The Pantheon

Pokemon Tower

Ashley woke up with a sharp, choking gasp, like her body had forgotten how to breathe until just now.

Everything was bright—blindingly white and sterile, so much so that the harsh fluorescent light overhead stabbed right through her skull. She groaned, squinting to shield her eyes. Her head felt full of cotton, her thoughts were like a slow-moving fog.

Where… where even is this?

The last thing she remembered was—

She jerked slightly in place, or tried to, but a tugging at her arm stopped her. Wires. Sticky pads on her skin. Something soft under her head. Her hands clenched instinctively, and she realized she couldn’t feel much besides a dull ache behind her eyes and a pounding headache that made her want to sink into the mattress and never get back up.

Her body was heavy. Like she'd been asleep for days.

She turned her head, the movement sluggish and disjointed, and that’s when she felt it again—that cold, damp, oddly familiar sensation nudging at her cheek.

What the—?

Before she could make sense of it, a face appeared above her—close, too close—and for a second Ashley flinched, startled, until her blurry vision cleared just enough to register the telltale pink hair and white nurse’s cap.

Nurse Joy.

Okay. That’s... good? That’s familiar.

But she was talking. Clearly talking. Her mouth was moving in a calm rhythm, like she was explaining something—but there was no sound. Nothing. Just silence.

Ashley blinked, dazed, watching Nurse Joy's lips form words she couldn’t follow. It was like everything around her had been put on mute. A slow-motion movie she didn’t remember signing up for.

Her pulse spiked.

Was this normal?

Was this bad?

Where was—

That cold feeling nudged her again, firmer this time.

Ashley shifted her head toward it, sluggishly dragging her gaze sideways. She blinked hard, trying to clear her vision as a pale-blue blur came into focus. Then the blur moved—a soft, gentle wetness against her jawline—and Ashley’s breath hitched in her throat.

Venus.

Her Vaporeon was right there. Nestled beside her bed, head on the edge of the mattress, sleek body tensed, licking her face with trembling, uncertain nudges. Her deep blue eyes were locked onto Ashley's, wide with worry.

Ashley’s throat clenched.

“V…” she tried to speak, to say her name, but her voice barely came out. A dry whisper. It hurt. Her mouth felt like sandpaper.

Venus let out a worried chirp, or at least that’s what Ashley think she did, as she is still uncapable of hearing anything. Venus whole posture shifted closer, tail twitching sharply, almost crawling halfway onto the bed now as if she didn’t care who told her not to.

Ashley reached for her with fingers that barely cooperated, but Venus met her halfway, pressing her forehead against Ashley’s knuckles with something just shy of desperation. Her usually smooth, fluid breathing was shallow, panicked—like she hadn’t stopped worrying since the moment Ashley went down.

Ashley wanted to say I’m okay—even if it wasn’t fully true. Wanted to say you did great or thank you or literally anything at all.

But all she managed was a pained wince before her eyes fluttered again.