The Trainer's

  immersion therapy was a time consuming process, as the nurses carefully

  unwrapped the Trainer. The skin beneath was warped and raw, revealing the flesh

  beneath. Sherry forced herself to maintain her bland expression, focusing her

  eyes on the ghost's Poké Ball. Still, out of the corner of her eye, she was

  able to see them slowly submerge him in a shallow bath.

  Wounds left by

  Pokémon were nearly always stomach twisting affairs.

  Doctor Moran

  performed a thorough examination before they did so, his forward crinkling as

  he studied the teenager. Sherry nearly frowned in response, wanting to

  interject to ask what troubled the doctor, but avoided disturbing him.

  Instead, she

  silently watched from the peripheral as the nurses gently wiped the Trainer

  clean. Various ointments and creams were washed off, along with scraps of

  burned flesh that was carefully trimmed free. As they prepared the patient for

  his next stage of wound treatment, the staff manually exercised his limbs by

  maneuvering them through a passive range of motion.

  Against her

  expectations, the entire process was relatively blood free. The water was only

  stained by clinging leftovers of the gauze, washed off agents, and skin. Only

  after a thorough cleaning and gentle exercise, did the doctor and nurses begin

  to apply more fresh cream and topical antibacterial agents. Afterwards, they

  rewrapped his body into thick, heavy bandages across much of his limbs.

  To her surprise, the

  dressings did not cover as much of his body as they previously did. The

  revealed skin was discolored, holding a melted waxy appearance. The leather

  that she briefly remembered him wearing must have done much to protect his

  chest, as it was relatively free of the burn wounds.

  Throughout it all,

  the medical staff maintained a stream of instructions, notes, and vitals. Much

  of the information was beyond the reach of Sherry's, comparably, low-level

  knowledge. As a Ranger, she was trained in a variety of first aid responses to

  meet the potential injuries she could run into. There was little need for her

  to be able to identify specific drugs and antibiotics, when she only had a

  regular few available at any moment.

  What she could

  recognize of the litany of words, was that Doctor Moran was assessing the

  Trainer for skin grafts. Whether he was judged viable, she was unsure. Though

  she did gather that a few emergency room doctors were in for a stern lecture.

  Apparently for exaggerating a patient's condition, if she heard him properly.

  Fortunately, the

  procedure was uneventful for her, as the haunted Poké Ball never stirred. After

  the Trainer was returned to the hospital bed, she carefully set the old sphere

  at his feet before following the staff back to his room.

  To their surprise,

  they found it occupied.

  Facing the window,

  looking down upon the bustling city below, was the formidable figure of

  Commander Davis. He was dressed in full regalia, the burnished leathers bright

  against the harsh white of the hospital. He turned around as they entered the

  room, a mild expression shifting to a grin as the last of the staff passed

  through the door.

  "Moran, you

  loudmouthed campfire, I should've known," he greeted the doctor with a

  laugh. Commander Davis surged forwards, clasping the man in a pounding hug.

  "I'm the

  foremost expert on Pokémon inflicted burns, of course I would be looking over

  this one, difficult as he is," the doctor retorted after extracting

  himself from the other man's grasp. "But enough about my patient. What

  brings the Ranger Commander in?"

  "What? Can I

  not simply drop in to see a friend," he asked with a grin.

  "Considering

  the last time you dropped in was for emergency surgery," Moran said dryly.

  "No, I think not."

  Instead of

  responding, the Commander rolled his eyes and turned towards Sherry. Like a

  switch being flipped, his attitude changed. No longer was he simply a man

  greeting an old friend, but a high ranking Ranger.

  Seeing that she was

  to be acknowledged, Sherry saluted him, smashing her fist against her chest and

  slightly bowing her head.

  "Commander,"

  she greeted him.

  "Ranger

  Sherry," he saluted back. "Relax, I'm here to drop off the paperwork

  for the warrant. The League and government were reluctant to do so, forcing me

  to get involved." His downturned lips told her how he felt about being

  pushed to do so.

  While they were

  speaking, the other staff quietly returned the bandaged teenager to his place

  in the room. After ensuring he was settled in, with the monitoring leads and IV

  lines properly attached and positioned, the nurses silently nodded to the

  doctor before leaving. He waved them on, clearly wanting to talk to the

  Commander.

  The man's eyes

  flicked past her as the hospital staff left, taking in the heavily wrapped

  patient.

  "So this is our

  wayward Trainer," he said. Before Sherry could warn him, he strode up

  towards the hospital bed to inspect the child closer.

  Upon which, several

  things happened at once.

  The first, and most

  noticeable, was a flash of red light as Staraptor forced his way out of the

  Poké Ball. He emerged with a screech of warning and pain as he tried to

  instinctively spread his wings. Fortunately, the bandages and splints holding

  his bones in place prevented the bird from inflicting too much damage upon

  himself.

  At the same time,

  another flare of light bloomed, emerging from Doctor Moran's coat. The red glow

  resolved itself into an unfamiliar Pokémon, though one she quickly placed after

  a moment of recollection.

  A large, pale white

  bone skull composed the Pokémon's head, marked by dark ash in the figure of

  twisting flames. The body was similarly colored, the ash coating its body to

  permanently coat the Marowak. A long bone was clenched in the Pokémon's clawed

  paws, raised as though to attack.

  A heartbeat later,

  Sherry became aware of the scent pervading the room. The overpowering stench of

  sea salt had returned, joined with a pale heat that quickly warmed the space.

  Despite the

  increased temperature, Sherry found bumps lifting over her skin.

  Dropping her hand to

  the Styler at her waist, Sherry was stopped from pulling it free at the

  authoritative voice of Commander Davis.

  "Enough!"

  he boomed, holding out an arm to keep the two Pokémon from intervening.

  Still facing away

  from them, Sherry was unable to see his expression yet she could feel his

  presence fill the room. She tensed in response, firming her footing as

  apprehension filled her. Staraptor remained silent, but shifted to stand

  between her and the other Ranger.

  Next to her, Doctor

  Moran and his foreign Marowak retreated towards the door. Whether they were

  shielding the hallway or retreating, Sherry could not tell.

  In a far calmer, yet

  no less striking, tone, Commander Davis resumed speaking.

  "Listen

  up," he ordered. "None of the staff or other persons that enter this

  room are going to harm your Trainer. Quite the opposite in fact. Doctor Moran

  here," he lightly gestured to the man, "Is in charge of ensuring the

  boy's safe recovery."

  As the high ranking

  Ranger spoke, Sherry felt as though the room became charged. The energy in the

  air shifted, the eerie illusion of heat and salt forced back.

  "If you wish

  for him to heal, then you will stand aside," he finished heavily.

  Sherry held her

  breath, not wanting to break the moment. To her mind, it was almost as if the

  Ghost was being subdued, though she was not sure how.

  Her partner was the

  first to act, letting out a soft screech and dismissing the heavy silence that

  hung in the air.

  "Star," he

  cried, hopping towards the other Ranger.

  She heard a quiet

  exhale and glanced over to see Doctor Moran straightening. He murmured under

  his breath to his Pokémon, thanking it Sherry believed, before recalling the

  Alolan Marowak.

  Meanwhile, Commander

  Davis turned around, a smile forming as he scratched the large bird behind his

  crest.

  "Looks like

  you've had a hard time," he said to the feathered Pokémon.

  "Nevertheless, you did good work bringing him in yesterday," he

  congratulated the bird.

  Sherry watched

  impassively as the Commander treated her partner as a long lost friend. Any

  Trainer would be insulted, or worse, at someone treating their Pokémon so

  familiarly, but it was different for Rangers. While many kept their personal

  teams from when they were challenging the gym circuit, there were plenty who

  partnered with Pokémon that did not want to be fully captured. To do so was to

  be a true Pokémon Ranger, though she heard that Fiore-trained Rangers looked

  down upon even them.

  Not only that, but

  Staraptor was one of Commander Davis's original Pokémon. It was only natural he

  would greet the bird as one of his own.

  The man turned

  towards her and Moran, addressing them calmly despite the previous outburst.

  "Well, I can

  certainly see why he would be difficult," Davis told Moran dryly. He

  offered a folder of paperwork to the doctor. "Perhaps this can loosen your

  tongue some."

  The other man rolled

  his eyes with a snort, taking the papers and leafing through them. Only after

  confirming the validity of the warrant, did he begin to speak.

  "He's a strange

  one all right," Doctor Moran started. "First of all, he has enough

  propofol running through his system to knock out an adult twice his size, yet

  we can barely keep him sedated."

  The Commander lifted

  an eyebrow at his words and turned a considering eye on the teenager as Moran

  continued to reveal the Trainer's condition.

  "After that,

  his burns are healing remarkably well. His charts report far more extensive

  wounds than I found. Indeed, it's almost as though I'm treating a patient

  several weeks along in his recovery instead of less than 24 hours," he

  stated plainly.

  Sherry blinked,

  unsure of the meaning behind the doctor's words.

  "Are you

  suggesting that his burns were not as severe as originally claimed? Or that the

  Trainer had already experienced similar wounds before he was rescued?" she

  asked, puzzled.

  Instead of answering

  her immediately, the doctor looked towards the Commander, who merely blinked in

  response.

  Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

  "Something

  along those lines, yes," Moran said. "I planned on recommending the

  removal of his intubation tube, so that we can begin to wean off the sedation.

  As they were Houndour inflicted burns," he looked to Sherry for

  confirmation, who simply nodded, before continuing. "We will have to be

  careful with his pain management. It is still too early to tell how thoroughly

  he will heal, though I believe full recovery is possible. Still, there will be

  extensive scarring," he warned.

  "Good,"

  the Commander grunted. "I would like to know what he was doing so far

  off-Route as well, and what he did to earn the enmity of a pack of

  Houndoom."

  "We still must

  be careful," the doctor cautioned. "Right now our greatest risk is

  one of infection, both bacterial and Energy. Houndour burns are known to linger

  for weeks to months, sometimes even years. Worse still is the mental trauma that

  often follows as a result."

  "I

  understand," Davis waved aside the man's concerns. "What else can you

  tell me?"

  "I'm pushing

  for skin grafts as quickly as possible, both to shield him from infection and

  for maximum healing. There has been quite a lot of advancement in the field of

  using ethically sourced Pokémon scales to do so, especially out of Paldea and with

  the help of the Magikarp farms."

  Doctor Moran spoke

  at length about the Trainer's treatment, from the medicines used to his

  expected recovery. With over a month of hospital care and visitations, the

  treatment would be a long road for the boy, though fortunately one he would

  recover from. Most of the technical details were too involved for Sherry,

  though it appeared Commander Davis understood as he nodded freely and asked

  several clarifying questions. Listening, it only resolved her need to gather

  such information if she was to be the Trainer's primary guard.

  At least, until they

  were satisfied by the questioning and confirmed his Pokémon was not a threat to

  himself and others.

  Once the base leader

  was done interrogating the doctor, he turned to Sherry. She noted that the

  other man remained with the room, but did not bring it to the Commander's

  attention. If he wanted the doctor to leave, she was sure Davis would ask him

  to do so.

  "And what of

  the Pokémon Center? How are the two Pokémon you brought in faring?" he

  questioned.

  "Sir, the

  Pokémon were well received." Sherry stiffened, looking past the Commander

  as she answered him. "The Beautifly is expected to make a full recovery,

  with only singed wings that will heal quickly. It is the Turtwig that proves an

  issue."

  A pulse of salt and

  heat followed her words, turning their heads towards the conscious Poké Ball.

  It still lay at the Trainer's feet, bright against the white bandages despite

  its faded colors.

  The Commander did

  not acknowledge the Ghost and simply waved for Sherry to continue.

  "The young

  starter suffers from a degenerative botanic disease." His eyes hardened at

  her words, either recognizing the illness or understanding the severity.

  "They have shared his status with a specialist and are awaiting

  confirmation."

  "Did the staff

  identify the specialist?" the Commander ground out, a frown marring his

  face.

  "They did

  not," she answered plainly. When he merely grunted, she continued.

  "They are unsure of how long he can hold on, though it seems at some point

  the Trainer came across a Miracle Seed to give the Pokémon."

  "With an item

  like that, I'm sure the Turtwig can manage, at least until either a cure or

  other method to ease his pain can be found," the doctor offered.

  "Grass-Type attuned items have long been used in traditional medicines,

  with such methods persisting even today." To emphasize his words, Moran

  pointed to the warding tags placed on the walls.

  They appeared

  strained, the paper clearly beginning to curl. Sherry silently noted the detail

  to replace the tags later.

  "There's only

  one major grove that I'm aware of past the mountains," Commander Davis

  muttered, rubbing his jaw with one hand. "If that monster was anything

  like his Trainer, then it's almost a certainty that the young was abandoned

  after it was determined the Turtwig was too weak to survive."

  "That was the

  Center's prediction as well," Sherry said, though they said nothing of a

  Torterra grove in the area.

  "Be that as it

  may, for the boy to come across the Turtwig, he would have to be deep in the

  Wilds. At the very least, past the mountains," the Commander winced, his

  face curling at the Trainer's situation.

  "That would

  explain the Houndoom pack's aggravation with him as well," Doctor Moran

  added. "If he was circling the mountain, then it would be nearly

  impossible for him to do so without crossing into their territory."

  "Possibly,"

  Sherry agreed before shaking her head. "However, I do not think so. The

  matriarch was not concerned with the boy, so much as she was by the

  flowers," she said as she gestured to the Trainer's pack. The bloomed

  cuttings failed to blend in with the silk covering the wood frame, easily

  outshining it despite sharing colors with the thread.

  "May I?"

  the doctor asked as he moved to inspect the seemingly handmade backpack.

  "Look but don't

  touch," Davis warned.

  The man moved to

  approach the pack, but was interrupted by the return of the scent of sea salt.

  The shadows in the room lengthened protectively. Moran paused, looking back to

  the worn Poké Ball.

  Staraptor chirped,

  flicking the crest covering part of his face. The Commander glanced at the bird

  with a raised eye before turning his head back to the doctor.

  "On second

  thought, perhaps not," the doctor said dryly.

  "Can't help but

  agree with you there," Davis said. "Still, is there anything you can

  tell us about the flower?"

  "I'm a doctor,

  not a herbalist," the man complained. "Maybe take it to the local

  boutique," he snorted.

  "Actually,

  that's not a bad thought," the Commander said, turning his eyes to Sherry.

  "Take a picture as part of the report. I'll ask around and see if I can

  figure out why a Houndoom would be so interested in a simple plant."

  She nodded sharply,

  adding the task to the growing mental list she had to accomplish.

  "Anything else

  to add?" he asked, looking from Sherry to the doctor and back.

  The other man shook

  his head. Sherry did so as well, opening her mouth to answer more verbally

  before pausing. She did not think it worthy of his attention, but little about

  this mission was normal so far.

  "Sir, there was

  one thing," she said, straightening. "The Beautifly. At the Center,

  it was strangely focused. The nurses said that it continued to stare in one

  direction."

  The two focused on her, clearly waiting for her to finish. While she had no

  proof, Sherry still thought it an oddity to mention. Forging onwards, she

  continued.

  "I suspect that

  the Pokémon was staring at the hospital."

  The two men

  exchanged glances, before Davis turned back to face her.

  "Strange, but

  not altogether unusual," the Commander answered after a moment of thought.

  "Plenty of Pokémon hold strong bonds with their Trainers, bonds that I'm

  sure you are familiar with as well," he nodded towards the other Poké Ball

  decorating her belt.

  Sherry covered the

  device protectively, shielding it from the Commanders gaze. Her Wormadam was

  the sole member left with after her Journey and beginning years as an Ace

  Trainer.

  Yes, she understood

  the man's words quite well.

  "Yes,

  sir," she said flatly.

  He blinked at her

  before nodding shortly.

  "Well, if

  that's all, I'll be off," he told her and the doctor. "Sherry, I'll

  look over your report and the boy's records, see if we can't find a reason for

  the attack. Don't hesitate to ping me if the ghost gives you any trouble,"

  he added as he eyed the Poké Ball.

  "Sir," she

  saluted the Commander.

  He lazily returned it before leaving the room with the doctor. The two were in

  quiet discussion about the Trainer and his Pokémon. At the door, he paused and

  looked back.

  "Oh, and keep

  the old bird out," he jerked his head towards Staraptor. "Some time

  out will help him heal, and he can better react in case something

  happens."

  Sherry nodded as her

  partner chirped happily, twitching his head to survey the room better. He

  hopped over to the window, luxuriating in the sunlight as she settled in.

  The nurses made

  their regular appearance, administering sedatives, pain medication, and

  intravenous meals. They stretched his limbs, moving them through a series of

  repetitive actions. Sherry was worried that the extended physical touch would

  aggravate the ghost and asked each nurse to explain what she was doing.

  They were all too

  happy to do so, loudly talking to both her, and the Trainer it seemed.

  "Just to help

  minimize scar tissue from building up," she was told. "Once he wakes

  up, we'll be visiting him for plenty of physical therapy."

  After several hours,

  the burn doctor returned, with another in tow. Sherry stayed out their way as

  they inspected the Trainer's wounds, but listened intently as they discussed

  skin grafts.

  Doctor Moran

  noticed, giving her an approving nod.

  Together the two decided to remove him from ventilation before attempting the

  grafting. With the burns covering various parts of the boy's body, the doctor's

  felt it would be easier to do so without the tube inserted.

  Moran left only to

  shortly return with another doctor and a handful of nurses. Before approaching

  the bed, however, he turned to the group and spoke to them

  "All right, so

  this one's going to be a bit different from your usual patients. First

  off," he grabbed a Poké Ball from under his coat, releasing the charcoal

  colored Marowak. "The patient is attended to by an overly possessive

  Ghost-Type."

  At his warning, the

  nurses stiffened and glanced around him towards the Trainer. Sherry wanted to

  frown as they muttered worriedly, the lax discipline different from the

  attending nurses.

  "It's all

  right," Moran soothed them. "The Pokémon has made no threatening

  actions," Sherry blinked and lifted an eyebrow at the lie, before

  smoothing her face. "And we will be protected by my personal Pokémon,

  Dancer, as well as a Ranger and her partner," he waved to Sherry and

  Staraptor.

  She met the eyes of

  the group, nodding after seeing them straighten slightly. At her side,

  Staraptor did the same, ruffling his feathers and quietly chirping.

  Doctor Moran smiled

  before half-turning towards the bed and the Poké Ball still laid between the

  Trainer's feet.

  "Now, on to the

  actual procedure. We will be removing the intubation tube from the burn

  patient, under Dr. Sinar's guidance," he started, detailing the steps the

  nurses were going to take.

  While it was clear

  to Sherry what the doctor was doing, she saw that a few of the nurses were

  confused. When the doctor paused, Sherry intervened.

  "Dr. Moran is

  explaining the procedure for the benefit of the Trainer's Pokémon," she

  told them.

  Understanding dawned

  in their eyes and they nodded at her in thanks. After her interruption, the

  walkthrough continued quicker. When it came time for the staff to remove the

  ventilator, Sherry watched intently, along with the two Pokémon. Fortunately,

  it was entirely uneventful, with the doctors and a nurse staying behind.

  The others removed

  the tubes and machine from the room, while the remaining individuals monitored

  his breathing. Doctor Moran stayed behind as well, keeping his Pokémon out. The

  Marowak wandered over to Staraptor and the two started to converse in a series

  of short grunts and chirps.

  "It's always

  nice to see her finally getting along with him," Dr. Moran commented as he

  walked over. His hands were resting his coat pockets and he turned his eyes

  towards hers. "They didn't use to, at least not at first," he

  confided.

  "I was under

  the impression that Staraptor was the Commander's Pokémon?" Sherry stared

  at the man in confusion. "You said you were a Fire-Type specialist."

  "Oh, I

  am," he laughed, gesturing towards the thin Marowak. "There was a

  time that me and Davis traveled together. It's what encouraged me to pursue my

  medical degree, truth be told. We, and our Pokémon, fought plenty and someone

  had to bandage them up afterwards," he told her with a grin, his eyes lit

  up by the memories. "Though back then he was a ship's captain while I was

  a mere medic."

  "Star,"

  Staraptor screeched, quietly, hopping towards the man to peck at his hands.

  Moran gave in to the

  bird's insistence with a chuckle, scratching him behind his neck feathers. The

  Pokémon luxuriated in the petting, up until Marowak intervened with a raised

  bone club.

  "Wak,

  mar," the Fire-Type warned, roughly pushing the large bird away, though

  Sherry noted the bone keeper was careful to avoid touching his wounds.

  "Tor," her

  partner chirped in condescension, hopping back to her side. She took over for

  the doctor, scratching his neck while she spoke.

  "Dancer,"

  she said, gathering the man and his Pokémon's attention. "Is that due to

  her Alolan species' penchant for doing so?" Sherry asked as she remembered

  what she could about the regional Pokémon.

  "Indeed it

  is," he answered excitedly with a clap. The Marowak joined by striking her

  bone skull with the club, the end faintly bursting into mystical green flames

  before they dissipated. "Though her true name is Ancestral Dancer,"

  he continued.

  "I found her

  during a humanitarian mission to Alola. Our camp was being attacked by Ghost

  Pokémon and, after several nights, she simply appeared and started to help

  defend the patients." Moran smiled down at the darkly colored Pokémon.

  "She was dedicated, and it took a lot of urging to get her to accept

  help."

  "Wak," the

  Pokémon huffed, looking off to the side.

  "After a week

  or so, it came time to leave," he shrugged. "That's when we found her

  on the ship, practicing her moves and glaring down Staraptor," he finished

  as he nodded towards the bird in question.

  "Rapt," he

  chirped, meeting two's eyes with a ruffle of his feathers.

  "It is good

  that you found another as dedicated as you," she told him, unsure of how

  to respond to the story.

  "And what of

  you?" he asked, turning his bright eyes on her. "What brings a Ranger

  from the Safari Zone to Canalave City?"

  Sherry stiffened at

  the unexpected question, blanking her face. She was careful to let none of her

  true feelings on the matter appear as she answered him.

  "I was

  reassigned," she said flatly.

  "Apologies,"

  he murmured, noticing her reaction. "I meant no offense, only simple

  curiosity."

  His eyes flickered

  to Staraptor for a moment, before turning back to the others in the room. The

  doctor and nurses were finalizing their paperwork and checking his vitals,

  gesturing for Moran as they did so.

  "Well, that's

  my cue," he said with a sigh. "I'm not quite sure when we will be

  able to do his skin grafts, but it will certainly be no later than

  tomorrow," he informed her.

  Sherry nodded in

  understanding, and he quickly stepped away to talk to the other staff. After

  only a few moments, they left the room and she let out a small exhale.

  While she and most

  of the higher ranking Rangers were aware, the nature of her reassignment was

  still a sore topic and not one she was eager to discuss. Fortunately, it seemed

  the doctor had his hands full, as he was busy for the rest of the night, only stopping

  by for a final round on his patients before leaving.

  Sherry. Pokémon Ranger.

  ¤ Staraptor (Staraptor). Male. Bold. Growl. Tailwind. Whirlwind. Fly.

  ¤ Fibirosa (Wormadam. Trash Cloak).

  Next week we will be returning to Kenji's POV as he wakes up.