Pokemon Ranger: The Hero of Oblivia

Patrol the Perimeter.

"He's sick." I told Leanne and Nema. Evelyn and Jet were sitting beside my legs, so I bent down to rub their sides.

"I am not!" He said, sitting up from his reclining position on the couch.

I had remembered to change back into my Ranger uniform that was strangely smaller than it was since the last time I put it on. Now it fit me better instead of the weird sagging thing it did at my hips and neckline.

I pushed him back down and tossed a pillow onto his face. "He's sick." I stated again.

"Muuuuuunchkiiiiin!" He whined. "I'm not sick! It's just a little fever! I've got this under control!"

I rolled my eyes. "If it gets any worse- and I mean even slightly- you're going to bed."

"Munchk-" He started, pulling the fluffy square pillow off of his face.

"No exceptions."

"But-"

"No buts," I snapped.

"Can you let me finish one damn sentence, lady?" Ben growled, tossing the pillow across the room with an irritated scowl.

My ears stung at the word lady, and I thought of Smooth and Scratchy. I thought I could vaguely hear their voices, though I could just be dellusional.

"Just shut up and come on." I said nodding towards the front door. "Let's go on patrol."

Leanne, who had been watching me and Ben argue back and forth with the silliest grin plastered on her face, nodded and waved us towards the door. "Yes, good idea. The boat should be fixed in a few days, so it should be the perfect amount of time for you to see what you can do around Renbow and Mitonga island."

(A/N: I'm just gonna say that there's no possible way that Booker could ever repair a boat with lots of damage in one day. Even Noah didn't build an ark in a day. (Even though Booker isn't building a boat, he's just repairing it. But even so, the fact that he repairs that boat in a mere hour- judging by how long you stray from Mitonga island before checking up on Booker and Murph- is malarkey.))

Ben shrugged and got up. Evelyn and Jet whined to come with us, and I wasn't sure that I should. After all, if they were hurt, it would be a very bad idea to bring them along. For their own safety.

But they must feel like I'm abandoning them, or something.

I'm so conflicted.

But since I had left them alone and then came back, only to leave them a few minutes later, that would be cruel.

But they couldn't come with us. They were in no condition to travel.

"Jet and Evelyn..." I started.

Evelyn's ears perked up and Jet limped over to my side.

I rubbed their heads. "I know you hate when I leave you guys... But I promise that I'm going to look for a Pokemon Doctor, okay? That's priority number one!"

Evelyn shrank back as if she had been hit. Jet walked off back to my room, as if I had crushed their hopes.

I bit my lip, restraining from calling after them, to tell them that they could come with me.

I looked over to Ben. "Am I doing the right thing?"

He nodded. "You're doing what's best and they have to understand that they have to recover, like Staraptor." He paused. "You're doing what's best." He repeated.

It felt more like he was trying to convince me than reassure me.

"They'll be fine." Scratchy piped up.

Where did you even come from? I asked mentally.

"My Lady doesn't seem pleased at our interference." Smooth murmured.

Seriously, what are you two doing? Unless you can point me in the direction of a Vet, I don't want you invading my mind!

"Looks like the lady is getting rather sassy, huh?"

"Such emotion is understandable in this scenario." Smooth agreed.

Smooth, you're supposed to be on my side!

"Am I now?" Smooth said with blatant amusement.

Are you going to help me or not?

"We can't help you right this moment, but we've got your back in the long run." Scratchy assured me.

Can you both go now?

"Does my Lady wish to be left with her thoughts?" Smooth asked.

Yes, that is EXACTLY what this lady is trying to say.

"Alright, alright! Geez, kid, cut us some slack. How were we supposed to know that you'd get all pissy if we offered you our assistance?" Scratchy grumbled.

I might be a little more welcoming if I actually gave you an invitation to sift throw my thoughts. As it stands, it's creepy as hell.

"What are you talking about? YOU summoned US!" Scratchy huffed.

Wha- No I didn't!

"Did my Lady call to us with her thoughts, perchance?" Smooth asked thoughtfully.

I mean, I might've THOUGHT about you two, but I didn't SUMMON you by any stretch of the imagination!

I could hear the resolution in Smooth's voice as he began to speak again. "Then I offer my humblest apologizes for disrupting you, my Lady."

But how did I summon you? I just... I didn't SUMMON you! Are you patronizing me?! I am NOT crazy!!

I got no response. They must've left.

Then I realized that I was yelling at voices in my head that no one else could hear except for me... Maybe I am crazy.

Ben gave me a funny look. "Should I be concerned that you're making funny faces at the ground?"

Ben knows about the voices, right? But did I ever tell him about Smooth and Scratchy? Maybe I should hold off on telling him about them until I can figure a few things out.

I shook my head. "My face just felt tight. I was trying to loosen it up a little, y'know?"

Ben nodded, though it was clear that he knew something was up. Luckily, he didn't confront me about it. Nothing is better than when a friend doesn't call you on your shit.

"So, are you ready to go on patrol?" I asked.

Ben grinned before landing himself into a coughing fit.

I gave him a narrow stare and he pretended not to notice.

"So," Ben said after Ben downed a glass of water that was offered to him by Nema. "Let's head off."