Well once again this story is late in being updated. I had almost just finished this chapter, and it was completely well detailed. Unfortunately something happened with my flash drive that caused everything on it to be lost. I only had a bit of the beginning already saved with rough drafts of the chapter already written. So I made do with what I had to re-write this chapter. It's not as well written as the first one was, I just hope it's just as good.
Chapter 36: An Unexpected Encounter
When I next woke up, it was dark, as in it being nighttime dark and not unconscious dark. Whoever heard of someone being awake while they were unconscious anyway? With a yawn, I stood myself up and stretched before determining where I was. It didn't take me long to discover I was back inside my pokeball, being that the fake lake lied before me. But what I found most interesting was the fact that the pokeball had a night setting to it, prior to the day setting the last time I was in here.
My stomach growled, reminding me of just how hungry I was after the near-death experience I've been through as I quickly recalled the battle I was recently in, which was the reason I was back in my ball. And seeing as how finding food outside it was rather difficult, I turned about and casually made my way over toward the bush full of berries, the only means of food I had that weren't quite appetizing, yet were somehow able to hold me over for a time. As I went and bit down on a berry, my gaze wandered past, boring deep within the forest beyond. Save for the few trees that made up the edge of the forest, everything past them were enshrouded by darkness, a darkness not even my nocturnal vision could make out.
I thought back to my earlier thoughts on wondering just how far a pokeball's environment could go and, curiosity getting the better of me, walked off into the forest to find out. It didn't take me long to do so, being that I found myself staring out across the same fake lake that was made up of the ball's system setting or something. I could even see the small cavern I usually sleep in from here. A thought came to mind, a theory that I had to confirm. Not very often I had one of those, I think. Nevertheless I turned about and made my way back into the forest, walking ever so slowly as the forest began to thin out.
I soon came to an abrupt stop as the other side came back into view. Having leaned my body against the tree next to me to support my balance, I leaned myself forward, stretching my neck out as far as it could go. Having focused my vision out across the fake lake, I scanned about the other side I was just on, searching for what I believed would confirm my theory. It didn't take me long for my eyes to come to rest upon what I sought for, watching the faint glow of the ring on my tail wagging back and forth.
It was really weird having looked at myself from the backside, but at least I was now satisfied with the knowledge of a pokeball's interior design. I then straightened myself back up and made my way back over to the berry bush when, out of the corner of my eye, I had spotted something, something I was quite sure wasn't there earlier. Having slowed to a stop, my curiosity once again got the better of me as I desired to know just what I was looking at. I knew for a fact that, between the fake lake and I, was one of those large rocks I occasionally come across, yet that wasn't what my main concern was about. It was the Pokemon sitting atop the rock, provided it even was a Pokemon.
One thing I immediately took notice of was that it was completely see-through. I mean I could actually see the fake lake through its massive head compared to the small shaped body with small strips of paper hanging from it as I looked it over. OK. It wasn't that massive, but it was still slightly bigger than the body. What really threw me off was the shape the Pokemon's head was in. "A star?" I questioned in thought. Since when did stars take the form of a Pokemon? Before I could question my thoughts any further, the star Pokemon thing suddenly spoke up, or rather... sang?
"The moon is bright on summer's night." The star Pokemon thing paused for a minute, looking up into the sky as she stared at the fake moon that was my only source of light in here. And yes, I did say her due to the fact that she spoke in a gentle, yet high-pitched tone, at least I think. It could be a guy. I wasn't entirely sure, so I slowly approached the star Pokemon to get his/her attention as he/she hummed a little tune following after.
"Um, excuse me," I spoke out, trying to get its attention. The star Pokemon lowered its head and looked over to its right, staring off into that direction for several seconds before looking to its left for the same length of time before looking right once more and then turning its attention straight of ahead, angling its head to one side for several moments before shrugging and retuning its attention to the fake sky.
I knew for a fact the star Pokemon thing heard me, otherwise it wouldn't have bothered to look around. But had I been loud enough when I tried getting its attention? I decided to try again as the star Pokemon thing sang once again. "The stars are high up in the sky!" Then it hummed the little tune that followed as I slowly approached, clearing my throat.
"Um, excuse me," I said more loudly this time so I would be heard. The star Pokemon stopped and looked right once again before looking left. Then, get this, it floated up off the rock as it continued looking around, surely having heard me. I wasn't completely sure why I was surprised. All stars floated high in the sky, so sang the star Pokemon itself. I quickly snapped myself out of my surprised stupor and made an attempt to get its attention. "Behind you!"
The star Pokemon turned around, definitely hearing me this time. Who wouldn't think about looking behind them? It made one an easy target of being caught from behind had one not bothered looking behind themselves to begin with. The star Pokemon glanced around once it turned, somehow not even being able to see me as it looked directly at me and looked off past me. What was with this Pokemon, if it even was one? I was practically standing in its line of sight and it had somehow not been even able to see- oh wait! How could I forget? I was a dark type so naturally I blended in well with the dark, making others seeing me virtually difficult. And the only way for making myself seen was to pulsate the blue glow of my rings via a mood I could concentrate on. As it was, I was quite overcurious about this strange encounter I was currently having that surely the blue glow of my rings would catch the star Pokemon's attention.
And it worked. The star Pokemon snapped its attention directly upon me and stared for half a second before its eyes widened. "Holy crap!" it cried out. "A ghost!" It then formed a Shadow Ball of its own and fired it at me before I could have time to react. The attack made contact as it exploded. I raised a paw to shield my eyes from the explosion, expecting to at least be knocked off my feet, er paws. Whatever!
Once the explosion had simmered down, I slightly lowered my paw, finding myself still standing in the exact same spot. I checked myself over to make sure there weren't any markings on me as a result of the explosion that hadn't seemed to have done anything before turning my attention back upon the star Pokemon, only to find it no longer where it floated. I scanned about the fake environment, somewhat expecting to spot the star Pokemon nearby. When no sight of it had been seen, I began wondering if I really was still unconscious. That or I could have been dreaming. No. Scratch that. I wasn't. Mainly due to the fact the fake environment suddenly disappeared, leaving me floating in darkness for a few moments before I felt myself leaving the contents of my ball, the scenery that materialized around me being entirely different, yet somewhat familiar as I found myself inside a building I came to realize as this city's Center. Reason being was due to fact that I recognized the table/desk thing prior to the last two Centers I had visited.
"Hey Zack!" my trainer said, my attention shifting on him as he placed away my ball. "How are you feeling?"
"I guess I'm all right," I replied as something in the back of my mind concerned me, causing me to continue my search for what it was. It almost seemed like it was something of utmost importance that I couldn't remember. What was it?
Everything all right, boy?" he asked. "What's wrong?"
"He may be looking around for Charcoal's whereabouts," Laura said, having caught my attention. Charcoal! Where was he? Was he ok? Were his arms still attached? Why had I even thought that?
"I guess that confirms it," my trainer said. "There's nothing to worry about. Charcoal's in the best care possible."
"Considering the fact that he was close to being in a critical condition by the time I got here," Laura stated, which greatly alarmed me.
"What!" I said with a yelp, startling them and a few others nearby.
"Laura!" my trainer said through gritted teeth, motioning his head towards me.
"But I have no doubt that Nurse Joy's doing everything she can to get him better," she said in an attempt to reassure me. It didn't quite do the job though. Luckily Ted came to save the day by making his usual appearance via appearing out from nowhere.
"Be calm, Zack bro," he said, causing me to jump and spin around. "Char bro's a lot tougher than you think he is."
"Yeah I know," I said. "I just worry about the conditions he lands himself in.
"It's all good," Ted said with a reassuring smile. "No matter what situations Char bro finds himself in, he always manages to find a way through them in the end."
Hearing Ted say all that caused a small smile to form upon my face, though there was a question that was still bothering me. "So Ted, what's the deal with the red towel you're holding?"
"Wait for it," Ted said as Skitty chose that moment to come walking over to- OH DEAR MEW!
"Hey Zack!" she said with a smile. "So I heard you've won the battle."
"Uh… yeah," I replied, an eye twitching. "Um, Skitty, are you feeling all right?"
"Perfectly fine," was her reply. "Though there's this really sharp pain in the side of my neck I can't seem to rid." She craned her neck to the left and rubbed alongside it, the needle in her right sticking up in the air.
"Um, Skitty, you are aware you have a needle sticking in the right side of your neck, right?" I asked. As Skitty straightened her head, the needle suddenly came out with a pop. A few seconds after that, a small trickle of blood had squirted out onto the towel Ted held who somehow moved to stand next to her without my knowing.
"Ah!" Skitty said with relief. "That feels better!" With that, Skitty had passed out, her head landing in the towel as Ted hoisted her up. At the same time that happened, a ding sounded throughout the Center. All heads turned towards a pair of doors I had failed to notice before as a woman with orange, loopy hair wearing a white dress of some sorts with a white hat upon her head with a cross on it came walking out from behind them, a large, pink, blob thing following behind her. Heh! I said loopy.
OK. Maybe not all heads turned, but mine did for certain, as I'm sure both Laura and my trainer had done as well as the woman came walking over towards us. "Nurse Joy," my trainer said. "How's Charcoal?"
"There's nothing to worry about," the nurse told him. "Your Pokemon will be just fine."
"Thank goodness," my trainer said with relief.
"Still," the nurse said. "As a trainer, you need to take proper care of your Pokemon. You're very lucky you had your Charmander brought in when you did. Had you taken any longer, his condition would have worsened. Luckily we were able to treat him in the nick of time."
"Am I allowed to see him?" my trainer asked.
"Though you cannot enter the room he is currently recovering in, you are allowed to view him from the outside," the nurse answered him.
"Come on, Zack," my trainer said to me. "Let's go see Charcoal."
"K," I said as I followed him in, walking through the doors and into a narrow room that extended as far down as it could go, prior to the more wider room I was just in. Having made our way down the long, narrow room, we turned a corner and stopped after a few paces. Looking up, I noticed that a narrow, yet wide pane of glass was embedded within the wall, my trainer's attention upon it before he looked around the room, in search for something.
Upon spotting what he sought, he went and grabbed a chair, placing it against the wall. Taking the notion he wanted me up on it, I did so, rising onto my hind feet as I rested my front paws upon the bottom portion of the glass and peered in. At first, I couldn't see anything save for my reflection. And man was I that good looking! Looking past it, I could make out yet another room, my gaze coming to rest upon whom was within, resting on something I'm sure was quite comfortable, his shoulders wrapped in freshly new bandages, tail flame flickering gently like it was dancing: Charcoal.
He actually looked quite content sleeping, something I'm sure he hadn't felt in his life when doing so, but then again, I wouldn't know since I never bothered watching others sleep. And why would I? I know I wouldn't like others watching me doing something personal. My attention was diverted, however, as my trainer spoke up.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry that I'm not the best trainer you and Charcoal have right now. I know I'm just a beginner with this whole training thing, but they all have a point. Laura, Nurse Joy, even the Cerulean Gym Leader. I'm too reckless with you guys and allow you to do what you want. I mean look at where the result of all my training has landed Charcoal of all places." He paused momentarily to sigh. "I promise you though, in time, I'll get the hang of this and learn how to train you guys to be stronger so we won't end up in predicaments like this."
I looked over at him while he spoke, studying his expression. I couldn't help but feel proud and smile as my trainer continued to gaze through the window, whether his attention was on Charcoal or his own reflection or off into his own thoughts. It wasn't often that I came across others who spoke as earnestly as he did.
"I know you will," I said, catching his attention as he looked down at me. "You can do it." I wasn't entirely sure whether or not he understood me or if he knew I was doing what I could to cheer him up. All that mattered to me was seeing that small smile upon his face that told me he appreciated with what I said and that everything was going to be just fine.
"Thanks," he said as he rubbed my head, receiving a wagging tail in response.