Story Notes:
Standard Disclaimer: I own the character Jack as well as the plot of this story, Pokemon and other known characters are their respective owners. This story contains sexually explicit content. Go away if you're offended or too young to read such revolting literature.
Chapter 7
Now that their business had been concluded in Celadon City, Jack and his Pokemon were on the road again. They didn't really have a particular destination in mind, only a road and enough food to last a good while. Once they were out of the city limits Jack called them all out. Sasha popped out first and smiled at the scenery, having been claustrophobic in the city with so many people around, then Laura whose first instinct it was to wrap her arms around Jack's neck making cooing noises, and finally Maya, the newest addition, materialized a few feet away and stood up stretching, smiling at the sunlight and paying little attention to anything else.
"Oh, it's so nice to be out of that city," Maya murmured to herself.
"I didn't mind it at all. We had our own private room and everything," said Laura, rubbing her hand down towards Jack's crotch.
Jack pulled her hand off him for a moment and asked, "Why didn't you like it, Maya?"
"Well..." she gave a long pause, "There were too many people there... and they all wanted a rare Pokemon like me..."
She was obviously lying, but none of them said anything to her, knowing now how sensitive she was. "Come on!" said Sasha, already ahead of them. "It's a long way to the next city, and there'll be lots of time to catch up later." Then she ran into a thrush of tall grass and leapt into it, rolling all over and loving the feel of nature against her plumage again.
When the rest of them caught up to her she was on the ground giggling to herself and needed help to get up again.
"You've gone and got grass stains all over yourself now Sasha," Laura mothered, "Jack wouldn't want you like this."
Jack merely smiled at her, and Sasha knew that Laura was just talking nonsense. In the meantime Maya had crept closer and closer to her new trainer cautiously, and was walking beside him. Her heart was racing fast, even at the slow walk they were making and her hands were tightened into fists. She kept glancing down at his hand, just swinging by his side and wanted so desperately to hold it but every time she tried to work up the courage, the other two would turn and make a comment to Jack, erasing her courage to be seen with him and she would shy away again.
During the walk the grasses began to get a bit taller and they were heading into a noticeably denser part of the road. Trees were coming up more often and it looked like, in the distance that they would be passing through another very dense forest. Sasha and Laura giggled to themselves, remembering their first forest visit together and how much fun their first times had been.
During their reminiscing though, Jack took the opportunity to talk to Maya, who had been silent this whole time and whom Jack had taken notice of as looking somewhat desperate for something.
"Have you ever been outside the city, Maya?" he asked.
"No... not that I remember. I was raised in a breeding center, so all the plants and things were fake. Until you found me I had never actually been outside, I don't think. I can't remember."
She was holding back again, and Jack knew it, but he didn't press her. Instead he took her hand in his. "This will be your first trip then. It's not so bad once you get used to it." Her hand was a bit damp, and a little slippery, she knew, but he never said anything, and she never slipped away in his grasp. Her heart swelled. Then the other two turned around.
"Hey Jack, do you think we'll find another hot spring here?" asked Laura, oblivious to where Maya's hand was.
"I doubt it. We were passing by a volcanic area the last time, now we're headed in the opposite direction. If we go far enough we should come to a few pools where the rivers runs off though," said Jack in reply. Sasha had turned as well, and instantly zoomed in on Maya's hand, locked with Jack's. She didn't know what it was but she felt a twang of jealously as she watched her, the blush on her face so evident that even Jack couldn't miss it if the sun were in his eyes.
And it looked like it was in his eyes because he seemed positively pleased. She moved around them as though she were still taking in the sights and then struck. "Hey Jack, are you going to catch any more Pokemon out here? You're going to need them if you want to take on more gyms." As she said this she interposed herself between Jack and Maya, breaking their hands apart as she took his in hers. Maya instantly moved away as if shunned, but made no sound. Inside she welled up with tears but she was strong enough to hold them back in front of Jack, whom she thought would definitely think less of her if she cried. Laura picked up on the move right away though and moved beside Maya and took her hand, whispering into her ear.
"Don't let her do that to you. That was your moment with him," she said.
"B-but I... I can't..." she whispered.
"Don't be stupid. That dumb bird moved in on your turf. You've got every right to be angry."
"I'm not angry..." she said quietly, looking at the ground, "I... I just..."
At that moment it was plainly obvious to Laura what was up with Maya, and took the initiative herself. "Hey Jack... if it's going to take so long, why not send us back into our Pokeballs," she shot a wink at Maya, "We'll conserve our strength for that late night massage you're going to need." She draped herself over Jack's chest on the opposite side of Jack's head so that Sasha couldn't hear, "Maya should walk a little though, evolving makes you antsy." She backed away to take in Jack and Sasha's reaction.
Jack stood back a bit and smiled. "Sure, that sounds like a... good idea. Come on, back inside." He sent Laura away first, and Blaziken next, who was positively livid at the Lopunny's foul play. Maya waited to be sent back as well, but when the tingle of light didn't come she opened her eyes. Staring back at her was Jack, and he smiled and held out his hand for her to take. She followed his eyes and stepped forward, taking his hand in hers and blushing madly.
"I didn't realize that evolving made a Pokemon so antsy. You can walk out here with me today, is that all right?"
She was about to say something, but she forgot what it was. Suddenly she could only feel such an immense happiness that she almost couldn't walk. She smiled and her hand gripped his tightly. She could feel herself leaning towards him when the little Riolu barked happily and bopped her on the nose playfully, giggling at her reaction.
Jack laughed pleasantly and smiled, teasing the little puppy on his shoulder by grabbing her nose and wiggling her about. "Ha ha! Well, all right, so it's not only you and I," he said to Maya, who backed up and blushed, scrunching her nose a bit and grabbing an elbow with her hand.
Then Jack caught her by the hand and tugged gently. "Come on then. Let's get going." He had apparently pacified Riolu, who was perched on his shoulder peacefully and smiling at all the sights and sounds of the outdoors, which she had never experienced before. It was a new experience for both the Pokemon.
The two of them walked for a long time in silence, little Riolu playing and swinging back and forth on Jack's shoulders. Hand-in-hand was all that Maya wanted at that moment, and no matter where she was she was happy. Her heart thumped in her chest as Jack took the lead, brushing some branches out of the way for her, or helping her over some rocks, or anything really. Then finally, he spoke, and she was almost shocked by what he said.
"I know I said I'm proud of you for your win back at the gym Maya, but I wanted you to know that I really am truly grateful. I couldn't have done it without-"
Suddenly the little puppy Pokemon on Jack's shoulder hopped down and barked, its nose high up in the air, down on all fours. It barked and yipped excitedly and dashed off at lightning speed.
"Riolu! No! Wait!" called Jack, unable to catch the little thing. "Quick Maya!" he beckoned to her, dashing off in the same direction, leaving her to follow behind.
The two of them crashed through the bushes, Maya being significantly slower than Jack but doing her best to catch up, scraping herself on some thorny bushes but keeping on. Jack wasn't faring any better. The little Riolu could slip through these tiny places easily, but Jack and Maya were at a clear disadvantage. Jack was following only by the sounds of the little Riolu's barks, but even they were growing faint. He finally stopped, wheezing for breath as he finally lost track of the puppy. "Riolu!" he called into the forest, "Come back! Riolu!"
When finally Maya caught up to him she kept on the trail, brushing by him quickly, following the puppy's scent more than anything else, "Come quickly Jack! While the trail's fresh!" she called to him quickly, also running short on breath.
The two of them continued their desperate chase and finally came to a small clearing, where Maya stopped and sniffed the air. "She's here somewhere Jack, but we're not alone... be care- Ah!" she screamed as an attack scraped past her shoulder, pushing her to her knees.
Jack was too slow to catch the Vaporeon, but he managed to turn around enough to see a larger blue Pokemon standing just inside the tree line. From what he could tell it was a larger version of Riolu, and it held the little puppy in its arms.
"Be gone human! And take your filthy Pokemon with you!" it hissed.
The Riolu laughed playfully, hugging against the larger Pokemon.
"You're Lucario, aren't you?" asked Jack cautiously. "The evolved form of-"
"I know perfectly well what I am human!" the Pokemon spat, "Now leave us, you won't taint my baby anymore."
Jack wasn't completely shocked by the reply. "You're her mother..." he said, "I'm glad to meet-"
"I said be gone human!" the Lucario said loudly, throwing a large ball of energy right past him, blowing several thick limbs off some of the trees behind him." Jack was sweating a bit but stood his ground, ready to dodge at a moment's notice. The key right now though, he thought, was to not be afraid.
"Why did you leave your egg?" asked Jack.
The Lucario answered feverishly, "None of your business! I will not tell you again! Get out! I won't have your filthy hands on my baby any longer!"
"Stop saying that!" came a smallish female voice. Maya had stood up and was screaming at the top of her lungs at the blue dog Pokemon. "Jack isn't filthy! He's kind and loving and compassionate! You have no idea! You couldn't possibly..." the Vaporeon trailed off, losing momentum.
"He is human and not worthy of my trust, and neither are you! The trained wench of a human..."
"I didn't catch your child Lucario. Because I figured we'd find you if we traveled long enough anyway. I have no intentions of keeping a child from its mother."
"But Jack-!" said Maya from behind him. But he stopped her as he held out his arm.
"I won't keep her from you Lucario. But I have one request."
The Lucario sneered, but allowed him to speak, clutching her young to her chest.
"Please let me say goodbye to her?" he asked kindly, holding open his arms.
The Lucario looked at him for a long while, contemplating the request, and finally, seeing little harm in it, she held out her Riolu pup in her arms towards him, letting it giggle and stretch out its little arms to Jack. He bent forward on one knee and reached out with a hand, but Lucario pulled her pup back warily. Jack recoiled a bit and sighed.
"This is goodbye then Riolu. It was good to have you with us for as long as you were." Jack was smiling at the puppy, trying to keep back a tear, "You grow up big and strong okay?" Jack got back up and nodded to the Lucario, who clutched her child tightly to her chest again.
The Lucario shot Jack a glance as she turned away; "Don't think I trust you human, your nice words mean nothing to me." She said, beginning to walk away. The little Riolu peeked her head over her mother's shoulder and whined, knowing something was wrong as she watched a tree come between her view of Jack. It was then that Jack noticed a red patch on the Pokémon's hip. The mother Lucario was bleeding, and it was no small wound. Jack was about to say something when the mother Pokémon stumbled and collapsed, instead rushing to her side and scooping her off the ground. Lucario desperately tried to bat his hands away but she was weak and her eyes tired. It took all her strength just to keep hold of her pup, Riolu.
"Don't," she said weakly. Maya stood behind Jack, looking down at the Lucario with a measure of fear, "You can't take my baby. I would rather..." a small trickle of red showed on her tooth and dripped onto her cheek. "I would rather die. Humans can't be trusted. Ever."
"Did humans do this to you? You're bleeding. Let me give you a potion," stammered Jack, unsure of what to say to convince this mother Pokémon of his intent.
The Lucario growled and barred her teeth, red now with stains of blood and she clenched her pup all the tighter, who whined in protest and managed to turn and yip worriedly at her mother.
"I won't let you. I don't want... her... to..." She trailed off, too exhausted to speak and Jack picked her up in his arms and turned to regard Maya, who was holding both fists clenched at her mouth and quivering. She didn't even hear him when he called her name.
"Maya!" he shouted, jolting her from her stupor. She locked gazes with him suddenly. "Get some firewood. We're staying here for a while." She dashed off into the forest and Jack laid the Lucario, now having fainted, against a mossy log where fewer of the thorny bushes stuck out. He called out Laura and Sasha who, noting the time of day looked first with curiosity at Jack and then with sudden horror at the Lucario, bleeding from a deep wound on its side.
"Laura, find our potions, Sasha, clear us an area from all these thorns. I need a fire pit and an area big enough for the tent." The two Pokémon set to work without another word, the tug on their consciousness from a trainer's order overriding their normal sense of curiosity. Laura returned in moments after rummaging through Jack's backpack for the curatives and handed him one. His most powerful, he noted. Perfect. He sprayed it liberally around the wound and then used an ointment of the same curative quality on the area as well. Maya came back with an armful of split wood and sticks and dumped them on the ground, huffing and puffing and brushing a few splinters from her arms.
"Some water, come here Maya. I need some water around this wound, just a little." Called Jack to the tired Eevee. She glided over and trickled some water from her mouth in a low power water gun into his hand and he poured it gently over the wound to clear away some blood. He regarded the gash up close and furrowed his brow worriedly. It was serious, like a deep stab wound. And worse yet, it wasn't recent. She had been bleeding for a while.
Sasha had finished clearing an area and was standing at the edge watching her master care for this new Pokémon. As she stepped forward Jack sat back on his heels.
"The potion isn't having any effect." He turned to regard them all and they were moved and surprised when they saw his eyes misting up with tears. "She's dying." He said quietly, his voice choking. "I can bandage it... but I can't stop the bleeding." He was up on his feet, pacing nervously back and forth. "We're too far from town; I can't make it without a flying Pokémon." His hands reached up for his hairline and stroked back, sweeping all his hair back into his palms. "She needs a doctor."
Silence befell all of them and became more and more thick with every passing moment. No one knew what to say at that moment. Whether to offer comfort or an alternative to get his hopes up. Then suddenly Riolu barked and yipped, pawing at Jack's pants and trying to climb. He bent down and scooped her up, but as she passed his belt she grabbed out and yanked off one of his three remaining Pokeballs and held it up at him. He was about to put it back when Laura piped up.
"She's right, you know. You would have more time if you became her trainer." She spoke those words knowing full well just exactly what they meant. Catching a Pokémon was a contract that bound trainer to Pokémon for life. Even if released later that Pokémon would never really stop being bound and would always live with a sense of abandonment that was simply a fact of using the technology on a living thing. Laura also knew Jack's moral compass was completely against forcing that contract on a helpless Pokémon.
He regarded the feinted Lucario once more and then shifted his gaze from the Pokéball to Riolu, who whimpered and pushed his hand holding the red and white technology with all its strength.
"Will it save her?" he asked, solemnly.
"Being inside a Pokéball doesn't stop time, just slows it down," said Sasha matter-of-factly. "It will give you enough time to get to a centre though."
"But I can't... she hates all humans." He was so confused at that moment. All of his heart strings were toward catching her, but he knew she would hate him even more for it. Could he save her life by doing something she never wanted to happen? "But I don't have a choice, do I?" he asked, looking at the Riolu for support. She barked and whined and continued her pressing and he was convinced.
He knelt down to the Lucario, and with a delicate touch, pressed the button of the Pokéball against the furry skin of the Lucario's arm. "Forgive me, when you're better." He whispered as she disappeared into red light. Without waiting for any other response or confirmation of his actions he turned and recalled all three of the others. He grabbed his bag and stuffed everything back inside and then Riolu at the top, tightening the strap so that she wouldn't fall out.
"Hang on Riolu, this is gonna be bumpy." He took off in the direction he knew to be south. It would be getting dark soon, and instead of wandering around lost on the unlit path back towards Celadon, he knew there to be a lit bike path towards Fuchsia, and could travel at full speed towards a farther away city and, in essence, be there by the wee hours of the night if he grabbed a bike from the rental office.
"Oh, it's so nice to be out of that city," Maya murmured to herself.
"I didn't mind it at all. We had our own private room and everything," said Laura, rubbing her hand down towards Jack's crotch.
Jack pulled her hand off him for a moment and asked, "Why didn't you like it, Maya?"
"Well..." she gave a long pause, "There were too many people there... and they all wanted a rare Pokemon like me..."
She was obviously lying, but none of them said anything to her, knowing now how sensitive she was. "Come on!" said Sasha, already ahead of them. "It's a long way to the next city, and there'll be lots of time to catch up later." Then she ran into a thrush of tall grass and leapt into it, rolling all over and loving the feel of nature against her plumage again.
When the rest of them caught up to her she was on the ground giggling to herself and needed help to get up again.
"You've gone and got grass stains all over yourself now Sasha," Laura mothered, "Jack wouldn't want you like this."
Jack merely smiled at her, and Sasha knew that Laura was just talking nonsense. In the meantime Maya had crept closer and closer to her new trainer cautiously, and was walking beside him. Her heart was racing fast, even at the slow walk they were making and her hands were tightened into fists. She kept glancing down at his hand, just swinging by his side and wanted so desperately to hold it but every time she tried to work up the courage, the other two would turn and make a comment to Jack, erasing her courage to be seen with him and she would shy away again.
During the walk the grasses began to get a bit taller and they were heading into a noticeably denser part of the road. Trees were coming up more often and it looked like, in the distance that they would be passing through another very dense forest. Sasha and Laura giggled to themselves, remembering their first forest visit together and how much fun their first times had been.
During their reminiscing though, Jack took the opportunity to talk to Maya, who had been silent this whole time and whom Jack had taken notice of as looking somewhat desperate for something.
"Have you ever been outside the city, Maya?" he asked.
"No... not that I remember. I was raised in a breeding center, so all the plants and things were fake. Until you found me I had never actually been outside, I don't think. I can't remember."
She was holding back again, and Jack knew it, but he didn't press her. Instead he took her hand in his. "This will be your first trip then. It's not so bad once you get used to it." Her hand was a bit damp, and a little slippery, she knew, but he never said anything, and she never slipped away in his grasp. Her heart swelled. Then the other two turned around.
"Hey Jack, do you think we'll find another hot spring here?" asked Laura, oblivious to where Maya's hand was.
"I doubt it. We were passing by a volcanic area the last time, now we're headed in the opposite direction. If we go far enough we should come to a few pools where the rivers runs off though," said Jack in reply. Sasha had turned as well, and instantly zoomed in on Maya's hand, locked with Jack's. She didn't know what it was but she felt a twang of jealously as she watched her, the blush on her face so evident that even Jack couldn't miss it if the sun were in his eyes.
And it looked like it was in his eyes because he seemed positively pleased. She moved around them as though she were still taking in the sights and then struck. "Hey Jack, are you going to catch any more Pokemon out here? You're going to need them if you want to take on more gyms." As she said this she interposed herself between Jack and Maya, breaking their hands apart as she took his in hers. Maya instantly moved away as if shunned, but made no sound. Inside she welled up with tears but she was strong enough to hold them back in front of Jack, whom she thought would definitely think less of her if she cried. Laura picked up on the move right away though and moved beside Maya and took her hand, whispering into her ear.
"Don't let her do that to you. That was your moment with him," she said.
"B-but I... I can't..." she whispered.
"Don't be stupid. That dumb bird moved in on your turf. You've got every right to be angry."
"I'm not angry..." she said quietly, looking at the ground, "I... I just..."
At that moment it was plainly obvious to Laura what was up with Maya, and took the initiative herself. "Hey Jack... if it's going to take so long, why not send us back into our Pokeballs," she shot a wink at Maya, "We'll conserve our strength for that late night massage you're going to need." She draped herself over Jack's chest on the opposite side of Jack's head so that Sasha couldn't hear, "Maya should walk a little though, evolving makes you antsy." She backed away to take in Jack and Sasha's reaction.
Jack stood back a bit and smiled. "Sure, that sounds like a... good idea. Come on, back inside." He sent Laura away first, and Blaziken next, who was positively livid at the Lopunny's foul play. Maya waited to be sent back as well, but when the tingle of light didn't come she opened her eyes. Staring back at her was Jack, and he smiled and held out his hand for her to take. She followed his eyes and stepped forward, taking his hand in hers and blushing madly.
"I didn't realize that evolving made a Pokemon so antsy. You can walk out here with me today, is that all right?"
She was about to say something, but she forgot what it was. Suddenly she could only feel such an immense happiness that she almost couldn't walk. She smiled and her hand gripped his tightly. She could feel herself leaning towards him when the little Riolu barked happily and bopped her on the nose playfully, giggling at her reaction.
Jack laughed pleasantly and smiled, teasing the little puppy on his shoulder by grabbing her nose and wiggling her about. "Ha ha! Well, all right, so it's not only you and I," he said to Maya, who backed up and blushed, scrunching her nose a bit and grabbing an elbow with her hand.
Then Jack caught her by the hand and tugged gently. "Come on then. Let's get going." He had apparently pacified Riolu, who was perched on his shoulder peacefully and smiling at all the sights and sounds of the outdoors, which she had never experienced before. It was a new experience for both the Pokemon.
The two of them walked for a long time in silence, little Riolu playing and swinging back and forth on Jack's shoulders. Hand-in-hand was all that Maya wanted at that moment, and no matter where she was she was happy. Her heart thumped in her chest as Jack took the lead, brushing some branches out of the way for her, or helping her over some rocks, or anything really. Then finally, he spoke, and she was almost shocked by what he said.
"I know I said I'm proud of you for your win back at the gym Maya, but I wanted you to know that I really am truly grateful. I couldn't have done it without-"
Suddenly the little puppy Pokemon on Jack's shoulder hopped down and barked, its nose high up in the air, down on all fours. It barked and yipped excitedly and dashed off at lightning speed.
"Riolu! No! Wait!" called Jack, unable to catch the little thing. "Quick Maya!" he beckoned to her, dashing off in the same direction, leaving her to follow behind.
The two of them crashed through the bushes, Maya being significantly slower than Jack but doing her best to catch up, scraping herself on some thorny bushes but keeping on. Jack wasn't faring any better. The little Riolu could slip through these tiny places easily, but Jack and Maya were at a clear disadvantage. Jack was following only by the sounds of the little Riolu's barks, but even they were growing faint. He finally stopped, wheezing for breath as he finally lost track of the puppy. "Riolu!" he called into the forest, "Come back! Riolu!"
When finally Maya caught up to him she kept on the trail, brushing by him quickly, following the puppy's scent more than anything else, "Come quickly Jack! While the trail's fresh!" she called to him quickly, also running short on breath.
The two of them continued their desperate chase and finally came to a small clearing, where Maya stopped and sniffed the air. "She's here somewhere Jack, but we're not alone... be care- Ah!" she screamed as an attack scraped past her shoulder, pushing her to her knees.
Jack was too slow to catch the Vaporeon, but he managed to turn around enough to see a larger blue Pokemon standing just inside the tree line. From what he could tell it was a larger version of Riolu, and it held the little puppy in its arms.
"Be gone human! And take your filthy Pokemon with you!" it hissed.
The Riolu laughed playfully, hugging against the larger Pokemon.
"You're Lucario, aren't you?" asked Jack cautiously. "The evolved form of-"
"I know perfectly well what I am human!" the Pokemon spat, "Now leave us, you won't taint my baby anymore."
Jack wasn't completely shocked by the reply. "You're her mother..." he said, "I'm glad to meet-"
"I said be gone human!" the Lucario said loudly, throwing a large ball of energy right past him, blowing several thick limbs off some of the trees behind him." Jack was sweating a bit but stood his ground, ready to dodge at a moment's notice. The key right now though, he thought, was to not be afraid.
"Why did you leave your egg?" asked Jack.
The Lucario answered feverishly, "None of your business! I will not tell you again! Get out! I won't have your filthy hands on my baby any longer!"
"Stop saying that!" came a smallish female voice. Maya had stood up and was screaming at the top of her lungs at the blue dog Pokemon. "Jack isn't filthy! He's kind and loving and compassionate! You have no idea! You couldn't possibly..." the Vaporeon trailed off, losing momentum.
"He is human and not worthy of my trust, and neither are you! The trained wench of a human..."
"I didn't catch your child Lucario. Because I figured we'd find you if we traveled long enough anyway. I have no intentions of keeping a child from its mother."
"But Jack-!" said Maya from behind him. But he stopped her as he held out his arm.
"I won't keep her from you Lucario. But I have one request."
The Lucario sneered, but allowed him to speak, clutching her young to her chest.
"Please let me say goodbye to her?" he asked kindly, holding open his arms.
The Lucario looked at him for a long while, contemplating the request, and finally, seeing little harm in it, she held out her Riolu pup in her arms towards him, letting it giggle and stretch out its little arms to Jack. He bent forward on one knee and reached out with a hand, but Lucario pulled her pup back warily. Jack recoiled a bit and sighed.
"This is goodbye then Riolu. It was good to have you with us for as long as you were." Jack was smiling at the puppy, trying to keep back a tear, "You grow up big and strong okay?" Jack got back up and nodded to the Lucario, who clutched her child tightly to her chest again.
The Lucario shot Jack a glance as she turned away; "Don't think I trust you human, your nice words mean nothing to me." She said, beginning to walk away. The little Riolu peeked her head over her mother's shoulder and whined, knowing something was wrong as she watched a tree come between her view of Jack. It was then that Jack noticed a red patch on the Pokémon's hip. The mother Lucario was bleeding, and it was no small wound. Jack was about to say something when the mother Pokémon stumbled and collapsed, instead rushing to her side and scooping her off the ground. Lucario desperately tried to bat his hands away but she was weak and her eyes tired. It took all her strength just to keep hold of her pup, Riolu.
"Don't," she said weakly. Maya stood behind Jack, looking down at the Lucario with a measure of fear, "You can't take my baby. I would rather..." a small trickle of red showed on her tooth and dripped onto her cheek. "I would rather die. Humans can't be trusted. Ever."
"Did humans do this to you? You're bleeding. Let me give you a potion," stammered Jack, unsure of what to say to convince this mother Pokémon of his intent.
The Lucario growled and barred her teeth, red now with stains of blood and she clenched her pup all the tighter, who whined in protest and managed to turn and yip worriedly at her mother.
"I won't let you. I don't want... her... to..." She trailed off, too exhausted to speak and Jack picked her up in his arms and turned to regard Maya, who was holding both fists clenched at her mouth and quivering. She didn't even hear him when he called her name.
"Maya!" he shouted, jolting her from her stupor. She locked gazes with him suddenly. "Get some firewood. We're staying here for a while." She dashed off into the forest and Jack laid the Lucario, now having fainted, against a mossy log where fewer of the thorny bushes stuck out. He called out Laura and Sasha who, noting the time of day looked first with curiosity at Jack and then with sudden horror at the Lucario, bleeding from a deep wound on its side.
"Laura, find our potions, Sasha, clear us an area from all these thorns. I need a fire pit and an area big enough for the tent." The two Pokémon set to work without another word, the tug on their consciousness from a trainer's order overriding their normal sense of curiosity. Laura returned in moments after rummaging through Jack's backpack for the curatives and handed him one. His most powerful, he noted. Perfect. He sprayed it liberally around the wound and then used an ointment of the same curative quality on the area as well. Maya came back with an armful of split wood and sticks and dumped them on the ground, huffing and puffing and brushing a few splinters from her arms.
"Some water, come here Maya. I need some water around this wound, just a little." Called Jack to the tired Eevee. She glided over and trickled some water from her mouth in a low power water gun into his hand and he poured it gently over the wound to clear away some blood. He regarded the gash up close and furrowed his brow worriedly. It was serious, like a deep stab wound. And worse yet, it wasn't recent. She had been bleeding for a while.
Sasha had finished clearing an area and was standing at the edge watching her master care for this new Pokémon. As she stepped forward Jack sat back on his heels.
"The potion isn't having any effect." He turned to regard them all and they were moved and surprised when they saw his eyes misting up with tears. "She's dying." He said quietly, his voice choking. "I can bandage it... but I can't stop the bleeding." He was up on his feet, pacing nervously back and forth. "We're too far from town; I can't make it without a flying Pokémon." His hands reached up for his hairline and stroked back, sweeping all his hair back into his palms. "She needs a doctor."
Silence befell all of them and became more and more thick with every passing moment. No one knew what to say at that moment. Whether to offer comfort or an alternative to get his hopes up. Then suddenly Riolu barked and yipped, pawing at Jack's pants and trying to climb. He bent down and scooped her up, but as she passed his belt she grabbed out and yanked off one of his three remaining Pokeballs and held it up at him. He was about to put it back when Laura piped up.
"She's right, you know. You would have more time if you became her trainer." She spoke those words knowing full well just exactly what they meant. Catching a Pokémon was a contract that bound trainer to Pokémon for life. Even if released later that Pokémon would never really stop being bound and would always live with a sense of abandonment that was simply a fact of using the technology on a living thing. Laura also knew Jack's moral compass was completely against forcing that contract on a helpless Pokémon.
He regarded the feinted Lucario once more and then shifted his gaze from the Pokéball to Riolu, who whimpered and pushed his hand holding the red and white technology with all its strength.
"Will it save her?" he asked, solemnly.
"Being inside a Pokéball doesn't stop time, just slows it down," said Sasha matter-of-factly. "It will give you enough time to get to a centre though."
"But I can't... she hates all humans." He was so confused at that moment. All of his heart strings were toward catching her, but he knew she would hate him even more for it. Could he save her life by doing something she never wanted to happen? "But I don't have a choice, do I?" he asked, looking at the Riolu for support. She barked and whined and continued her pressing and he was convinced.
He knelt down to the Lucario, and with a delicate touch, pressed the button of the Pokéball against the furry skin of the Lucario's arm. "Forgive me, when you're better." He whispered as she disappeared into red light. Without waiting for any other response or confirmation of his actions he turned and recalled all three of the others. He grabbed his bag and stuffed everything back inside and then Riolu at the top, tightening the strap so that she wouldn't fall out.
"Hang on Riolu, this is gonna be bumpy." He took off in the direction he knew to be south. It would be getting dark soon, and instead of wandering around lost on the unlit path back towards Celadon, he knew there to be a lit bike path towards Fuchsia, and could travel at full speed towards a farther away city and, in essence, be there by the wee hours of the night if he grabbed a bike from the rental office.