I Sting (Pokemon Poison Type Specialist)

Virah wiped the sweat off her brows, spending an entire afternoon exercising while being physically weak had been a normal part of her daily routine this past week but her friends didn't seem to think of it as something normal.

The look Whitney and Grene shot her were full of concerns and worry and Virah knew that it wouldn't take long for one of them to spill up so she decided to break the ice while it was still early.

"I'm fine," she let out an exhausted sigh and returned her friends' look with a light glare on her side, "I've been doing this ever since I started my physical therapy sessions, you guys were there,"

"Yeah… we know," Whitney replied, "but you didn't look like you were struggling back then,"

"I- I was sweating so much that my clothes turned damp," Virah responded exasperatedly, "what do you mean I didn't look like I was struggling?"

"Well, you looked fine back then, right now you…" Whitney trailed off.

"You look pale," Grene said, "your face has the same color as when we were haunted by a Gengar during the exams, which isn't a good thing,"

Virah touched her cheek, it felt cold to the touch, "that's…" she said, unsure of what to say, "I don't look that bad do I?"

"You look that bad," Grene confirmed, repeating her words with a much graver tone than she normally has, "you're white. Completely white."

Virah frowned before taking out a mirror from her bag, she eyed her reflection critically and frowned, "I… what happened?" She faced her friends, both shrugged, maybe I overexerted myself today,"

Virah hastily stood up, "but I should probably go back to the hospital just in case,"

"Weren't you heading back there to begin with?" Grene asked as they followed after the poison specialist.

Virah shook her head, "no, I'm supposed to stay in one of the rooms that Eggtech offers to their sponsored trainers," she explained, "I've already been discharged remember?"

"You have, yes," Grene nodded, "but maybe you're still sick?"

"I'm. Fine." Virah bit out, irritated that her friends kept bringing that up, "why won't you two believe me when I say that?"

"Well… I mean, if you say it like that while looking like- while looking the way you do now it…" Whitney stopped animatedly gesturing everywhere with her hands and just frowned.

"You don't look fine, is what Whitney is trying to say," Grene said.

"Are you telling me that I'm lying?" Virah aggressively asked, "because I'm not," she snapped, "I feel fine compared to before and I'm sure that I can go on a journey,"

"We're not… saying you're lying," Whitney responded, sounding unsure, "we just want you to tell us if you're really okay because you don't look fine right now,"

"What do you want me to say? That I can't walk? Is that it?" Virah crossed her arms, "because I'm pretty sure that despite what you want to believe, I'm standing here just fine,"

"Well- yeah- but you're pale," Whitney replied.

"And I said that I'll get it checked up, what's the inherent problem here?" Virah retorted, "you don't think I'm fine because I'm pale and because of that, I'm heading to the hospital to get it checked up, it's that simple isn't it?"

Whitney and Grene looked at each other. Grene shrugged, Whitney sighed.

"Fine, we believe you," Whitney conceded, "but if you ever collapse during our journey, then you're going to have to actually take a step back and let yourself heal,"

"Me falling down is literally inevitable," Virah argued, "that's just part of the risks when I'm going on a journey a day after getting discharged from the hospital,"

"So you admit that you're not as physically able as you are," Grene narrowed her eyes.

Virah glared at the martial artist, Grene glared back, "yes," the poison specialist admitted, "but like I said, I'm fine,"

"Are you?" Whitney asked for what felt like the hundredth time, "because I don't think you are,"

"I'm not," Virah admitted, "but that doesn't mean that I can't go on a journey under this state because I can, I'll just recover during this time,"

"And if you get sick while in the middle of a Route?" Whitney asked hypothetically.

"That's what the rangers are for," Virah replied, she sighed, "I'll be fine, just trust me on this,"

"Okay," Whitney nodded, "I trust you,"

Grene let out sigh, "I'm not going to stop you,"

"Good, now come on, we need to get to the hospital, we wasted enough time arguing as is," Virah turned away from her friends and made a beelined towards the highway that led directly to the hospital that she left earlier this morning.

When they got there, the parking lot at the front was packed with cars of all kinds and the three girls couldn't help but stare.

"What happened?" Virah asked out loud, "these weren't here this morning,"

"Maybe we can ask her?" Whitney pointed to an Officer Jenny standing by the side of the road, "she probably knows something right?"

Virah nodded, "yeah, let's do that," Virah walked up to the police officer and the woman faced her once she got near enough, "hi, me and my friends are wondering why there are a lot of cars in the parking lot,"

"We raided a rocket hideout a few hours back," the officer replied, "and three of the grunts decided that they were going to use their Voltorb, Electrode, and Gravellers as a distraction by making them use Self Destruct,"

The officer sighed, "the cars you see here are the after effects of over a dozen of those explosive moves being used on a crowded street,"

"Oh…" Virah replied, "I guess we can come back here another time then," the poison specialist nodded gratefully towards the officer, "thanks for the information,"

"You're welcome kid, stay safe,"

Virah power walked away from the officer and when they got far enough, Whitney walked up to her side.

"Why did you leave?" The pinkette asked.

"I didn't want to encounter Team Rocket in that hospital," Virah explained, "so I decided to leave before they caught wind of me,"

"You're worried that there's going to be another hit on you right?" Grene guessed.

"Exactly like that," Virah nodded, her previous anger at the martial artist dissipating thanks to the fear gripping her heart.

"… Shouldn't we warn the hospital then?" Whitney suggested.

"We can," Virah pointed at the pinkette's Pokewatch, "you can leave anonymous tip for the officers through that thing,"

Whitney nodded and punched in the number for the Goldenrod City Police, and as the pinkette started talking to the operator about a potential attack on the hospitals where the injured civilians were staying, Virah looked forward and gritted her teeth.

"Something's happening," she said, "I don't know what but Team Rocket wants to do something,"

"Like?" Grene asked.

"I don't know, and that's the problem," Virah let out a frustrated sigh, "how about we just go to Eggtech for now and we'll sort things out from there?"

"That's a good idea," Whitney nodded, "let's go,"

The three of them moved over to the breeding center that Virah walked on and they passed by the lobby and towards the trainers' accomodations.

When they got to the second floor, Virah took out the card given to her back at the hospital once and checked what number her room had, once she got it, she increased her pace and her friends swiftly tailed her.

Virah pressed her card on the room's scanner and entered it once the sliding doors opened, she waited for her friends to come in before closing the door and locking it.

None of them had the time to inspect Virah's room and the three of them sat down on the bed to… go silent.

No one talked and even Virah herself waited for someone to break the ice.

"Are the hospitals really going to get attacked?" Whitney asked.

"They should be," Virah replied, "since Team Rocket wants to do something,"

"And if we're wrong?" Grene asked.

"Then it's better safe than sorry," Virah let out a sigh before combing her hair with her hand, "I… wanted to show you both my old room you know?"

The topic she shifted their conversation into may be potentially grim, but the poison specialist thought that it was a hundred times better than talking about a criminal organization blowing things up and killing both people and Pokemon.

"I wanted to show you where I lived and tell you both that I'll work hard to get away from that kind of room but I…" she sighed in frustration, "I'm missing it now," she admitted, "my chest hurts every time I think about it,"

"Because someone close to you died there?" Whitney gave her a kind smile, "I'm sure Ho oh took him under his wing Virah,"

"I know Ratata is now fine… wherever he is," Virah replied, "but- but-" she sighed again, this time one that sounded defeated, "- you know?"

Grene and Whitney nodded but were otherwise silent.