Pokemon: The Journey

(AN: Have you ever been informed to go to a workshop in the morning just because there were fewer people and the department wanted there to be at least a respectable amount? Just after you had to pull off an all-nighter to finish a last-minute assignment that was given, not even knowing properly what to write, as both the professors responsible for it do not know what the other has said, with one saying to do something and the other saying not to do it? Barely eat anything for breakfast, as you have taken nearly the entire time to complete the assignment. Have your stomach growl and try to squash it by making it feel as if you had eaten something by drinking water while some of the students eat lunch around you during the workshop break, but you have yet to finish the assignment? The workshop only had 20 minutes left before lunchtime, and being told that you would only have that time to take lunch, until the nearest cafeteria to serve food was nearly 25 minutes away? Somehow manage to make it to the building and climb six flights of stairs to enter the cafeteria in 16 minutes, only to find that the food has nearly finished. You manage to scrape together some food to eat in just under 4 minutes? Go to the lab to find the professors, only to see their assistants take it while they come after nearly 1 and a half hours? Ask for the file you had submitted the previous week and have not been given, to submit the assignment you had written, only to be told that it has not been checked at all, and are told to submit it the next week? Both the presentation and the written work? Told to add something extra to it as well? Had to give in another written assignment in under 30 minutes on a topic that has been covered for 5-10 minutes in the same period, all the while working with a slow network to use the online resource that has been specified to work on? And somehow doing it with the last proper form of sustenance being the dinner you had last night, the coffee in the morning, and the breakfast and lunch you somehow hurried to eat?

Yeah. That happened to me today. Again. And they asked me why I am losing weight, having migraine, and feeling ill. After releasing this chapter, I am going to sleep.

On a lighter note, I celebrate the 10-month anniversary of being given a murder threat by a random mad stranger for a completely ridiculous reason, and I still find it hard to believe it happened. YAY!

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"I know how hard it is to lose a loved one. You were just at the wrong place at the wrong time, kid. In order to cover us up, we have to kill you both. As seeing you reminds me of my child, I will only leave you here in such a state. If, you are able to somehow survive and live, no matter how unlikely it is, I hope that you do not waste it."

Slice...

The girl woke up with a start.

She groaned and felt better than she had since the previous two days.

She was still feeling sore in the throat and her limbs and abdomen hurt.

She felt something warm holding her.

Remembering what had happened before she tried to scream but was met with coughs.

The something that was holding her moved.

She tried to move her hand instinctively to her mouth but was met with pain in them and they were held by something tough.

That something brought an appendage to her mouth and covered it for her. After having the coughing fit, she looked at the appendage.

A human hand.

Reoiling in fear, she tried to move away from it, when she heard, "Y-you are awake."

The relief in the voice made her turn her head towards the person, boy, was sitting and holding her.

Her throat hurt from the wound that woman had given to her, but she saw the relief filled tear-streaked happy face of the boy who was gently holding her.

Was he crying for her? A stranger?

That brought some comfort to her that it was neither of the women.

"Are you feeling better now?", the boy gently asked her.

"Pika?"

Looking at his side she saw a chubby Pikachu. He looked cute.

"Pikachu, tell the others that she has awoken."

Nodding at his words, Pikachu went out and started calling out for the others.

Within a few moments, she saw who the others were. A Caterpie, a Pidgeotto, a Spearow, and a Chansey.

Doduo!

Searching around for her friend, she looked at them and could not find him. Her stomach sank fearing and believing the worst.

Seeing her look around for someone or something, the boy put a hand on her head to get her attention. She looked at him with teary eyes.

Smiling with reassurance, he said, "Your Doduo is safe. He nearly died from poisoning but is recovering now. He will still take some time to wake up. Do not worry about him, everything will be..."

He never got to finish the sentence as the girl moved towards him and tried to hug him but felt pain in her body.

Taking her in his arms to stop her from moving, he told her gently, "You should not move. You have fractures in all your limbs. You have a bad bruise in your stomach and your throat was slit so you will not be able to speak properly now. Your paralysis was making things worse, so we had you breathe in the steam from boiling Salveyo Weed."

She opened her mouth to ask him about what he was talking about when she started coughing again.

Her throat hurt a lot.

Placing his hand on her mouth, he sighed and took his water bottle and gave her to drink a little to soothe her throat.

She drank a little too much and coughed up some of the water she drank.

While cleaning her with his handkerchief, he told her, "I told you not to talk. Your throat will take time to heal properly, and you might barely be able to talk. Let's take you out of this tent."

Taking her in a princess carry, he carried her outside the tent without noticing her blushing face.

When he placed her on the ground, both of them noticed something.

Putting a hand on her forehead, he asked with concern, "Are you having a fever again?"

The girl noticed that her clothes were different.

Noticing her stare, he said, "Oh! I changed your clothes. They were damaged and you had soiled them. I cleaned you up too."

Her face somehow became redder.

"What is your name? My name is Ash Ketchum."

She coughed a little, but was able to say in a low voice, "Y-yellow."