thank you to @peachsodama for putting up with my maddening rambles about Dottie and rabies in general i love you babe
WARNING: reference to rabies and body horror/gore-esque happenings to the pokemon
A Herdier is spotted on Route 10, rampaging through the grass and snapping at anything that enters its line of sight. Aman knows well that it’s possible the Herdier could just be territorial, but now that there’s a new illness infecting Unova, he can’t take any chances. So at the tearful behest of the people living along the Route, he goes off in search of the Pokémon to see what’s going on.
The forest is deathly silent, besides the soft sounds of the river. Aman sticks close to the water, having heard the symptoms of rampage include a fear of water. It could be an advantage against the Herdier, should his Poké Balls fail or if Miso Soup faints during battle.
Aman dives out of the way of the Herdier. He rolls, throwing out Miso's Poké Ball as he spins to face the ranging Pokémon. It thrashes around, head swinging wildly as it stumbles about, spraying drool everywhere it goes. It's skinnier than anything Aman's ever seen, and no doubt dehydrated to near death, yet it rages on.
A jingle sounds in his ear. Miso dances, keys rattling, and that's all it takes for the Herdier to charge again. Slobbering, snapping jaws full of black smoke hurdle their way. Aman rolls again, while Miso jumps higher in the air to avoid being hit.
"Thunder Wave!" Aman calls.
Miso rattles, and the ground glows gold. Static licks between blades of dewy grass, and the Herdier staggers to a stop, forced to its knees.
Aman takes a shaky breath in, watching the Pokémon heave for air. The Herdier jerks, flinches, jerks again. It struggles against the paralysis, working its legs forward, then jerking them back. Forward and back.
Aman readies an Ultra Ball. The Herdier gives a wheeze, dry and hacking despite how it drools. It snaps its head around to stare at Aman, eyes a faint green glow in the sunlight.
The Herdier cracks as it jumps out of the paralysis, bounding towards Aman on broken legs, still dead set on biting. When Miso darts in from of him, body glowing with purple rings, the Herdier changes tactics. It digs again, throwing mounds of dirt behind it as it buries itself into the ground.
Aman pants for air, heart beating loudly in his ears as he scans the ground. Miso hovers nearby, body still glowing and ready to attack.
The forest grows quiet again, and slowly, Miso starts to relax. Aman isn't as quick to call victory. Sure, the Herdier was on the verge of death, but he knows rampage can carry a Pokémon through hell to achieve its goals of spread.
The ground shakes, then erupts in a spray of dirt and grass. Miso releases is psychic waves, but the Herdier doesn't flinch. It snaps its jaws around the key ring, shaking its head as hard as it can when it touches ground again. Miso rattles horrible, crying out in panic and shock as the Herdier attempts to rip its own head off to win.
"MISO!" Aman shouts. He throws the Ultra Ball with all his strength, uncaring of taking the Pokémon back alive anymore. The ball cracks into the Herdier's side, causing it to spit Miso out as it tumbles down, captured in light. "Miso!?"
The Klefki jingles weakly, lying on the ground in a shocked daze. While no doubt injured from the attack, Aman knows Miso can't get the rampage. He was told so, by those who know the one helping figure out this mess. Still, he shakes, watching his Pokémon calm down, grief still fresh within him.
"Miso," he breathes, when the Klefki shakily starts to float again, "go wash off in the river. You're covered in spit and germs."
Aman swallows, watching Miso tiredly do as told. To think, one of his last remaining Pokémon is covered in what killed so many others, caused such rage within creatures that were once so wonderful.
The Ultra Ball lies still on the ground, no fight to be found from the Herdier inside. Aman has Miso pick it up and wash it off too. It's not the best disinfectant, but it'll have to do for now. As much as he hates it, Aman keeps Miso at a distance, and leads the way back towards Opelucid City to clean up and report his findings.
Hopefully this puts them closer to a cure, so no one has to experience anything like this ever again.
Aman and Miso are wonderful! i hope i did them justice!
