Getting the Ball Rolling

"Maybe we should try a six-week plan next time." - The Fairly OddParents

Pikachu

It turns out that "the town shouldn't be too much further" really means "the town is another day or two away." This gives me plenty of time to think about Gardevoir. Where is he now? Is he alright? Did he make any friends? Did he perfect that Moonblast/Psychic combo?

"Wheeee!"

The cry is a sudden but welcome interruption to my thoughts.

"Look out!"

It's coming from behind us. We turn around and look up the steep hill we just climbed down. A red and white ball-like pokemon - spinning so fast that I can't tell if they're a Voltorb or an Electrode - is rolling down the hill, heading straight for us.

"I can't stop!"

We leap out of the way just in time, and the pokemon - now that they're closer, their size tells me that they're a Voltorb - speeds past us with another cry of, "Wheeee!"

So…are they scared or are they having fun?

We all stand there, staring at their retreating form. Eventually, Sprout breaks the stunned silence. "Um…what was that?"

"Voltorb: the ball pokemon. An electric-type," Wobbles replies. "Voltorb often gather in areas with strong electrical currents. They also explode when startled. Or, angry. Or, happy. Or, just because." Suddenly, we hear a boom and an oddly familiar scream and smoke puffs up in the distance. "Like that."

"Sounds like someone was caught in the blast," Absol says. "We better check it out."

We all run in the direction of the blast, arriving at a small patch of grass that's been burned away. Part of a tree trunk is also blackened, though the Voltorb themself seems fine. Of course, they're probably used to blowing up. Whoever got caught in the blast is gone, so they must be okay.

Voltorb blinks at us and grins. At least, I think they're grinning. It's hard to tell with pokemon who don't have visible mouths. "Oh, hi there! You're the guys I almost rolled over! Did you see the guy I exploded? He was a Meowth, and he was really mad! He was okay. He was just really mad."

A Meowth? No, there are plenty of Meowth in Kanto. It can't be that Meowth, right? And, Voltorb didn't say anything about humans or a Wobbuffet.

"Uh," Sprout says, "are you okay?"

Voltorb nods. "Oh, yeah. I explode all the time." Suddenly, they start rolling around, circling the ring of charred earth. "I like to explode. I also like to roll around and around, but sometimes I forget how to stop! Then, I roll into something or my friend grabs me, and then I stop."

I've met plenty of Voltorb, but they're always serious at best, downright mean at worst. This one is…perky. My friends appear equally stunned, staring at Voltorb in bewilderment. Except for Eevee, who likely has never seen a Voltorb and doesn't know what they're usually like.

"I like you!" Eevee giggles. "I'm Eevee."

Voltorb stops rolling. "I'm Voltorb." They resume their circle. "I like you! I like everything! I like rolling! I like exploding!" They stop. "Wanna see me explode?" We all protest loudly, and Voltorb sobers a little. "Why does no one ever wanna see?"

Absol clears his throat. "Well, if everyone's okay, we're just gonna move on."

Eevee's ears droop, but Absol can't seem to get away fast enough. Before we go, I approach Voltorb and hold up my hand, stopping their continued circle. Voltorb rights themself and looks at me. "We're heading for a place called Vermilion City," I say. "Do you know where that is?"

Voltorb looks down. I can practically see the gears turning in their mind. "There's a place nearby. I live there with my friend. I'm pretty sure that's what it's called."

The weight in my chest lifts. Will my own friend be there?

"Oh my goodness!" Sprout says, echoing my thoughts. "We're almost there!"

Eevee wags his tail, Wobbles has her usual blank expression, and Absol shoots me an apprehensive look - I'm too excited to care - and nods at Voltorb. "Lead the way."

Voltorb jumps up and rolls off. "This way! This way!"

As we follow them, they regale us with various facts about their life. I gather that the friend they mentioned is their trainer, but I quickly start to tune them out. Despite myself, I start to envision what will happen when we get to Vermilion City.

Ash will be standing at the entrance. When he sees me, his eyes will light up, his ever-present smile will grow wider. He'll run up to me and scoop me up and hold me against his firm chest, swaddling me in his huge hands as his heart beats rapidly against my ear. The scrawny ten-year-old I once knew had grown into a six-foot-seven beast of a man, but he still holds me in a way that makes me feel like the most precious thing in the world.

I press my mouth shut to keep from laughing. No wonder our pokemon friends call me a romantic. Still, the more we walk, the more I want to sprint ahead.

Then, Voltorb stops and turns back to us. "I-I don't think I'm supposed to be here." Their gaze darts this way and that. "Yep. I almost went to the place I'm not supposed to go. Silly me!"

"What do you mean?" I ask. Is the path unsafe? Is there a dangerous pokemon nearby?

They mentioned a Meowth. Is it Team Rocket? My pelt prickles at the thought of having to deal with those jerks now.

Voltorb blinks at me. "I mean I'm not supposed to go there. What aren't you getting?"

And now I'm just irritated.

"Why can't you go there?" Sprout asks, her eyes darting around like she expects us to be ambushed.

"'Cause my friend said so," Voltorb says unhelpfully.

Sprout and Eevee look confused, Absol seems to be physically biting his tongue, and I'm considering blindly trekking through "the place Voltorb isn't supposed to go."

Wobbles, however, is her usual self. She smacks her forehead with a groan. "Is there another way to the city?" Voltorb starts to reply. "And, if so, please take us that way."

Voltorb bounces. "Okay! We can, uh…" After scanning the area for a bit, they deflate. "I don't know another way."

Unbelievable. "Well, do you know why your friend doesn't want you in this place?" I ask, trying not to let my frustration show.

Voltorb nods. "Something bad happened." Ah, now we're getting somewhere. "Something really bad."

"I'm sure it's nothing we can't handle," Absol replies. "Besides, you're not allowed to go there, but nothing says we can't."

Voltorbs hums, as if Absol just told them the meaning of life. "That's a very good point. Okay!" Voltorb turns back to "the place they're not supposed to go." "Go this way until you see some bluk berry bushes. Then, eat some bluk berries because they're in season and they're really juicy and yummy." From the sound of things, I'm not the only one stifling a groan. "Head left and keep going and then you'll be there."

"Thanks," I say and run forward.

My friends shout at me to wait up, but I barely notice. I'm almost there. Vermilion City is so close! With any luck, Ash will still be there. No doubt, he's pieced together that Team Rocket kidnapped me, and he's probably sick with worry. I reach the bushes and take a sharp left, hope making my footsteps feel lighter, faster. I'm coming, Ash!

Then, I notice a strange, coppery stench. I slow down and sniff the air, more cautious now. The closer I get, the stronger the smell, the more my fur stands on end. Something's not right. Then, it dawns on me, and I stop entirely.

Blood. I'm smelling fresh blood. Someone's hurt!

"Pikachu!" Absol is the first to catch up to me. "You can't just run off like-" He sniffs the air, a grim expression on his face. The others are getting closer, but Absol stops them. "Do you all smell that?" They all take a whiff and cringe. "Stay there. I'll check it out." He heads toward the smell. I start to follow, but he nudges me with his back paw. "You stay, too."

"But, what if you need help?" I ask. "We don't know what's over there."

Absol considers me then nods. "Alright, but stay close."

We forge on, the stench getting stronger and stronger, my stomach knotting up more the closer we get. Soon, we hear footsteps besides our own, the slow, heavy footsteps of an adult human or a large pokemon.

Absol puts a paw in front of me, blocking my path, and lifts his head. Being about three times my height, he has a much better view of whatever's ahead. "Come on," he urges, breaking into a run.

"What's over there?" I ask, right by his side.

"A pokemon. Not sure of the species," he says. "Too far to tell if they're the source of the smell."

But, as we get closer, the coppery stench only grows stronger.

Then, the pokemon comes into view. She resembles a very muscular human with blue-gray skin and an extra pair of arms attached to her shoulders; a Machamp, I recognize. And, her legs are covered in blood. How is she still walking?

"Ma'am," Absol calls as we race over. His voice is calm but with an urgent edge to his tone. "Ma'am, you shouldn't be walking."

Machamp blinks at us - how is she so calm? - then glances down at the thick, dark red splotches covering her from the knees down. "Oh! Oh, don't worry. This isn't mine." Her voice is very deep for a female. "Hey, did you just ma'am me?" She adds, pointing accusingly at Absol. "I ain't that old, am I?"

Absol huffs, and I ask Machamp, "You're not hurt? Then, who is? Are they okay?"

Machamp sucks in a breath, puts three hands on her hips, and rubs the back of her head with the other one. "Well, uh, what's your definition of 'okay?'"

I guess that's my answer.

"Where are they?" Absol asks. "Maybe we can help."

Machamp looks sadly back the way she came. "I'm afraid that Drowzee is way beyond help now."

My chest tightens. "I-I'm so sorry. Were they a friend of yours?"

"Do you know what happened?" Absol asks kindly.

Machamp shakes her head. "Never seen him before in my life. As for what happened, I can make a guess. I was just heading to the river to wash all this off." She gives her leg a little kick. The Drowzee's blood speckles the grass. "Let's talk more down there."

"Sarge," someone calls. A male human rushes toward us through the wood, nearly tripping over a tree root in the process. He has brown hair hanging around his face and an exasperated expression behind his glasses. "Sarge, tell me you're not going to wash that off in the river."

Machamp- Sarge looks down at her legs and shrugs at the human. "I don't see the problem."

The human pushes up his glasses with his index finger. "Under normal circumstances, that would be bad enough. Don't forget that Drowzee was sick. Very sick," he adds with a pointed look.

Sarge flinches and laughs sheepishly. "Didn't think of that."

The human sighs up at the sky, but I can hear the affection in his voice when he says to her, "What am I gonna do with you?"

The way their dialogue flawlessly bounces off one another makes me wonder if this human can understand Sarge. Any time I see a human and pokemon speak to each other in such a way, I wonder if they have a connection like the one I have with Ash. So far, the answer has been no, but there's always a chance, right?

Something the human said hits me then. The Drowzee was sick? I had forgotten all about the Poke-X virus. But, that couldn't have been it, could it? It started near Lavender Town. How close are we? Has it spread very far?

The human notices Absol and myself with a gasp, runs up to us, and waves his hands in our faces. "Shoo! Shoo! Don't get near her-" Sarge pulls him away before Absol can bite him. Absol continues growling even as the human hangs back. "She's contaminated," the human continues more calmly, "and you don't want to get sick."

Sarge reaches up - the human is about a head taller than her - and pats his head. "This is Korou. He's my trainer, and he's very paranoid."

"Come on, Sarge," Korou says, rolling his eyes and grabbing her by the wrist, "we need to get you disinfected."

As he leads her away, she turns back to us and waves. "Be careful out there, you two."

Regrouping back by those bushes led to me having to explain the Poke-X virus to everyone. I'm a little surprised that none of them had heard of it, but I guess it is still fairly new.

"Fascinating," is Wobbles's response.

I gape at her. "How-how is pokemon killing themselves fascinating?"

Wobbles just shrugs. "It's a pokemon thing I've never heard of." She leans in, a too-wide smile on her face. "Tell me more."

Sometimes I forget why she's our friend. "There's nothing else to tell. I just know that it exists."

"So, it's a deadly illness, and we don't know what it is or how you catch it or if there's even a cure?" Sprout starts shaking all over. "Oh my goodness! I don't like that!"

Eevee's ears flatten, and he shrinks back and looks among us. "Anyone could have it! Even us!"

"Oh my goodness!"

There was a flash of fear in Absol's eyes while I was explaining, but it's been replaced with what I've come to think of as his "leader face." "Nobody panic. From what Pikachu said, we would know if one of us was sick. This Poke-X is definitely something to watch for, but it doesn't sound widespread. All we can do is remain cautious-"

"Wheee!"

"Oh, not this again!"

Sprout squeaks and starts running in circles. "Oh my goodness oh my goodness where are they oh my goodness-"

Voltorb suddenly appears out of a bush, bowls over Sprout, and keeps going until they collide with a tree and explode. We are immediately blasted with hot smoke and even hotter debris. We all shake off the pain as Voltorb spins around, giggling.

Absol growls at them. "What's so funny?"

"I stopped all by myself!" Voltorb says, still spinning.

Eevee pauses in licking his wounds. "I thought the tree stopped you."

Voltorb stills. "There was a tree? Oh! You're the guys who wanted to go to the city! Did you find it?"

"Does it look like we found it?" Absol asks with thinning patience.

Sprout groans and shakily picks herself up. "What just happened?" She reaches behind her, fiddles with her backpack, and sighs in relief. What does she keep in that thing, anyway?

I'm about to ask if she's okay, but a new voice screams, "Yo, Voltorb! Where you at?"

Voltorb jumps up with a happy squeak. "My friend is here!"

A female human with dark brown skin and a head of very curly black hair is stomping through the brush. Her face is full of frustration, but the look turns to a tired relief when Voltorb rushes up to her and starts circling her legs, chanting, "Oh boy oh boy oh boy!" in a more child-like rendition of Sprout's "Oh my goodness."

The human shakes her head and stops Voltorb by placing her dirty white sneaker on them, leaving them perched upside-down. "Man, you gotta stop doing this. You're gonna roll all the way to Hoenn if you ain't careful." She nods to the rest of us. "Now, you say bye-bye to your friends, 'cause we gotta head back."

"Bye-bye!" Voltorb chirps at us. "Oh! Oh! We're going to the city! You can follow us if you want. Lorette won't mind." They gaze up at her. "You don't mind, do you?"

But, Lorette has already started away. She looks back and says, "You coming, or are you riding back in your pokeball?"

Voltorb seriously considers her question. "I think…I'll just follow you. Come on, new friends! We're going to Vermilion City!"

"We're not your friends!" Absol snaps.

But, we all follow. Lorette is confused by our presence - she definitely can't understand Voltorb - but she goes along with it when Voltorb starts weaving between us and saying please over and over. Eevee is the only one who enjoys this, as he can't stop laughing at Voltorb's antics. Sprout jumps on Absol's back, afraid of getting run over again. Wobbles just watches Voltorb with interest. Absol is scowling. I'm both eager to get moving and worried I'll get blown up.

Voltorb doesn't stop until Lorette says, "Alright, alright, I get it. They can do what they want. But, you, Absol, you stop staring at us like that."

This isn't Vermilion City. There are no cars on the roads. Heck, these pathways can barely be considered roads. This place isn't run-down, but there is a lot of grass and trees and other plant life. There are very few houses and people, and there is a huge building not far from us that, if memory serves, is a pokemon graveyard, though the name escapes me.

"Vermilion City?" Sarge says when I ask about it. Turns out that she and Korou are friends with Voltorb and Lorette. "No, no, no, this Lavender Town."

Their trainers work in a place that doesn't allow pokemon on the premises, so they are free to roam outside during work hours. Sarge, Voltorb, the PokeSquad, and myself are all gathered outside of the big, gray building that Lorette and Korou work in. It's a warm, beautiful day, the flying-types are chirping in the background, we're all having what should be a pleasant conversation, and I can't bring myself to enjoy it.

Because, this isn't the right place. If nothing else, it explains the presence of Poke-X, though that's still bad in its own right.

Sarge, clean now, is sitting on the stone steps with one leg crossed over the other. "This is probably my fault. This morning, I was telling Voltorb about this battle I had with the Vermilion City gym leader's Raichu. I lost, but it was a heck of a battle! Anyway, Voltorb gets confused sometimes." Voltorb, who is asleep against her hip, mumbles something at the sound of their name. I guess all that rolling and exploding would tucker anyone out. Sarge rests a hand on their head. "I guess they were so into my story, they forgot where they actually live."

"But, Vermilion City's not far from here, right?" I ask.

Sarge scratches her head thoughtfully. "I think it's close."

"Will there be other Sarge when we get there?" Eevee asks.

"Other Sarge?"

"Yeah! I wanna see lots more of them!"

"Oh!" Sarge laughs and ruffles Eevee's long neck fur. "Sarge is my nickname, kid. My species is called-"

Wobbles clears her throat. "Machamp: the superpower pokemon. A fighting-type. Machamp are strong enough to knock a truck over without even trying. But, don't ask them to do anything requiring dexterity."

"Hey!" Sarge snaps. Voltorb's eyes flutter open. "For your information, Korou's shirt lost a button the other day, and I sewed that sucker right back on."

"It took three hours, and the button popped off," Voltorb says groggily.

Sarge glares at them. "Well, look who's up."

Sprout shivers and steps back, shooting Voltorb nervous glances. "Um, Sarge, you said Vermilion City isn't far, right? Do you have a map? That would help. I can read!"

"You can?" I ask. Color me impressed. The most I can do is recognize certain words.

Sprout nods. "Uh-huh. I've never read a map before, but how different can it be?"

"Sarge can read, too," Voltorb says.

Sarge smiles modestly. "Not very well. And, reading a map is a lot harder than reading words. The pictures don't make any sense. Not that I could find one, anyway." She points a thumb back at the building. "I'd ask someone inside, but… Well, you know."

I think back to the way she spoke with Korou.

"There aren't any pokemon you can ask?" Absol says.

"I told you," Sarge replies, "pokemon aren't allowed in there."

"Why is that? You didn't say."

"Didn't I? Well, you see, the folks in there are researching the Poke-X virus. You all know what that is?" We confirm that we do, Wobbles looking especially interested. "Then, you can see why pokemon can't go in. We have to either stay in our pokeballs or roam free outside. I think most of the researchers leave their pokemon at home, though. Voltorb and I like to explore, so here we are. Korou wanted to keep me in my ball, said it'd be safer," she winks, "but he knows he can't stop me."

"The Drowzee you mentioned," I say, a knot in my stomach, "he had Poke-X, didn't he? That was his blood on you."

Sarge holds up two of her hands. "I know what you're thinking, but don't worry. It's only spread through bodily fluids."

"What does that mean?" Eevee asks, his already fluffy fur standing up.

"If I had any open wounds for the blood to seep into, that would be a problem. But, I didn't, and I didn't get blood in my mouth or anything, so I'm safe."

Wobbles's hands are pressed together. "Interesting. Is that why you weren't allowed near there, Voltorb? Were you injured?"

"Voltorb? Nah." Sarge pats Voltorb on the head. "I just didn't want them getting in the way while the humans came and did their science thing. Voltorb's kind of prone to random bursts of energy, as you've noticed. I call it crazy mode."

Voltorb scowls up at her. "I'm right here."

"So…" I say, eager to get back on track. "Vermilion City?"

Sarge shakes her head. "Can't help you." My whole body droops, then Sarge rubs her chin in thought. "Well, there is someone who might know where that is."

"Really?" Please tell me they're nearby!

"There's an abandoned power plant just north of here. A horde of Voltorb and Electrode live there, and they're all pretty well traveled, especially the Alpha."

Voltorb makes a small sound and huddles closer to Sarge. "They're mean." Sarge pats them sympathetically. "They're mean," Voltorb repeats. I wonder how familiar they are with this horde.

"Yeah, they're not a friendly bunch," Sarge continues, "but they tend to be more welcoming of other electric-types." She nods at me. "If Pikachu's with you, they might at least hear you out."

"I can evolve into an electric-type," Eevee says. "Will they like me?"

Sarge hums and wiggles her hand in a "maybe" gesture.

Absol stands up. "Well, it's a place to start." He addresses the rest of us. "We should move out while there's still daylight."

Wobbles raises her hand. "Hold on, buddy. I wanna hear more about this Poke-X thing first. How it's contracted, the effects it has, how to cure it. Basically, I wanna know absolutely everything about it."

Sprout nods rapidly. "I wanna know, too. What if we get sick? We should learn everything we can!"

Sarge crosses two of her arms. "Not much to tell I'm afraid. Don't swallow their blood or spit," she lists, checking things off with a third hand, "they attack themselves, they attack everyone else. Just stay far away from anyone who's screaming about something attacking them."

Her voice is casual but there's fear in her eyes and her fourth hand is nervously rubbing Voltorb's head. Not that they seem to mind.

Screaming about something- I shiver. I don't even want to know what that implies.

We thank Sarge for the information and start north, Sprout using Vine Whip to drag Wobbles, who is still asking questions about the virus like nothing's happening, along with us. I wish Sarge and Voltorb could have told us more. I've seen the videos online- Well, part of a video. Ash and I had quickly realized that we didn't want to watch more than twelve seconds. But, I thought that I'd at least gotten the gist of what Poke-X does. Now, I'm not so sure. Seeing a video is one thing, but seeing something in person is very, very different. Especially something unpleasant.

But, I can't think like that now. I need to focus on getting to the power plant. Hopefully that horde will be welcoming of electric-types like Sarge said. At this point, it's my best chance of finding Ash.

Ash.

"Wait," I tell my friends and run back to Sarge and Voltorb.

Sarge is walking away from the research facility with Voltorb sitting comfortably in her hand. She stops and turns around at my approach. "What's up?"

"Hi, Pikachu!" squeaks Voltorb.

"Hi, Voltorb," I say before addressing Sarge. "Sarge, this might be a weird question, but can Korou understand you?"

Sarge snorts and grins. "Understand me?"

My face heats up. Ever since Ash first started understanding me I've been paying close attention to how other humans speak to their pokemon. Usually, pokemon have to make an effort for their trainers to even get a clue. Those who are particularly close have an easier time with it, but they still lack verbal communication. (Except for Chatot, but the best they can do is squawk out a few human words before they get tired.) But, sometimes a pokemon will say something, and their trainer will respond perfectly, the way Korou did with Sarge in the forest.

Ash has always had a unique way with pokemon, bonding with them quickly or in unexpected ways. Greninja is the best example, their closeness unlocking a unique ability that made him one of Ash's strongest pokemon ever. Yet, they still didn't have that effortless communication; Ash could not understand Greninja on a verbal level. It's fun to feel like I have my own little thing with my best friend, but I've always wondered if it's truly our thing or if there's another human and pokemon out there like that.

At times like this, I think that I should just stop asking. Sarge's reaction is one of the better ones.

"It's just…" I say, trying to save face. "In the forest, you and Korou were talking, and…" I trail off, my voice failing me.

Sarge chuckles and waves a free hand. "Nah. That was just dumb luck. Whoever heard of a human who speaks pokemon?"

Voltorb blinks thoughtfully. "That would be neat, though. I could talk to Lorette all the time! I could talk and talk and talk and talk and-"

Sarge pats their head with a little grin. "Maybe it's good that they can't understand us."

I thank her and retreat back to my group. They are all looking at me curiously. "What was that about?" Sprout asks.

I give my pelt an embarrassed shake. "Don't worry about it."