Story Notes:
Uploading here and on ff.net. I think some people migth like the setting and don't browse the ff.As far as i guess, disclaimer goes there, rigth?So, i'll add it there.Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Bad Bedside Manners
The war not only changed the people's lives, but also the very essence of the world. �The terrain. �It hadn't affected the continents, or other large landmasses, as mere bombs wouldn't do anything to the earth's crust. But minor, smaller things, like mountains, changed their looks. Powerful blast waves had hit their faces with unimaginable force, shaking them like a toddler shakes a rattle.
Such occurred when Jubilife and Oreburgh got hit. The Oreburgh Gate, a long cavern that previously had led through the mountains, caved in. Still unsure of the extent of the damage, Joshua decided that trying to scale the mountain was a better idea for a few reasons. � The first reason was the radio he was trying to locate. The higher he was, the better reception his receiver would get. �The second reason was the view. By standing on higher ground, he would see the scale of the tragedy, and in how bad a shape the world was.
The third reason was the Oreburgh Gate itself. The thing didn't look so promising. The entrance still looked so-so, but it was just obvious that the deeper parts were probably impassable. Therefore, standing at the very entrance to the tunnel, he and his pet mapped the possible mountainous path that would lead them to the city, or what remained of it, on the other side.
After a few minutes, he decided that just climbing was enough, though they would have to search to find the best way available, because since the tunnel had been dug, nobody had tried to climb the way to Oreburgh; thus, the known paths were had probably long since been effaced. When he told Kyle about his 'brilliant' idea, the cyndaquil only shook his head in the way that means, 'You are the biggest idiot I've ever seen.' However, seeing this dismal show only strengthened Joshua in his conviction that his plan would work out perfectly.
And so, they began climbing. Not they, as Kyle was riding his way on Joshua's shoulder, but nonetheless, with each step they were higher and higher. The beginning looked promising, but after some time the path began to look more jagged and cracked. But it was still manageable. Not for long, however, as suddenly the way ended into a slide. The shocks from the bomb that had hit Oreburgh had made enough chaos to cut any easy prospects of going further. Anybody with minor climbing skills, some basic equipment and time would easily get through to the summit and descend. �However, they had neither of them. Joshua had climbed some mountains during vacations, but this was different, as there was no visible path, so he had to mark it out it all by himself. He felt somewhat like the famous discoverers from the books, the ones who traveled to distant lands. This time it wasn't so different. Starting point Jubilife, goal Oreburgh and the silk route was that goddamn mountain. �Also, although he found some ropes and other stuff used for mountain climbing in one home, he took only rope, as his knowledge wasn't sufficient enough on how to use them. Also, he had no place left in his backpack. And finally, the time itself. He didn't have it. There were probably people in the mines that needed his help!
And then, he realized the flaw in his cunning, intricate plan. �The mines were either stable or had collapsed already. If the first occurred, then it was all right. But if shit happened, then how could he help them? He couldn't get out possible survivors in the Jubilife ruins, so how he could dig a way through the tons of soil?
Nonetheless, it's always better to try than to do nothing. �Then, as he stood in the place he had stopped, that is, in the middle of the mountain's height, he decided to take a good look at how the world looked now.
It wasn't a very pleasant sight. Jubilife was now wholly visible, in all of its glory. Or rather, what was left of it. Only a black hellhole with its fire expiring, completely devoid of any life or movement. �Not only the city, but the horizon as well, looked also like this. There was no green, only red or black, and different shades of gray as the columns of smoke rose to the sky. The earth was scorched to the very ground. Cities were leveled, and forests were burning. �The whole visible world was dying before his eyes. Kyle saw it also, as he tried to turn his head away from the sight, as if he was trying to tell himself it was but a dream. �The whole world visible...
But still, there must have been some place that was still untouched by the Armageddon. And in trying to find the place, he had to first find a working means of communication. �And so, he turned on the radio and searched through all the possible AM and FM frequencies. Unluckily, only static was heard on the headphones.
"So, Kyle, looks like we won't find any radio here. And we lost a pretty good deal of time trying to climb here. We have now to get down and try to squeeze through the Gate. Looked like shit, sure, but maybe we will get through?"
"QUIIIII!"
If Pokemon were to speak human language, that would mean, "That's what we should have done in the FIRST place, dumbass."
And so, they began to descend. This wasn't much easier than going up. But after some time they got back down to the Oreburgh Gate itself. ��With a, "So, we'll need a torch. And you are one. Burn it up, if you please!" request, the cyndaquil's back was set on fire. It was well enough to see in the darkness that they were soon to get in.
***************************
Somewhere else, in a place far away from Sinnoh...
"I didn't know that human meat could taste so great!"�
"Now you know, but then..."
"But then what?"
"You know what they speak. Yanno, those old as hell superstitions that warriors who ate flesh of the fallen enemies were to gain their attributes, like bravery and such."
"I can see where you are going."
"Yes, eating that fucking motherfucker is gonna POISON me with the very essence of COWARDICE!"
"Lots of vitamin B9 is lost when boiling the vegetables. So, let's play pretend and say that your monferno's fire's burnin' it out!"
"Can be. Oh, by the way, have you tasted his brain? There's some on the terminal."
"I did. Well-done, tastes great!"
"So, ok, I feel stuffed enough, and you, Comm Officer Plainsboro?"
"Yes, me too. My party's also got their chew. Also, there's no need for the formalities, Peter. Just call me by my name."
"That's nothing. Tell your glaceon to deepfreeze the remains."
"Yes sir! So, Katie, Icy Wind!"� And with that command, Samantha's glaceon, Katie froze the rest of O'Connell's body for later use. �Then, both Commander Peter Pehler and Comm Officer Samantha Plainsboro recalled their pokemon, leaving only them, her leafeon as the air filter and his luxray as the battery for the ceiling lamps. Now, both humans played with the heavy blast doors trying to open them from the inside, as the blackout left them with insufficient electrical energy to open them by standard means of flip-the-switch.
***************************
It was worse than a train wreck. Surprisingly enough, it was still passable. But it wasn't so nice as before. �When he had walked through the cave a few times before while going to Oreburgh, it was wide and dry as a bone. Now, with large parts of the tunnel collapsed it was tight and damp. The first few meters were still a cakewalk. Then, it got worse and worse. Squeezing through small holes, trying to get through tight cracks. After a few meters he was all wet, dirty, and he began to wonder whether to go back and try to climb again. Here, he could get stuck. And die slowly from starvation. �Out there if he was to fall he would at least get his neck broken. That would be way better. �But he had gotten up there, descended, and went to the Gate. So at least be consistent and get through the tunnel, he thought to himself.
A few more meters. His senses told him that he was in the middle of the what-was-once-a-cavern. The place here was very hard to get through. But then, when he got through another one of countless mouse holes, he found himself in a... corridor?� In the very middle of the caved-in place, he had found a corridor.
Ordering Kyle to burn his flame a little brighter, he began to see the details of the place. �The walls, floor, and ceiling were made of metal plates that were all rusty. On the ceiling, two rows of broken glass panes, and many broken fluorescent lamps. The place itself was small, as it quickly turned out that the cave-in had filled the place almost completely, leaving only a three-meters wide and fifteen-meters long tunnel. With a door on one side. And a window near them. The two heavy metal plates that made up the door only confirmed that trying to open them was pointless.
The window, on the other hand...�One kick, and it broke into many pieces. One shard made a small cut on his leg. �Cursing under his breath, he used some hydrogen peroxide to clean the wound. He muttered a litany of curses when the liquid began to hiss on his skin. �Careful not to get cut again, he got through the hole and found himself in a small room. In the room there was a big contraption made of plastic foil. As he remembered, these were used to create a clean environment in the hospital room, in case of infectious diseases or when the patient's immune system was compromised. After thinking carefully for some time over whether to enter it or not, he decided it was okay to get in.
In the middle of it was a bed, with some various apparatuses beside it. There was also a small cabinet. All of it was totally rusted out and broken beyond repair. �On the bed there was something. It was too dark to see the details, so he ordered Kyle to burn even brighter. And then Joshua saw what was on the bed. Human remains.
Now only a few broken bones remained, so it was hard to tell, but the bones were definitely human in nature. But something was strange. Something was... different, not fitting in the bigger picture. �Then Joshua noticed a large 'bone tumor' on the skull's left side. It looked like an...
"Absol's sickle? What the fuck is this?" was the only statement that escaped his mouth. Careful not to touch the remains, he began to inspect the place. �The devices standing near the bed were definitely medical in nature. A display attached to a metal box, from which some cables hung down, looked like the EKGs found in hospitals. Something that could be once called the defibrillator, weren't it for the fact that it was rusty, broken in half, and with one metal pad nowhere to be found. �Also, there was an IV stand, on which one empty bag was still there. A tubule with a catheter was still connected to it.
Trying to find out what the contents of the IV fluid were, he found a paper label that had long since detached and fallen on the floor. The text, however, was illegible, only single letters still visible. Then he saw something that made him even more curious. �On the cabinet, there was a clipboard. With some papers still clipped to it.
When he tried to pick it up, the paper began to crumble, so he left it where it was lying and carefully began reading the contents. Many parts of the text were also illegible, but some words and sentences were still readable. In fact, the writings still made some sense. Taking his mobile phone and running the dictaphone function, Joshua began noting what he could still read.
***************************
Patient: Micha... ller... sol m... Born 7... Age...
Dise...
... doctor Adam Far...
***************************
Date 5.8.3247, Wednesd...
Michael Teller feels fine, but the pain in his abdomen is still getting stron... eadache and fever makes him di... He also noted that... nse of equilibrium is, as he...
... unstable.
Diarrhe... omiting are occurring in shorter time intervals than...
Administe... 2,5 units, and... nits... 'll work. Proba...
***************************
Date 6.8.32...
... recovery...
...better, migraine's not painful eno...
...able to stand... and... on his own...
***************************
Da... Friday.
Severe arryth... ...shocked him with the defibrillator. Luckily it was...
... blurs... getting blinder with each...
Also, with each.... worse... dying...
... approximately 5 days of life...
... liver...
... rejected... cause... mor...
***************************
Date 8.8.3247, Saturday...
His family (if you could call THEM a family)... visitation...
... azmat suit for all of them, disinfection...
... later...
... noticed doctor Ia...
... weak that he couldn't move... coughing blood...
***************************
Date 9.8.3247...
...evacuation continues... target...
... leave the ICU behind...
... nobody...
... reasoning was simple... that all of them will die no matter...
... also anti-contamination... virus... rapidly... horrible...
And underneath the printed text was small, but still legible, handwriting:
This is inhumane, but orders are...
... Forgive me... I love you... Too bad I didn't...
... Alexandra...
***************************
Turning the page, which immediately crumbled into nothingness, he began reading the next one. This time, only some words were readable.
... Virus. Symptoms are...
... Incubation... days...
... Est. lethality rate 70%, est. time of survival... weeks...
... spreads rapidly... airborne and water...
... is annihilated easily, but...
... won't stand longer than...
... Radiation...
The following pages were either graphs without any context or weren't readable at all.
***************************
"So, this place is a hospital, after all." After saying out loud what was obvious by that point, he began pondering about the notes he found. Two people were writing, Adam and Alexandra. One of them a doctor, the second one probably a nurse. �It was very visible that doctor Adam had very bad bedside manners. After all, who in his right mind would question a family? What did he mean by the " if you could call THEM a family" annotation? However, it wasn't his biggest worry. The person on the bed had been very sick, dying by some disease caused by the virus. If that second page weren't there, he would be petrified now. Especially since he got himself cut, so infection would be absolutely sure. But now, knowing something about the nature of the place, he knew it was clean. It looked like there was no trace of that virus left. So he was relatively safe, and had no need to quarantine himself.
Returning back to the corridor, he looked at the doors. Heavy and airtight. And covered in dirt. Spitting and smearing the saliva on the doors with his hands cleaned them enough to uncover the text: "Intensive Care Unit Isolation Chamber�Karei National Hospital."
"What is Karei? And what is that place, either?" Then, turning his head to look Kyle in the eyes, he spoke to him.�"Just imagine it. In the middle of a mountain, a hospital! Man, that's quite surrealistic!"
"Quiiiiiiii..."
"Seems like it's all we can do here. I think coming back when we'll have some time to spare would be reasonable, don't you think, Kyle? After all, we'd have to dig the place through."
"Quii Quii Quii!"
"So, let us continue our trek, right Kyle?"
***************************
After some time, both of them squeezed through the Oreburgh Gate only to find themselves looking at... nothing. Joshua had been there several times in the past, for example, when he had a school trip to visit the museum. It was boring. But still, he had a good picture of how that city looked like. However, he couldn't compare it to the state of facts, as there was nothing he could compare it to.
There was no Oreburgh. All that remained were some empty, burned out shells of buildings in the southern parts of the city, near the coalmines. The rest just weren't there, only smoldering remains in the residential quarter. Even trying to move quickly, as to avoid the exposure to radiation, it took him ten minutes to get to the mines. �And his worst assumptions came true. The mines had collapsed.
Well, maybe not the whole complex, but the main adit was. Knowing that he could not dig through it on his own, he looked around for anything that could help him. He saw that the warehouse buildings were very damaged, on the verge of collapsing, but still standing. �The doors were closed, but the explosion had made the structure quite broken. So, why use doors when you have holes in the wall?
Entering the warehouse, it was obvious that heavy walls had shielded the machinery and supplies within. Having no knowledge on how to use these bulldozers or jackhammers, which were probably broken by the explosion's heat wave, he looked around for anything else that could prove useful. �A large, metal box drew his attention. Although a large padlock sealed it, a metal bar that was lying nearby pried the box open with ease. Then, Joshua noticed that the box was a heatproof one, designed especially to withstand fire. Wondering why, he peeked in. Inside, he found what he had been looking for all that time.
***************************
Unraveling the two-stranded electrical cable he found in the warehouse, Joshua moved away from the mines. Then, he connected the cables to a small, rectangular box with two switches. Lying flat on the ground, he flipped the first switch. The diode with 'ARM' written beneath it lighted on. Then, he flipped the second switch. �An explosion threw large chunks of earth and rocks flying. He felt the dust and sand showering him. �Dirty, he stood up and examined the entrance that he blew up. There was a small hole, but big enough for anybody to get through.
"IS ANYBODY THERE?" he yelled to the hole. All he heard was echo. Disappointed that his efforts were in vain, he turned away. And then he heard the muffled response.
So, somebody was there. His hope renewed, he shouted again.�"I'M AT THE ENTRANCE, GO THERE, NOW!"�There was no verbal response, but steps were heard. Somebody was coming closer. �Then, somebody began to squeeze his way outside.
Helping him, Joshua realized it was a machoke. �When that poke got through, somebody else tried to get outside. After a few minutes, all the miners were outside. Ten miners and a handful of supporting pokemon.
However, there was no way to talk to them. When they saw the scale of destruction, the shock kicked them with full force. Now, some of them were roaming the place, and the others were either crying heavily or staring blankly. Tired already with this inane behavior, he slapped a random person in the face. Hard. This was enough to provoke an aggressive reaction.
"YOU MOTHERFUCKING BRAT, YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!"
"Too bad I have a gun!" Aim. Pretend to be aggressive and ready to kill. This calmed everybody enough to be talkative and calm.
The slapped person was the first to apologize. ��"Sorry, forgive me, I didn't meant it! Really!" ��It was a funny sight to behold. Burly, packed full of muscles heavyweight miner trembling and almost crying in front of an teenager with a gun. If he only knew the opponent didn't know how to use it...
***************************
"So, okay, you all with me, right? Anybody hurt, anybody needs medical attention?" The slapped man was the most talkative one, but others began to talk, already snapping out of confusion.
"Doesn't look like it. So, explain, how come there is nothing out there?"
"You don't know?" Joshua asked.
"Nope. We were in the mines, and then, BOOOM, and the entrance was caved in. We moved further as we knew the most appropriate method of cleaning it is blowing it up."
"So, for your information, if not for me there wouldn't be anybody to help you, and second, the shit hit the fan. There is probably no place untouched by the war."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Motherfuckers used the nuclear warheads. I saw one of them destroy Jubilife. Well, that's where I hail from."
Everybody was shocked now, even more that they were before. But still they retained their sanity. The Pokemon, on the other hand were staring blankly, as if still trying to digest the information.
"So, why'd you come here?"
"Consider me a good Samaritan that just came here to help."
"You helped us much. Thanks."
"So, I helped you, and can you help me?"
"What do you need?" And then, Joshua began to ponder what he needed, exactly. He had enough food and water. So, what else could he get that would be useful? Then, he realized his heart's desires.
"Two things. First, I'll be taking some explosives and detonators. I think I'll need them."
"Heh, as you wish. But only a few, we will need them also!" Ignoring the complaint, Joshua continued with his cyndaquil on his shoulder listening to what he'll say. "And you will dig something for me."
"What?"
"You heard it right, you'll play some archaeology for me."
"Archaeology?"
"Stop repeating my words, please."
***************************
Joshua led a few miners that weren't mourning the loss of their families to the ruins in the middle of a mountain. To his surprise, however, their reactions showed they were sort of expecting it.
"So, here's a question first. You found anything like that before?"
All of the diggers said in unison, "No." This was definitely a lie. Their voices were showing uncertainty. Drawing his gun again, he forced them to stay in place and listen to every word he said.
"Stop lying and tell me. Have-you-found-something-like-that-before!?!"
The silence that fell was almost unbearable. Then, the same person who had been slapped by Joshua began to talk.
"Stop playing with the pistol and I'll say everything you want."
Now, it was Joshua's turn to lie. "Trust me, I'm gifted with the guns. One wrong move and you can guess what happens." The miners didn't detect the lie. And if they did, they didn't show it. So far, so good.
"To tell the truth, all we know are rumors, as we didn't actually see it. It was a different shift. Half a year ago, they... found something in the mines. Before we realized anything, the army came in, entered the mines, and forced these people to keep the secret. They forced them at the gunpoint, can you imagine that?"
"Yes, I can. After all, that's what I'm doing now to all of you. Continue."
"All we got from these people were adjectives like 'awesome' or 'unimaginable.' Even buying them the finest vodka wouldn't open their mouths! They dug up something, the army got there to reclaim it, and soon, they blew it up."
"Blew it up?"
"Yes, set up TNT and boomed the eastern mine shaft into oblivion. And they also forbade us from digging in these parts!"
Another question jumped in Joshua's mind. ��"Do you know on which geological strata they found it?"
"Dunno."
"Can you recognize how old are these ruins?"
"Hard to tell. We'd have to check thoroughly, and even so, the quake made everything shift and rock. The results are going to have a very big margin of error."
"So, there you have another toy to play with. I want to know everything about that hospital."
"It's a hospital?"
"See these doors? And that window? The room's an ICU. And there's 'National Hospital' written there, see?"
"Do we really have to?"
"I saved your life. I helped you. Now you help me. And be VERY careful. I need as much of these things undamaged as possible."
"Do we really have a choice?"
"Doesn't seem so..."
"So, we'll start tomorrow. Now we'll also have to begin rebuilding the city and to mourn the dead."
Although the mood wasn't optimistic, there was something mischievous in that guy's voice, but dismissing the thought as if it was only a product of his imagination, Joshua asked the diggers not to enter the room, as not to disturb the dead. Although, the next thing he did was go inside again and rob the skeleton of it's 'sickle tumor', as to not raise any suspicions, as the thing itself was very unusual. The less these diggers knew, the better.
On the exit, however, Joshua forced himself to apologize. "Okay, listen up. I know it wasn't very intelligent of me, but forgive me..."
"For what?"
"You know, pointing guns, threatening to kill you if you don't help me and such."
"You don't know how to shoot."
Joshua raised his brow in curiosity. "How did you know?"
With a laugh, another one said. "You are holding that pistol like a sissy girl!"
Everybody laughed except Joshua, who had the 'I'm in shame' look on his face, and Kyle, who had that characteristic, 'You idiot,' grin plastered on his muzzle.
"Now, tell us. How did you got that?"
"The gun? One insane idiot tried to kill me. My cyndaquil burned his head to a crisp. And I took it." Although he told the truth, while Kyle nodded his head in confirmation, neither of them expected the diggers to believe him. However, the look on their faces told him they believed in every word he said now.
Then, one of the diggers spoke to him, a fatherly look on his face. "Listen up, kid. You are as confused as we are now. That's understandable. We did know you were acting like a child in the sandbox with that gun, but others won't. Maintain this attitude, and you WILL get yourself killed."
"Understood."
"So, we'll dig it up for you. So, you'll stay? Or will you go somewhere to see whether somebody else needs help?"
"Was thinking about going to Eterna. And therefore, I'll begin my trek now. I think I'll be able to return in a few days, so, start digging now."
"We will. Farewell."
***************************
Going to Eterna City had been his original plan. But now, he lied to them again. This time he had a legitimate reason not to tell them.
When the war had started, a private enterprise began to build a Pokemon Battle Tower north of Floaroma Town. Soon after, the army took the place into possession. This didn't concern anybody then, as with the onset of a battle the Sinnoh Army had many privileges, and frankly nobody cared. �But now, he remembered when it happened. �Right after they had begun to dig the foundations.
With the pieces of the puzzle falling into place, Joshua and his pokemon companion made their way to the construction site. �Something had been found there. Going there was the only thing that could satiate their curiosity. And so they went... with a feeling in their guts that these TNT charges they took would prove useful.
Such occurred when Jubilife and Oreburgh got hit. The Oreburgh Gate, a long cavern that previously had led through the mountains, caved in. Still unsure of the extent of the damage, Joshua decided that trying to scale the mountain was a better idea for a few reasons. � The first reason was the radio he was trying to locate. The higher he was, the better reception his receiver would get. �The second reason was the view. By standing on higher ground, he would see the scale of the tragedy, and in how bad a shape the world was.
The third reason was the Oreburgh Gate itself. The thing didn't look so promising. The entrance still looked so-so, but it was just obvious that the deeper parts were probably impassable. Therefore, standing at the very entrance to the tunnel, he and his pet mapped the possible mountainous path that would lead them to the city, or what remained of it, on the other side.
After a few minutes, he decided that just climbing was enough, though they would have to search to find the best way available, because since the tunnel had been dug, nobody had tried to climb the way to Oreburgh; thus, the known paths were had probably long since been effaced. When he told Kyle about his 'brilliant' idea, the cyndaquil only shook his head in the way that means, 'You are the biggest idiot I've ever seen.' However, seeing this dismal show only strengthened Joshua in his conviction that his plan would work out perfectly.
And so, they began climbing. Not they, as Kyle was riding his way on Joshua's shoulder, but nonetheless, with each step they were higher and higher. The beginning looked promising, but after some time the path began to look more jagged and cracked. But it was still manageable. Not for long, however, as suddenly the way ended into a slide. The shocks from the bomb that had hit Oreburgh had made enough chaos to cut any easy prospects of going further. Anybody with minor climbing skills, some basic equipment and time would easily get through to the summit and descend. �However, they had neither of them. Joshua had climbed some mountains during vacations, but this was different, as there was no visible path, so he had to mark it out it all by himself. He felt somewhat like the famous discoverers from the books, the ones who traveled to distant lands. This time it wasn't so different. Starting point Jubilife, goal Oreburgh and the silk route was that goddamn mountain. �Also, although he found some ropes and other stuff used for mountain climbing in one home, he took only rope, as his knowledge wasn't sufficient enough on how to use them. Also, he had no place left in his backpack. And finally, the time itself. He didn't have it. There were probably people in the mines that needed his help!
And then, he realized the flaw in his cunning, intricate plan. �The mines were either stable or had collapsed already. If the first occurred, then it was all right. But if shit happened, then how could he help them? He couldn't get out possible survivors in the Jubilife ruins, so how he could dig a way through the tons of soil?
Nonetheless, it's always better to try than to do nothing. �Then, as he stood in the place he had stopped, that is, in the middle of the mountain's height, he decided to take a good look at how the world looked now.
It wasn't a very pleasant sight. Jubilife was now wholly visible, in all of its glory. Or rather, what was left of it. Only a black hellhole with its fire expiring, completely devoid of any life or movement. �Not only the city, but the horizon as well, looked also like this. There was no green, only red or black, and different shades of gray as the columns of smoke rose to the sky. The earth was scorched to the very ground. Cities were leveled, and forests were burning. �The whole visible world was dying before his eyes. Kyle saw it also, as he tried to turn his head away from the sight, as if he was trying to tell himself it was but a dream. �The whole world visible...
But still, there must have been some place that was still untouched by the Armageddon. And in trying to find the place, he had to first find a working means of communication. �And so, he turned on the radio and searched through all the possible AM and FM frequencies. Unluckily, only static was heard on the headphones.
"So, Kyle, looks like we won't find any radio here. And we lost a pretty good deal of time trying to climb here. We have now to get down and try to squeeze through the Gate. Looked like shit, sure, but maybe we will get through?"
"QUIIIII!"
If Pokemon were to speak human language, that would mean, "That's what we should have done in the FIRST place, dumbass."
And so, they began to descend. This wasn't much easier than going up. But after some time they got back down to the Oreburgh Gate itself. ��With a, "So, we'll need a torch. And you are one. Burn it up, if you please!" request, the cyndaquil's back was set on fire. It was well enough to see in the darkness that they were soon to get in.
***************************
Somewhere else, in a place far away from Sinnoh...
"I didn't know that human meat could taste so great!"�
"Now you know, but then..."
"But then what?"
"You know what they speak. Yanno, those old as hell superstitions that warriors who ate flesh of the fallen enemies were to gain their attributes, like bravery and such."
"I can see where you are going."
"Yes, eating that fucking motherfucker is gonna POISON me with the very essence of COWARDICE!"
"Lots of vitamin B9 is lost when boiling the vegetables. So, let's play pretend and say that your monferno's fire's burnin' it out!"
"Can be. Oh, by the way, have you tasted his brain? There's some on the terminal."
"I did. Well-done, tastes great!"
"So, ok, I feel stuffed enough, and you, Comm Officer Plainsboro?"
"Yes, me too. My party's also got their chew. Also, there's no need for the formalities, Peter. Just call me by my name."
"That's nothing. Tell your glaceon to deepfreeze the remains."
"Yes sir! So, Katie, Icy Wind!"� And with that command, Samantha's glaceon, Katie froze the rest of O'Connell's body for later use. �Then, both Commander Peter Pehler and Comm Officer Samantha Plainsboro recalled their pokemon, leaving only them, her leafeon as the air filter and his luxray as the battery for the ceiling lamps. Now, both humans played with the heavy blast doors trying to open them from the inside, as the blackout left them with insufficient electrical energy to open them by standard means of flip-the-switch.
***************************
It was worse than a train wreck. Surprisingly enough, it was still passable. But it wasn't so nice as before. �When he had walked through the cave a few times before while going to Oreburgh, it was wide and dry as a bone. Now, with large parts of the tunnel collapsed it was tight and damp. The first few meters were still a cakewalk. Then, it got worse and worse. Squeezing through small holes, trying to get through tight cracks. After a few meters he was all wet, dirty, and he began to wonder whether to go back and try to climb again. Here, he could get stuck. And die slowly from starvation. �Out there if he was to fall he would at least get his neck broken. That would be way better. �But he had gotten up there, descended, and went to the Gate. So at least be consistent and get through the tunnel, he thought to himself.
A few more meters. His senses told him that he was in the middle of the what-was-once-a-cavern. The place here was very hard to get through. But then, when he got through another one of countless mouse holes, he found himself in a... corridor?� In the very middle of the caved-in place, he had found a corridor.
Ordering Kyle to burn his flame a little brighter, he began to see the details of the place. �The walls, floor, and ceiling were made of metal plates that were all rusty. On the ceiling, two rows of broken glass panes, and many broken fluorescent lamps. The place itself was small, as it quickly turned out that the cave-in had filled the place almost completely, leaving only a three-meters wide and fifteen-meters long tunnel. With a door on one side. And a window near them. The two heavy metal plates that made up the door only confirmed that trying to open them was pointless.
The window, on the other hand...�One kick, and it broke into many pieces. One shard made a small cut on his leg. �Cursing under his breath, he used some hydrogen peroxide to clean the wound. He muttered a litany of curses when the liquid began to hiss on his skin. �Careful not to get cut again, he got through the hole and found himself in a small room. In the room there was a big contraption made of plastic foil. As he remembered, these were used to create a clean environment in the hospital room, in case of infectious diseases or when the patient's immune system was compromised. After thinking carefully for some time over whether to enter it or not, he decided it was okay to get in.
In the middle of it was a bed, with some various apparatuses beside it. There was also a small cabinet. All of it was totally rusted out and broken beyond repair. �On the bed there was something. It was too dark to see the details, so he ordered Kyle to burn even brighter. And then Joshua saw what was on the bed. Human remains.
Now only a few broken bones remained, so it was hard to tell, but the bones were definitely human in nature. But something was strange. Something was... different, not fitting in the bigger picture. �Then Joshua noticed a large 'bone tumor' on the skull's left side. It looked like an...
"Absol's sickle? What the fuck is this?" was the only statement that escaped his mouth. Careful not to touch the remains, he began to inspect the place. �The devices standing near the bed were definitely medical in nature. A display attached to a metal box, from which some cables hung down, looked like the EKGs found in hospitals. Something that could be once called the defibrillator, weren't it for the fact that it was rusty, broken in half, and with one metal pad nowhere to be found. �Also, there was an IV stand, on which one empty bag was still there. A tubule with a catheter was still connected to it.
Trying to find out what the contents of the IV fluid were, he found a paper label that had long since detached and fallen on the floor. The text, however, was illegible, only single letters still visible. Then he saw something that made him even more curious. �On the cabinet, there was a clipboard. With some papers still clipped to it.
When he tried to pick it up, the paper began to crumble, so he left it where it was lying and carefully began reading the contents. Many parts of the text were also illegible, but some words and sentences were still readable. In fact, the writings still made some sense. Taking his mobile phone and running the dictaphone function, Joshua began noting what he could still read.
***************************
Patient: Micha... ller... sol m... Born 7... Age...
Dise...
... doctor Adam Far...
***************************
Date 5.8.3247, Wednesd...
Michael Teller feels fine, but the pain in his abdomen is still getting stron... eadache and fever makes him di... He also noted that... nse of equilibrium is, as he...
... unstable.
Diarrhe... omiting are occurring in shorter time intervals than...
Administe... 2,5 units, and... nits... 'll work. Proba...
***************************
Date 6.8.32...
... recovery...
...better, migraine's not painful eno...
...able to stand... and... on his own...
***************************
Da... Friday.
Severe arryth... ...shocked him with the defibrillator. Luckily it was...
... blurs... getting blinder with each...
Also, with each.... worse... dying...
... approximately 5 days of life...
... liver...
... rejected... cause... mor...
***************************
Date 8.8.3247, Saturday...
His family (if you could call THEM a family)... visitation...
... azmat suit for all of them, disinfection...
... later...
... noticed doctor Ia...
... weak that he couldn't move... coughing blood...
***************************
Date 9.8.3247...
...evacuation continues... target...
... leave the ICU behind...
... nobody...
... reasoning was simple... that all of them will die no matter...
... also anti-contamination... virus... rapidly... horrible...
And underneath the printed text was small, but still legible, handwriting:
This is inhumane, but orders are...
... Forgive me... I love you... Too bad I didn't...
... Alexandra...
***************************
Turning the page, which immediately crumbled into nothingness, he began reading the next one. This time, only some words were readable.
... Virus. Symptoms are...
... Incubation... days...
... Est. lethality rate 70%, est. time of survival... weeks...
... spreads rapidly... airborne and water...
... is annihilated easily, but...
... won't stand longer than...
... Radiation...
The following pages were either graphs without any context or weren't readable at all.
***************************
"So, this place is a hospital, after all." After saying out loud what was obvious by that point, he began pondering about the notes he found. Two people were writing, Adam and Alexandra. One of them a doctor, the second one probably a nurse. �It was very visible that doctor Adam had very bad bedside manners. After all, who in his right mind would question a family? What did he mean by the " if you could call THEM a family" annotation? However, it wasn't his biggest worry. The person on the bed had been very sick, dying by some disease caused by the virus. If that second page weren't there, he would be petrified now. Especially since he got himself cut, so infection would be absolutely sure. But now, knowing something about the nature of the place, he knew it was clean. It looked like there was no trace of that virus left. So he was relatively safe, and had no need to quarantine himself.
Returning back to the corridor, he looked at the doors. Heavy and airtight. And covered in dirt. Spitting and smearing the saliva on the doors with his hands cleaned them enough to uncover the text: "Intensive Care Unit Isolation Chamber�Karei National Hospital."
"What is Karei? And what is that place, either?" Then, turning his head to look Kyle in the eyes, he spoke to him.�"Just imagine it. In the middle of a mountain, a hospital! Man, that's quite surrealistic!"
"Quiiiiiiii..."
"Seems like it's all we can do here. I think coming back when we'll have some time to spare would be reasonable, don't you think, Kyle? After all, we'd have to dig the place through."
"Quii Quii Quii!"
"So, let us continue our trek, right Kyle?"
***************************
After some time, both of them squeezed through the Oreburgh Gate only to find themselves looking at... nothing. Joshua had been there several times in the past, for example, when he had a school trip to visit the museum. It was boring. But still, he had a good picture of how that city looked like. However, he couldn't compare it to the state of facts, as there was nothing he could compare it to.
There was no Oreburgh. All that remained were some empty, burned out shells of buildings in the southern parts of the city, near the coalmines. The rest just weren't there, only smoldering remains in the residential quarter. Even trying to move quickly, as to avoid the exposure to radiation, it took him ten minutes to get to the mines. �And his worst assumptions came true. The mines had collapsed.
Well, maybe not the whole complex, but the main adit was. Knowing that he could not dig through it on his own, he looked around for anything that could help him. He saw that the warehouse buildings were very damaged, on the verge of collapsing, but still standing. �The doors were closed, but the explosion had made the structure quite broken. So, why use doors when you have holes in the wall?
Entering the warehouse, it was obvious that heavy walls had shielded the machinery and supplies within. Having no knowledge on how to use these bulldozers or jackhammers, which were probably broken by the explosion's heat wave, he looked around for anything else that could prove useful. �A large, metal box drew his attention. Although a large padlock sealed it, a metal bar that was lying nearby pried the box open with ease. Then, Joshua noticed that the box was a heatproof one, designed especially to withstand fire. Wondering why, he peeked in. Inside, he found what he had been looking for all that time.
***************************
Unraveling the two-stranded electrical cable he found in the warehouse, Joshua moved away from the mines. Then, he connected the cables to a small, rectangular box with two switches. Lying flat on the ground, he flipped the first switch. The diode with 'ARM' written beneath it lighted on. Then, he flipped the second switch. �An explosion threw large chunks of earth and rocks flying. He felt the dust and sand showering him. �Dirty, he stood up and examined the entrance that he blew up. There was a small hole, but big enough for anybody to get through.
"IS ANYBODY THERE?" he yelled to the hole. All he heard was echo. Disappointed that his efforts were in vain, he turned away. And then he heard the muffled response.
So, somebody was there. His hope renewed, he shouted again.�"I'M AT THE ENTRANCE, GO THERE, NOW!"�There was no verbal response, but steps were heard. Somebody was coming closer. �Then, somebody began to squeeze his way outside.
Helping him, Joshua realized it was a machoke. �When that poke got through, somebody else tried to get outside. After a few minutes, all the miners were outside. Ten miners and a handful of supporting pokemon.
However, there was no way to talk to them. When they saw the scale of destruction, the shock kicked them with full force. Now, some of them were roaming the place, and the others were either crying heavily or staring blankly. Tired already with this inane behavior, he slapped a random person in the face. Hard. This was enough to provoke an aggressive reaction.
"YOU MOTHERFUCKING BRAT, YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!"
"Too bad I have a gun!" Aim. Pretend to be aggressive and ready to kill. This calmed everybody enough to be talkative and calm.
The slapped person was the first to apologize. ��"Sorry, forgive me, I didn't meant it! Really!" ��It was a funny sight to behold. Burly, packed full of muscles heavyweight miner trembling and almost crying in front of an teenager with a gun. If he only knew the opponent didn't know how to use it...
***************************
"So, okay, you all with me, right? Anybody hurt, anybody needs medical attention?" The slapped man was the most talkative one, but others began to talk, already snapping out of confusion.
"Doesn't look like it. So, explain, how come there is nothing out there?"
"You don't know?" Joshua asked.
"Nope. We were in the mines, and then, BOOOM, and the entrance was caved in. We moved further as we knew the most appropriate method of cleaning it is blowing it up."
"So, for your information, if not for me there wouldn't be anybody to help you, and second, the shit hit the fan. There is probably no place untouched by the war."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Motherfuckers used the nuclear warheads. I saw one of them destroy Jubilife. Well, that's where I hail from."
Everybody was shocked now, even more that they were before. But still they retained their sanity. The Pokemon, on the other hand were staring blankly, as if still trying to digest the information.
"So, why'd you come here?"
"Consider me a good Samaritan that just came here to help."
"You helped us much. Thanks."
"So, I helped you, and can you help me?"
"What do you need?" And then, Joshua began to ponder what he needed, exactly. He had enough food and water. So, what else could he get that would be useful? Then, he realized his heart's desires.
"Two things. First, I'll be taking some explosives and detonators. I think I'll need them."
"Heh, as you wish. But only a few, we will need them also!" Ignoring the complaint, Joshua continued with his cyndaquil on his shoulder listening to what he'll say. "And you will dig something for me."
"What?"
"You heard it right, you'll play some archaeology for me."
"Archaeology?"
"Stop repeating my words, please."
***************************
Joshua led a few miners that weren't mourning the loss of their families to the ruins in the middle of a mountain. To his surprise, however, their reactions showed they were sort of expecting it.
"So, here's a question first. You found anything like that before?"
All of the diggers said in unison, "No." This was definitely a lie. Their voices were showing uncertainty. Drawing his gun again, he forced them to stay in place and listen to every word he said.
"Stop lying and tell me. Have-you-found-something-like-that-before!?!"
The silence that fell was almost unbearable. Then, the same person who had been slapped by Joshua began to talk.
"Stop playing with the pistol and I'll say everything you want."
Now, it was Joshua's turn to lie. "Trust me, I'm gifted with the guns. One wrong move and you can guess what happens." The miners didn't detect the lie. And if they did, they didn't show it. So far, so good.
"To tell the truth, all we know are rumors, as we didn't actually see it. It was a different shift. Half a year ago, they... found something in the mines. Before we realized anything, the army came in, entered the mines, and forced these people to keep the secret. They forced them at the gunpoint, can you imagine that?"
"Yes, I can. After all, that's what I'm doing now to all of you. Continue."
"All we got from these people were adjectives like 'awesome' or 'unimaginable.' Even buying them the finest vodka wouldn't open their mouths! They dug up something, the army got there to reclaim it, and soon, they blew it up."
"Blew it up?"
"Yes, set up TNT and boomed the eastern mine shaft into oblivion. And they also forbade us from digging in these parts!"
Another question jumped in Joshua's mind. ��"Do you know on which geological strata they found it?"
"Dunno."
"Can you recognize how old are these ruins?"
"Hard to tell. We'd have to check thoroughly, and even so, the quake made everything shift and rock. The results are going to have a very big margin of error."
"So, there you have another toy to play with. I want to know everything about that hospital."
"It's a hospital?"
"See these doors? And that window? The room's an ICU. And there's 'National Hospital' written there, see?"
"Do we really have to?"
"I saved your life. I helped you. Now you help me. And be VERY careful. I need as much of these things undamaged as possible."
"Do we really have a choice?"
"Doesn't seem so..."
"So, we'll start tomorrow. Now we'll also have to begin rebuilding the city and to mourn the dead."
Although the mood wasn't optimistic, there was something mischievous in that guy's voice, but dismissing the thought as if it was only a product of his imagination, Joshua asked the diggers not to enter the room, as not to disturb the dead. Although, the next thing he did was go inside again and rob the skeleton of it's 'sickle tumor', as to not raise any suspicions, as the thing itself was very unusual. The less these diggers knew, the better.
On the exit, however, Joshua forced himself to apologize. "Okay, listen up. I know it wasn't very intelligent of me, but forgive me..."
"For what?"
"You know, pointing guns, threatening to kill you if you don't help me and such."
"You don't know how to shoot."
Joshua raised his brow in curiosity. "How did you know?"
With a laugh, another one said. "You are holding that pistol like a sissy girl!"
Everybody laughed except Joshua, who had the 'I'm in shame' look on his face, and Kyle, who had that characteristic, 'You idiot,' grin plastered on his muzzle.
"Now, tell us. How did you got that?"
"The gun? One insane idiot tried to kill me. My cyndaquil burned his head to a crisp. And I took it." Although he told the truth, while Kyle nodded his head in confirmation, neither of them expected the diggers to believe him. However, the look on their faces told him they believed in every word he said now.
Then, one of the diggers spoke to him, a fatherly look on his face. "Listen up, kid. You are as confused as we are now. That's understandable. We did know you were acting like a child in the sandbox with that gun, but others won't. Maintain this attitude, and you WILL get yourself killed."
"Understood."
"So, we'll dig it up for you. So, you'll stay? Or will you go somewhere to see whether somebody else needs help?"
"Was thinking about going to Eterna. And therefore, I'll begin my trek now. I think I'll be able to return in a few days, so, start digging now."
"We will. Farewell."
***************************
Going to Eterna City had been his original plan. But now, he lied to them again. This time he had a legitimate reason not to tell them.
When the war had started, a private enterprise began to build a Pokemon Battle Tower north of Floaroma Town. Soon after, the army took the place into possession. This didn't concern anybody then, as with the onset of a battle the Sinnoh Army had many privileges, and frankly nobody cared. �But now, he remembered when it happened. �Right after they had begun to dig the foundations.
With the pieces of the puzzle falling into place, Joshua and his pokemon companion made their way to the construction site. �Something had been found there. Going there was the only thing that could satiate their curiosity. And so they went... with a feeling in their guts that these TNT charges they took would prove useful.