Grow your wings

Close call

Ash had since begun to quicken his pace to the closest Pokémon center for a variety of reasons. First off the Zorua had a multitude of injuries that wouldn't be fixed with just potions alone and Ash was worried that there would be something internally going on. The poor thing was panting and shivering from the fever that had overtaken it.  Another reason was that he was starting to succumb to his own sickness and infection from his wounds.

Hades had taken to riding in his backpack as his legs were too short to keep up with Ash's long strides. He had been running for over an hour at least he knew, but he also knew if he slowed down there was a chance that not only would the Zorua die, but he would be in bad shape as well.

With everything that had happened his condition had gotten worse. At first he had only felt under the weather but now he felt feverish and more than a little dizzy. Finally, finally, he had made it to Pewter city and made his way to the Pokemon center in a daze. He walked in and stumbled to the counter, barely getting out a, "this Pokemon needs help," before he finally collapsed into darkness.

******

Ash came very slowly into Consciousness, taking stock of his body and mentally checking to see how injured he was or if he had any new injuries. He had learned very early on that it was best to silently check to see if he was further hurt instead of waking up and drawing attention to himself. Currently he could feel he was laying on a bed, the mattress was comfortable and the covers and pillows were very soft. Next he could feel a constricting weight all over his body, and from experience he knew he was wrapped up in a magnitude of bandages. He tried to remember what happened and suddenly jolted upright when he remembered the previous day.

The Zorua! Hades!

Ash winced and scowled as he held his chest. That damnable woman. Couldn't she have at least had the common decency to not completely fuck up his chest?

"Hey! You can't just move around like that! You'll open up your wounds!" A voice yelled from the doorway.

Ash looked up and saw nurse joy frowning at him with worry. Ash narrowed his eyes as he sat back on the bed calmly.

"Where is my Pokémon and what happened to the Zorua I brought in?" Ash asked, getting straight to business. He didn't exactly have time to waste in this hospital bed.

Nurse Joy scowled. "Your Axew is fine and the condition of the Zorua has stabilized. Mind telling me how it came to be in such a horrid condition?" She asked with a slight accusing tone.

Ash raised an eyebrow and looked down at himself. "Well, it certainly wasn't a Pokémon that sent my ass to a hospital so I suppose that rules me out doesn't it?" Ash asked amused.

Nurse joys snorted, she couldn't help but be amused by the kid that looked like his body had been put through a shredder. She came to his bed and pulled out a chair.

"Ok ok. Jokes aside, seriously what happened?" She asked. She very desperately wanted to ask what happened to him first but she knew if she pushed it he wouldn't tell her anything. So she decided to focus on something else.

"I was on my way here training with my Axew when I noticed this black figure getting chased by these thugs. By the time I even registered what was going on the little thing had crashed into my chest and we were hiding. I didn't even know what Pokémon it was until the goons were gone." Ash explained with a shrug, cracking his neck a little.

"I see..." Nurse joy nodded slowly with a frown. She didn't have a good feeling about this. "Did you see who was chasing the Pokémon?" She asked.

Ash nodded. "Yes, it was Team Rocket."

"That's what I was afraid of. They have been getting more and more active for the past month that it's really concerning." Nurse joy sighed.