Of A Different Color (Pokemon)

Ch 2. Recovery

The rain had started as she ran into town, that beautifully furred eevee beneath her blanket. "It'll be okay," she whispered to it as the sky grew darker. "She'll help you." Ducking into an alleyway as a group of adults walked past, Ayla watched carefully, waiting for them to move on. Once their footsteps faded, Ayla darted from the space, continuing down the street to the building she could see from her window in that old house. The one that she'd been in when she'd received that scar.

"It's a miracle we were able to save your eye at all," they told her.

Even though she stumbled from hunger, Ayla kept running, eyes constantly darting around, looking for anyone who might notice the pokemon she carried.

The lights of the center finally bathed her in light, raindrops falling in between herself and the building. The rain was getting heavier, but Ayla made the final push for the shelter, dashing between the narrow gap in the doors as they slowly opened. Breathing heavily, she made for the counter, silently thanking Arceus that it was empty today.

"Nurse Joy!" Ayla shouted, looking around. "Chansey?"

"What is it?" The doors at the end of the lobby opened, and Ayla's heart loosened a bit as she crossed the space between them, clutching eevee tighter to her body.

"Please," Ayla whispered. "Please help it. It's hurt." Carefully, Ayla peeled back the blanket, just enough so that Nurse Joy could see the bundle of white and silver fur beneath, the purple tint of poison in its cheeks.

After a moment's glance, the shock faded from Nurse Joy's face. "Of course you would be the one to bring it here," she murmured. "Chansey, prepare a room! This patient needs us immediately!"

Ayla hugged eevee again before allowing Nurse Joy to slide it from her arms, blanket and all. "It'll be okay, won't it?"

"You did the right thing bringing it here," Joy assured. "We'll do everything we can."

Ayla went quiet again, and Nurse Joy was in the doorway when she spoke up again. "They . . . They won't know about it, will they?" She asked, looking down at the concealed eevee. At the silver coat and the chunk that was missing of its ear.

Joy paused, looking back at Ayla. "Eevee will be a well-guarded secret, Ayla."

"Thank you," she muttered, sitting down on the bench as she waited. The rain kept pouring down, deterring anymore visitors to the center, and Ayla was thankful. Prying eyes weren't welcome here. Not right now.

As she sat and waited, all Ayla could think of was that silver flash of fur as it tackled that arbok to the ground, preventing her from being poisoned, or worse.

Eevee knew shadow ball, a move it couldn't learn without help.

That eevee belonged to somebody.

At least, it had. Since the purging had started, many shiny pokemon had been disowned, afraid of the curse they would bring their trainers if they were kept around. Fear had driven the shiny pokemon to be left behind. Hatred had driven them to be purged by the ignorant people who believed them to be a curse.

Eevee had protected her.

How could that be seen as curse?

The darkness deepened as the hours ticked by, and Ayla forced herself to stay awake. Even as the storm finally subsided, Ayla kept pacing, even though her body ached for sleep.

"It'll be okay." But Ayla grew fearful that maybe it wouldn't.

The doors opened, and Ayla looked up to see Joy emerge from that sterile hallway.

"Eevee will make a full recovery," she assured gently. "You can visit her now if you wish."

Perking up, Ayla nodded, following Nurse Joy eagerly through the hall, to the room that eevee now laid in to rest, sound asleep, but that frightful purple was gone. Exhaling slowly, Ayla walked over to the bed where it lay.

"Eevee," she whispered, afraid to touch it. "Eevee are you okay?"

An eye opened slowly, and a bit of recognition shone before it closed again, the furry creature nuzzling into her hand. Ayla's heart skipped a beat. She wasn't used to that affection, and to see it come from a shiny pokemon, one that should be fearful of humans, should hate humans, had been disowned . . .

"You can rest in here with her," Nurse Joy said gently. "I'll have Chansey bring some food for you. You look famished."

Ayla nodded slowly. "Bring something for eevee too, please," she said as she sat down, at last resting her head on the mattress near the silver fur.

With a silent nod, Joy left, and Ayla fell into a slumber so deep she didn't wake when Chansey brought their food.

~~~

When she woke, eevee was in the nook of her arm, curled into Ayla's warmth.

Ayla smiled a bit, but as she tried to sit up, vertigo kicked in. Biting down on her lip, Ayla reached for the food, setting the bowl down on the bed, allowing eevee to eat its fill as she attempted to eat the berries and bread left for her.

After a bit of silence and allowing the food to settle in her belly, Ayla looked at eevee, at that missing part of its ear. It was scarred over, so not from the arbok. It was an old wound.

"You got hurt pretty bad a while back, huh?" Ayla asked softly, wondering if it would understand her.

Eevee looked up at her from the bed, and Ayla could swear she saw sadness in its eyes, like it were reliving the attack all over again.

"Did villagers do that to you?" Ayla asked carefully, reaching out to pet it. Eevee shook its head, but pushed into her hand. A bit of silence passed, and Ayla asked the one thing she'd been wondering since she'd seen it. "Why did you save me?"

Eevee paused, then looked at her, and Ayla wished she could understand it as it made a mewling sound at her.

She'd forced herself to stop hearing a long time ago, even though it was so easy to listen.

When Ayla didn't speak anymore, the eevee looked sad again, rubbing against her hand, mewling once more.

"I'm sorry," Ayla whispered. "I don't understand."

As the door opened, Ayla jumped, grabbing eevee in her arms, turning to face whoever had entered.

In the doorway stood Joy, Chansey, and a man she'd never seen before.

"Who are you?" Ayla demanded, holding eevee closer, determined to protect it the way it had protected her.

"It's okay," Nurse Joy assured. "This is Professor Oak. I told him about the eevee you found, and he wanted to come see her in person. He can be trusted," she assured. "I promise." Ayla's heart was pounding, but when eevee licked her hand, she relaxed a bit.

"Okay," she muttered. "Just don't hurt her."

"Absolutely not," Professor Oak responded. "I'm actually quite impressed that you saved this little girl of your own accord. Few people would do that nowadays."

"I'm not most people," Ayla answered, setting eevee back on the bed gently. The fox hybrid looked up at her, but seemed otherwise relaxed at the professor's presence. With a deep breath, Ayla sat back down, but if anyone made a move to hurt eevee, Ayla was prepared to grab the sweet furball and bolt.