow and steady, that was all Yumi and Rose needed to stay alive…
Chapel, still feeling the stress, gave a huge sigh. This was a moment of reprieve. She leaned her back the cave wall and slumped to the ground. She wiped a fair bit of sweat from her face before saying, "Today has been a disaster…"
This ordeal wasn't over yet. It was up to Chapel to protect everyone.
…
"Chi." Chikorita watched as Banette held Rose's Pokemon Egg close.
"Rose wouldn't want any harm to come to you." Banette rubbed the Egg affectionately. "Don't you worry. Things may seem bleak now, but Rose won't leave you behind. I'm sure of it. She promised that she would love you…" Banette could be considered the Egg's second parent. She's care for the Egg just as much as Rose, and also vowed to love whoever hatched from it.
"Chico." She then looked to Ursaring.
"Urr." Ursaring had placed Seth near the fire, and was warming himself up.
"Skar." Meanwhile, Skarmory perched himself just outside the cave, gazing at the distant sky.
"Chi…" There was nothing Chikorita could do now but wait. She resisted the urge to doze off. Everyone had to keep watch in case Yumi and Rose stopped breathing.
…..
Seeing Banette caring for Rose's Pokemon Egg, Chapel opened her bag and took out her own Egg.
Yumi and Rose start coughing every now and again, only to calm down again. This was a sign that they were fighting to stay alive.
Unlike Chikorita, Chapel was unable to resist dozing off. She just wanted to close her eyes and fall asleep. She desired nothing more than to wake up in the morning and find this who ordeal to be behind her.
…..
Yumi and Rose continued coughing on and off for some time…but then the coughing stopped.
"Chico." Chikorita had moved closer to Banette, taking a closer look at the Egg.
"Zen."
"Ur."
Braixen and Ursaring had a bit of small talk here and there, passing the time as the flames did their job.
"Lure." Chandelure was a still as an inanimate object.
"When do you think we'll make it to Troia?" Banette asked.
Chikorita shrugged.
"Mm…"
"Chi?"
But then Chikorita heard rustling. It was Rose.
"Mm…"
Rose was…moving?!
Chikorita rushed up to the little girl.
"Chi?"
"…" Rose wasn't moving…but her eyes…were slightly open?
"Chicori!" Chikorita smiled, greeting Rose.
"…" But Rose didn't respond. Nor did she move.
"Chi?" Chikorita was confused. She nudged Rose slightly. "Chico."
"…"
Rose's eyes were staring right in Chikorita's direction…but when lighting struck outside the cave, Chikorita caught a more accurate glimpse.
Rose's eyes were empty…
"Chi…CHI?!" Chikorita trembled, stumbling backward. "CHI! CHICORI!"
"What's the matter?" Banette approached Chikorita, looking into Rose's eyes herself. "Her eyes…they're blank. She's not moving…and she's no longer breathing?!"
Chikorita and Banette became stressed.
"Chapel!" Banette ran up to Chapel, who had dozed off. "Chapel. CHAPEL! WAKE UP!"
Chapel sprang awake. She was critical of herself for dozing off. "What's wrong?"
"Rose! She's not moving!" Banette stressed.
Chapel looked like she was about to have a heart attack as she immediately became fully awake. "Rose? ROSE!" Chapel puts her Pokemon Egg away as she rushed to Rose's side. "Rose! ROSE! WAKE UP! PLEASE!" Chapel was shaking Rose with urgency…but Rose's eyes remained empty.
"Chi! Chi!" Tears were coming from Chikorita's eyes as she called for Rose to wake up as well.
Chapel removed one of her black gloves to check for Rose's temperature, as well as Yumi's. "They're ice cold!"
"Zen?!"
"Lure?!"
Both Braixen and Chandelure thought their flames were helping the girls.
"Please! PLEASE! Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease! Rose! Wake up! WAKE UP!"
The flames of Braixen and Chandelure was but a temporary fix to a bigger problem – Yumi and Rose were deathly ill. Their lives were almost completed faded.
"WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP!"
Stress was causing Chapel's composure to once again falter.
"Chi…"
"Ur…"
"Skarm…"
"Zen…"
"Lure…"
This time, her stress was on full display for all the Pokemon to see. Everyone was becoming worried.
Since beginning her journey, Chapel was the unofficial leader of the group. She was always so sure of herself. Everybody would ask Chapel if they were unsure of what to do or where to go, and Chapel's suggested solution would always work out in the end. Chapel always knew what she was doing.
"Please…"
But now…Chapel had no idea what to do. Everyone was scared. "Damn it!" Chapel was on her knees, and she punched the ground. "DAMN IT!" She punched the ground repeatedly, "Everyone's lives are in my hands! And I have NO! IDEA! WHAT TO DO!"
Chapel began acting on instinct. She had to do something, anything that would save everyone. She started by moving the flames of Braixen and Chandelure even closer than they were before. No use.
"Chikorita!" Chapel turned to Chikorita and stressed calling her name.
"Chi?" Tears were still in Chikorita's eyes.
"Please, can you use Aromatherapy?"
Chikorita nodded before released a soothing pink aura which spread throughout the cave.
Chapel kept her hand on Rose, "Nothing's working…"
Chapel should've known better. Aromatherapy may alleviate battle ailments, but it doesn't cleanse life-threatening illnesses. Aromatherapy would keep Yumi and Rose alive, but just barely.
Again, Chapel punched the ground in frustration. "What am I going to do…What am I going to do…What am I going to do…"
Chapel, Chikorita, and all the pokemon were starting to accept a depressing reality – The deaths of Yumi and Rose may be imminent. The fear of their mortality filled the air with tension.
"I have no way to cure their pneumonia…" Chapel whispered.
"Chi…" If Chapel couldn't think of a way to save everyone, Chikorita needed to have a few ideas. "Chi!" It was as if a lightbulb went off in her head…as she rushed to Seth's comatose body. She opened his backpack and took out a book. "Chico!" Chikorita promptly took the book to Chapel.
"Hm?" Chapel took the book from Chikorita's mouth. "Pokemon Doctoring: Our Pokemon's Lives Matter…"
Chapel recognized this book. Seth had purchased the book from a small Mahogany Town shop named Renewed: Life's Flowers. Chapel was running the register when he made the purchase. It was after an incident got one of Seth's Pokemon hurt. Seth vowed that he would take better care of his pokemon.
"Maybe there's something about Pneumonia in here." Chapel skimmed the book.
Though Pokemon and humans were different, they could still get the same illnesses. If a cure for pneumonia was in this book, it could be used to cure Yumi and Rose.
"Here it is!" As Chapel said this, Chikorita, Ursaring, and Skarmory gathered around to see for themselves. "It says here that there is a medicine we can create that can cure pneumonia. And its made by using…Mint Leaves? And a Miracle Berry?"
Chapel wasn't sure there were any of either ingredient around.
"Chi!" Chikorita eagerly raced back to Seth's backpack and brought the entire back to Chapel.
Chapel received the back and rummaged through Seth's things. Who would've thought he'd carry stuff like these in his bag? If he kept at it, he would make a great apothecary one day…
"Chi." Chikorita watched as Chapel finally got to the herbs that looked like the Mint Leaves in the book. They had a strong minty smell.
"I don't believe it…we have Mint Leaves…" Chapel was so relieved, but she couldn't let up yet. "That's one ingredient down, one to go. Now for the Miracle Berry…"
Out of all the Berries out there, the Miracle Berry was among the rarest. It was this fact that gave Chapel an advantage. Being in a part of the region that is almost never traveled by humans, there was a greater chance to find a greater variety of Berries. Chapel was confident in finding a Miracle Berry in the forest below.
"Skarmory!" Chapel was excited, as she rushed to the edge of the cave. She called for Skarmory, "Can you fly me down to the forest? To save our friends…we'll need to find a Miracle Berry."
To Be Continued…