“We'll start by replacing the wool insulators,” Cheren began, consulting his clipboard. “The Tynamo will need extra attention.”

  “Have they been outside their tank this whole time?” Rosa asked, frowning slightly. She knew they needed constant moisture to prevent their skin from drying out. They had wrapped them up carefully and continuously hydrated their wool insulators, but that was yesterday evening.

  “No, Mr. Orens had them in their tank without their wool overnight. They've recovered some, but not as much as the others.”

  “Okay, sounds like you're on Tynamo duty, Cheren! Rosa and I can handle the rest,” Bianca said with a wink. Cheren let out a soft sigh but resigned himself to his fate.

  “There's the crate of wool,” Cheren said, pointing to the supply left over from yesterday. “We'll need Leavanny's help again for cutting.”

  Cheren reached for the ball at his belt. Leavanny graced the room with a twirl, immediately taking its station by the wool crate to begin slicing and shaping the material with its blade-like arms.

  The three of them stood in the Electric Pokémon Observation Room. It reminded Rosa of her mother’s Pokémon Center, but far more specialized. Glass-walled paddocks lined the room, each fitted with wool bedding where the sick Electric-types rested.

  “I think I want to check on Blitzle first,” Rosa said to Bianca as Cheren made his way to the Tynamo tank.

  “Alright. Any reason in particular?” Bianca asked, tilting her head.

  “I just got attached to Blitzle yesterday. I want to see how it's doing.”

  Rosa walked over to Leavanny's stash of prepped wool and grabbed a few lush fragments. Bianca followed, gathering an armful of her own.

  They approached Blitzle's enclosure. Blitzle was resting with its head down, legs tucked beneath its body in a tight loaf.

  “Oh, it's so cute, Rosa!” Bianca exclaimed, clutching Rosa’s sleeve as she bounced on her heels.

  Blitzle’s head snapped up at the commotion. Recognizing Rosa through the glass, it scrambled to its hooves and let out an excited, crackling neigh.

  “Hi, Blitzle!” Rosa squeaked through the partition, her voice pitching up an octave. “How are you?”

  Blitzle's excitement was tangible. It trotted in place, snorting happily.

  “I'm coming in, okay? Just give us a second.”

  She picked up the heavy rubber apron and gloves hanging nearby. Bianca, too, suited up in the thick electrical safety gear.

  Rosa keyed the keypad, and the glass door whizzed open with a pneumatic hiss. Blitzle immediately trotted to her side, rubbing its snout affectionately against her ribs.

  “Hey, take it easy, Blitzle,” Rosa giggled as the coarse mane tickled her. “I'm excited to see you, too.”

  “Wow, Blitzle sure likes you, Rosa,” Bianca said, stepping gingerly into the enclosure. “Do you mind if I pet it?”

  “Sure, just be careful not to be too rough. These gloves can be tough on its skin.”

  Bianca shyly stepped up to the electric pony. “Hey there, my name's Bianca,” she whispered.

  Blitzle assessed the newcomer, ears swiveling. Within a second, it decided it was in no danger and graciously allowed Bianca to pat the wool jacket on its flank.

  “Wow, this wool is so soft! I can feel it even through the gloves,” Bianca remarked.

  “It sure is. Now, Blitzle, let's get you a fresh coat.”

  Rosa knelt on the sterile floor and began unwinding the soiled wool Blitzle was wearing. Bianca stood by the Pokémon's head, murmuring comforts as Rosa worked.

  “You're really good at this,” Bianca noted as Rosa began wrapping the fresh, clean layers.

  “I had a lot of practice yesterday,” Rosa replied, eyes fixated on her work to ensure the fit was snug but not restrictive.

  “I'm really glad we're able to help these Pokémon. They're so adorable! I just couldn't stand seeing them suffer.”

  Rosa said nothing for a moment, focusing on the contour of Blitzle's body.

  “They were in such bad conditions when I left to pick up Nate and Hugh. Especially you, Blitzle! You couldn't even stand,” Bianca said, stroking its snout. “Those boys really helped save these Pokémon.”

  Rosa paused, her hands resting on the wool.

  Did I ever say thank you to them?

  “Okay, Blitzle, that should be nice and cozy for you!” Rosa said, standing up and brushing stray fibers from her apron. “How does it feel?”

  Blitzle trotted a small circle, testing the fit, and gave an appreciative nod before cuddling up next to Rosa again.

  “You're welcome. Hey, that tickles!” she laughed.

  “You both are so cute!” Bianca clapped her hands together. She looked down at the floor and frowned. “But now the room is a mess.”

  Rosa looked down. The pristine floor was now littered with dirt clumps, soiled wool, dried grass, and shed hair.

  “I guess I did make kind of a disaster area,” Rosa admitted, rubbing the back of her head.

  “No need to worry! I have just the solution!”

  Bianca reached into her bag and tossed a Poké Ball. Minccino burst out in a shower of light, her eyes locking instantly onto the debris. Without needing a command, the chinchilla Pokémon impulsively began sweeping with her tail, moving with the efficiency of a vacuum cleaner.

  “Minccino is quite the neat freak,” Bianca grinned as her partner dashed across the enclosure, tail swishing back and forth rhythmically.

  Rosa let out a small laugh. She watched as Minccino quickly gathered the pile into a corner, waiting for Rosa to scoop it into a disposal bucket. In moments, the room was sleek and sterile once again.

  “Great job, Minccino,” Rosa said. Blitzle neighed in agreement. Minccino puffed her chest out proudly before climbing up Bianca's shoulder to await the next task.

  “Okay, Blitzle,” Rosa said, “Bianca and I have to help the other electric Pokémon.”

  Blitzle whined, pawing the ground.

  “Blitzle,” Rosa giggled as it nuzzled her side again. “I promise I'll come back.” She grabbed its head gently with both hands to hold it steady. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a bright blue berry. “Here, an Oran Berry. A token of my promise. I'll be back to give you more,” she said with a wink.

  Blitzle crunched the berry happily and finally agreed to let them leave.

  “Blitzle sure is attached to you,” Bianca said as the glass door hissed shut. “What's going to happen to it when it fully recovers?”

  “I… don't know. I guess we'll release it back to its home,” Rosa replied, feeling a sudden wave of melancholy.

  “Back to Chargestone Cave?”

  “Yup.”

  “Oh.” Bianca looked at Minccino, who sat quietly on her shoulder. “Why not raise Blitzle yourself?”

  Rosa stopped walking.

  Raise it myself?

  “Do you think Professor Juniper would let me?”

  “Of course! If Blitzle wants to be your partner then you should raise it. It would be Blitzle's decision, ultimately.”

  Rosa smiled, glancing back at the enclosure. “I think Blitzle would be happy with that.”

  The girls moved to the Joltik enclosure after restocking on wool from Leavanny. The tank was a swarm of tiny yellow dots scurrying over surfaces. Several square batteries sat in the center, covered in clinging, feeding ticks. Small needle-like hairs jotted around the enclosure floor like yellow strands of yarn.

  “Minccino is going to love cleaning this one,” Bianca said with an exaggerated groan. Minccino sighed in defeat, her ears drooping.

  As they stepped in, the air felt suffocatingly warm and humid. A shiver ran up Rosa’s spine as a dozen four-eyed faces turned to stare directly at her.

  “Hey, Bianca, why don't you try wrapping one? Just do what I did with Blitzle,” Rosa said nervously. Yesterday, the Joltik had been sluggish, barely moving. Now, energized by the treatment, they were scuttling across the floor like fingers on a keyboard.

  “Okay!” Bianca said cheerfully, seemingly immune to the creepiness that Rosa felt.

  Rosa stood to the side, watching as Bianca gently picked up an unassuming Joltik. Minccino hopped down and began the arduous task of sweeping hair from the corners.

  “Aww, this one is shy,” Bianca said, as the Joltik tried to scuttle under a battery. The small Pokémon shut its eyes tight and tensed its fuzz.

  “I think that’s the one that wouldn't let go of Hilbert yesterday,” Rosa said, leaning in. The longer she stayed in the room, the more her skin stopped crawling.

  “Is that it, Joltik? Do you miss your friend?” Bianca asked softly, stroking the back of its abdomen. Joltik opened two of its eyes and let out a small, static-filled coo of sorrow.

  “It's okay,” Rosa said gently. “Hilbert will be back to see you. I'll make sure he comes to visit. Don't you worry!”

  Joltik relaxed, allowing Bianca to wrap it in a fresh set of wool. Rosa took a deep breath, picked up another Joltik, and began working.

  They're not the worst Bug-type, I suppose.

  As the girls wrapped their buggy patients, Minccino darted around the enclosure, sweeping and then meticulously picking stray hairs out of her own bushy tail.

  “Hey, Bianca,” Rosa started, distracting herself from the bugs, “have you ever battled with Minccino before?”

  She knew Minccino had been Bianca's partner since childhood.

  “No, actually. You know I'm not much of a battler,” Bianca said, tying a knot. “Why do you ask?”

  “I was just curious. The way Minccino moves... She's very coordinated. Precise. I think she has a lot of potential,” Rosa stated, her analytical brain taking over.

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  “I don't know, Rosa. Minccino is very shy and gets frightened easily. I wouldn't want to put her in a stressful situation she isn't comfortable with.”

  “I get that,” Rosa nodded. “Maybe you can let Minccino spar with Snivy? Just for practice. That way we can both get experience.”

  Bianca chuckled nervously. “Thanks, Rosa, but I really don't think I'm cut out for that. I just don't have the intuition of a Trainer.”

  “But you will never know if you don't try,” Rosa pleaded gently.

  “I know. But, the truth is... I'm scared to battle,” Bianca admitted, her usual bubbly tone evaporating. “Not just for myself, but for Minccino. What if she gets hurt and it's my fault?”

  “That's why we train. So we can prepare for things like that,” Rosa explained. “Who knows? Maybe one day you'll have to battle with Minccino to protect yourself.”

  “That's true…” Bianca murmured, finishing with her Joltik. She looked up, eyes wide. “Would you really help me become a better Trainer?”

  “Of course, Bianca! We're a team, right?” Rosa smiled.

  Bianca beamed. “Right!”

  The girls finished the rest of the Electric-types with Minccino diligently cleaning behind them. When they reached the Emolga enclosure, Rosa had a difficult time getting them to trust her again without Hilda’s calming presence. They eventually met up with Cheren, who was watching over the Tynamo. He had fished them out of their tank, wrapping their slimy bodies in wool and placing them on a trough with an auto-mister.

  “I'll need to check back in an hour to replace their wool again. They dry out so fast,” Cheren said, hanging up his water-logged apron. His trousers were soaked from the knees down.

  “Now that we've wrapped all the Pokemon, what's next?” Bianca asked.

  “Well, Professor Juniper and Ms. Gabby are in Observation Room 2A. We'll meet them there to learn how to measure their voltages.”

  The group left the humid wing and walked down the sleek, white corridor. Observation Room 2A was larger, filled with more advanced diagnostic equipment. It was a general rehabilitation ward: a Bouffalant with a cracked horn grazed on synthetic grass, a Heracross with chipped wings rested on a log, and several Pansage with overgrown flora sat in a circle.

  “So many Pokémon,” Rosa whispered in awe.

  “Lots of Pokémon are sent here for rehab. Some are wild, some belong to Trainers,” Bianca explained.

  “It also gives Professor Juniper opportunities to study them as she tracks their progress,” Cheren added.

  She must be a busy woman.

  “Speaking of which,” Cheren pointed.

  Down a hallway, Professor Juniper and Ms. Gabby were peering into a specialized glass enclosure.

  “From what I can tell, its physical form has stabilized,” Ms. Gabby stated, tapping a stylus against her tablet.

  “Very well, then it should be ready to leave here soon,” Juniper agreed.

  “Professor,” Cheren called out as they approached. “We've completed the wool replacements.”

  “Cheren!” Juniper turned. “Excellent. We'll head over to the voltage checks as soon as we're done here.”

  Rosa peered inside the glass. Floating in mid-air was a single, grey sphere. It looked like a small cloud with eyes, drifting weightlessly.

  Is that a Pokémon?

  “Professor, what is that?” Rosa asked.

  “That is a Castform,” Gabby said, her voice unusually stiff.

  “Castform?” Rosa had read plenty of books and seen pictures of Pokémon from all over the world, but this was new to her.

  “An artificial Pokémon,” Juniper explained, noting the confusion on Rosa’s face. “It was created by the Weather Institute in the Hoenn region.”

  “Created? Like... by humans?”

  “That is correct,” Gabby said in her monotone voice. She set her tablet aside and adjusted the pin in her tight, red bun. “I'm going in.”

  Juniper nodded.

  Gabby cycled the airlock and stepped inside. The small cloud Pokémon's face lit up instantly. It floated gracefully into Gabby's arms, nestling into her lab coat.

  “Castform... hey. It's good to see you,” Ms. Gabby's voice played over the external speaker. It was soft and affectionate. A tone Rosa had never heard from her before.

  Woah, Ms. Gabby has emotions?

  She played with Castform as it floated around her, making cheerful, whistling noises.

  “I've never seen Ms. Gabby so excited before,” Rosa whispered.

  “Of course she is!” Bianca smiled. “Castform is Ms. Gabby's partner.”

  “Really? That's… surprising.”

  “Castform came with Ms. Gabby when we hired her. She used to work at the Weather Institute before she moved to Unova,” Juniper stated.

  “Exactly how did Castform end up in rehabilitation?” Rosa asked.

  Juniper sighed, her expression darkening. “It's my fault, really. I was fascinated by its biology. You see, Castform changes its form depending on the weather. I wanted to see if we could artificially induce those changes to study environmental adaptation. We put Castform through... rigorous tests.”

  Juniper looked through the glass, guilt etched on her face. “We managed to briefly force it into its Rainy Form, but the molecular bond was unstable. It nearly died. It spent months recovering.” She shook her head. “If we succeeded, we would have had evidence of Pokémon adapting to man-made environmental change. But truthfully, we got nothing out of our experiments but a hurt Pokémon.”

  “Ms. Gabby was devastated," Bianca whispered. “She really loves Castform.”

  Rosa watched the two playing inside. It reminded her of Blitzle.

  Poor Castform. I'm so sorry.

  Gabby exited the enclosure, leaving a waving Castform behind. She composed herself, her face returning to its professional mask. “Alright,” she said, slightly more cheerful than usual. “Shall we proceed with the voltage checks?”

  Professor Juniper wheeled a black cart toward the Electric-types. On it sat a large, blue rectangular device with a grid screen and a tangle of black and red wires.

  “This,” Juniper said, patting the plastic casing, “is an Oscilloscope. It visualizes voltage over time. Measuring each Pokémon will be slightly different based on how they regulate their electricity.”

  Rosa, completely unaware of even the basics of electrical engineering, stared blankly along with Bianca.

  “Let's start with the easiest, shall we?” Juniper clapped her hands.

  She wheeled the cart to the Tynamo trough. “Tynamo generate electricity through a specific organ. It's a low voltage, so we need to calibrate the scope to be sensitive.”

  Gabby placed a Tynamo on an electrostatic mat. She slipped a grounding strap around her wrist. Juniper handed the leads to Gabby.

  “Now, place the leads like so.” Gabby touched the black lead to Tynamo's tail and the red lead to its head.

  The screen came to life. A bright blue line drew a perfect sine wave, oscillating steadily.

  “And there you have it! One healthy Tynamo,” Juniper declared.

  “The yellow waves rippling across its body match the wave on the screen,” Rosa pointed out, watching the bioluminescence pulse.

  “Great observation, Rosa! We’ve learned that Tynamo’s body can visually show us its health. Cheren, record the peak-to-peak voltage, please.”

  “Aye-aye, Professor,” Cheren said, grabbing the clipboard.

  The team worked together on the Tynamo, measuring and recording data. Juniper inspected all the data sheets and concluded the Tynamo were on track to fully recover. They placed them back into their water troughs and moved to the Emolga. The Emolga were simple enough with the leads being placed on the cheeks, but the Joltik were a nightmare, kicking tiny hairs everywhere as they squirmed away from the cold metal probes. Rosa was more frustrated with getting them to cooperate than she was grossed out by them. The Klinks and the Klangs did not need voltage checks as they were not Electric Pokémon. All Juniper needed was to make sure they were still spinning smoothly to keep up their internal energy levels.

  “And now for the more difficult one,” Juniper said, wheeling the cart, “Blitzle.”

  “What makes it more difficult?” Rosa asked.

  “Blitzle controls its electric potential via its heart rate. The faster it beats, the greater the voltage. We need to ensure its heart can safely ramp up its internal electricity. Otherwise, it will collapse.”

  “And how do we do that?” Cheren asked.

  “We'll have to move it outside,” Gabby replied. “We need room for it to run.”

  Rosa and Cheren shared a brief look.

  “Should be easy enough,” Rosa replied with confidence.

  They gathered outside Blitzle's enclosure. Blitzle started to get excited as Rosa approached.

  “We'll need to remove Blitzle's insulation for the test,” Gabby said.

  “I'll go,” Rosa declared. “It seems to trust me the most.”

  She opened the door and stepped inside. Blitzle came up to her for hand pats.

  “I told you I was coming back,” Rosa said, stroking its mane. Her thick gloves ran through the back of its neck.

  Rosa began removing the wool around Blitzle's body and carefully placed it to the side.

  “We're going to go outside to check your vitals,” she explained softly. “C'mon, it's okay.” She led Blitzle through the doorway and out of the enclosure.

  “Okay, let's go!”

  The transition from the climate-controlled lab to the pasture was jarring. The team moved to an open spot in the pasture that gave plenty of room for Blitzle to run. Blitzle sniffed the grass, taking bites as it moved.

  Rosa wore a stethoscope around her neck. She would be monitoring Blitzle's heartbeat while Cheren was in charge of connecting the Oscilloscope.

  “First we'll need to measure its resting heart rate and test its ability to recharge its electricity,” Gabby explained.

  She drove a copper pole into the earth.

  “What's that for?” Bianca asked intriguingly.

  “That is a grounding rod. And this,” she held up a rod with a heavy cable, “is a shorting probe. We discharge the electricity into the earth to measure the recharge rate.”

  “Oh. Neet!” Bianca said.

  More science jargon.

  Rosa pressed the stethoscope to Blitzle's chest. She counted the beats and mentally made note of the rhythm. The Pokémon didn't mind her touch as it continued to graze on the grass. “Resting heart rate... forty beats per minute.”

  Cheren jotted down the number on a data sheet and hooked up the leads. “Voltage is steady.”

  “Bianca, connect the shorting probe to the mane,” Gabby directed.

  Bianca clipped it on. “Like this?”

  “Yes. Good. Take the metal end and touch it with the grounding rod.”

  CRACK!

  A blue spark snapped, and Blitzle jumped, startled.

  “It’s okay, I’m here,” Rosa soothed, stroking its neck. She watched the screen. The voltage line had flatlined, but was now curving back up asymptotically to its initial value.

  “Perfect recovery curve!” Juniper noted. “Now... we need to repeat the test under stress. Elevate its heart rate.”

  “What do you suggest we do?” Cheren asked after jotting down the last bits of data.

  “A sparring match?” Juniper suggested with a grin. “Rosa, do you think Snivy is up for it?”

  Rosa grinned back. “Sure. Snivy, come on out!”

  Snivy materialized, crossing its arms confidently.

  “Cheren, be ready to hook up the scope. Bianca, standby with the probe,” Juniper commanded.

  “Yes, m'am!” Bianca saluted.

  “Alright Blitzle,” Rosa said, backing up. “Let’s see what you’ve got!”

  Blitzle neighed, pawing the dirt.

  “Snivy, Vine Whip! Make it move!”

  Snivy lashed out, vines snapping against the turf. Blitzle darted left and right, hooves thundering as it dodged.

  “Keep it up! Run, Blitzle!”

  “Rosa, get it to sprint!” Juniper shouted over the noise.

  Rosa nodded. “Blitzle, try using Quick Attack on Snivy!”

  Blitzle leaped, a streak of black and white. Snivy ldodged, barely clearing the charge.

  “Now, Snivy! Leaf Tornado! Keep it moving!”

  Snivy spun, summoning a vortex of sharp leaves. The wind roared, kicking up dust. Blitzle galloped hard, trying to outrun the cyclone.

  “That’s it! Way to go, Blitzle!” Rosa cheered.

  “Rosa! Bring it to the grounding rod! We need to measure now!” Juniper yelled.

  “Snivy, drive Blitzle toward Cheren!”

  Snivy leaned into the attack, pushing the tornado. But Blitzle stumbled. Its legs shook violently.

  “Rosa! Be careful!” Cheren warned.

  Blitzle’s knees buckled. It collapsed, and the Leaf Tornado, propelled by its own momentum, swept directly over the downed Pokémon.

  “Oh no! Snivy, stop!” Rosa screamed.

  Snivy let go, but it was too late. The wind howled. Blitzle shrieked as the leaves sliced at its exposed skin.

  “Blitzle!”

  Without a second thought, Rosa dove.

  She threw herself into the vortex. The wind hit her like a physical blow, leaves stinging her face and arms like papercuts. She found the pony huddled in the dust, shielding its head.

  Rosa grabbed it, hauling it up with a grunt of exertion. “Come on! Move!”

  She dragged Blitzle out of the storm just as Snivy managed to dissipate the energy. The wind died down, leaving a heavy silence.

  “Rosa! Are you alright?” Cheren was there instantly, grabbing her arm.

  “I’m fine,” she panted. Her shirt was torn at the shoulder, a bloom of red spreading on the fabric.

  Snivy rushed over, looking horrified.

  “It’s okay, Snivy. It’s not your fault,” Rosa winced, patting her partner.

  “Cheren, the leads! Quickly, while the heart rate is up!” Juniper barked, prioritizing the data.

  Cheren connected the clips. The line on the screen barely moved.

  “Voltage is lower than before,” Cheren reported grimly. “It’s not charging.”

  Rosa pressed the stethoscope to the heaving chest. “Heart rate is eighty... but it’s irregular.”

  “It’s not ready,” Juniper sighed, looking at the exhausted Pokémon. “The organ can’t keep up with the physical stress yet.”

  Ms. Gabby stepped in with the wool, wrapping the shivering Blitzle. Rosa ignored the stinging in her shoulder and pulled an Oran Berry from her bag.

  “Here,” she whispered, offering it to the pony.

  Blitzle chewed slowly, leaning its weight against Rosa.

  “How long until it recovers?” Bianca asked quietly.

  “Hard to say,” Juniper said. “A few days, at least. We pushed it too hard. For now, we'll let it rest.”

  Rosa rested her gloved hand against Blitzle’s mane. “You take it easy, Blitzle. We'll get there. I promise.”