Chapter 44: Burning Alive

     Before anyone had the chance to blink, a bright flash accompanied by the crackling sound of a dozen snapping tree trunks cracked the air just inches from the trainer's left ear.  Though it had missed, the sheer intensity of the jagged lightning bolt could be felt by everyone present, as if its air-cracking echo wasn't enough to hint to its sheer destructive force.  The attacker raced towards Wes, then skidded to a halt abruptly in front of him with small canines bared threateningly.  "You are not taking my brother to your so-called 'pokemon center!'  That, I promise you!  I wasn't born yesterday, you imbrate!"  Every hair that once rested limply within this needle-spiked pokemon's mustard colored fur coat was now standing out perpendicular from his body, each one crackling with charged electricity as dozens upon dozens of tiny jagged energy streams flickered in and out of existence faster than any eye could track.  "I know what you're scheming, and I won't let it happen!"  The charged atoms suddenly leapt from his form once again, hurled in the form of another jagged energy blast at Wes.

     Just as quickly as the crackling energy jumped from the Jolteon, a blue aura lit up around it, then abruptly twisted its direction by a sharp 180 degree u-turn, sending it on a one way trip straight back to its owner.

     Ze'ding, however, never bothered to make an effort to dodge it as he usually did.  Instead, his fur started crackling with a different form of electrical energy, possessing a bright sky-blue hue as oppose to the normal yellow glow.  Like a magnet, the new positively charged ions drew in the negatively charged ions of the redirected attack, eventually allowing it to re-enter his form.  Energy that had been partially depleted from his own attack were now instantly replenished, with plenty of excess energy left to burn.  With nowhere to store this remaining power, the Jolteon once again concentrated that same energy into another strike that was once again, aimed at Wes, its power identical to its predecessor.

     This time its approach was abruptly halted by a strong bright emerald force field.  Wave upon wave rippled across the temporary barrier from the point of impact.  Between this barrier and Wes, the ice-type stood firmly, straining to maintain the protective wall as Ze'ding continued to pour on the juice.

     "Out of my way!" the Jolteon snarled aggressively at Ailfresi.  "Or I'll take you out with- Wooaaph...!"  an unexpected great weight crashed down over him with the force of a Snorlax Body Slam, instantly snapping his concentration as the once powerful electrical burst fizzled harmlessly out of existence.

     The Glaceon's strong mental concentration was put back to rest when the electric stream disappeared, allowing him to let out a sigh of relief as the shield faded away along with it's weakening ripples across its surface.

     The Jolteon was forced to the ground by the sheer weight, and was rendered unable to get up, much less move.  Every muscle that he wielded seemed to had gained forty pounds, essentially acting of giant thumb tacks, pinning him into the ground and effectively restraining him.  The only thing that continued to move was his mouth.  "Hey, let me up!  NOW!

     "Not a chance, Ze."

     The Jolteon managed to turn his head enough to catch the sight of just who exactly had him immobilized.  Burning hot rage surged through the very crimson veins of his eyes.  "YOU!!  How could you take his side?!"

     Violeski approached her out of control son with her eyes still lit up in a sapphire aura, the same kind that remained visible around Ze'ding's outline.  "I should be asking you why you're attacking Wes and your brother!"

     This very accusation only fueled his enraged state further, struggling futilely against the forceful psychic hold that still firmly held him in place, never once waving in the least.  He continued shouting his protests.  "HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE ME OF SUCH A THING!  I would NEVER attack my brother!  NEVER!  I was protecting him from Wes!  Not attacking him!"

     The Espeon "Okay, firstly, did you ever consider what you were doing when you were attacking Wes?  Did you ever see who he was carrying in his arms?!  Had Mist and I not stopped your attack, you would've zapped them both!  Secondly and perhaps more importantly, Wes is only trying to help Vesa to get the medical attention that he needs!  The quicker we can get him the help he needs, the sooner he will feel better, and what you're doing right now is most certainly not helping!  That pokemon center is Vesa's only hope!  You're entitled to your own opinions, but we don't have time to deal with your grudges against a bunch of rotten people right now!  Your brother life is hanging in the balance!  The longer you try standing in the way, the longer it will take for Vesa to get any help at all!"

     "YOOOUU... LITTLE..." he started, but then trailed off when he shifted his eyes towards his brother, whose groaning had grown much more noticeable, and was beginning to shiver.  Both were clear signs that the Umbreon's condition was becoming direly worse.  His mother's message now began to make sense.  What if she's right?  What if I really am standing in the way of his only lifeline?  As these thoughts swirled around in his mind, the sapphire psychic aura faded from his body, as did the weight that once pressed down on him.  The Jolteon didn't move for a moment, still deep in thought, but then eventually climbed to his paws, swiftly shifting his hesitant gaze directly at Wes.  As much as I don't like it, what mom said might be true.  This human...  This... sorry-excuse-for-a-trainer jerk...  He might be Vesa's only hope...

     Wes himself had become quite unnerved by his Jolteon's sudden aggression from the past few minutes.  Ze'ding had been aggressive towards him before, having been known to shock him on multiple occasions in the past, but this time was different.  Despite how untrusting this Jolteon was of him, he always believed that Ze'ding's protective nature would work in their favor, credits to their common goal of protecting Vesalaki.  However, he now stood on the receiving end of what Ze'ding would do to someone that would try threatening his brother as Team Galactic would.  The burning fury in his eyes would've been difficult for anyone to not see.  The Jolteon's stubborn nature was, for the most part, a great asset to the team, for anyone who dared to try separating his family again would most certainly have their work cut out for them.  At the same time, however, it proved to be a barrier in many dire circumstances, such as now.

     After many long seconds, the Jolteon submitted to his mother's advise, giving a reluctant nod towards 'his' trainer.  "Very Well.  BUT!   Let me warn you, human...  If I see you doing anything that would jeopardize my brother's life, it will be your head that pays the price!  I swear that as far more than any promise!  I swear that with my life!"

     Wes briefly nodded before the increasing warm mass in his arm quivered uncomfortably.  With recent events cast to the most dormant areas of his mind, he turned around, and, with his ill friend still trembling in his arms, sprinted just as carefully as he was fast to where he was sure a pokemon center would be waiting, minding the large number of twisted vines and shrubbery lining the forest floor's unpredictable terrain.



     In what was perhaps the smallest and most peaceful of civilian settlements in Sinnoh, residents resumed their relaxed routine of the late morning.  For the most part, Solaceon Town was a laid back and quiet community, and as with any small town, people and pokemon alike naturally knew each and every individual that resided there by heart.  The community itself was so secure and peaceful, locking the door of your home or shop was almost considered to be a sign of disrespect.  Life here was about as spoiled and easy as life could get.

     Amongst this luxurious environment, one late sleeping lavender-coated pokemon yawned irritably as its eyes slowly flickered open, minding the rude sunlight that had disturbed its sleep.  His ears slowly perked up as he rose his head, allowing the light show how well-kept the psychic-type's rich and astoundingly smooth lavender fur coat was.  Not too surprisingly, the pokemon's eyes were quick to adjusting to the intense sunlight and eventually opened all the way, rightfully proving that he was the "Sun" pokemon, as pokemon biology often referred to his species, as their bodies were naturally able to quickly adapt to anything solar based.  As if the sleek and smooth outline wasn't enough to show off his luxurious way of life, the sunlight's reflection shining off from the deepest depths in his wise amethyst eyes and the tiny squint of sparkling light reflection from the lone crimson gem that remained neatly nested just above his eyes on his forehead emphasized his clean appearance, and even more-so, the great wisdom and courage that this Espeon possessed.

     "G'morning, Rinky," a passing young girl greeted the woken pokemon cheerfully.

     The Espeon's dense muscles twitched uncomfortably with the name, but showed no further sign physically or emotionally how he felt.  His wise eyes followed the greeting to its source, and his lips arced upwards in a friendly smile after he noticed the small straw basket the girl was carrying.  G'morning, Jessica.  Getting berries again?

     Although not one word was physically heard via mouth, the kid in mention understood every word in the Espeon's mind as if it were spoken.  "Yeah, and I'm gonna get LOTS of berries!" the girl danced excitedly.  "Just for you!"  A telepathic communication link such as this could never be established on the first day of meeting, but rather required a number of weeks of interacting with one another, during which a psychic type, such as Rinko, must tune their abilities with that of the one that wish to communicate with.  The process usually required constant practice for a couple weeks, after which the process in re-establishing the link became second nature.

     The Espeon blushed embarrassingly, rubbing the glimmering pearl on his forehead with his muscularly thick forked tail, a feature rarely seen among Espeons, as most chose a different battling style from his own.  Oh boy, here you go again, spoiling me rotted in the morning yet again...  What about you?  Aren't you hungry?

     The girl giggled as she crouched down to the pokemon's level... well... below his level, actually, and playfully patted his shoulder.  "You silly Espeon.  I already ate while you were being a lazy sleeper."

     Rinko shrugged at the half-true reply and looked away with another embarrassing expression, saying nothing more.

     The girl giggled again at the psychic type's reaction, then stood back up and ran off, leaving her last words behind with an echo as she went.  "I'll see you later, Rinky!"

     Rinko twitched again, and just like before hid his true emotions until the little girl was out of sight.  The lavender coated pokemon turned and padded into the pokemon center, mumbling to himself quietly.

     Inside the center, a young woman wearing a clean white apron saw the pokemon enter.  It wasn’t hard for her to see Rinko's irritated body language through the downed head and barely noticeable irritable mumbling.  "What's got you so racked up this morning, Aurinko?" she inquired with a smile.

     As though that kind, caring voice was all he needed, the pokemon gazed up to meet the humorous glint in the nurse's eyes with his own.  Finally, someone who calls me by my ACTUAL name.

     Just like the young girl, this nurse, too, also understood the telepathic reply.  "Oh, it's that issue again."

     Aurinko, which was indeed his full name, nodded seriously, half annoyed and half saddened by said issue.  Why is it always 'Rinky,' Joy?  Heck, I'd be happier if she just dropped the ending 'y' and added the 'o.'  'Rinko' appeals to me much more.

     Nurse Joy approached the mildly distraught pokemon and kneeled down, stroking the delicate lavender fur that lined his body as she spoke.  "I know, Rinko, I know.  Remember, though that she's just-"

     Just a kid, I know, I know.  And I know that she means well, and it doesn't mean that I dislike her in any way.  It's just a pet peeve of mine.  That's all.

     The nurse smiled proudly at how well her friend was taking this.  "I'm glad to hear that you're seeing the whole picture.  You've come a long way since I met you, and I couldn't ask for a better partner to help me here."

     Aurinko lowered his head again, this time, in a poor attempt to hide his blushing.  Oh shucks, stop with the mushy stuff, now.

     The nurse let out a quiet laugh.  "Well, it's not like I'm lying, right?"

     Aurinko nodded, not stubborn enough to deny the truth.  I suppose...  Speaking of which, any new patients while I rested?

     "Not so far.  Though, if I may say so, I thought you were going to take the day off?  You know...  Have some rest and relaxation for a change."

     The true nature of this Espeon now began showing itself as he pointlessly padded slow circles around his human friend with a prideful smile.  Nurse Joy, if there's anything you should know about me, it's that I'm always on station.  The psychic type paused at the base of Nurse Joy's toes once again and peered into her black pupils with a different style grin, hints of a restrained giggle evident.  Actually, silly me, you SHOULD know that already.

     Nurse Joy didn't share this same enthusiasm.  "Rinko, you promised me yesterday that you would rest.  Remember that you worked hard these past three days, helping me with all the pokemon that were admitted to this center."

     Aurinko fumbled with the toes of his left front paw and laughed.  I lack the ability to count the number of times I've kept said promises in the past.

     "You haven't."

     The humorous glint in the psychic type's eyes only became more noticeable in this stubborn pokemon.  Last I checked, you can't count 'none' with fingers, now can you?

     The nurse held her hand out, each finger curled into her palm to form a ball of skin.

     The Espeon obtained a victorious smirk as he met the smart-elic response with his own.  That's a fist, not a finger.

     Knowing she wasn't getting anywhere with this conversation, Joy glided her hand over the back of her companion, wearing a half worried, half admiring expression.  "I guess there's no stopping you.  I know how much you care for the ones that come here, especially the injured ones.  Just please don't overwork yourself."  Her fingers eventually met the back of the Espeon's left battle-scarred ear where they now began gently scratching the sensitive nerves that rested there.  Aurinko naturally leaned into the direction of this relaxing massage as wave after wave of comforting chills flowed from top of his spine all the way down to the very twin tips of his forked tail.  A natural smile crossed the faces of both individuals.  "You're someone that no amount of money or happiness could ever replace."

     The spoiled pokemon's reply became a brief affectionate lick on the cheek of the nurse.

     Having been all to used to this, the nurse didn't even as much as blink from loving gesture, nor did she cease to continue the massaging session.  As she continued this, it wasn't hard to feel the sudden abnormal trembling that Aurinko's body began vibrating with.

     The Espeon never vocally showed what he was feeling, but the slow swaying of his body did all the talking that Nurse Joy required to know.  Eventually, the pokemon could no longer maintain his balance, and he began to fall over like a limp rag doll.

     Nurse Joy was quick to catch Aurinko before his head could make contact with the hard tile floor.  "Rinko?  Rinko, are you alright?" she inquired with great worry.

     The Espeon shrugged off the strange and uncomfortable sensation, shaking his head briefly and barely making eye contact with Joy through a pair of disoriented pupils.  "Whoa..." he muttered with confusion, his voice hinting even more to his still disoriented state.

     There was silence for a while as Nurse Joy waited for an explanation of what just happened.  There was none.  The only actions from the Espeon was a stubborn attempt to wiggle his way out of the nurse's hold, which Joy allowed him to, and stand up.  Deja vu settled in again as he repeated the same swaying motion as before, only this time, he fell over on the second sway, and just like last time, Joy caught him.  "Rinko, you might want to take things easy."

     The psychic type shook his head.  N-no... he replied through their telepathic communication link.  There's s-someth-thing... out th-there... he struggled to explain, each word wavering with a great deal of distortion.  Luckily, it wasn't bad enough to become a communication barrier.  S-someth-thing's d-doing th-this to m-me...

     "Like what?" she inquired worriedly, picking up her friend and carrying him down the hallway a short distance before opening one of the many metallic doors that lined the walls.

     The room inside was one that this pokemon was all too familiar with.  "Simple" was perhaps one of the most accurate word to describe the this medium-sized confinement.  It was no bigger than your local basketball court, with large bed sitting in the dead center of the room.  Injured and exhausted pokemon were often settled in these rooms to recover and get their much needed rest.  Between Aurinko and Nurse Joy, they could easily provide the necessary attention to each and every patient that visited this center, even during peak times.  Only this time, Aurinko himself was the patient, and he was treated as such as he was gently placed on the bed's much appreciated soft surface.  I d-don't know...  A-All I kn-know is th-that it's c-coming c-closer...  It's c-coming-

     Joy's gentle touch over the Espeon's left side cheek was all it took to calm the pokemon down.  After she carefully covered Aurinko with the soft blanket with her free arm, she whispered, "Say no more, friend.  Just rest up."

     Even through this mysterious state, his sense of humor was still afloat.  I guess I'll have to keep that promise, anyways... he laughed quietly.

     The nurse couldn't help but smile.  That's so Rinko, always making someone laugh even through the most stressful of times.  It's a quality that I admire him most for, and it's also why he is such a great help-

     Her thoughts were interrupted by rapid ringing bells from the front desk, accompanied by a mixed bunch of panicked cries from pokemon and humans echoing through the hallway.  She gave Aurinko one last concerned look, then rushed out of the room, making her way to where all the commotion was coming from.  One determined voice seems to stand out above all the others.  "Hello?!  Come on, I know someone has to be here!  This is an emergency!"

     When Joy finally arrived, she immediately saw what this emergency was.  Aurinko's condition was made to look like a mere itch compared to what the frantic trainer was holding in his arms, squirming and screaming in what was clearly agonizing pain under the useless protection of a dripping water-soaked towel.  The one ring on the Umbreon's body not covered by the towel continued it's aggressive brightening and dimming pattern as a hot steam rose from its blue glowing outline.  At the peak of each blinding glow, the pokemon's helpless shrieks were at its loudest.  Its eyes were sealed shut, tightening more and more the longer this display of horrific pain continued.

     The terrified trainer himself shouted one and only request.  "Please, you've got to help Vesa!"