Vol. I, Part 2: Chapter 19

  The early morning brought a fresh, heavy set of dew over the pastures, turning the grass into a shimmering sea of green. Pokémon of all kinds wandered about, shaking off sleep as they finished the breakfast the Research and Development staff had laid out. A group of Pidove pecked rhythmically at the ground, while a lazy Stoutland stretched its limbs in a patch of sunlight. The recovered Electric-types were no exception. They enjoyed their meals on a Thursday morning, taking in the warming sun.

  Rosa made her way across the wet grass, her socks dampening as she walked. She took a brief stop to ensure the patients were in good health. The rest of the team was likely still in their dorms, just starting their morning ritual of coffee and complaining. She was out early today, the same time as yesterday, clutching her bag full of smuggled fruits and biscuits she had swiped from the cafeteria before the staff had fully set up.

  Technically, it’s not stealing if it's free.

  Her justification quelled her doubt as she made her final stop by the Tynamo pond. The small eel Pokémon swam happily, their bioluminescence glowing faintly in the morning light. With a satisfied nod, she left the pasture and entered the Rehabilitation Center.

  Inside, the air was cooler, carrying the faint hum of ventilation. In its glass-walled enclosure, Blitzle was vibrating with energy at the sight of her. The Mareep wool was still wrapped around its body like a makeshift, fluffy sweater.

  “Good morning, Blitzle!” Rosa chirped as she approached the enclosure door. The heavy rubber electrical safety gear hung on the wall, untouched, as she keyed the panel. The door hissed open, and Blitzle was there instantly, greeting her with a wet snout.

  “Haha, alright, alright!” Rosa giggled as Blitzle nuzzled her side, its coarse mane tickling her ribs through her shirt. “I have your breakfast right here.”

  She placed the bag on the sterile floor and unloaded plenty of fruits and savory biscuits. Blitzle excitedly bowed its head and began chowing down with enthusiastic crunches.

  “Hey! Save some for Snivy!” Rosa scolded gently. She grabbed the Poké Ball from her bag. “Breakfast time, Snivy!”

  The Grass Snake materialized. She stretched her arms and greeted Rosa and Blitzle with a small, dignified curtsy.

  “This time I brought enough for both of you… hopefully,” Rosa said with a smile. Snivy made her way to the pile of food clearly divided to distinguish hers from Blitzle’s. Yesterday, Rosa had underestimated the appetite of the recovering Electric-type. By the time she brought Snivy out, Blitzle had vacuumed up nearly everything.

  Rosa sat cross-legged on the floor, watching the two Pokémon eat. She reached into her bag and grabbed her own breakfast, a small croissant wrapped in a paper towel.

  “Juniper says we’ll be reperforming the test on you today,” she told Blitzle, who was currently decimating an orange, peel and all. “Do you think you’ll be ready?”

  Blitzle looked at Rosa, juice dripping from its chin, as if not processing a word she said. She reached out and pet its mane. A few harmless sparks danced over her fingers, warm but not painful. She theorized that Blitzle could purposefully dampen its charge to prevent shocking those it trusted.

  Snivy turned her head to Rosa, a piece of biscuit in her hands, wearing an expression of worry.

  Rosa chuckled, knowing exactly what Snivy was thinking. “Don’t worry, Snivy. We won’t be using Leaf Tornado again.”

  As they finished their breakfast, Rosa piled the leftover scraps and crumbs into a disposal bin. With time to kill before the Professor arrived, she sat in the middle of the room, burying herself in a thick textbook relating to Grass-types. Snivy and Blitzle played nearby, with Snivy hitching a ride on Blitzle’s back as the pony trotted around the small space.

  She flipped through the pages until she landed on the entry she was looking for.

  “Researchers have discovered that every region possesses a distinct Regional Triad classified as the Flora, Pyro, and Hydro Archetype. Snivy, a foundational Grass-type species, is the Flora Archetype of the Unova Region.”

  Snivy let out a happy cheer as Blitzle did a small hop. Rosa smiled at them before flipping the page, immersing herself in the academic study of her partner.

  “Like all Flora Archetypes, Snivy naturally possesses the Ability Overgrow. This physiological response acts as a survival mechanism; when the Pokémon’s vitality falls below a critical threshold, it instinctively amplifies the potency of its Grass-type attacks.”

  Rosa ran her finger down the paragraph.

  “However, researchers have documented a genetic deviation in rare specimens resulting in the Hidden Ability Contrary. This highly distinct trait inverts the effect of stat changes applied to the Pokémon, turning tactical drawbacks into cumulative advantages.”

  Blitzle wandered over to Rosa’s side, nudging her with its snout, trying to coax her into playing.

  “Blitzle,” Rosa giggled, feeling the tickling sparks jump to her ear. “I’m trying to study.”

  The Pokémon ignored her protests and continued to nudge her shoulder.

  “Okay, fine.” Rosa complied, shutting the heavy book with a thud.

  She stood up, coming eye-level with Snivy, who sat elegantly on Blitzle’s back like a queen on a palanquin.

  “Which Ability do you have? Overgrow or Contrary?” she asked.

  Snivy tilted her head, looking at Rosa with confusion. She seemed to understand the question, but did not know the answer.

  Rosa smiled and placed her hand on Snivy’s smooth head. “It’s okay. I guess we’ll have to find out for ourselves.”

  After their play session, Rosa and Snivy had removed the wool jacket from Blitzle’s body, preparing the pony for the Professor's arrival.

  “How do you feel, Blitzle?” she asked as she undid the last knot of wool. The pony shivered as the cool air hit its skin, trotting in place and kicking up debris from the soiled fleece. After a few snorts to clear its nose, Blitzle let out a soft neigh and brushed its head against Rosa’s chest. She grabbed it with both hands, petting its snout and cradling its jaw.

  “I’m glad,” she whispered, feeling the steady thrum of its pulse. She rested her forehead on Blitzle’s and closed her eyes.

  Snivy reached up to pat Rosa’s shoulder with a Vine Whip. Rosa turned to see Snivy with a small, reassuring smile across its sharp nose.

  “I’m okay, Snivy. Thank you for looking out for me,” Rosa chuckled.

  The hiss of the Observation Room doors broke the moment. Professor Juniper, Ms. Gabby, and the rest of the team entered, wheeling the cart that carried the oscilloscope.

  “Hey Rosa! Is Blitzle ready for the test?” Juniper’s voice came through the intercom speakers.

  Rosa nodded, standing up and brushing debris from her knees. “Yes, we’ll be right out!”

  “Initial heart rate: Forty beats per minute,” Rosa declared, her stethoscope placed firmly against Blitzle’s chest.

  Cheren stood by the cart, pen poised over his clipboard. “Noted.”

  Blitzle stood still out on the pasture, the grass swaying gently around its hooves. Normally, Blitzle would be jogging up and down the fence line or chasing the Klink around, but now it was still, sensing the tension in the air.

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  “Voltage is steady,” Cheren noted, glancing at the line on the oscilloscope screen. “Bianca, ready to discharge?”

  “Ready!” Bianca exclaimed, holding the shorting probe.

  Like a well-trained team of technicians, they moved in sync. Bianca shorted Blitzle to ground using the probe, a sharp bolt of blue light snapping in the air. Rosa monitored the heart rate, and Cheren recorded the recovery curve on the scope.

  “Perfect recovery. Initial recharging checks are good,” Cheren called out.

  “You guys really know what you’re doing, don’t you?” Hilda commented from the sidelines. She, Hilbert, Hugh, and Nate were watching with interest.

  “We had a lot of practice. Do you want to try?” Bianca asked, offering the shorting probe to Hilda.

  “No thanks, you guys are doing great,” Hilda replied, raising her hands in surrender.

  Elekid, who was observing next to Nate, stepped up to inspect the shorting probe. He looked at the metal rod with deep intrigue, as if seeing a mythical artifact.

  “See this, Elekid? It’s a shorting probe, used to discharge the electricity stored in Blitzle’s body. That way we can see how well it can recover,” Bianca explained brightly. She held out the probe for Elekid to get a closer look.

  Elekid’s eyes went wide. He recoiled, taking two rapid steps backward, shielding his plugs.

  “I think he’s afraid you’ll accidentally discharge him,” Nate said with a grin.

  “And here we all thought Elekid was a tough guy,” Hugh remarked.

  Elekid whipped around to glare at Hugh, his face turning red as he gritted his teeth. The boys laughed, and Elekid crossed his arms, huffing in embarrassment.

  Rosa let off a small laugh as she observed the banter.

  Don’t forget about our battle, Nate. I want to see Snivy in action against that tough guy.

  “Alright, Rosa, are you ready to get Blitzle moving?” Juniper asked.

  “Ready, Professor.”

  Rosa looked at Blitzle. The memory of the Snivy incident flashed in her mind, the Leaf Tornado, the collapse, the fear. She shook it off. This had to happen. Blitzle pawed the ground, letting out a confident snort.

  “We’ll take it slow,” Rosa murmured. “No need to make the same mistake twice.”

  “Start with a gallop,” Rosa commanded.

  Blitzle took off, running laps around the perimeter of the fence. The Klinks and Klangs darted out of the way, their gears grinding as they cleared a path for the speeding pony.

  “Blitzle seems to be doing fine,” Ms. Gabby commented. “But galloping won’t give us the stress we need.”

  Rosa looked at Gabby. The woman’s face was laser-focused on Blitzle. Rosa knew she was right. They needed to push Blitzle to the limit to ensure its heart wouldn't fail in the wild.

  “C’mon Blitzle! A little faster!” Rosa shouted.

  Blitzle increased its pace, hooves thundering against the soft grass. Rosa could feel the vibrations of the dirt beneath her feet with each rhythmic stomp. Bianca cheered Blitzle on, clapping her hands.

  It’s still not enough.

  “Take its heart rate, Rosa. Let’s see where Blitzle is at,” Juniper instructed.

  Rosa put two fingers in her mouth and whistled. Blitzle rushed back with speed, skidding to a halt just inches from her. Rosa immediately pressed the stethoscope to its chest.

  “Sixty-five… maybe seventy beats,” she calculated quickly.

  Juniper shook her head. “That’s not high enough. We need over a hundred to test the load.”

  “Blitzle can do this,” Rosa declared, turning back to her partner. She grabbed Blitzle’s head gently. “Just give it one more shot. Okay?”

  Blitzle stomped, eyes narrowing with determination. It turned and rushed off at full speed.

  “Run, Blitzle! Run like the free, wild Pokémon that you are!” Rosa yelled.

  Her throat seized as the words left her mouth. She didn’t mean to say that, but the truth settled in her chest like a stone. Blitzle was a wild Pokémon. Though she had bonded with it, she knew deep down that Blitzle wanted freedom. Blitzle deserved it.

  The rest of the team roared with cheers. Even Nate, usually the quiet observer, had joined in, shouting encouragement. It made Rosa smile. Despite the sadness of knowing she would be separated from Blitzle upon its recovery, she was glad her whole team was here, cheering Blitzle on.

  Blitzle huffed and puffed, gaining speed, mane streaming in the wind. But then, a stumble. It was at a full sprint before its legs started to shake. Blitzle slowed down, eyes squeezing shut, gasping for air as it tried to push through the wall of fatigue.

  The cheering stopped.

  Oh no. Not again…

  Blitzle shook its head violently, trying to force itself to run faster, but the more it forced, the slower it became. The sparks in its mane flickered and died.

  “Blitzle! Stop! Don’t hurt yourself!” Rosa cried out, stepping forward.

  Before she could run to Blitzle, a blur of yellow motion shot across her vision.

  “Elekid! Wait!” She heard Nate cry out.

  Nate sprinted after his Pokémon, but he was too slow. Elekid stopped in the middle of the field, winding up his arm. He shot a jagged wave of electricity aimed directly at the exhausting pony.

  “No! Nate, stop him!” Rosa shouted in desperation.

  In an instant, Blitzle was engulfed in a bright flash of light. Sparks flew erratically, obscuring the pony.

  Rosa ran, heart in her throat, but stopped dead in her tracks.

  Blitzle didn’t collapse. It didn’t cry out in pain.

  Instead, the electricity seemed to be absorbed into its skin. Its eyes snapped open, glowing with renewed power. Blitzle dashed forward faster than before. Much faster. It tore up and down the pasture with hooves beating down against the grass.

  “Wha—what?” Rosa stood there, baffled.

  “Motor Drive,” Nate said beside her. “It must be Blitzle’s Ability. Elekid wasn’t hurting Blitzle. He was giving it energy.”

  Nate was right. The electric attack had triggered a biological response, converting the shock into raw speed. Blitzle recovered in an instant, sprinting faster than it ever had in the wild.

  Rosa stared in disbelief.

  Wow. Elekid is one incredible Pokémon.

  “Rosa! Check the heart rate! Now!” Juniper shouted, her voice cutting through the awe.

  Rosa snapped out of her trance and fumbled the stethoscope around her neck. She whistled. Blitzle came running, stopping on a dime next to Rosa.

  Lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub.

  It was fast. Smooth. Heavy. A drumbeat of pure power.

  “Over a hundred beats!” Rosa shouted, estimating rather than counting.

  “That is high enough! Cheren, the scope!” Juniper directed.

  “Voltage is higher and steady!” Cheren yelled over the wind, jotting down the spike.

  “Discharging!” Bianca shouted as a warning. She clipped the probe to the mane and touched the rod.

  SNAP!

  A massive blue spark, thick as a rope, shot into the ground. Blitzle jumped, kicking its front legs up in surprise at the sheer volume of energy leaving its body.

  “Easy, Blitzle. Easy,” Rosa said, stepping in to steady the Pokémon with her arms. She kept listening. “Heart rate is still high… dropping steadily. How’s the recovery looking?”

  Cheren stared at the scope. He peered over his glasses and gave a cheerful, relieved smile. “Fast and steady. Voltage is back up to the initial point.”

  Rosa’s mouth dropped open. Her smile stretched out to meet her ears. “Blitzle, you did it!”

  She threw her stethoscope off her neck and wrapped her arms around the pony’s neck. Blitzle neighed proudly, pressing its face against her shoulder, vibrating with leftover adrenaline.

  “Well, well, Blitzle. Looks like you’re ready to be released with the rest of the Electric Pokémon,” Juniper said, walking over and crouching down to meet the Pokémon at eye level.

  The joy in Rosa’s chest evaporated. She let go of Blitzle. She met Juniper’s eyes, which gazed right back into hers with a knowing softness.

  “Unless… You would like to adopt Blitzle for yourself,” Juniper said softly.

  “I do, but…” Rosa turned away from Juniper, looking at the pony. She couldn’t let the Professor see her tears. “Blitzle needs to be free. Its home is out in the wild, not with me. I promised I would help Blitzle recover, and I fulfilled that promise. I can’t take its freedom just because I want to.”

  Juniper stood up and placed a hand on Rosa’s shoulder. “Rosa, you’ve been by Blitzle’s side since the day it came here. You’ve shown Blitzle kindness, compassion, and love. Something only a true Trainer can show.”

  “But what about its home? Won’t Blitzle want to run freely in the wild?”

  Juniper smiled. “Well, why don’t you ask?” She nodded towards Blitzle.

  Rosa looked at the Pokémon. Blitzle didn't look at the open pasture or the treeline. It rushed to her, nuzzling at her side, tickling her side exactly the way it did every morning in the enclosure.

  “Hey! Blitzle, you know that tickles!” Rosa laughed through her watery eyes, wiping her cheeks with her sleeve.

  “It’s pretty clear to me that Blitzle knows where its home is,” Juniper said. “And that’s with you, Rosa.”

  Rosa held Blitzle’s head, looking directly into its bright, intelligent eyes. She stroked its mane, feeling the faint pulse of static.

  “Is that true, Blitzle? Do you want to be with me?”

  Blitzle neighed and danced around with joy, rearing up on its hind legs. Tiny sparks danced around the tips of its mane, signaling a happy increase in its heart rate.

  Rosa smiled, sniffing back the last of her tears. She reached into her bag and pulled out an empty Poké Ball. She held it out.

  “Then let’s be partners.”

  Blitzle didn't hesitate. It pressed the white center button with its snout. The red beam engulfed the pony, whisking it inside.

  It shook once.

  Click.

  The sound was small, but it echoed loudly in Rosa's heart. The bond was sealed.