Chapter no.342 Calm before the Storm

[ POV Change ]
The sun was setting over the small town of Pallet, casting a warm orange glow over the Pokémon Center as Austin, Yellow, and Green stood outside the Emergency Room. Pikachu was trying to mimic different faces of various Pokémon in an attempt to cheer up Austin, who looked worried and stressed. Lucario watched silently, his eyes scanning the group as Yellow walked back and forth, clearly agitated. Green, on the other hand, remained silent, her expression unreadable, but it was clear that she wanted to say something.
"I am ok buddy," Austin said, trying to force a smile on his face.
"Pika, pika," Pikachu responded with a sad face.
Yellow turned to Green, "What's taking so long? I can't wait anymore."
Green looked at Yellow with a sympathetic expression, "I know how you feel, but we have to be patient."
The door to the ER suddenly opened, and Austin immediately rushed inside, making his way to Nurse Joy. "How is Charmeleon doing?" He asked, his voice filled with concern. Nurse Joy looked up from the chart she was holding and smiled at Austin. "I'm glad you're here," she said. "Can we talk in private?"
"Of course," Austin replied, his heart was sinking.
Inside the room, Nurse Joy sat down at the desk and gestured for Austin to take a seat. "I have some news about Charmeleon," she said, her voice serious. "Physically, he's healthy, but mentally, he seems to have formed a cage around his mind that has left him in a state of unresponsiveness."
" What can be done ?"
" It is completely out of our hands." Nurse Joy answered, not trying to sugar coat the news.
Austin felt his heart race as the stress of the situation made his temper flare up, "Isn't it your job to help Pokémon?!" Nurse Joy didn't seem offended by Austin's comment and instead, she explained that an expert has been informed and would be coming by tomorrow to treat Charmeleon. She could see the frustration and disappointment in Austin's eyes, but she reassured him that Charmeleon was in good hands.
"I understand," Austin said, his voice filled with disappointment. "Thank you for letting me know and I am sorry for my outburst."
Nurse Joy smiled and offered Austin a lollipop.
" I know it's hard for you but you must stay patient, if everything goes alright then Charmeleon will be back to himself in a few days."
" .... " Austin nodded as he looked at the Lollipop in his hands.
" Thank you."
" It is my job."
As Austin walked out of the room, Yellow and Green immediately surrounded him, asking him what had happened. "Charmeleon is fine physically but mentally, he's not responsive," Austin explained to them.
Yellow looked worried, "What does that mean?"
" Charmeleon is trying to block out everything. He just wants to be left alone."
" D, Did we do something that caused Charmeleon to become like this ?" Yellow was on the verge of tears as Austin clasped her shoulder and exclaimed," Yellow, it's no one's fault. Life just puts obstacles that are too big to overcome, sometimes we crumble under a pressure like that, for now all we need to do is stay by Charmeleon's side."
" What did Nurse Joy ? Is there a treatment or medicine ?" Green asked while everyone closely looked at Austin.
"An expert is coming tomorrow to treat him," Austin explained, trying to sound optimistic.
....
A Pokémon Master.
A term that every single child knew to heart, and for most, it was a dream to pursue for the rest of their lives. The funny thing was, one never really knew what being a Pokémon Master was really about. For one thing, around eighty-five percent of the population that began their dreams as aspiring Pokémon masters ended up surviving their first year as a trainer. The rest… became part of a statistical chart that everyone pretended did not exist- the harsh truth of the occupation that was becoming a Pokémon trainer.
Like any profession, a Pokémon trainer requires money, lots of it.
From Pokémon food to grooming equipments, everything required money.
Cases of abandoned Pokémon can be seen throughout the Pokémon world from Kanto to Paldea because of this undeniable fact that they don't have the money to raise some of their Pokémon.
While the Pokémon league has made a lot of efforts to promote the ideal of love and friendship between a trainer and its pokemon, abandonment cases are still common because of a lack of money to keep a Pokémon in top conditions.
Pokémon trainers can make a lot of money through battles and renting their Pokémon to ranches that collect items like fur, claws, shed skin etc. Other avenues exist like the innumerable no. of contests that each town holds on a monthly basis but even with all of this, why has the number of abandonment cases only decreased by 5% over the last decade ?
The answer is false judgement.
The expression " don't bite off more than you can chew " is something that most newbie trainers forget as they catch a lot of Pokémon and in their false judgement that they can take care of them results in malnourished Pokémon that are eventually abandoned as they can't win any battles due to their physicality.
Abandonment of Pokémon leads to aggressive tendencies towards humans which leads to homicide in the best case scenario and the worst case scenario is something that no one wants to see.
To combat the issue of abandonment, a new rule was introduced into the Pokémon league a few years ago.
Also known as the 6 Pokémon rule which enforces a newbie trainer to be able to carry only 6 Pokémon at a time.
Even as a new rule in recent memory, results have shown that this move was a correct one.
The Pokémon League keeps this iron clad rule in check using the Pokémon centers that scan a trainer's ID, rank and the no. of Pokémon on him/her. If the rule is broken then consequences from the suspension of a trainer's license to jail occur depending on the conditions and health of the extra Pokemon.
While this rule may be seen as good by the general public, no one can say that it can't be used for nefarious purposes.
...
[ Viridian Forest ]
The night had fallen over Viridian Forest, and the darkness was complete. The trees loomed high above, their branches reaching out like twisted fingers. The forest was eerily quiet as the moonlight is filtered through the thick canopy, casting a pale glow over the forest floor. The shadows seemed to dance and write, as if they were alive. The leaves rustled softly in the light breeze, creating a whispering sound that was both eerie and mesmerizing.
The forest was alive with the sounds of nocturnal creatures. The distant hoot of an owl, the soft rustle of leaves, the chirping of crickets, and the occasional snap of a twig. These sounds seemed to echo through the forest, creating a symphony of the night.
As the night went on, the forest seemed to grow darker and more sinister. The shadows seemed to deepen and grow, as if they were trying to swallow everything whole. The trees seemed to twist and bend in the darkness, and the leaves rustled louder as if they were trying to escape.
The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and rotting leaves, and the darkness seemed to seep into every crevice. The forest was alive, but it was not a place for the faint of heart. It was a place of mystery, of power, and of danger. Those who dared to enter it at night, did so at their own risk.
Giovanni, dressed in his signature black suit and tie, strode confidently through the dense foliage of Viridian Forest. The branches and leaves parted before him, as if he commanded them to do so, and a trail of buzzing Beedrill dutifully cleared the way for their master.
As he walked, he heard a faint buzzing in his pockets. With a deft hand, he pulled out a small disc and tapped it, summoning a holographic image of his trusted lieutenant, Domino. She stood before him in her usual attire of a black bodysuit and tactical gear, her hair pulled back in a tight ponytail.
"Sir," she said, saluting him. "Ash Ketchum has been spotted in Celadon City. He is currently checked into the Pokémon center."
Giovanni nodded, his dark eyes scanning the forest. "Retrieve Project X," he ordered.
Domino saluted again before the hologram flickered and disappeared. Giovanni continued his trek, his mind already turning to the task at hand.
As he walked, he suddenly stopped, his eyes fixated on a sight that lay before him. A kilometer long Beedrill hive stood before him, its walls towering and imposing. The hive was a marvel to behold, its walls glistening with the sweet nectar of Beedrill's labor. The hive was a true testament of the Beedrill's organization and hard work, and for a moment, even Giovanni was in awe of it. He smiled, his mind already formulating a plan.
He walked closer and closer, studying the hive from every angle, taking in every detail. The hive was made up of a dark, almost black wax, and it was adorned with small, intricate patterns that seemed to have been etched into the wax itself. He could hear the buzzing of the Beedrill inside, a constant hum that filled the air.
As he stood there, taking in the hive's grandeur, he couldn't help but smirk. He knew that with this hive and the Beedrill that lived within it, he would be one step closer to achieving his ultimate goal.
.....
[ Omake Paragraph ]
Many stories speak of the terrors of the sea, pokemon such as Poliwrath or Gyarados which few encounter and live to tell the tale. Far fewer, however, discuss the comrades of every sailor, the pokemon who are seen not just as food or danger, but as a blessing of good fortune for all those who encounter them. And yet when these tales are told, they are often read by the light of the very pokemon which counts itself as their subject, for every ship has its Lanturn.
The use of Lanturn for nautical illumination is as old as large wooden ships, for the simple reason that alternatives such as Charmander could cause the boats to ignite. Lanturn, however, maintain an internal light, and have long been popular for illumination among pyrophobes, so they were pressed into service to aid navigation on cloudy nights. They are most popular not for their practical value, however, but for entertainment; long voyages at sea demand some way to stave off boredom, so on nights when starlight was sufficient to guide the ship, sailors spent their downtime huddled around the glowing twin lights of a Lanturn, reading long tales aloud.
It is not only trained Lanturn which are seen as benevolent allies of seamen. When a ship encounters one of the many floating colonies of wild Lanturn, they will perform light shows and communicate information on weather and hazards to the ship's captain. This is because most sailors treat their own Lanturn extremely well, and Lanturn pods repay every kindness given them and always remember their friends.