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The Story of Daniel - Chapter 7

Fog hung above Jubilife like a ghostly carpet. A result from the previous night's rain, the pavement now swirled and undulated with an uncanny fluidness---a sea of grey only parted by walls of impassive buildings. Silence was rare in a city as large as Jubilife, but on this calm morning, sleep had stolen away the usual noise and calamity. Not a soul was around, the beds were full, and the sun began to rise from its crevice with no one to greet it. Well, almost no one.

Slow and rhythmic like the softest drum, the sound of boots slapping cement echoed from the outskirts of town. The buildings here were neither as large, nor as impressive as that of central district, but they were worth their weight in tourism as the area was home to some of the first shops and inns trainers would see. And it was here, on 49th street, where an old, grizzled man was slowly taking his morning jog. There was no quickness in his step or spring in his joints. He lumbered like a tired dog; his hair, a full but dirty hue of grey, whipped about him and his aged breath labored as it passed between his lips. Youth, however, had not completely forsaken the man's body, for in his eyes there was still spark---as if containing a younger spirit then they should---but still a lasting blaze hidden in the tired blue.

This man's name was Walter Murdstone.

Now Mr. Murdstone was a curious man. For one, most townsfolk noticed that he did not own a single Pokémon, which was just plain odd since nearly everyone had at least one. As pets, helpers, or even battlers, having a Pokémon to call your own was always a popular thing. But no, Mr. Murdstone lived all alone in the recesses of his apartment.

It wasn't as if he was a mean person. On the contrary, many considered him a nice man to both human and Pokémon alike. In fact, to the eternal consternation of some townsfolk, Mr. Murdstone sometimes even knelt down and talked to a Pokémon. This of course was another reason why the old man was so curious. Sure, people talked to their Pokémon all the time, but it was only with questions like, 'You wanna another biscuit, girl?', or perhaps, 'Ready to go for a walk?'

Mr. Murdstone was much stranger because he appeared to have actual conversations with them: asking questions and occasionally nodding with some understanding when they replied in their unfathomable language. Now the townsfolk weren't stupid. They knew perfectly well what was going on.

Mr. Murdstone was obviously a little touched in the head, old age the most likely cause of it, and that was that.

They simply refused to accept that there was anything more to the situation. After all, nobody could talk to Pokémon. It was impossible.

However, Mr. Murdstone must not have cared about what was impossible or not, for every once in a while---on the rare chance he was out and about---Mr. Murdstone would still stop and have a light chat with one of the Pokémon that roamed the city. Today though, there were no Pokémon for Mr. Murdstone to chat with, not that this surprised him. There normally weren't at this hour.

With his own path beat into the cement, Mr. Murdstone took this route every morning as part of his exercise. He didn't like it, but his doctor insisted on the routine. Although only fifty-seven years old, Mr. Murdstone appeared much more elderly than others his age, almost ten years older to be exact, however this fact held very private concerns for Mr. Murdstone.

It was a queer feeling for him, knowing that his body was older than nature intended. The doctors told him they had no explanation for the cause of his advanced aging, but it wouldn't have mattered to Mr. Murdstone anyway. The reason for his physical condition wasn't much a mystery to him, for he already knew of its origin. The important thing was that nobody else knew about it. Mr. Murdstone firmly believed that some things didn't need sharing with others, and this was definitely one of them.

He turned left at the street corner onto Bayfield road, careful to overstep the large crack in the sidewalk, which was all that remained of an illegal Pokémon match a few weeks ago. It was law in the city that Pokémon battles be in league certified arenas, or at least in organized areas like parks, yet some punk kids decided to even a childish score by using their Pokémon. They were stupid and inexperienced and eventually their fight got out of hand. The police arrived shortly after. What they found was a sidewalk torn to hell, a smoldering hole where the battle took place, and both boys wrestling each other on the ground, both their Pokémon out cold in an apparent stalemate. After pulling them apart, the police gave them a heavy fine, and a month of remedial trainer courses, which were supposed to help rectify their bad behaviors. After a few weeks, a government-commissioned construction crew finished repairing the damage and everything went back to normal. Well, all except for the large gash on the sidewalk, which they accidentally forgot to fix in the repairs.

As Mr. Murdstone hobbled along---his breath rattling in his throat---he passed by the local diner, The Snack'n Snorlax, which his friend Sal was both owner and short-order cook at. It was a nice restaurant; fine wooden floors, cheerful Pokémon memorabilia on the walls, but the most startling feature was undoubtedly the humongous inflatable Snorlax, which sat atop the building smiling fixedly at every person who crossed its path.

The balloon's presence was almost ironic. It was tacky at best, looked far too big to be allowed, needed constant upkeep to maintain its sheen, but most disturbing of all, it was probably the reason for most of Sal's success. Kids apparently loved the damn thing, so it became one of his biggest attractions---literally.

Panting harshly, a smile tugged the corners of Mr. Murdstone's lips. He remembered the time when Sal first brought in the monstrosity.

It was a breezy summer day almost thirty years ago and Mr. Murdstone could recall sitting on the windowsill of the restaurant reading the paper. The store wasn't open for business yet, but it would in about a week or so. The painters completed the furnishings yesterday, and Sal was just out getting more supplies for the store's finishing touches.

Back then Mr. Murdstone was quite handsome. He had a nice, full head of brown hair, a little on the chestnut side, and there were no deep lines of wrinkles carving under his cheeks and eyes but rather he had a rough, thin beard that wrapped around his strong chin. His eyes were still the same shade of blue, but Mr. Murdstone remembered he smiled a lot more in those days.

He had been wondering if Sal's business was even going to turn a profit, when the man himself drove up with the 'thing' in the back of his pickup truck. At first, Mr. Murdstone thought it was just the tarp for the painters. They were supposed to be finishing the kitchen that afternoon, but when Sal gave him a cheesy grin, Mr. Murdstone knew something was up.

"Walter!" shouted Sal with a hearty boom. "You'll never guess what I got at the dump!" He fumbled with the seatbelt for a moment before hopping excitedly out of the truck. Sal's great belly wobbled precariously underneath his shirt like a great vat of Jell-O, and he waggled a stubby finger at Mr. Murdstone, beckoning him closer.

Perplexed, he followed his friend to the truck bed where a large rolled up object lay. Distorted shapes and random splotches of color decorated the fabric, but upon closer inspection, Mr. Murdstone could see rough seams crisscrossing the material. It was plain that this was not the tarp for the painters.

"Sal, what is this thing? Don't tell me you spent the money I lent you on something else?" said Mr. Murdstone exasperated.

His friend waved a big meaty hand at him dismissively. "Now, now, don't go bust a pipe. I was on my way there when I saw this beauty out of the corner of my eye," and he patted the fabric fondly at its mention. "T'was just sitting there on a pile of garbage at tha dump, like a diamond in the rough, and there was no way I was going to pass up an opportunity like this!"

Mr. Murdstone rolled his eyes. "No, of course not," he said with heavy sarcasm. "I mean, it's not like you had to follow my instructions, right?"

"Exactly! Just my thoughts exactly!" said Sal pleased, not getting the hint. "So I pull up and goes over to Rob, you know, guy with the funny toupee. Err. . .looks like a dead animal. . .anyways, I tell him that I want this gem of a piece he's got outside, and I point to it like so."

He then takes a moment to stop and point gaily at nothing in particular before resuming. " Now, I know Rob ain't the sharpest tool in the shed, but when he sees what I'm pointing at. Ha! He gets this expression on his face like he was just on the wrong end of a Dizzy Punch or something."

The memory must have been too much for Sal, because the next moment, he was laughing so hard he had to clutch the side of the truck for support. Mr. Murdstone pinched the bridge of his nose, not amused.

"I swear Sal. You can't just keep on buying stuff whenever you feel like it. Honestly, I don't know why I keep on lending you money knowing I'll never get it back."

"Ah, you'll get it back!" he replied with infinite friendliness, a childlike expression dancing on his cheeks. "This baby's the big one! No more half-baked scheme's for this codger, the restaurant is a sure thing! Not like that Poké Ball repair shop. Good gracious, what a nightmare that was, eh? Kept on putting em back together upside down...ruddy directions. No, this is where the money's at, without a doubt! Now then, come help me unload this thing. I just can't wait! It's gonna be as big as a house!"

Mr. Murdstone looked at him with alarmed surprise. "What's going to be big as a house?" he said a little too loudly.

Now, thirty years later, Sal was still running the joint. He was a little older, sure, and a little bigger, but he remained as jolly as ever. Mr. Murdstone passed by with a smile on his face. Perhaps he would get a bite to eat there later on just for old time's sake.

He continued to jog in a quiet trance, letting his mind wander back into the memories. His legs did all the work for him, unconsciously moving themselves along their path as though on tracks. Soon, he was turning the corner again, not bothering to remember that this street was the one Ms. Trill lived on.

Of all the people he disliked, Ms. Trill was certainly at the top of the list. Mr. Murdstone regularly saw her down by the pharmacy, where they both unfortunately got their medications, and it was common knowledge amongst the other elderly, and the pharmacist, that they fought with each other on every occasion possible. Usually, he would skip going this way. Mr. Murdstone just knew that if that "old bat" saw him jogging as he was, there would be no end to her taunts, and she would have gained more ammunition in her verbal assaults.

Unaware of the danger he was walking into, Mr. Murdstone trudged blindly onward, lost in his thoughts, until a voice broke through the silent din of fog surrounding him.

"Going somewhere, Walter?"

He froze in his tracks. He recognized that tone, and Mr. Murdstone cursed under his breath. Slowly, he turned---in what he thought was a casual manner---to face an old, squatty woman smiling cheekily at him, whom appeared to have materialized out of thin air. Mr. Murdstone thought it unnervingly creepy.

"Ah, I see I am not the only one out this early," he replied as calmly as humanly possible, any visit with Ms. Trill was bound to be an unpleasant one. "I was just taking a morning stroll. You should join me, Janet. It's starting to look like you need it."

Ms. Trill's eyes glinted poisonously in the dusty light, but her smile never wavered. "Stroll? It looks like you've been running a marathon with all that sweat."

Mr. Murdstone's lip curled, but the old woman still wasn't finished. "But you know, I think I shall take you up on your offer. One can never get enough exercise I suppose," she replied sweetly, roughly bumping into him as she passed and almost knocking him over.

With a grumble, Mr. Murdstone followed her, again cursing himself under his breath and wishing he had been more tactful of his insults. He figured that perhaps if he ran well enough, Ms. Trill would tire out and give up the on the run, but he soon found out that this was not the case. Although old, Ms. Trill turned out to be an excellent runner, and after a while, Mr. Murdstone was having a hard time keeping up with her_._

Ten minutes into the route, the elderly pair, having tired each other out, could do no more than jog along the sidewalk side by side, both trying to keep perfect posture as they continued to try and outdo the other.

"I notice you're...hah...starting to look a bit older, Walter," Ms. Trill eventually voiced between faintly concealed gasps of air. "Perhaps, you shouldn't strain yourself so...hah... much. In fact, are those new liver spots on your hands? I could have...hah...sworn they weren't there a few days ago."

"Eyes must be...hah...failing you again, Janet," replied Mr. Murdstone with the same false bravado as his rival, though adjusting the sleeves of his jacket to conceal his hands a little better. "It's a shame that you haven't aged with grace like I have."

"Ha! With grace my hip! If you looked...hah...any more ancient you'd probably turn to dust you wrinkly old coot!" huffed Ms. Trill.

A purple vein pulsed in Mr. Murdstone's temple. "Wrinkly old coot? How...hah...how dare you speak to me like that, especially when...hah...you look no better than a withered toadstool?"

Ms. Trill sniffed. "A toadstool, eh?" she said indignantly. "And why...hah...is that? Don't tell me it's because I'm...hah...only a head shorter than you."

"Really?" scoffed Mr. Murdstone in mock surprise. "With...hah...all the talking I could have sworn you had...hah...two heads. Then again, you always did have a big mouth. I guess I...hah...was just mistaken."

At this, Ms. Trill nearly burst an artery. Her face bubbled with rage and her cheeks flushed a dark red. She turned to him in midstride, opening her mouth, ready to deliver a scathing reply dancing on the tip of her tongue. She did not bother to examine the street corner they were crossing in case a person was about to walk into them.

It was therefore a big surprise to Ms. Trill when, out of the corner of her eye, a large, white, dog-shaped missile collided with her and knocked from her lungs both the wind and her insult. Her feet lifted off the ground from the force and Ms. Trill---bug-eyed and mouth stretched into a silent yell---crashed to the hard gravel.

Mr. Murdstone could do no more than helplessly watch this event occur before his eyes. The sudden and completely unanticipated collision had numbed his feet from acting. Ms. Trill let out a moan on the pavement, and Mr. Murdstone, momentarily forgetting his dislike for her, rushed to help. With a gentle hand, he lifted her to a sitting position.

"I swear!" moaned Ms. Trill, unharmed but dramatic at heart. "I feel like my back's broken! What hit me, a bus?"

The white creature that hit Ms. Trill moved in the corner of Mr. Murdstone's vision, and he took his gaze off her to look at it better, eyes widening in recognition.

"Not a bus," he breathed, awestruck from the strange phenomena in front of him. "A Ninetales."

"A what!?" Ms. Trill exclaimed in surprise, twisting her clearly not broken back.

And as Mr. Murdstone reported, there it was. Sleek and white, the Ninetales slowly raised itself from the ground. All nine of its tails hung limp and dirtied; the poor creature had spent the night out in the rain. Its eyes blinked open, revealing the lustrous rubies behind them, and the Pokémon shook itself violently, as it would have done if water secretly hid between the fine hairs of its fur. As if struck mute, both Mr. Murdstone and Ms. Trill watched this process quietly. They were mystified by the strangeness of the moment, completely unaware of how odd they looked sitting on the ground in audience of a Pokémon.

Then, as if to snap them out of their daze, the Ninetales began to bark at them. So sudden was this barking in fact, that both elders jumped to their feet in fear.

"Nine! Ninetales! Ninetales! Nine-TALES!" it cried.

Ms. Trill almost bolted, but instead opted to cling fearfully to Mr. Murdstone's jacket. To her, the noise was forceful and intimidating, as if the Pokémon was demanding them to do something. The Ninetales barked louder, and Ms. Trill let out a muffled scream. It was going to attack. She knew it, how could it not with all that noise? She tugged at Mr. Murdstone with frantic urgency.

"Oh, we need to go Walter! Look at it! It's going to get us if we don't get out of here now! Let's make a break for it, right now?" but Mr. Murdstone didn't budge. He was eying the Ninetales with an unsettling mixture of shock and intrigue.

She yanked harder. "Walter! What are you doing! Quickly, before it decides to...Aagh!"

Ms. Trill flung herself out of the way as the Pokémon leapt forward and clamped its jaw onto one of Mr. Murdstone's sleeves. It tugged---as Ms. Trill had---but with a much more urgent vigor, yet strangely enough there didn't appear to be any force to her bite. Mr. Murdstone kept as still as a statue, unlike Ms. Trill who was rushing back to the Pokémon, fear vanishing and shouting at the top of her lungs.

"You get away from him you beast! Stop it! Stop it right now!" and she made a move as if to whack the Ninetales on the head with her puny fist, but to Ms. Trill's surprise, Mr. Murdstone blocked her with his arm.

"Hold on!" he said. "She says that there's someone who needs help."

Ms. Trill blanked. For a rare moment, she was rendered speechless. Then it passed, and her face grew red with indignation. "What are you talking about!?" she thundered incredulously. "Can't you see you're being attacked!?"

"No, I'm not," replied Mr. Murdstone, irritatingly calm. "She's not biting through the fabric, see? Only pulling. Apparently one of her friends is hurt badly up the street and needs help."

He spoke as if this knowledge was obvious, and Ms. Trill gaped open-mouthed at him. "Can you hear yourself? You're talking about...about...," she paused and threw up her hands, failing to express the complete idiocy of the moment. "You can't talk to Pokémon!"

At this, the Ninetales released itself from Mr. Murdstone and began dashing back down the street, throwing barks back at them as it left. Then with an air of calm fortitude, as if this sort of thing happened every day, Mr. Murdstone trotted after it.

"Where do you think you're going?" Ms. Trill shouted after him.

"I don't know! She told me to follow her!" called back Mr. Murdstone, his voice echoing through the fog. "I'll be back, don't worry!" he said finally, as if this settled the matter.

He was gone after that, the fog having swallowed him up. Ms. Trill remained standing alone at the street corner with a strange feeling in the pit her stomach. She frowned silently in thought. Then after a short pause, knowing in deep in her heart that she would later regret her decision, Ms. Trill hurried after him.

---

Gazing into a small puddle of water, Mira saw the strange and foreign face of a Typhlosion reflected in its depths. She reached up and felt the fur on her cheek, felt the new grooves and contours of fresh bone and muscle. She felt the incredible strength of her jaws and imagined they could easily tear through the toughest flesh; explored each of her powerfully developed limbs with searching paws and began to discover herself for the first time since she evolved. Mira smiled with a hidden, primal delight. She was strong now, stronger than ever.

Daniel moved in his sleep behind her, rustling the cardboard mat underneath him, and Mira turned and looked at him fondly. His handsome face, dirtied with rain and sweat, calmly twitched with a happy dream. Sleep had made his breathing easy, and Mira could see how much the past few days had fatigued him; how his appearance was so much softer without the stress of his problems to burden him. And who could blame Daniel for being worn out?

His ordeal, a far-fetched and ludicrous tale of being flung from his world into this one, was so unbelievable and surreal that if Mira didn't trust Daniel implicitly she would have never accepted it. He was truly unique.

Her eyes glazed over the dark, burnt patch of fabric on his shirt, but rushed away quickly to look at something else. Mira couldn't bear to remind herself of the pain she had caused Daniel. He had always protected her whenever she was in danger, putting his life on the line time and time again.

Mira clenched her paw tightly, balling it into a fist. Now however, it was different. This time...this time she would protect him. She would not let herself become a victim any longer. This way, Daniel will respect her as an equal...as a partner.

She couldn't help but feel the need to earn him. It was unexplainable, but somehow it seemed to be the right thing to do. Her heart would not be content with simply accepting so much thankless generosity. Mira knew that Daniel didn't mean to make her feel so conflicted, but her Pokémon pride was screaming out at her to return the favor, and now that she was strong, she finally could.

As soon as Daniel fell asleep, Mira had Valeria go out to look for help, being that Valeria, who already had a trainer, knew the lay of the city better. She had been gone for a while now however, and Mira was beginning to wonder if something had gone wrong.

Her pointed ears strained for a sound, some indication of help in the unearthly quiet of the fog. For several minutes, she stood frozen in concentration, only able to hear the gentle hum of Daniel's breathing. Then, a noise! Pads...pads against the sidewalk, it was Valeria. Another minute of anticipation passed and Valeria rounded the corner into the alley, a knowing smirk on her face.

"I found some help!" she called excitedly. "He should be here in a second."

"What took you so long?" asked Mira, scowling but happy.

Valeria shook her head. "Oddly enough, nobody seems to be awake. The streets are practically empty!"

"Yes, I noticed," agreed Mira. "It must have had something to do with the rain last night. It was quite the storm. So who did you get to help? I don't see him."

"I must have outrun him. He should be...wait...I think that's him now."

At that moment, a very old and frail Mr. Murdstone slipped into the alley. His appearance took Mira off guard and she took a long look at him, wondering who the decrepit man was, before realizing this was all the help Valeria brought with her.

"Valeria, what do you think you're doing?" Mira demanded, rounding on the Ninetales.

"W-what?" she replied nonplussed.

"This guy is like...a thousand years old! How is he going to be of any help at all?"

"He was the only one that would come!" Valeria retorted angrily. "It's not my fault he's an ancient geezer."

"Excuse me, ladies," spoke Mr. Murdstone softly.

Mr. Murdstone forced his slim frame past the two quarreling Pokémon and strutted purposefully until he reached Daniel's injured body. Mira and Valeria both fell silent and watched him as he knelt and examined their trainer, taking his pulse and feeling for broken ribs with wrinkled leathery hands. Mr. Murdstone was gentle in his work, disturbing Daniel's body very little and making quiet notes to himself all the while.

"Hmm...prolonged state of exhaustion...feverish...cuts along hands and upper arms, but they seem to be negligible...bruising on lower back...ribs...none broken, at least there is something here that's not damaged. Amazing he's still breathing; he's definitely going to need a hospital."

They were apparent observations, but something about the way he spoke made both Pokémon listen attentively to his every word. Then his eyes rested on the chest wound and he whispered to himself, "Now, that doesn't look good at all."

Mr. Murdstone reached for the hems of Daniel's shirt, gently tugging them up to look at the burn. Both Mira and Valeria were completely absorbed in his progress now, and Valeria stealthily crept forward for a better view; eventually Mira approached also, but only after a guilty hesitance.

Together they leaned in, holding their breaths until the wound was finally naked. Mira and Valeria let out sighs of relief---it wasn't as bad as they thought. The burn was now a red and shiny patch across his chest, no longer imbued with sickening yellow pustules, and it was plain the skin around the mark was starting to regain its normal pallor.

They did not notice Mr. Murdstone's startled expression; nor did they notice the tiny, lone blue spark dancing on the wound. Mr. Murdstone intently watched its progress as is hopped around Daniel's chest like an irradiated fly before burrowing seamlessly into the skin. Then, as if by some divine magic, the spot where it disappeared---no more than a pinpoint of flesh---healed, and knitted back together. It was an almost invisible transaction, but Mr. Murdstone had caught it.

He looked grimly at Daniel's face with confirmed suspicions. Originally, he felt the boy's condition was questionable, to say the least, and added up his shallow injuries to sheer dumb luck. But after this...there could be no mistake.

"You two," Mr. Murdstone said, looking up at the Pokémon. "Come help me lift him to his feet."

It took them a few minutes, but eventually they were able to prop up the unconscious Daniel, Mira and Mr. Murdstone supporting him by the arms while Valeria hung back to keep him from falling.

"Gently now," he said.

They moved slowly, mediating their steps so that they wouldn't harm Daniel any further. Soon they were out of the alley and into the street.

Mira could not help but feel amazed at how easy it was for her to support her trainer. In fact, if the situation didn't call for a slow and even pace, Mira felt that she could probably carry him herself. They walked a good block or two, before the equilibrium of weight shifted and Daniel's body started to sink on one side. Mira took on more weight to compensate and glanced accusingly at Mr. Murdstone.

He returned her gaze with a tired half-chuckle. "Sorry," he said. "My muscles aren't what they used to be, and your friend is quite heavy."

Mr. Murdstone then took in a large breath and with a vulgar grunt hefted Daniel's weight back onto his shoulders. Mira, noticing the lessened burden, nodded in appreciation and they continued their walk, however, it wasn't long until another disturbance forced them to stop.

Somebody was coming towards them, though it looked like nothing more than a misshapen blur in the thick fog. The blur seemed to recognize them, however, as it started to shout in a high voice.

"Walter! Walter!" called Ms. Trill.

"Ah crap," whispered Mr. Murdstone, suddenly white. "I didn't think she would follow me!"

"It's not that horrible woman again, is it?" whined Valeria from the rear.

Surprised, Mira turned her head. "You know this person?"

But before the Ninetales could respond, Ms. Trill emerged from the fog, the locks of her hair unceremoniously frizzed and disheveled. She came right up to them, her face bright red with anger, but paying no attention to either Pokémon or Daniel. Instead, she focused on Mr. Murdstone.

"What is your game? Leaving me like that on the side of the road like some...some...forgotten article of clothing! I knew you were an uncivilized tramp, but I would never have thought you would just leave me, a very dainty and fragile creature, attacked, abandoned, and alone on a corner! I could have been mugged!...or murdered!"

"You were not inju---" tried Mr. Murdstone, yet failing to interject into the rant.

"Oh! And what, pray tell, was that 'mystery' act all about! Hmm! Because, you aren't a mystery to me, that's for certain! I was just supposed to believe that you were running off on some saintly call for help? As if! I knew you were probably running off to pick up one of your drunken buddies! Ack! And lo and behold! Here's the inebriated bastard now!"

She then gestured to Daniel with a disgusted wave of her hand, unaware of the bewildered expressions of Mira and Valeria. Mr. Murdstone was too shocked to reply, but then Ms. Trill then raised herself to peer into Daniel's unconscious face.

"Yes, he even smells like drink!" she snapped. "What a stench! And...dear me! He's underage! Oh I bet you're behind this aren't you, Walter! Corrupting the innocent with stories of your wild Pokémon adventures and...and disgraceful fantasies of grandeur wasn't enough for you, eh? You had to hook them onto poisons like alcohol and booze!"

"Would you just shut up already!" shouted Mr. Murdstone, finding his voice. "As much as I would like to stand here and argue with an idiot like you, this boy is hurt and needs help!"

"Don't you lie to my face! If he's hurt then where's the injury?"

"It's on his chest you cross-eyed bat!"

Ms. Trill's nostrils flared coldly, but she said nothing and returned her beady stare back to the unconscious boy in front of her.

"Hmph...I don't see any...oh? What's this here...oh my...," Ms. Trill's anger seemed to evaporate as she gingerly observed the burn. "Oh! This looks bad...really, really bad!"

"How kind of you to notice," remarked Mr. Murdstone with a sarcastic drawl. "Now if you'll excuse us..."

"Don't be silly! I'm not going anywhere now!" shot back Ms. Trill. "I apologize for the things I said earlier, but I cannot just simply stand by and let a careless person like you deal with a thing like this! No, it would be better to have someone sensible, like myself, to assist."

Mr. Murdstone ground his teeth. "How touching."

Ms. Trill tutted as she looked over Daniel, ignoring Mr. Murdstone's response. "Poor lad," she sighed. "We'll have to rush him to the hospital right away. Yes. No question about it. Doctors should fix him right up! Come along Walter! Hospital's a good ways away and we're not getting any closer by standing still."

"Whatever." grumbled Mr. Murdstone as he hefted Daniel's weight back onto his shoulder. Mira did the same, but she remained bewildered about the elderly woman.

She cast a questioning look at Valeria, hoping that perhaps she understood what was going on, but the Ninetales just shook her head and mouthed quietly 'I'll explain later'.

---

The group began walking again, this time with Ms. Trill leading the pack in a march, as if she was participating in some heroic parade of sorts---where the injured are used in place of festive floats. She also kept on spouting meaningless words of encouragement, which Ms. Trill must have figured were appropriate for the situation, such as "Pick up the pace!" and "Stiff upper lip you three!". She droned on continuously. By the time she was in the middle of saying "Failure is not an option!" Mr. Murdstone was at his limit and in a fit of rage, shouted at her to shut the hell up and quit prancing around like an idiot.

After that, Ms. Trill refused to speak to him until they were at the hospital doors, where a surly looking intern was smoking a cigarette. Clearly, he was on break, but Ms. Trill was in far too bad of a mood to care.

"You! Quit smoking that and get over here!" she shouted at him. "We have a boy that needs help right away!"

The intern sluggishly raised himself from the wall, as he had been half-asleep, and glanced at the approaching group. What he saw made the cigarette fall slack in his hand and his eyes widen with shock. The sudden appearance of two old persons, an unconscious boy, a Ninetales, and a ferociously large Typhlosion all seemed to have the effect of paralyzing the intern's legs and he could not immediately respond to Ms. Trill's demand.

"Hello? Are you just going to stand there all day like some brain dead fool, or are you going to help us?" called Mr. Murdstone hotly from underneath Daniel.

"Wha-what is this?" spluttered the intern.

"This? Oh nothing, nothing at all, really," retorted Mr. Murdstone sarcastically. "We're just trying to keep a kid alive that's all. Join in any time, there's no rush."

The intern relaxed a little, the joke helping his mind snap out of shock. He rushed forward to help carry Daniel into the hospital.

"Damn, what happened?" he asked the group.

Mr. Murdstone was the first to respond. "Found this boy with his Pokémon in an alley a ways back. He was unconscious, still is I guess, and it looks to me like he has some sort of burn in the middle of his chest."

Mira shifted her feet guiltily. "However," Mr. Murdstone continued. "I don't think it's as bad as it looks. A good night's sleep and I think he should be fine."

Ms. Trill looked at him confused. "A good night's sleep? Walter, don't be stupid. Clearly, he needs more than that?"

"Come on! Let's get him on a stretcher," interrupted the intern. "The doctor will need to take a look at him."

He then vanished inside the double doors and came out a moment later wheeling a stretcher. Together, they lowered Daniel onto the device and brought him into the hospital. They entered a clean, white reception room, decorated with only a few chairs and a receptionist, who was lazily typing on the keyboard of her computer behind a large desk.

"I'm afraid you'll need to stay here for a moment, I'll be right back." said the intern, whom wasted no time and turned into a corridor, whisking Daniel down a well-lit tiled hall and out of sight.

Mira tried to follow her trainer, but Mr. Murdstone caught her. "Don't worry, he'll be alright. The man's just taking him to the doctor." She wanted to protest, but there was a sincere and honest quality to his voice. It reminded her strongly of Daniel, and Mira eventually yielded.

The receptionist looked up from her typing with pursed lips. She wanted to tell the group that no Pokémon were allowed in the building, and had stopped her work to do so. Her eye, however, kept wandering towards the Typhlosion and unwelcome images of being attacked by the dangerous creature flitted through her head. She ended up keeping quiet; let the doctor deal with it, she thought.

A few minutes passed as everyone got comfortable: Mira sat on the floor next to Valeria, Mr. Murdstone eased himself into a chair, mumbling darkly about his aching back, and Ms. Trill let out a very loud yawn before also sitting down.

"Goodness, I am beat! What an exhausting morning," she said, fanning her face as though having just run a marathon.

Mr. Murdstone couldn't believe his ears. "I'm sorry, you're beat? I didn't see you throwing your back out by helping carry the boy."

"Don't be silly Walter. Of course I helped."

"How?" asked Mr. Murdstone skeptically. Mira and Valeria turned their heads toward her as well.

"I kept the morale up."

Both Pokémon burst out laughing. "You what?" said Mr. Murdstone in astonishment.

Ms. Trill's face was dead serious. "Why yes, probably one of the most important tasks of today's event, if I may say so myself. Morale is a very serious thing. It's like the light in a fire, or fuel in the tank, if you pardon the crude analogy. Honestly, it was a good thing I arrived when I did or we may have never made it here. My pep and encouragement really pulled us through."

Mira and Valeria were rolling on the floor now, tears streaming down their faces. Mr. Murdstone just sat in his chair looking appalled.

"All you did was argue and yell," he said.

"Not at all!" replied Ms. Trill serenely, as if disproving a child's theory that the moon was made of cheese. "It was my own energy and young spirit that saved the day! Yes, your...erm...backbreaking sacrifice was admirable, but I think you have nothing to complain about now that you see I did all of the important labors. It's pure logic."

"You're delusional!"

Ms. Trill gave a huff and turned her head away. After that, it wasn't long before the room became stiflingly quiet. Then the reality of where they were hit them all at once, and it was as if a blanket had fallen over them, smothering away the laughter and goodwill, and replacing it with an uneasy worry. With the conversation, their minds were occupied and carefree, but now there was nothing to separate their thoughts from Daniel's condition. They waited in trepidation for about a half hour, not one of them speaking or looking at each other. The receptionist sometimes snuck a disapproving glance at the group, but nonetheless, the room remained silent.

Hospitals had a strange effect on some people: the solid white walls, the smooth tiled floors---so polished you could see the florescent lights reflected in them---and the eerie notion that everything in sight was sterile. It was both oppressive and disarming. Even Valeria, although visiting a hospital once before, couldn't help but remember how all the workers seemed so clean and fresh.

Their clothes were certainly strange to her, mono-colored outfits with an obscenely large breast pocket, yet without a speck of dirt or grime on them. Everywhere she looked, there was nothing but clean, clean, clean. Valeria peered at her dirty fur. She felt like a stray. It was as if she was an impurity on this spotless place and wondered for a brief moment why humans would send their diseased to a place so immaculate. She started to lick her fur.

"Hem, hem!" came a voice from the desk.

The group turned their heads; it was the receptionist. "The doctor will see you now. He's just down the hall in room 1-E, and...umm...please keep your Pokémon under control." She seemed extremely hesitant about saying the warning, her eyes determinedly refusing to meet the group's gaze all the while---especially the Typhlosion's.

Mr. Murdstone and Ms. Trill got up from their seats. "Alright you two," said Ms. Trill. "You heard the nice young lady. Best behaviors!"

Valeria stopped cleaning herself and stood up, while Mira simply nodded. She had never been in a hospital before, and although her instincts craved for her to explore, she believed Daniel might not appreciate it if she was thrown out for misbehaving. They began walking down the hall, and all the while, Mira kept wondering what news this 'doctor' would bring.

Her insides gave a guilty squirm. She couldn't help picturing the worst. Daniel would be lying on the hospital bed, his breath rattling and the doctor would then explain how his injuries were far too great for treatment. She had heard about how some humans were hooked up to machines to keep them alive, and she figured that perhaps they would have to use one of those.

But what kind of life was that? Mira tried to imagine it, hoses and wires and metallic boxes that lit up with Daniel's vital signs. She had heard that humans using those "life machines" rendered the patient permanently stationary---fixed, like a piece of furniture.

Mira clicked her claws in agony. She knew that if this were the case, then Daniel would never forgive her! How would he get home if he were glued to some stupid metal box? She tried to perk herself up. He would be fine, she told herself, probably is waiting for me right now with a smile on his face. Mira couldn't let herself believe that her trainer, her strong, one-of-a-kind trainer, would give up so easily and allow himself to be bedridden for good.

She felt something nudge her flank, and Mira looked down to see Valeria smiling at her. "What's the matter?" she asked. "You seem upset."

Mira rubbed her fur nervously. "What if I really hurt him? It's my fault he's in here, Val. I don't know... it's frustrating that I can't seem to do anything to help him."

"Don't worry," she said soothingly. "From what I saw, Daniel's a tough kid. I'm sure he'll pull through."

There was a warm comfort in her eyes, and Mira's dread softened a little. It was a surprise to her knowing how close they had grown in such a short time. Last night had been one of Mira's darkest, and Valeria had stayed by her side through the whole of it, even when Veck arrived. Somehow, in that cluttered, damp alley, they had become friends.

It was a slow realization for the pair. At first, Mira had been wary of Valeria ever since the Ninetales first hypnotized Daniel and tried to free her from him. It was understandable, therefore, that when Valeria showed up in the alley, Mira felt a strong distrust towards her.

Then Veck showed up and everything changed.

Mira knew that Valeria had the opportunity to leave her, to not get involved with such a dangerous Pokémon, to escape, but she didn't. It was a stupid decision all together. Noble, certainly, but stupid. Even Valeria found herself questioning her judgment after the fight was over. Simply put, it had been one of those inexplicable moments where there the world seemed to come together and make sense. There wasn't any thought in her decision, no planning, no purpose. For her, at that time, it wasn't even a decision. It was just instinctual, some fiber of her spirit that refused to abandon the Quilava.

After that, well, there are some things you just can't share without ending up liking each other, and fighting off a crazed Mightyena is one of them.

But now, there was a subtle intimacy in their relationship, like a bond between sisters. Mira felt that she could share herself completely with Val. She knew that Valeria understood how deeply she cared for him. How she wanted to be with him constantly and never leave his side, the passion she felt for him every time he spoke to her.

And this guilt at the bottom of her soul from what she had done.

Then Mr. Murdstone turned into Daniel's room, and her heart seemed to still in her breast. Time slowed down, as if eternity had sinisterly crept into that single second, and for a terrifying moment, she wanted to run. The fur prickled on the nape of her neck, her spine shivered, and she wanted to bolt from that building as fast as her legs could carry her, to escape both knowing the dreadful consequences of her actions and the result of Daniel's injuries.

Mira took a few deep breaths to calm her mind, and then walked into the room with Valeria at her side.

---

"There! All finished!" said Dr. Grey proudly. "Now just lie down and try not to move your bandage, you'll bust it and it will need re-application, so try and relax."

Daniel murmured a thank you and eased himself back into the hospital bed. His head felt clogged, as if someone had shoved a box of tissues up his nose while he wasn't looking, and his chest was itching painfully. He wanted to scratch it, but restrained himself in order to obey the doctor's request.

Dr. Grey was one of the more youthful doctors at the hospital, and most of the residents both liked him very much. Oddly enough, there wasn't a single hair on his head---absolutely bald---but he did have a fantastic soot grey beard. It made him look striking and very intellectual, especially while wearing his long white lab coat.

The glass of water on the bedside table caught Daniel's eye, and he suddenly found himself extremely thirsty. He stretched out his arm to reach for it, but it was difficult. The doctor had completely wrapped his wound in gauze and smothered it with some form of gel, which eased the itching, but the bandage kept Daniel's movements very subdued.

Dr. Grey, noticing his patient's plight, went over and helped retrieve the glass. "Here you go," he said, raising the glass to Daniel's lips. As Daniel took his first sip, he caught sight of the man's nametag.

It read, Dr. Warren Grey---Jubilife Hospital Authorized Personnel.

Daniel vaguely wondered how he had ended up at the hospital, but before he could do so much more than swallow his mouthful of water, the door to the room opened.

"Ah, Mr. Murdstone!" said Dr. Grey genially, replacing the glass of water on the table, much to Daniel's dismay. "Yes, yes, please come in. Come in and... ah, Mademoiselle! It is a pleasure seeing you again."

Mr. Murdstone swept inside the room, followed by a blushing Ms. Trill. "Oh, stop it Warren! If I had known you would be here, I could have freshened up a little," she said bashfully. Ms. Trill felt quite taken with Dr. Grey, despite their difference in age.

"So, how's the boy?" asked Mr. Murdstone.

Dr. Grey's smile faded a little. "It was...fortunate that you found him and brought him here," he said. He walked over and grabbed a chart from his desk, flipping up one of the pages to examine the one beneath.

He read aloud. "Almost the entire anterior of his torso was burned, which is close to about thirteen percent of his body's surface area. It's serious, but not so much that any dire steps will be necessary. There was also bruising along the thighs and ribs, and a few superficial cuts on his arms. Thankfully, the burn is only a moderate injury, but I'm afraid we will need to keep him overnight as a precaution against infection or complications. I've already applied a special burn salve to help quicken his recovery."

"My goodness!" breathed Ms. Trill, placing a hand over her mouth dramatically.

"Don't worry," said Dr. Grey hastily. "He seems to be doing quite well and if we're lucky, there won't be any residual scarring. Interestingly enough, the boy's respiratory system seems quite..."

At that point, Daniel turned his head away from the group, trying not to listen to the doctor's explanations. He didn't know who the old couple was, but he was beginning to feel a twinge of annoyance at Dr. Grey's total lack of privacy concerning him.

Noting that his head felt a little better, Daniel found himself thinking much more clearly. He looked around the room curiously while the group talked, their conversation dissolving into the background. His eyes drifted aimlessly, taking in all the medical supplies and trinkets the room had to offer, until, unexpectedly, his eyes landed on Mira, who had just stepped into the room.

It surprised Daniel greatly, catching sight of her so suddenly. Like a phantom out of thin air, he thought. It came as an even greater surprise when he realized just how large her new form was. She was on all fours at the moment, but if she had been standing up, Daniel speculated that she would probably reach even his height!

Mira looked around timidly, a glimmer of fear in her eyes. It was clear she wanted to leave; her limbs tensed apprehensively, as if expecting an attack at any moment. Her eyes darted all around the room and Mira quickly spotted Daniel lying on the bed. Their eyes met.

It was as if a lightning bolt had struck her dumb. Her mouth parted into a soft gasp, and her eyes welled up with boundless emotion, yet she made no motion to move toward him. Her heart was hammering in her chest. Mira could see he was awake, but she didn't know what to do. It was like there was a wall between them. She wanted Daniel to say something, or move a little. It was far too ominous a sign that he was lying there stiff, like the piece of furniture she had imagined earlier.

Then his arm moved upward slightly, and she could see his hand moving back in forth. It was a wave, a friendly, little wave. "Hey, Mira," Daniel said weakly, a faint smile on his lips. "How's it going?"

Just like that, the dread leaped from her soul, and Mira couldn't hold back any longer. She rushed up to Daniel, joyful tears leaking from her scarlet eyes, and buried her face into the soft crook of his neck.

"Daniel! I'm so sorry about what happened," she sobbed into his neck. "I was so afraid that...that..." She couldn't finish, and pushed herself into him more. Daniel took the moment to wrap an arm around her and pet her fur consolingly.

"There, there. I know. Please, don't cry Mira. It's okay. I'm fine, see?"

"I know. I'm just...so happy that you're okay...you big idiot!" she added with a tearful laugh.

Daniel gave a chuckle, but it hurt to do so. He felt Mira nuzzle him fondly for a little longer, and Daniel noted at how warm and inviting her fur felt. He thought dimly that it would be nice to take a nap in this position, with Mira so very close to him. That is, until Dr. Grey's voice brusquely interrupted the tender moment.

"My, she's an affectionate one, isn't she?" he said brightly.

Mr. Murdstone grunted with apparent disapproval. "Perhaps, but I wish the girl would show a little more restraint around her injured trainer, like the Ninetales." He then nodded agreeably to Valeria, whom had been sitting at the door watching Mira and Daniel's reunion.

She blushed, however, when Mr. Murdstone called her. In truth, she was still uncertain about Daniel, despite last night's event. Valeria was happy to see Mira's trainer was well, but even so, Daniel was still a trainer and a person not to be trusted lightly. She was far too familiar with the cruelties of man, and Valeria wasn't about to fool herself into believing in his good intentions just yet. Instead, she watched Daniel's movements with reserved judgment.

Valeria knew how Mira felt about the boy. She had told her last night, and at first, Valeria had been sympathetic. The trainer was gone, so it didn't appear too strange that Mira held him in the highest degree. She took it as simply a stage of mourning that the poor dear was going through, and felt it unnecessary to contradict her.

Now that he was back, however, it was unsettling to see Mira's emotion take on a physical form. She watched their embrace from across the room. Mira had never looked this happy before, and Valeria felt that she was seeing a different Pokémon. Her old master never approved of physical contact. He never took the time to pet or acknowledge them outside of battle, and the display of affection she was witnessing now was both strange and new.

It looks...nice, she thought, mildly surprised that anything so peculiar could be described as 'nice'. For some reason, the scene was causing an uncomfortably strange feeling to stir deep inside her. Annoyed, Valeria shook herself to rid the feeling.

Ms. Trill swatted Mr. Murdstone's jacket with extreme bitterness. "That's a lot of tosh coming from you! Just because you have the emotional range of a grain of salt, doesn't mean the rest of us do! I think it's sweet that she cares for him so strongly."

Now it was Mira's turn to blush. She had forgotten that there were others in the room besides her and Daniel, and she hastily removed herself from his side, her face as scarlet as her eyes. Daniel was starting to get fed up with strangers intruding on his personal life, even if they were elderly.

"I'm sorry, doctor," he said with a hint of annoyance. "But is there a reason why these two are here, or is it just hospital policy to let anybody walk into a patient's room and make observations?"

Dr. Grey looked at Daniel with amused shock and gave a hearty laugh, which made him appear quite arrogant and did not improve Daniel's mood. He turned his bald head to Mr. Murdstone. "Quite the scholar, this one!" he joked. "Not even an hour up and already asking questions!"

Mr. Murdstone remained unmoved by the humor, yet Ms. Trill was all too happy for a reason to fawn on Dr. Grey. "Oh, Warren, what a kidder you are!" she said with a laugh that bordered on the obscene. "No wonder you are such a great doctor! So witty, and intelligent!"

"Yes...witty," grumbled Mr. Murdstone under his breath. "Dr. Grey, I would like it if I were to have a word alone with the boy for a brief moment. I believe that Janet would love to accompany you while you perform your duties. A doctor of such high caliber, like yourself, must be a very busy man."

Dr. Grey's face lit up at the compliment. "Of course! Capital idea Mr. Murdstone! Simply capital! Really am busy, don't know what I was thinking, lingering about while I have work to do," his voice carried on with a self-important, yet charming exuberance. "I shall be off. Madame, if you would be so kind as to escort me!"

He strutted to the open door and waved his hand with a flourish for Ms. Trill to follow, who was red in the face and rounding mutely on Mr. Murdstone.

"Oh how childish of you Walter!" she whispered viciously, her hot embarrassment clearly expressing her pleasure at the thought of a walk alone with Dr. Grey. "To even suggest such a thing! Though, I suppose it wouldn't hurt. I mean, it is rude to abandon an invitation. Don't give me that look! I'm simply accommodating a gentleman. A very tall...handsome...gentleman."

She then turned away and sauntered over to Dr. Grey, where she dignifiedly took hold of his arm and walked out the door. Before leaving, however, she gave Mr. Murdstone a haughty glare and shut the door firmly behind her.

There was a moment of silence as both the doctor's and Ms. Trill's footsteps died away, and once they were gone, Mr. Murdstone placed a wrinkled hand on his temple and sat wearily down in a nearby chair.

"What a mess," he said. "And that doctor is such a pompous idiot, too. Does no good, no good at all." Daniel said nothing, waiting for Mr. Murdstone to explain why he wanted to be alone with him.

"Ah Daniel, we are truly a pair, you and I," said Mr. Murdstone with a sly grin. "You really have no idea how much we have in common."

Daniel was about to ask exactly 'what' they had in common, when a strange thought crossed his mind. "H-how do you know my name?" asked Daniel warily.

Mr. Murdstone looked politely candid. "Oh, I believe I just picked it up along the way. Let me introduce myself. My name is Walter Murdstone. That was quite a scare you gave us. Tell me, how did you get that nasty injury of yours?"

"It was...umm...," faltered Daniel. He didn't want to tell Mr. Murdstone that Mira was the one who had burned him, but then the old man gave a dry chuckle.

"I can see you care for your Pokémon very much. Quite honorable. How about we simply call it a 'training accident' and move on then, shall we?"

Daniel looked at him startled. "I don't understand. How did you...?"

"I know you can talk to Pokémon, Daniel."

The atmosphere in the room took such an unexpected shift that it was frightening, and Daniel felt as if the air had turned to ice. Mr. Murdstone's face had become very stern and the innocent tone in his voice vanished like a puff of smoke. Daniel stared at him with his mouth slightly agape. Up until now, he had assumed that Mr. Murdstone was just an old, decrepit man, but Daniel could see there was something dangerously serious lurking in the man's cold, blue eyes.

Mira and Valeria were also looking fixedly at Mr. Murdstone, but the old man took no notice. He folded his hands in his lap and continued. "I'm sorry that I was forced to say that so bluntly, Daniel, but I'm afraid that we do not have much time. Janet could return at any time with Dr. Grey, so I need you to pay attention and answer any questions I have with complete honesty." He took a second to pause and wait for Daniel to respond, but being met with only stunned silence, he resumed.

"As I stated earlier, I know that you can talk to Pokémon. Don't try and deny it," he said gruffly, seeing that Daniel was about to interrupt. "Besides, you should feel privileged. It is a very rare gift, but I wish you would handle it with more discretion. Talking to your Pokémon when there's no one around is one thing, but to do it when you're in the company of others, especially a doctor, is nothing short of idiocy! You should be grateful that Dr. Grey is an incompetent moron, or he would have certainly suspected something."

"But, how could you possibly---"

"What? Know you can talk to them?" finished Mr. Murdstone, his sly grin returning. "Well, I suppose it takes one to know one, heh, heh."

It took a moment, but Mr. Murdstone's statement was like the final piece of a puzzle deep in Daniel's mind, and at once, everything seemed to click into place.

"You---that's how you knew my name," he said over-awed. "You heard Mira say it! You heard my Pokémon, which means...you can talk to Pokémon, too!"

"Shh! Not so loudly boy!" jumped Mr. Murdstone in alarm. "You want everyone in the whole damn building to know?"

"S-sorry, umm, sir," muttered Daniel in apology. "It's just...I didn't know there were others that could talk to Pokémon besides me."

Mr. Murdstone gave a chuckle. "Well that's not too surprising. There aren't many Aura-users that can still speak the language. It takes decades of skill, practice, and---"

"I'm sorry, there aren't many what?" interrupted Daniel.

"Aura-users," explained Mr. Murdstone with a curious stare. "That's what we are. Hell, don't tell me you've never even known what to call yourself?"

Daniel shook his head. "I don't understand. What is an Aura-user?" he asked.

Mr. Murdstone placed a hand underneath his chin and looked at Daniel for a long time, his blue eyes inquisitively taking in his every detail. Mr. Murdstone was dying to ask a question that had been bothering him from the start.

"How is it that you came to practice aura?" he asked Daniel finally.

"I'm sorry?"

"Who taught you to speak to Pokémon?" he asked again, eyes flaring with fiery interest. "Who was your teacher? I want to know, because for a boy with such a remarkable grasp on the Pokémon language, you seem to understand very little about your own abilities."

Daniel looked at him dumbfounded. "No one," he said. "I mean, I don't think I can even use aura. It just, I dunno, started happening not too long ago."

"Impossible," said Mr. Murdstone impatiently. "A person doesn't just start talking to Pokémon out of the blue. In order for an Aura-user to communicate, there must be almost---no---total understanding of the complex and fluid nature of aura patterns in both human and Pokémon alike! An Aura-user must receive, extract, interpret, and then through speech, send a returning signal message by channeling a connection of aura between the Pokémon and the user. It doesn't just...happen!"

"Er---Mr. Murdstone---sir?" said Mira.

Mr. Murdstone jumped at being addressed like this. He had completely forgotten about the two Pokémon still in the room.

"Umm, Daniel's a bit...different than most people. Perhaps, that's why he can talk to us,"

"Different? Different how?" he asked.

"Mira!" said Daniel, giving her a hard stare. "That's not something to share with a complete stranger!"

"Stranger? How do you think you got here, boy? I found you, and I damn well saved your neck, so you can show a little more respect!" Mr. Murdstone turned back to Mira. "Now, how is this boy different from any other, besides the fact that he's rude to his elders?"

"Well, umm," said Mira cautiously, throwing a nervous glance at Daniel. "Maybe it would be better if he told you himself. It's sort of...complicated."

Mr. Murdstone sighed. "I don't have time for a long story. We're running out of time. Daniel, just tell me this. How do you feel?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" asked Daniel incredulously.

"Just answer the question," he said.

"I don't know? I feel fine, I guess."

"You feel fine? After suffering extensive burns all over your chest and lying in an alley all night, you feel fine?" said Mr. Murdstone with a cocked eyebrow. "Don't you find that odd?"

Daniel opened his mouth as if to answer, yet no words came out. Mr. Murdstone smirked. "Look at your arms and your legs," he said. "Notice anything?"

Daniel was clueless as to what Mr. Murdstone was trying to prove. He looked at his arms with little interest. "There's nothing on them," he said flatly.

Now Mr. Murdstone was grinning, and Daniel thought he looked just like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland. "Really? Nothing at all? No scratches? No cuts? Not even a single bruise? That's quite the miracle, don't you think?"

"But, that can't be right," Mira protested. "Daniel, you were practically riddled with injuries when we carried you here. I saw," she then turned to Mr. Murdstone accusingly. "And you saw, too! We heard you muttering under your breath about how many cuts he had."

"She's right," said Valeria. "Those injuries didn't disappear all by themselves. Did you do something to Daniel?" Valeria's voice lowered to a menacing growl and she glared at Mr. Murdstone threateningly, but Mr. Murdstone didn't seem intimidated. On the contrary, he appeared quite amused by her display.

"Me? Why, of course not!" he said laughing. "Daniel should be the one taking credit for his convalescence, not I."

"But I didn't do anything!" retorted Daniel angrily. Mr. Murdstone's laughter settled down and he looked at Daniel with a beady stare.

"Ah, but you did! Think boy! Ever been a time when you were really hurt, and then the next day, you wake up feeling like a million bucks?"

Daniel almost immediately replied 'no', but something about what Mr. Murdstone said had clicked in the back of his mind. He remembered his first day waking up in Sandgem Town. Hadn't he been on the brink of death, and yet, woken up without a single scratch?

Mr. Murdstone could see the recognition in Daniel's eyes. "Still don't think you can use aura?" he said in a quiet whisper.

The room became very still, and not a sound could be heard except for some footsteps outside the hall, and, strangely enough, giggling.

"Damn, she's back!" said Mr. Murdstone in alarm. He turned urgently to Daniel. "Listen close, because I'll only have time to say this once. You can't stay here. It's too great a risk that Dr. Grey won't notice your rapid healing. He's a fool, but not blind, so you need to find a way to convince him to let you out of the hospital early."

The footsteps sounded closer, and Mr. Murdstone continued in a breathless whisper. "Do not leave town! It is imperative that you understand this, because there will be a danger to both you and everyone around you, Daniel, if you leave without coming to see me first. If you really do not have a teacher, then there are things that will need explaining to you."

The footsteps were at the door, someone was about to come in. "Go to this address! 2523 Bayfield Road. Ask for Sal, and tell him I sent you. Do not forget!"

The doorknob turned and opened, laughter spilling into the quiet room along with Dr. Grey and Ms. Trill. Mr. Murdstone quickly sat back in his chair, busying himself by meticulously cleaning the dirt from his fingernails as though bored. He threw Daniel a furtive nod and Daniel took that as a sign to keep quiet and listen.

"---and so she had the nerve to go, 'But I could have sworn it was a Caterpie!'" said Ms. Trill with tears in her eyes. Dr. Grey laughed with such a force that he slapped himself in merriment.

"Oh, oh, Madame, please," he gasped out of breath. "You're simply too much. Walter, there you are! You have no idea how charming my escort has been this morning. Absolutely hysterical! Nearly killed Mrs. Winstein up in 6-F with a tale about the two blind sailors and their Chatot. True, she did have a little bit of a seizure, that's what you get for shaking a Raichu during a battle I suppose, but the look on her face was priceless!"

"I'll bet," replied Mr. Murdstone calmly.

Ms. Trill was blushing hard. A Starly might have mistaken her face for a shiny apple. "Really there's no need to say such a thing. I was happy to accompany you, doctor. Y-you were...quite masterful at your profession."

Dr. Grey waved his hand at her appreciatively. "You're too kind, but it's really all in a day's work. I am just a humble servant to the people, that's all."

"No, she's quite right, doctor," said Mr. Murdstone suddenly from his chair. "You are indeed very talented."

A glow appeared in Dr. Grey's cheeks and he grinned sheepishly at Mr. Murdstone. "Well thank you. I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I suppose that I am skilled."

"Without a doubt, without a doubt," replied Mr. Murdstone absently. "Err, perhaps you could take another look at the boy's injury. While you were away, the lad and I got into a healthy chat, and I remember the boy saying that he is feeling much better since you put that gel on. Isn't that right, Daniel?"

"What? Oh, err, yeah," said Daniel catching on. "I'm feeling much better now, thank you."

"Daniel? Why that's such a sweet name," Ms. Trill remarked idly.

Dr. Grey looked thoughtful. "Are you quite sure? I mean, you did suffer from a serious burn."

"N-no, it's fine, really," said Daniel a little more strongly. "I actually feel a lot better, err, thanks to you. That gel worked wonders. And besides, I don't think it was that bad."

"Oh no, dear, it was pretty bad," said Ms. Trill. "Quite the eyesore, to be honest. Walter, tell the poor boy he's being a tad ridiculous."

Mr. Murdstone's brow furrowed in consternation. He was starting to wish that Ms. Trill had never come with him to the hospital; she was starting to cause too many problems. Suddenly, his eyes lit up with an idea.

"I'm afraid she's right, boy," he said to Daniel somberly. "You shouldn't be so hasty to get out of here. That injury is going to take a while to heal properly, and you're going to need plenty of rest to get it done."

Daniel looked at Mr. Murdstone incredulously. Was Mr. Murdstone trying to keep him here, even after he had warned him explicitly not to? Ms. Trill, however, appeared quite elated about Mr. Murstone's support.

"Glad to see you using that brain of yours, Walter," she told him happily. "It's nice to know that there is at least some reason left in the world, especially after such an overbearing experience like tonight's. Doctor, we can't possibly thank you enough for your kind hospitality and your...Walter! Where do you think you're going?"

Mr. Murdstone looked over his shoulder at Ms. Trill. He had quietly strolled over by the door and it looked like he was about to leave. "Oh, just back to my humble home is all," he said, a strange smile on his face. Mr. Murdstone turned to Daniel. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Daniel. I hope that your recovery doesn't take too long. Feel free to stop by any time."

Dr. Grey looked positively alarmed. "Y-you're leaving?" he spluttered. "So soon?"

"Indeed. There really is no purpose for me being here anymore---my work is done. I have complete faith in your abilities, doctor, and have no doubt that Daniel will eventually recover under your care."

"B-but what about the medical bill?" asked Dr. Grey, his lip trembling. "I-It'll be outstanding! What about the boy's room, his recovery plan? Medicine, bandages, facilities? Certainly you will pay for it before you go?"

"Oh no, no, no," replied Mr. Murdstone candidly. "He isn't our responsibility. After all, we only found him."

Dr. Grey's face was turning into an unattractive shade of grey, much like his beard. "But...but, he has insurance...right?" He turned to Daniel pitifully.

Daniel thought for a moment before responding. He was starting to see where Mr. Murdstone's plan was going. "Sorry, but I'm an orphan," he said, doing his best to look gloomy and not smile. "No insurance."

The doctor looked as though he were having a bad dream. He said with a strangled voice, "No insurance. An orphan. Just my luck." He returned his attention to Mr. Murdstone and Ms. Trill. "Perhaps one of you could make a charitable donation to the boy's health?" Dr. Grey asked weakly. This was, of course, highly unorthodox for any doctor to ask, and it was clear that Dr. Grey was now grasping at invisible straws.

Mr. Murdstone raised an eyebrow at him. "Sorry, doc. Broke at the moment. Couldn't even scratch two coins together for warmth."

Ms. Trill shuffled her feet and looked away apologetically. She was broke as well. "W-we really should be leaving, now that Walter mentions it. It was nice to meet you Daniel. I hope you get well soon. Thank you again, Dr. Grey."

Dr. Grey stood aghast as his two elderly visitors left the room, Mr. Murdstone with a brisk, almost cheerful step, and Ms. Trill embarrassedly shuffling out the door. She truly was upset to be leaving the doctor in such a state, but felt far too reluctant to part with the little money she had saved up.

Money doesn't just grow on trees after all, she thought, especially for an old girl like herself.

---

Daniel's gaze slowly scanned the room from left to right. He stared at the wallpaper, searching for another image of a Poké Ball on the design. It was a game he had invented out of sheer boredom not a half hour ago. Every time he came across another Poké Ball on the wallpaper, he made a mental count in his head. So far, he was at 86.

The moment Mr. Murdstone and Ms. Trill left, Dr. Grey's calm, charming exterior shed like a lizard's skin. He balled his hands up into fists and cursed like there was no tomorrow; mostly about the amount of paperwork he would now have to do, since there wasn't an insurance company to do it for him.

After that was finished, he immediately stormed out of the room without a second glance at Daniel, effectively leaving him trapped in his own room.

That was over two hours ago, and Daniel was beginning to feel the annoying pang of hunger deep in his stomach. He could not help but remember that the last time he saw food had been yesterday's camping ration, and Daniel wished Dr. Grey would get over himself and bring a sandwich. Multiple times, he thought about simply leaving his room and asking for something to eat, but a vision of the doctor's furious look kept him subdued in bed.

Mira let out an irritable growl beside him. She too was feeling hunger's sting. "Damn that doctor," she said. "Leaving us without any food. I feel like my stomach is going to melt away."

Daniel scratched her behind the ears, eliciting a throaty purr from her. "I know how you feel," he said. "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse."

"What's a horse?"

"It's like a Ponyta. Only it doesn't have flames engulfing its body." He replied after a little thought.

Mira giggled. "Why would you want to eat that?" she asked playfully. "Are they tasty?"

This made Daniel laugh. It felt good making small talk with Mira again. He began to massage the back of her neck, and she crooned into his palm.

"No, I don't think so, but anything tastes good after a day without food," he replied, turning his head to focus at the wallpaper again.

"Anything, hmm?" murred Mira, closing her eyes. Daniel's minstrations were having a very pronounced affect on her. Her toes curled in ecstasy and her mind began to wander, the dreary hospital room dissolving in front of her eyes.

She imagined Daniel and her on a soft bed. Alone...together...their forms intertwined in a passionate embrace. His fingers gracefully maneuvering down her body, brushing her fur so gently it made Mira's spine shiver in anticipation. She could feel him tracing imaginary lines down her sensitive belly, stroking her with that wondrously smooth skin that all humans appeared to have been gifted with by the gods themselves. There was such care in his movements, as though each finger he laced across her sensitive fur was dedicated specifically towards furthering her pleasure. The temperature in the room seemed to rise exponentially. She couldn't help but immerse herself in the feel of him, her senses in rapture from the tender nature of his caress. One of Daniel's hands drifted its way to her backside, curving around the voluptuous shape of her rear, and Mira's heart sped up. She could feel her trainer's hot breath trickling down the nape of her neck, waves of heat filling her body with stormy, uncontrollable lust. His hands moved lower, rubbing sensuously across her legs, and Mira suppressed a moan.

It was too good.

Mira felt herself rapidly nearing her limit, and she tried to control herself. She didn't want it to end so quickly, but with Daniel stroking her like this, constantly pushing her towards the point of no return; Mira knew that she wouldn't last much longer. Suddenly, she found herself short of breath. Daniel's fingers were just a hair's breadth away from her entrance, tantalizingly hanging above her most vulnerable of places. She panted heavily with desire. Mira had never wanted Daniel so badly. Her heated passage, moist with hopeful expectations, clenched around a vacant space and sensuous prospects flitted through her mind. She was so close---her body hanging on the brink of an earthshaking climax---and Mira was just about to consider begging Daniel to go further, her body screaming at her to shove those dexterous fingers into her wanting folds and launch herself into the throes of bliss, when suddenly, she felt him quit.

In an instant, her mental picture was shattered, and she looked about herself in alarm. It felt like she was burning up. What had she been doing? Mira wondered if Daniel had noticed anything strange, fearing that he had possibly seen a lewd expression on her face or, even worse, some sort of perverted action, but Mira saw he was busy counting Poké Balls again. Relief washed over her, she was safe.

The next moment, however, Mira caught sight of movement in the corner of her eye. It was Valeria; she was shaking with silent giggles and looking at Mira with a knowing smirk. With a stroke of horror, Mira realized that her arousal was showing. Her vent, puffy and exposed, was dampening her flank with erogenous desires, and Mira fought back a panicked scream to cover herself before Daniel saw.

Cautiously, she backed away from him until she was right next to Valeria, where she laid down on all fours, effectively hiding her embarrassing condition. Valeria couldn't suppress her giddiness any longer.

"You're such a horny girl," she sniggered quietly. "Like a naughty Pokémon in heat."

Mira's face reddened and she buried her head in her paws. Valeria continued relentlessly. "Were you imagining something dirty? I know you were...your face said it all. Your eyes were rolled back; you were panting;your claw inching lower and lower! Looked like you were about to burst right then, huh?"

Mira couldn't answer. It was too mortifying to think about what she had been doing, especially with Daniel right there next to her.

"It was just...I didn't mean...his fingers were just so..." she stammered under her breath.

The door suddenly slammed open, and Mira jumped violently in surprise.

It was Dr. Grey, wheeling in a metal tray with a stack of papers and a hamburger on it. Apparently, he had not forgotten about Daniel after all. Daniel quit counting Poké Balls and gave the doctor an indignant look, then noticed the food.

"About time!" he said. "We've been starving. What was the deal leaving us here for so long?"

Dr. Grey gave Daniel a nasty glance and sat down at the desk with the metal tray. "This food isn't for you," he sneered. "It's my lunch. Freebies like you don't deserve meals for all the trouble you're worth." Valeria growled at Dr. Grey. She felt like biting him, but Daniel retaliated first.

"I don't get it. When Mr. Murdstone and Ms. Trill were here, you couldn't have been friendlier, 'Please Ms. Trill, so nice to see you, wonderful day we're having!'" mocked Daniel in Dr. Grey's voice. "But now that you've learned that there's no insurance, you decide to throw all that crap out the window? Are all doctors like this, or is it just the bald ones?"

Dr. Grey's lip curled. "Fine! Take the damn food!" he said, and he kicked the tray to Daniel. "I've got too much work to do because of you anyway."

The hamburger slid a little on its plate, its grilled meat becoming exposed, showing how it was sweating delectable grease from its every pore. It looked unbelievably good to Daniel, and he eyed it hungrily, yet made no move to touch it. "Why do you have work because of me?" he asked.

Dr. Grey gave a hollow laugh. "You kidding me? Whenever guys come in with no insurance papers, it always means more labor for us hardworking doctors. We have to fill in requisite forms, get papers approved for treatment, file claims, and send explanations to the higher-ups about why a room in our hospital is now occupied by a freeloading burn victim; this medicine doesn't come cheap you know, and since you don't have insurance to pay for it, it comes out of our reserves."

"But you must have some sort of plan for this kind of situation," reasoned Daniel. "I mean, I can't be the only one in the world without insurance."

The doctor's expression cleared slightly. "We do," he said. "And normally all this paperwork would be the end of it. In most cases, the patients are old enough to pay for their medication through credit, or a postponed payment plan if they don't have insurance, but since you're still too young---"

"I'm eighteen!"

"Oh, congratulations!" said Dr. Grey sarcastically. "Hear that everyone? We have a full-grown adult here! Somebody throw a parade!" The doctor didn't like being so aggressive, but he was too angry to care. The kid in front of him had just cost him his weekend.

"Listen, boy," he continued. "Just because you were stupid enough to wind up in the hospital, doesn't mean everyone here has to treat you like some goddamn hero. I'm not an idiot, you have two fire Pokémon, and now there's a burn wound on your chest. Training accidents happen all the time, and you're lucky to have survived, but you need to get with the program! Your actions have consequences, and not many people are going to appreciate having to clean up your mess every time you do something dumb, including me."

Daniel clenched his fists in anger, but could find nothing to say. There was a harsh truth to what Dr. Grey said, and there was no denying he had been irresponsible; his own foolishness and tactlessness had put not only him in danger, but Mira and Valeria as well. Daniel thought for a long moment before he spoke again.

"Well, I'm sorry," he said to Dr. Grey, his tone much more passive. "I apologize for wasting your time with my...accident...but are you sure that's all your angry about...I mean, it seems like there's something else.

Dr. Grey's eyes shifted glumly downward, his anger giving way to sadness. "It's just...my friend, Dr. Winn in Sandgem Town, he had just recently gotten a boat, and...well, we were both going to go out fishing on Lake Verity this weekend. It's Whiscash season, only time they're biting all year, and, well, I guess I was just really excited to go. Until your injury I was in the clear, no work until Monday, but now..." he looked sadly at his stack of unfinished forms. "I don't think I'll make it. This paperwork will take forever to finalize. I'll have to call him up and cancel, I suppose."

Daniel remained calmly silent throughout his explanation, but Mira was in an uproar. "That's it?" she shouted angrily. "That's the reason why you almost starved us and locked us in a room for almost three hours---for a fishing trip? You bastard! You want to talk about responsibility, but meanwhile you're shirking your duties and ignoring your patients. And for what? To sulk about a lost weekend? I should strangle you!"

"Mira, calm down, please," eased Valeria. "Yes. He's an idiot. But do you really want to start a fight in the middle of a hospital?"

"Well he's asking for it!" raged Mira. Dr. Grey looked at her with alarmed confusion. He had not understood a single word.

"Goodness, what the devil's the matter with that one?" he asked Daniel. "Is she safe to be around?"

Although Daniel completely supported Mira's idea to maul Dr. Grey, he thought it better to take Mr. Murdstone's advice and feign ignorance in understanding Mira. "Yes, of course she is," he replied. "She's just a bit hungry, that's all."

Dr. Grey relaxed considerably. For a terrifying moment, he could have sworn that the Typhlosion was going to attack him. Then he'd be putting bandages on himself for a change.

"That's a relief," he said. "I can't tell you the amount of cases we've had involving untamed Pokémon and inexperienced trainers. One time, there was a kid who actually caught a sleeping Ursaring in the wild! Just snuck up on it, I suppose, and got it without any fuss. Boy couldn't have been more than nine, and yet he thought it would be a good idea to bring his new pet to school for 'show and tell'. It was a nightmare the next morning. Ursaring went on a rampage and nearly destroyed the school. No deaths, but dozens of kids had to be treated. Paperwork took months!"

"That's terrible," said Daniel.

"I know! Double overtime for three weeks! Just thinking about it again makes me nauseous," replied Dr. Grey, not considering that perhaps Daniel's condolence had been for the injured children rather than his workload.

"But, unfortunately, it seems as though I must relive that tragedy through this event," sighed Dr. Grey, looking mournfully at the stack of papers once again. He stood up and made a show of gathering the pile in his arms, moving as slowly as possible and moaning pitifully to himself. "Don't mind me. I'll just be going now. I will have the nurse send up something suitable for your Pokémon to eat."

Valeria felt like biting him again as he hobbled near her, infuriated that anyone could be so useless and at the same time so completely egocentric.

Daniel was thinking along the same lines as Valeria, but as Dr. Grey was about to close the door and leave, he was struck with a sudden inspiration. "Doctor, how would you like to go on that fishing trip?"

Dr. Grey halted in the doorway, and turned to Daniel morosely. "I would like to go very much, but as I've told you, I'm quite booked."

"Well," continued Daniel, his brain churning. "What if you didn't have to do all that paperwork?"

A frown formed in the doctor's grey beard. "Impossible," he said. "As you are a new, temporary resident of the ward, these forms need to be filled out immediately. The trip will have to be canceled."

"But what if I wasn't made a resident?" urged Daniel. "What if you recorded this visit simply as a...a 'check-up'?"

"A check-up?" blanked Dr. Grey, as if he had never heard the term before.

"Listen, were both guys," charmed Daniel. "I understand that you need some time for yourself, some R&R with your pals, am I right?"

"Right!" said Dr. Grey, indeed feeling that he deserved some time for himself.

"So...here's what you do," said Daniel carefully. "Instead of filling out that mountain of papers, simply sign the ones used for minor injuries and check-ups. It will be no doubt much less work."

Dr. Grey liked this plan, knowing that everything the boy said was true. If he only had to fill out the check-up forms, he would be out of here in no time, but even he could see that a major flaw in this idea. "But, you are injured," he stated. "How do you hope to get better if you're not in a hospital?"

"I'll just...err, head on over to the Pokémon Center," said Daniel thinking quickly. "I know how to treat burns; I own fire-type Pokémon after all. If I just keep off my feet for a while, drink plenty of fluids, and rest, I'm sure I would recover just as fine as if I was here."

Dr. Grey opened his mouth in protest, and then closed it again. In truth, he really didn't want to object to this idea. It was actually pretty good, and he wanted to go on that trip badly. Just thinking of all those Whiscash and their big, blue, goofy grins made him giddy with excitement. He hadn't been 'whis-fishing' in years.

Making a decision, he strode over to the medicine cabinet and took out an emerald-green bottle, which he looked at thoughtfully before he handed it to Daniel. "Alright," he said. "You can go, but only under these conditions. Number one, you take it easy for a few weeks. I want to be certain that you heal, and that burn isn't going to just magically disappear overnight." Daniel's gaze flickered for a moment. "So, you will need this," continued Dr. Grey. He pointed to the green bottle in Daniel's hands. "That is a very potent cream. It's made from an exceptionally rare berry, and it works wonders on severe burns, such as yours. I've already used it under your bandages, but you will need to remember to change those bandages every twelve hours. That way, the injury can breathe, and the area won't become infected by dirty rags. Also, since the injury covers such a large area, you will need to hydrate constantly to compensate for the lack of moisture in your skin, so like you said, drink plenty of water. Now, do you promise to follow these instructions?"

Daniel nodded earnestly. He felt elated, now that he knew he was finally leaving, but an issue still nagged at the back of his mind. "I just have one more question," he asked.

Dr. Grey raised his eyebrows. "Yes?"

"Where did you put my clothes?" He had noticed long ago that all he was wearing were some linen pants.

"Ah, those," said Dr. Grey. "They're in the washroom at the moment. Understandably, the staff thought you'd be here a good deal longer, so we took the liberty of washing them for you. If you want, I'll go check to see if their finished."

"Err, yeah, that'd be great," replied Daniel. The pants itched.

Dr. Grey walked to the door, strutting again, clearly unable to disguise his happiness, and the next moment he was gone. Valeria gave an agitated huff. For her, it was as if an unbearable smell had finally left her nose.

"Daniel that was brilliant!" said Mira, very impressed.

"But, what an ass," barked Valeria. "I can't believe he's supposed to be your doctor, Daniel. Mr. Murdstone was right. He's far too pompous and full of himself to be of any use to anyone. Imagine if you really did need to stay here for weeks. He would have killed you with his sulkiness."

Daniel chuckled. "You may be right, but at least it's because of his incompetence that we can leave. Perhaps we should be feeling lucky."

"How do you figure that?" asked Mira unenthusiastically. "We've only gotten as far as Jubilife and already you're in a hospital. If we should be feeling anything, it's bad luck."

"Well, I think there are a lot of things to feel lucky about," replied Daniel with a smirk.

"Like what?"

"Like meeting you two," he said honestly. "A guy like me couldn't have asked for two better friends."

Mira's cheeks turned rosy under her fur and Valeria's tails wagged furiously. "D-don't be stupid, Daniel. I mean, what about...him," said Mira, shuddering at any mention of Veck. "When you were hurt...because of me...he showed up and almost killed us. Was that lucky?"

Daniel gave Mira a warm smile. "Maybe not, but I was just glad that you were still alive. I couldn't have forgiven myself if anything happened to you," he turned to Valeria. "Or you. When I arrived and saw you, Valeria, I felt very lucky. If it hadn't been for you...well, I may have not made it in time. You held off Veck long enough for me to make it there, so thank you."

This time Valeria looked away mollified. "I didn't do a lot," she muttered. "I just scratched him a little."

"No, you did much more than that," said Daniel firmly. "Even though you barely knew Mira and me, you still fought for her, protected her. If there's anything you need, Valeria, anything at all, you let me know."

Valeria shifted her paws in embarrassment. She knew from Mira that Daniel was kind, but never suspected how differently he spoke to her, as if she were an equal rather than a pet or object. Her old master had never talked to her in such a way. If there had been any more doubts towards the trainer, this simple courtesy erased them in an instant.

"Mira was right. You must be from another world to say things like that," she said coyly.

If Daniel was shocked that Valeria knew about this secret, he didn't show it. In fact, he seemed be intrigued by her knowledge. "Ah, I see Mira let you in on that little bit of information," he said calmly. "Yes, I suspected as much. I had wondered at how you two had become so close."

"I'm sorry, Daniel," apologized Mira. "I-I know I shouldn't have said anything, but---"

"But, it's okay," interrupted Daniel. "I approve of your decision. Friends shouldn't keep secrets from each other. I think I learned that the hard way." He patted his stomach good-naturedly, but Mira still grimaced at the thought of what she had done. Seeing this, Daniel knew he had made a mistake.

"Listen, Mira. You have nothing to be sorry about," he said, his voice surprisingly gentle. "I don't blame you for what happened; your reaction was perfectly reasonable. I don't want to see you suffer for my error in judgment."

She looked at him startled and drew timidly nearer to him. "Your error? Daniel, I was the one that hurt you. It's...it's my fault that you were almost---"

"No, Mira. It is my fault for what happened on the hill," said Daniel clearly. "I should have told you from the start, instead of keeping you in the dark and lying to you." He looked remorseful about his actions, and Mira felt warmed by his caring approach. "I suppose I was just...afraid you would think I was strange or crazy," he continued.

"You are strange, Daniel," smiled Mira. She walked over and put a furred paw on his arm. "But, in a good way."

Daniel looked up at her. She was very close to him now, and their eyes gazed into each other's---Daniel's blue meeting her scarlet red. There was no more shyness in Mira's face. She stood above him, fiery and bold, a look of passion shining from her ruby eyes. Daniel couldn't help but remember that moment in the alley, when his and Mira's lips had touched, the fragrance of summer berries dancing on his tongue. Valeria watched eagerly from behind, not daring to move, her expression hopeful. For some reason, she knew what was about to happen, and the thought of it excited her tremendously.

"Why strange in a good way?" asked Daniel.

Somehow, their heads were drawing nearer to one another, as if pulled by an invisible attraction, and Mira closed her eyes.

"Just...because...," she muttered.

Mira leaned over the bed, her heart beating fast. The blood was rushing to her cheeks and Daniel wanted to say something romantic, but his mind was blank. Only Mira occupied his thoughts. Their mouths were only inches away, each breath copulating with the others in mid-air. Daniel saw he could make out every vibrant detail of her beautiful fur, her lips quivering as they approached his. Across the room, Valeria was trying to ignore the dampness in between her legs. They had forgotten all about her and the Ninetales looked longingly at Daniel and Mira, an unknown wellspring of desire erupting within her. In a sudden flare of envy, she imagined herself in Mira's place. Valeria didn't know what caused it, or why, or how. She didn't care. At that moment, her body, instead of Mira's, was slowly leaning in; her eyes closing in the heat of the moment; the gap between Daniel's lips and hers becoming less and less until...

Bang!

The door burst open and Dr. Grey walked in with Daniel's things piled in his arms. "Alright! Here we go! Fresh from the wash!" he shouted jubilantly.

With a muffled scream, Mira threw herself from Daniel with a mixed expression of both shock and mortified embarrassment, and rushed to the opposite side of the room next to Valeria. Dr. Grey didn't notice her unusual behavior, his arms heavily laden with Daniel's clothes and backpack.

He hummed a merry tune as he dumped the items at the foot of Daniel's bed, unaware of the hostile glares he was receiving. Indeed, Daniel was having a hard time suppressing his urge to strike the doctor unconscious, while Valeria was already contemplating murder. Not wanting the doctor to notice the tension in the room, Daniel kept his voice conversational.

"Doctor," he said, concealing his growing rage. "Thank you for bringing back my things. Does this mean that we can leave, finally?"

"Yes! You're all set up to go! I've written through all the forms and you may leave as soon as you get dressed," said Dr. Grey, beaming with a perfect set of teeth. Daniel wanted to knock out every one of those pearly whites, and again had to master himself.

"Great," he managed to say through gritted teeth. "Let me just get up." Daniel wished that he could have just grabbed the doctor by his stupid white coat and thrown him out of the room, but he figured that might have looked too suspicious. He saw Mira huddled shamefaced next to Valeria, and his heart reached out to her. If only Dr. Grey had been a minute slower...

He eased himself out of the hospital bed and stood up barefooted on the cold tile. His legs were weak, and he had to take a few deep breaths before he was able to walk out the door to the bathroom, clothes in hand. Dr. Grey followed him out, still humming his merry tune. Once he had left, Valeria went up and slammed the door behind him, causing the framed degrees on the walls to shake precariously on their hooks.

"That---that bastard!" she exclaimed, her fur bristling. "What the hell did he think he was doing---barging in like that---completely ruining everything!" She made no mention as to her own arousal from Daniel and Mira's moment. In truth, she didn't even want to think about it.

Mira simply looked horrified. "I-I almost...and h-he almost...a-a-and w-we almost...," she stammered, her face bright red at the thought of what almost came to be. "Oh Arceus, what was going through my head. Doing something like that right now? I must be losing my mind."

Valeria let her anger simmer down. She trotted over to where Mira was and put a paw on her back. "You were not losing your mind," she said. "You were just acting on what you felt was natural."

"But what we're doing isn't natural!" shouted Mira, tears in her eyes. "I'm a Pokémon and Daniel's my trainer. We shouldn't even be doing this sort of thing with each other. A-and when that doctor came in, I felt so afraid. I felt...vulnerable."

Valeria smiled at her in pity. It was clear that these thoughts had been on the Typhlosion's mind for quite some time.

"Of course you did," she said tenderly. "Love often does make us vulnerable to the world, whether we want to be or not." She understood how Mira was feeling. Mira had thrown caution to the wind, a rare step for her timid nature, and was about to make her own personal declaration of passion to Daniel, all on her own will, before being interrupted in the most brusque way possible. Anyone would be devastated, and it made Valeria hate Dr. Grey even more for doing such a thing. Mira was too sweet and innocent for such a thing to happen to her.

"Don't worry," she told Mira, rubbing her back consolingly. "You'll get another chance."

---

It was daylight when Daniel, Mira, and Val walked out of the hospital, and the streets were very lively as a result. Early workers crowded the sidewalks with dark suits and briefcases, throngs of motorcars trundled loudly along the road, food vendors bellowed their wares to the moving crowd, and a huge assortment of Pokémon contrasted the dull mob fantastically with bright, interesting colors. The scene was spectacular, and Mira fell in love with the city at once.

"There are so many people!" she shouted over the crowds, a look of excited wonder in her eyes. "Are they all trainers?"

Daniel shook his head. "No, I think they're just regular people. It's so busy. We must be somewhere in the main business district, where most of the city's residents go to work. Let's see if we can't find a map somewhere."

"Are you sure you're going to be okay with that crutch?" asked Valeria, eyeing the stick under Daniel's arm with concern. "It doesn't look very sturdy."

"I'll be fine," said Daniel putting on a brave face. "The pain in my side is starting to fade anyway, so I probably won't be using it very much." He then took a few steps forward without the crutch to make his point, but the strain caused his body to stumble and Mira had to catch Daniel before he fell.

"Don't do that!" she panicked, helping him to his feet. "You need the crutch to help you walk. Even with your rapid healing, you are still going to need to take it easy for a while, so don't push yourself too hard, okay?"

"Alright," grumbled Daniel reluctantly. "I'll use the stick. C'mon, I think there's a newsstand across the road. We can get a map there."

The group made its way through the crowd up to a small shack on the corner. People flocked in and out of the shelves, making it hard to even enter the stall, but eventually Daniel was able to worm his way into view of the articles.

It was a newsstand like none other for Daniel. Everything had to do with Pokémon: from posters and cigarette cartons, all the way to advertisements for shampoo. The topics were so vibrant and strange, like something out of a dream. Daniel wished he had about eight more eyes. He tried to soak up as much information as he could, not wanting to miss anything.

Want the hottest trends? --- Mallories' Pokémon boutique --- For all your contest needs ---Low prices today,_said the cover of a large purple one. _Trainer tips 101 --- The best advice and strategies straight from Sinnoh's top contenders; Gym Battle Forum --- Bringing you the latest triumphs and defeats of the season (Humiliation Guaranteed on page 21); The Monthly Trade Lot --- Fine trades for fine Pokémon --- This month, need a Weavile? --- It's yours for a trade, but hurry! --- They keep sneaking out the door!

Valeria practically had to drag him away from a stack of bright orange magazines that read Berries Most Dangerous --- Camp a lot? --- Stay away from ailments such as upset stomach, cramps, and other painful maladies --- Don't make the careless mistakes of others with this helpful guide.

"We're supposed to be looking for a map," she said smartly. "Besides, what do you think that pokédex of yours is for anyway, decoration?"

"There's nothing in it about poisonous berries," protested Daniel.

"There is if you bring up the index and type in 'berry'. A pokédex is more than just a toy; it's like a personal encyclopedia for everything a trainer needs!"

"Everything?" said Daniel.

"Just about," said Valeria. "I've heard they're really expensive, and only trainers are allowed them free because of their constant encounters with different wild Pokémon. They need that information wherever they go. It's a major part of survival, and it's extremely useful for almost anything the trainer needs to know about. But I guess you're still new to this world, aren't you?"

Daniel's face grew red. Valeria made it seem like he was nothing more than a naïve child. "Well, how do you know so much about it?" he asked.

"My old trainer, I suppose. I remember he always toted the thing around, so I kind of know a little bit about how it works."

Daniel was mildly impressed. "Wow, that's..."

"Hey, Kid! You gonna stand there all day or are ya gonna buy sometin'?" The stand owner suddenly yelled at Daniel. He was a gruff, beefy man with large hairy arms and a small, stout neck.

"Sorry," replied Daniel hastily. "Err...could I get a town map?"

"Small or biggun?" he asked, turning around to sift through a stack of papers.

"Small, please."

They left the newsstand shortly after, Daniel now carrying a pocket-sized travel map of the city. He flicked through it inquiringly while Valeria and Mira trundled behind him, and so absorbed he was in the map that Daniel failed to notice that he was having a very easy time maneuvering through the street, despite the large crowd.

The townsfolk parted hastily left and right, muttering fearfully to each other as Daniel and his Pokémon passed them.

"Look at that!" said a slender woman to her friend, whom watched Daniel as he passed by. "Is that a Typhlosion? Good heavens, what's it doing out of its ball?"

"I don't know," replied her friend, drawing back from the intimidating fire-type. "You think that person is its trainer?"

"Who, the boy? No way! Must be someone else."

"Well, clearly they're following him. You think he's a foreigner from Johto?"

"I don't know. How can you tell?"

"Check out his clothes," the slender woman's friend pointed out. "They're all funny looking, and they have such strange markings on them. 'A.E.' What do you think it means?"

"Who cares," returned the slender woman. She looked a little pale. "That boy is acting so calm, like he doesn't care that such a dangerous Pokémon is walking just a few feet behind him. It's unnerving."

"I don't know," said the friend, her cheeks a little red. "I think it's kind of cool."

Mira eventually noticed the crowd's stares. It startled her incredibly by how fearful they all looked. She turned to Valeria uncertainly. "What are they looking at, Val?"

Valeria glanced up at her skeptically. "They're looking at you, dear."

"What? Why? I didn't do anything wrong!" Mira said.

The Ninetales sighed. "Mira, you're a Typhlosion! To these people, you're big, scary, and dangerous, and a Pokémon that could burn them to bits in a second."

Now Mira looked hurt. "I'm not scary," she said quietly.

"No, no, of course not, dear," remedied Val, patting Mira's flank. "It's just the image of you running rampant with rage that's got them all worried."

"Yes! Here it is!" Daniel suddenly shouted from up the street. He was leaning on his crutch and looking at the map with jubilant victory. "Mira, Val, come over here and look. See right there, that little street a few blocks away from us, that's Bayfield Road!"

"Isn't that where the old man told us to go?" asked Valeria after trotting up to look at the map.

"Mr. Murdstone? Yeah, I think this is the place. Er, should we do it?"

"Do what?" Mira asked.

Daniel folded the map and tucked it into his pack, his expression thoughtful. "Should we go and see him? I mean, he acted so strange and mysterious. And all those things he said...I don't know. Do you think we can really trust him? I barely know him and already he wants us to follow his directions without any explanation."

"Well, he did save your life, Daniel," said Mira. "Don't you think we should at least hear what he has to say?"

"Actually, I'm with Daniel on this one," objected Valeria. "He knew an awful lot about you, and his whole attitude seemed fishy to me, like it was all fake---a mask to hide his true feelings. I dunno. It's hard to explain, just a funny feeling I have that he knows a lot more than he let on."

The group bowed their heads in thoughtful silence, townsfolk evasively maneuvering around them and throwing startled glances at Mira as they passed.

"Well," said Daniel finally. "I suppose we won't know until we ask him. C'mon, let's go see what Mr. Murdstone wants to talk about so privately."

---

In Jubilife, there are many rumors and stories as to why Mr. Murdstone didn't own any Pokémon. Some said it was because he was secretly afraid of the creatures. Others said it was because of trouble with the police, and that they forbade him to own one, and so he never could. And most say that he simply never had an interest in them in the first place. Really, however, the truth was far less complicated.

A long time ago, Mr. Murdstone did own one Pokémon. Just one. A Lucario, named Sapphira. . .

To be continued...