The Heart of a Trainer: A Pokemon Story [PokemonWattyAwards2017]

Four: Uniting Forces

 Tuesday, 9:00 am

Alice

I knew something was wrong the minute I woke up. My mother was calling my name softly from the dining room, which was just next to the hall where the bedrooms were located.

"Alice, Alice, I have breakfast ready, it's time to get up. Rise and shine!" Like the lazy person I am, I ignored my mom and buried myself deeper into my blanket to sleep for a few more hours. Unfortunately, a few minutes later I was met with a small hand furiously tapping my shoulder and the continuous pain eventually woke me up. I jumped up and looked around, wondering what was all the fuss about. In front of me, there was a huddled group of my pokemon, waiting patiently for my awakening at the end of my twin-size bed. Hoppip ventured closer to me, while Zubat flew across the room to indicate a collapsed Croconaw on the floor, his limbs twisted into positions that were never meant to be attempted in any way, shape, or form. I was speechless. How could this have happened? Without thinking, I trusted my instincts and gently picked up Croconaw and ran out the door, my mom yelling after me, confused. I have to get him to the PokeCenter, that will be the best place for Croconaw. Hopefully they can figure out what's wrong, I can't even begin to think about losing him this way. All of the sudden, without any kind of warning.

"It looks absolutely horrible, doesn't it?" Nurse Joy said solemnly, her happiness gone. "The truth is, there is really nothing we can do for them, they've been put into a coma-like chrysalis called the Spore Coma." The nurse explained helplessly, shrugging her shoulders.

"Currently, we haven't discovered an antidote. However, we have figured out that the pokemon move Spore has somehow been chemically altered, hence the name, and has been unleashed in Johto and Kanto. We have reason to believe that this was created by a single individual. There was a science team researching this disease at the beginning of last year, but when the head researcher disappeared, everyone abandoned the project out of fear the same fate would fall onto them."

"How could this just happen?! How could someone allow this to happen?!" I said with tears streaming down my face in waterfalls. I was on the brink of a complete breakdown, one more word and it was over.

"I'm so sorry miss, we'll find replacements soon, and I assure you, we will find the cure and revive every last person and pokemon that has been affected by this outbreak. It is not contagious as far as we know, so you won't have to worry about your other pokemon or yourself being affected as well." Nurse Joy stated, it sounded like it was something that she was trained to say after someone like me had experienced a horrible tragedy like this.

Her voice faded into the background as I tuned her sympathetic voice out, the shock of what was happening was finally getting to me. With a forced smile, the nurse ushered me out of the room while I was kicking and screaming for her to let me go. Everything passed by me like a blur, a group of other staff members were called and had to escort me off of the premises. When that didn't work, the police were called. Despite my unwillingness to leave, I was dragged off and shoved into a cold, dark jail cell for the night to "calm down." All I could think about was Croconaw and the rest of my pokemon companions, I couldn't sleep nor could I eat. There has to be something I can do, I can't just sit here and do nothing. I didn't even pay attention to the condition I was in. My eyes were wide open, large, dark bags began to form above my cheekbones, and bruises, cuts, and scratches were all over my legs and arms from my resistance to leave the PokeCenter. The cell probably hadn't been used in years, dust had collected into heaps on the floor, the bed sheets smelled musty and old, and there was no electricity present, I was cloaked in the darkness of the night. The only crimes that are committed nowadays are by the Team Rocket members that have been left behind by the rest of the group, so their isn't much of a need for a police force. As the hours passed, I slowly drifted into a grief-stricken insanity, running on nothing but my own willpower to stay awake and unmoving.