Nimh

Kedri sat on the edge of the bed, watching Wally. Doc (an older man by the name of Keith Thompson, but most didn’t remember that) had done his best to help Wally, but he’d had a few ribs broken, greatly limiting what they could do for him. Wally had remained unconscious through the whole week, which made Kedri both relieved and worried. At least he wasn’t awake to feel the pain.

“Surgery’s out of the question.” Doc had said. “Even if we did go in and fix his ribs, his illness would never let him recover. The only hope he’s got now is Nimh...”

So lost in thought he was that he almost missed green eyes struggling to open. Wally tried a few times, only getting them halfway open, then finally gave up and kept them closed. The sunlight was too bright anyway. “Kedri...?” he asked softly. His throat was dry, making his voice hoarse.

“Hang on Wally, I’ll get you some water, then we can talk. You just rest.” He didn’t even wait for a response and left the room, heading into the bathroom across the hall and filling one of those little Dixie cups. He propped a few more pillows behind Wally to help the boy sit up, then helped him drink the water. “Better?”

Wally nodded. “Where’s Nimh? How long have I been out?”

“You’ve been unconscious an entire week. Nimh only stayed long enough to make sure that bastard Mekava didn’t try to run away before the police came, then left to find that Pokémon he’s been chasing.” He sat back down.

“You... I heard you say something about having him arrested a long time ago?”

Kedri blinked. “You heard that? I thought you were out cold.”

Wally smiled a little. “I wish I had been, it hurt so much... But what happened?”

The Gym Leader was silent for a while, thinking. He sighed and pulled his pant leg up to show his artificial leg. “You know about this, right?” Wally nodded. “Well... I wasn’t entirely truthful when I told people what had happened. Mekava and I had been rivals since we both started as trainers... He was an asshole even then, always putting others, even myself, down for being weak. Even though I beat him time after time, I was nothing but a weakling to him.

“After I became the Indigo Champion, I almost never saw him. Sure he popped up a few times to battle me, still trying to beat me, but three were months at a time I thought he’d finally given up. One day, a little over a year ago, I heard rumors about a powerful Pokémon living inside Cerulean Cave and went to check it out. I’d almost made it to the second floor when I was attacked, but not by a wild Pokémon as I’ve told people since the incident. It was by a Feraligatr, one that was just as twisted and cruel as its master. Mekava was trying to kill me that day.”

Wally whimpered suddenly, trying to wrap his arms around himself. Kedri watched him sadly, knowing he couldn’t do anything to help. ‘Hurry Nimh, he’s in so much pain...’

----

Nimh checked his Pokédex for what must have been the hundredth time that day. That Pokémon dragged him all over Johto, part of Kanto, even back into Hoenn and some of the Orange Islands. His poor Dragonite was getting exhausted from trying to keep up.

He’d decided to take a break in Cherrygrove City and sat in a small café, sipping at the lobster soup he’d decided to try. Was pretty good too. His phone beeped; it was the Pokémon Center. His Dragonite was fully recovered and waiting for its trainer to come pick it up.

Nimh downed the rest of the soup and walked down the street to get his Pokémon, checking his Dex one last time. It was back in Johto, and pretty close by.

‘God, please, don’t let that thing take off again...’

He ran the rest of the way and got Dragonite back, quickly heading toward Violet City where the white dot indicated his target was, but once more it disappeared. Dragonite flinched as its trainer screamed in frustration.

“Okay.... Okay. Calm down; think.” Nimh glared at his Dex, thinking back to all the places he’d chased that thing. Was there a pattern to it? It seemed to have been everywhere but....

Cianwood City!

Nimh smacked a palm to his forehead, groaning. “How could I be so stupid.... Dragonite! Make haste back to Cianwood! I got a feeling that’s where it’s going next!”