Time to Rest

“Machine...” Blue said, everyone's eyes opened wide. They stared still up into the sky while Yellow cried her heart out in self wallowing sorrow. Machine and Yellow had finally shared their first kiss and right after it, Machine died to save everyone there. Even Machine's Pokemon, Sandslash and Ninetales were sitting there, mouth agape at the events that just took place.

“Holy shit... Did... he just...” Red said, unable to come up with anything to say about what had just happened.

“I can't believe what that idiot just did!” Hakel said, punching the ground in front of him as he fell to his knees. His body shook uncontrollably as Kusa knelt down to him, patting his back slowly as he let out his rage onto the ground.

“Machine... He sacrificed himself for all of us...” Green said, as Red went over to comfort Yellow.

“Yellow, please...” Red said, feeling about as bad as everyone else did.

“That stupid jack ass!” Hakel said, as tears ran down his face. His tears hit the ground and his fists followed the teardrops. “We... could have... made a plan! There was no reason he had to... to die for everyone! It just isn't fair!” Yellow's crying became sniveling so suddenly, it almost gave Hakel a dangerous chill. She rose to her feet, eyes red from crying for about two minutes. As she stepped forward, Hakel felt exactly what she was feeling. “Yellow... Do you feel that?”

“Yes, Hakel,” Yellow said, taking out her Pokeball for Zapdos. “I felt it before anyone else could.”

“Huh?” Blue asked. “What are you guys talking about?”

“Hakel, are you coming with me?” Yellow asked, not turning to him.

“No... I can only sense his presence in the area... I can't... I can't help you with anything else right now...” Hakel responded, as a large weight suddenly dissipated from his shoulders into the air. He felt unconscious in Kusa's arm as she felt a slight heartbeat from Hakel. She felt Hakel's heart and realized that it was at a normal pace. He must have just been extremely tired from the fight he was just in coupled with the shock of losing his best friend.

Kusa felt the faint heartbeat once more but this time, it felt like it was coming from somewhere else around Celadon City. That's when everyone felt it too, realizing who's heartbeat it was.

“Holy shit!” Rich shouted. “I can feel it! Can you Artie?”

“Yeah, I did! It's faint but... I can feel someone's heartbeat as if it were intertwined with mine!” Artie stated, pointing out something everyone else was simply thinking.

“The heartbeat is very familiar and it's connected to Yellow... especially.” Erika started to say as Yellow called out her Zapdos. “That's why we all just sensed it. Hakel's also very close to him and that's why he sensed it shortly after her. At first, I couldn't understand what it was but if Yellow felt it before everyone else, strongly enough, then there's a possibility...”

“Are you saying there's a chance that Machine's still alive?” Kusa asked.

“Like I said, it's a possibility. We can know for sure until we all go out and rescue him.” Erika said, as everyone began to get their spirits up. “We'll only need one person to go look for Machine. That's you, Yellow.”

“I know. I'm the only one that can go.” Yellow said, jumping on the back of her Zapdos.

“Are you sure about this, Yellow?” Green asked. “It may be a trap sent by someone else.”

“No...” Yellow said, seriously. “It's Crimson's heartbeat. I know what his heartbeat sounds like. Our wavelengths are so similar, it's as if we were closer than anyone. I have to do this, there's no question that it's him.”

“Well, just be careful out there, Yellow. We don't want to lose you too.” Red said, as Yellow put on a fake smile to bring everyone's up for at least a light grin.

“I'm off. I'll be back, with Crimson, no doubt.” Yellow said as she took off to the skies with Zapdos, soaring through the skies towards Machine's exact location. It wasn't far from Celadon City but Machine didn't have much time left. His heart was about to fade away, forever if Yellow didn't get there in time. She flew out of sight as Erika looked over to Kusa, confused.

“Crimson...? Who is that?” Erika asked.

“Someone extremely close to that girl...” Kusa said as both of the women smiled. Erika then began to give out orders, to the people that were left to help. They had to try and rebuild this place soon, before another incident like this would happen.

Yellow flew out to the gates of Saffron City, sensing a faint heartbeat in the trees. The trees didn't rustle but Yellow was sure she could sense someone there. She swooped down with Zapdos and said to herself, “Machine, where are you?” Soon, her prayers were answered.

As she flew through the open walkway through the trees, Machine's Charizard suddenly fell out of the sky and landed in front of Yellow and her Zapdos, unconscious of course. Charizard was pretty badly hurt. Charizard's body was covered in blood with its skin ripped apart from taking the blast head on from Raion's Dragonite. Its tail was starting to go out and as Yellow went over to see if Machine was with him, someone fell on top of her. She fell flat into the dirt, face first, as she heard metal move around above her. She looked up over her shoulder and saw that Machine was there, beat up worse than Charizard was.

“Machine!” Yellow shouted as she carefully rolled Machine off of her back and onto the ground. She laid him down next to Charizard, realizing that both of their life forces were slowly depleting. Her Zapdos stood over her, covering her as she put her hands up to Machine and Charizard's body.

With all of her might, she focused all of the energy and healing abilities she had learned to control in her training to heal Machine and Charizard. All of Machine's limbs were blown off, including his prosthetic leg and arm. Yellow's glowed a bright color of the same name, as it covered Machine and Charizard respectively. Their bodies glimmered in the effervescent glow of Yellow's strong healing powers. But no matter she did, their wounds didn't look as if they were healing at all. Not even Charizard's flame was rising back up. Things were grim, but luckily, someone arrived that would solve all of their problems.

Yellow continued to heal as best as she could, however, Machine and Charizard had only received a tenth percent of her own energy and she was slowly running out of power. Zapdos could feel that her energy was growing weaker, steadily by every wave she fed to Machine and Charizard. Charizard's flame glistened against its back once, growing a bit larger but it soon went back to its normal form. Finally, Yellow lost it. She had to stop or she would begin her own life to save them. As Red had said, “Be careful, Yellow. We wouldn't want to lose you too.”

Now, Red, being a young man of few little words, gave Yellow more hope than she could dream of. She truly had a great batch of friends that would do anything for her even though, her friends, especially Red, would never mention it. But still to her, it was good to hear it sometimes. Despite Red's warning, Yellow breathed in and continued trying to bring two beings back from the other world to this one.

Her healing energy began to deplete even faster this time, and eventually, she started feeding off her own life energy. Her life was slowly leaving her in lieu of one boy and his Pokemon that she so desperately needed. That's when everything turned in their favor.

“Excuse me, young lady.” Said a man with a purple ninja outfit with white hair that spiked up. He had a purple cloak over his entire mouth that concealed most of his face. Yellow turned around, stopping her healing process for a few seconds. She couldn't take her eyes off of his own, as they stared into each others for less than two seconds. Yellow saw the brightest, purple eyes that she had ever seen in her whole life.

“Who are you?” Yellow asked, as the man moved her out of the way and knelt down to the unconscious, fading Machine and his pseudo-dragon-like Pokemon, Charizard.

“I am here to help you, Yellow.” The man said, stating her name this time.

“How do you know my name?” Yellow asked, full of questions for this man.

“My name is Orion. I lead the Dragons over in Johto and Hoenn. Machine must have told you about me before.” He said, introducing himself to her. Her eyes lit up with happiness, as Orion smiled behind the cloak he was wearing.

“Machine told us about you but nothing actually relevant. Why are here?” Yellow asked the leader of the Dragons, honored to be in his presence.

“I came to help out Machine.” Orion said, putting his hand to Machine's chest as well as Charizard's. His hands glowed a dark red color, dimly shining over their hearts. “See, Yellow, I have heard a lot about you from apprentice, Lance. He has been keeping track of you and your friends for awhile now. He tells me that are you quite infatuated with this boy.”

Yellow blushed and said, “I am... I love... him, sir. I loved him since I first saw him but only, just recently has he admitted that he loved me.”

“That sounds like Machine.” Orion said, continuing to heal Machine's wounds. “See, he was never good with women. In fact, he hated many of the women in his hometown, Littleroot until he started to get along more with Sapphire. When Sapphire and Machine began to click, it was as if his whole future was being untold before him at that very moment. He loves his sister... but I can see that, after what Lance has told me, that he would do anything for more than one woman in his life.”

Yellow blushed a bit more and looked down on Orion's hands. They were glowing ever so slightly that not even Yellow could tell he was healing them. He just looked like he was gathering something from them, but Yellow soon felt Machine's heartbeat kick back into place. Charizard's tail was also beginning to re-light, flickering flames around the area. However, before the flames touched the trees around them, they bounced off of a protective red shield that had appeared around them and returned to Charizard's tail.

“Orion... if I may ask, how are you doing that?” Yellow asked, as her Zapdos sat there wondering as well.

“To heal someone, Yellow, isn't too difficult. However, it depends on much you're going to put into the matter. If you're going to force too much out, then the receiver or receiver's of the healing you're giving them, would only expend your own energy and probably a bit of your life energy as well. However, if you add just that right amount...” Orion said, bringing his hand over Machine's body, covering his body in a red veil of energy. Machine's Charizard was covered in the same veil of energy, as Yellow automatically felt it. Machine and his Charizard had been healed. It wasn't complete but, it was enough for Machine and Charizard to leave their critical state. “The receiver's could turn out fine.”

“Wow! Their life force... it's coming back!” Yellow said, learning more and more about what an impressive group these 'Dragons' were. “You're amazing, Orion.”

“We're not done yet.” Orion stated, taking a scroll. He unwrapped it quickly and said, “We still have to reseal that beast back into his heart. Some of its energy escaped but, that shouldn't be a problem.”

“So, what do you have to do?” Yellow asked as she saw what was within the scroll. It was two prosthetic arms and two prosthetic legs. His appendages were blown off, as Yellow could evidently see.

“I have reattach his appendages with these...” Orion said, setting all four appendages in their right places. “Then seal the beast's energy back into his heart, for good this time.”

“How do we do that, Orion?”

“Watch and learn, Yellow.” Orion said, as he made a strange hand sign. The scroll in front of him glowed a bright brown light. He then shouted, “Dragon Sealing! HA!” Orion pushed his appendages with his own mind into their respective places bringing back red energy back into his heart. The process made Machine's body turn back to normal, although any other wounds he had could not be healed. “There he is complete once more.” His prosthetic appendages had been reattached, and the beasts energy had been resealed into his heart, for good this time.

“This is amazing, Orion.” Yellow said, holding up Machine's arms.

“Yes, he will be, now. Those prosthetic appendages I just attached to his arms and legs are completely indestructible made from the strongest metal known to humans and Pokemon. Those will never break, no matter what he gets himself into.” Orion said, as he walked away from Yellow. He made another hand sign as a furious gust began to encircle him. “Oh, Yellow, by the way...”

“Yes, Orion?” Yellow asked, looking back at him.

“Watch yourself, girl. The Reddosuta Shikaku are quietly searching for each and every member of your group, and eliminate you as quickly as possible. They are around every corner and unfortunately, here in Kanto, you have no protection from the Dragons. We have never been able to operate because Team Rocket's existence. The Assassins are on a much higher level than Team Rocket is, trust me, Yellow. Don't let you and your friends too over their heads. Make it to Johto and then meet up with Lance. We'll be waiting for you to arrive.” Orion said, as Yellow nodded to him, picking up Machine's Pokeball for Charizard. “Very well then. I am off to Johto once more. Remember, Yellow, be careful.”

Orion finally disappeared, leaving no trance behind besides a few leaves in his after presence. Yellow then turned around to Machine and returned back to its Pokeball. She then slung Machine onto Zapdos' back and then took off back to Celadon City. They dashed off quickly, back for a day of rest.

When Yellow returned to Celadon City, everyone who had been in the battle with Team Rocket was immediately healed at the Pokemon Center. Nurse Joy took care of everyone, but she realized what most of them needed was just some rest. The group took a much needed rest from battle, however, it didn't seem to be enough for Machine. He stayed asleep for at least a week or two afterward giving Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow a strange place to be in. Artie and Rich had left earlier that week, after they were sure, they were strong enough to go on. All the heroes would stay in touch, having two more Pokemon Trainers to help them defeat Team Rocket when the time would finally come.

“So, what do you say, Hakel?” Red asked, sitting in the lobby of the Pokemon Center.

“I... think you guys should continue the journey.” Hakel said, allowing them to go forward.

“Are you sure?” Blue asked. “Because, you know, we don't have to leave until Machine wakes back up from his slumber.”

“No, you guys shouldn't have to wait for us to hold you back. Just take Cycling Road and go into Fuchsia City and get the next Gym Badge. Once we're ready to leave, we'll go there too.” Hakel said, assuring himself of his final decision.

“So, you're saying we can go onto the next town?” Green asked.

“Yes. It's already been decided. Kusa and I talked about it.” Hakel answered, nodding to them. “So, you all should head off now. We'll catch up with you three soon.”

“And Yellow?” Red asked. “Is she traveling with you guys now?”

“We couldn't take her away from the love of her life, you know?” Hakel said, looking back at where Yellow was. She was sitting beside Machine's bed, sleeping on his legs because she was up all night watching to see if he would wake up. “She's too attached to him now.”

“I guess... if I was in love like she was, I would be traveling beside my loved one too, huh?” Green asked, smiling at Yellow.

“Yeah, you got that right...” Kusa said, blushing at Hakel without even realizing it. Hakel saw this and did the same, making Red, Green, and Blue laugh happily. It was good to see happiness fill the air around them. That was the first laugh they shared in a couple of weeks, waiting for their comrade to wake up. Red, Green, and Blue then said their goodbye's for now and headed out into Celadon City's Streets where they could see hardwork and construction taking place there. The townsfolk weren't going to stop, not until they restored Celadon City to its former glory.

As Hakel and Kusa watched their friends leave for Fuchsia City, Yellow ran out into the room with a smile on her face. Machine slowly followed out after it as he said, “So... what the hell did I miss?”