AN: I deeply apologize about the delay. My life had spiraled out of control and I needed to find motivation again. Reading through my stories and such helped. I've kept you guys waiting long enough for the 20th Chapter! Anyway, here it is and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Chapter 20

As the fire type took off in a sprint to follow those other trainers one Pokémon watched on. Vulpix wasn't weak by far what he saw. She was powerful able to take two evolved Pokémon on her own at her basic stage. Her trainer was something else too and now...his trainer hurt her. Was he even his? Who was stronger? This trainer he met today and who offered him a hand in strength or this mislead ideal that was nothing but a toxin. He wasn't sure, but turned to follow the Pokémon who seemed covered in veil of light protecting her. Bulbasaur wondered and wanted to know if it wasn't the Safeguard.

"Nurse Joy please we need help!" Catelin said as she ran ahead into the Pokemon Center.

"What's the matter?" Nurse Joy asked.

"My friend...she's been poisoned." Catelin explained as she tried to catch her breath. She then turned toward the door as Javan rushed in with Keygan.

As the trained nurse looked upon the girl's face she gasped. Sweat was pouring off the girl's face and fever that blushed all over. By looking at her open mouth and as the boy came closer she could see and hear her labored breathing. She couldn't help but sigh as she remembered these trainers from this morning. They talked about challenging the gym and since they left she feared from whoever was the challenger. Apparently it had been this girl who she was currently checking over and felt helpless about as she walked outside the patient's room.

"Nurse Joy, can you help her?" Javan asked.

Nurse Joy shook her head.

"What?!" Catelin gasped. "How come?"

"If this is Koga's doing then the only thing I can do is make her comfortable while I attempt to find a way to help her." Nurse Joy began to explain. "I've seen so many trainers come and go because of him. He changes the poisons used every time so I have no idea what to do. I'm not allowed to do anything at the risk of my position. Don't worry I'm not going to give up. So many people here and in this region have already. If taking the trainer's Pokemon to Safari Zone is the price than that's my burden to handle. You can see her now, I'll be in the labs."

Catelin wasted no time before rushing into the room to see Keygan. Javan just stared at the nurse as she left. He kept thinking about what she said. Many other trainers had lost to Koga and suffered the same fate. He then turned around and walked to somewhere else. He needed to make a phone call. Without a sound he walked away toward the front to make his phone call.

Catelin couldn't believe how weak Keygan looked. She tired to shake the thought that Keygan could...die any minute, but it kept returning every time she looked at her friend. She couldn't take it anymore and the tears fell. She quickly tried to wipe her face, but she couldn't keep up.

"Excuse me." Catelin said as she ran out the room.

Catelin ran into the bathroom and slammed her palms down on the sink. She let out a sob and shook her head. She looked up to the mirrow to see her eyes red and swollen. She felt so useless unable to do anything to help her. She couldn't help think she was just getting in Keygan's way and causing herself pain. She looked down the line of mirrows to see so many different versions of herself and possible paths. She kept wondering if she should reach out for one sooner than later.

Vulpix never thought she'd leave. Cautiously she walked up to the medical and put her paws up on the bed too look. From her spot she saw the weak and pained face of her trainer. She couldn't stand there as she pushed up and softly hopped onto the bed. She inched closer and nudged Keygan's face with her nose. As Vulpix rubbed her face she realized she was met with the same affection.

"Vul." Vulpix said softly in surprise as Keygan had moved her head and slowly moving it to rub back. "Vul!"

Vulpix pushed her forehead in Keygan's face. She wasn't allowed to die. Keygan always bounced back from whatever happened. She could beat this poison too like last time in Viridian Forest. Sure the Pecha Berry helped but she still survived. That counted for something right? Vulpix promised to protect her. She was a Pokemon and she would admit to only herself that now, she felt like nothing without her trainer. Vulpix sniffled and jumped in surprise to realize she was crying. She shook her head. She wouldn't cry, but the emotion was overwhelming and out of her control.

Vulpix let out a whine and went to curl up next to her trainer. As she turned around to lay down she caught a glimpse of a shadow moving away from the door. Quickly she jumped down running to the door to find no one outside. No one was there. Well, no one was there now. Vulpix knew someone had been there moments ago watching her.

He had made his decision and he was sticking with it. With what he just saw there was no denying it now as he looked at a back window leading into the gym. Bulbasaur was going to help that trainer and her Pokemon. He hated seeing the sadness of such a strong ally and he wasn't going to let it go to waste. Using his vines he smashed the window and pulled himself inside.

The place was pretty dark he found his way to the hall and could see enough that he was in the wrong room. Carefully he walked the halls looking in a few to see if that was where Koga kept his poisons. He must have an anditote in case of emergencies.

"Good work Venomoth. Now all we need to is dispose of the anitidote and work on our next poison."

"Veno." Venomoth agreed.

Bulbasaur glared at the vile in Koga's hand. He needed that, but it would take some skill to get it without getting into too much trouble. If possible Bulbasaur would go for none of all. Bulbasaur took a cautious step that wasn't cautious enough as the floor creaked.

"Venomoth!" Koga cried hearing the sound.

"Moth!" Venomoth cried using Signal Beam and targeting him.

"Saur!" Bulbasaur cried releasing a Sludge attack to counter. The attacks collided leaving the hall littered in a murky smoke.

"Venomoth Gust!" Bulbasaur's attempt to get closer to Koga using te smoke as cover failed as he quickly revealed. "Psychic!"

Bulbasaur found himself unable to move and brought toward Koga. The man eyed him as Bulbasaur stared back. He wasn't sure what he could do. He had an idea but he didn't know if it would enough.

"I see your pontential. You already know a poison type move too. Let it run through you. You could be great you know?" Koga said the grass and poison type. "I was a fool to think differently, but you are truly powerful and such a brave hearted Pokemon. To come all this way, to what prove yourself to me? I'm truly impressed."

Bulbasaur looked to the man who he wanted to call trainer. A master of poison type Pokemon. He wanted to be strong and knew he couldn't do it on his own. Bulbasaur's eyes showed a sense of want as he struggle to inch closer to them.

Koga grinned. He wasn't a fool. Bulbasaur was a naive Pokemon who would follow his lead regardless. He wasn't serious about keeping the Pokemon. He figured he could catch and dump it off somewhere or just dispose of it in general. However, his grin faltered upon seeing the smirking unamused look on Bulbasaur's face.

"Saur!" Bulbsaur said his bulb glowed and a mass of leaves flurried out and struck them. He thanked his father for such a powerful move. Leaf Storm. The leaves and wind pressure pushed his hand causing the vile to go up in the air. Venomoth having not expecting the attack released Bulbasaur.

"Venomoth Psychic! Crush the vile!" Koga shouted.

"Bulba!"

He then used Vine Whip to smack Venomoth before he could make the attempt to destroy his new hope. He whipped that one around and grabbed the vile while the other reached out pushing Koga. The gym leader fell and Bulbasaur snatched what he wanted. What he forgot to give his trainer. "Saur!"

"Crobat! Ariados!" Koga cried and the two other Pokemon appear out nowhere. "Air Slash! Spider Web!"

Koga was right about something Bulbasaur decided. He did have potential, but he wasn't going to let that sludge poison him any longer. He worked on that move for him with the old hope he'd finally accept him. Not anymore. It was time to purify it and be rid of that toxin.

"Saur!" Bulbasaur cried releasing a grass type attack that was an orb of light green energy. Bulbasaur took a second to be surprised at himself as he learned a new move and how easy it came from before when attempting to learn Sludge. "Bulba!"

Bulbasaur then used Vine Whip to grab Golbat and toss him into the incoming Spider Web. Golbat was entaggled in the incoming webs and was slammed into Ariados who was also became stuck. With a roar Bulbasaur released a Sleep Powder that covered the entire hall. The weakened Pokemon who were just barely recovering were sprinkled with the dust and lured back to unconsciousness. The gym leader cursed him as he also slumped agaisnt the floor unable to do anything. Bulbasaur smiled proudly and rushed his way out the gym using the front door.

"How is she?" Catelin said coming back.

"I want to say better, but I think she's gotten worse." Javan said as he was sitting the chair near her.

Since he returned Javan couldn't help tell Keygan had gotten worse. It wasn't a thought, she had. Her breathing was labored and it was clear she wasn't getting enough as they were short. Her fever was clearly flushed across her face and Javan wondered how long it would before it would start to effect her. Or if the toxins slowly running through her body would shut it down before anything else happened. All he could do was sit quietly and wait for a miracle.

"Are you okay?" he asked her seeing her quiet and her jaw trembling.

"I don't know anymore." Catelin answered honestly. "What are we going to do if you know?"

"I don't want to think about that." Javan said. "I still have much to look into with her relationship with her Pokemon and yours. I was prepared for this, but now that it's happened I regret it."

"Regret coming along?"

"A little."

"You?"

"I wish I could say not at all."

Nurse Joy rubbed her eyes. She had been staring at the screen for a little over two hours. She didn't even know if two hours was right. She lost track of time. She had gotten nowhere in analyzing the blood samples and came up with nothing to help that poor trainer. She hated the thought of giving up.

"Saur!"

Nurse Joy turned and looked to the Pokemon crying at her feet. When did it get here? It certainly didn't belong to anyone.

"What are you..." she started to ask but was cut short by what she saw in wrapped in his vines. It couldn't be.

"Saur!" Bulbasaur cried and ran out of the room.

"Hey! Wait!" Nurse Joy cried as she pushed her chair and chased after him. She quickly realized that Bulbasaur had led her to Keygan's room.

"Saur!" Bulbasaur said jumping on the bed and holding out the vile to her.

"What is it doing?" Catelin asked. Both of them jumped in surprise as the Pokemon from their earlier encounters with the gym had appeared out of nowhere with seemingly no reason.

"Is that the antidote?" Javan asked noticing the vile wrapped in vines.

"I think so." Nurse Joy said taking it carefully. She then got out her needed measuring cups. "I would like to test it first, but we don't have time. We're just going to have to hope for the best."

Nurse Joy swiftly administered the antidote as the other watched in suspense.

"When will we know if it's working?" Catelin asked.

"It should be almost immediately." Nurse Joy answered.

"Then what's wrong?" Javan asked urgently. By then it had been 2 minutes. "It can't be."

"No."

"Vul." Vulpix said climbing into the space between her arm and body. She rubbed against her shoulder in a pleading manner. It couldn't be happening. This was a dream. She wanted to burn it the ground and wake up. She wanted this to be a nightmare and wake up to Keygan stroking her fur to calm her.

"Oh Vulpix." Catelin said as she felt sorry for her. Vulpix might not like anyone but her trainer, but it still broke her heart seeing the sassy fire type so emotional.

Vulpix wished she could just feel Keygan's affection once more. Even the smallest amount would be enough. She swore her mind was playing tricks on her as she felt her tail moving as if when Keygan ran her fingers through it.

"Pix?" Vulpix perked up in surprise and turned to look at her tails that were drapped across her hand. She wasn't imagining it. She wasn't dreaming. It was real. She was alive. "Vuuulpix!"

Everyone looked where Vulpix was looking upon hearing the happy cry. Keygan's fingers were entangled in her tails and she softly petted her starter. Keygan wouldn't do that if she wasn't there with them. The antidote worked and everyone thanked the miracle that appeared in form a green grass and poison type.

Catelin cried happy tears as she placed a hand over her mouth hoping to keep from ruining the moment. She would never tell Vulpix but she heard the fire type crying earlier, but upon seeing that and this different side of Vulpix was a true sign of how far she'd come.

"Saur!" Bulbasaur said walking a little closer.

"Pixxx." Vulpix growled.

'And she's back.' Catelin thought.

"You helped me." Keygan said softly to Bulbasaur.

"Saur." Bulbasaur nodded before putting something in her hand.

"What is it?" Catelin asked.

Keygan opened her hand to see a pink badge. It was the Soul Badge that she should have received after defeating Koga.

"It's my badge." Keygan said as she held onto to it tightly. This told none of this was a waste of time and gave her hope for better tomorrow that would burn brightly. She was one step closer to reaching them and able to return to what it once was. "Thank you. How will I ever be able to repay you?"

Bulbasaur then used Vine Whip and unzipped her bag that was sitting draped on the chair. He pulled out a Poke Ball and showed it to her.

Keygan chuckled. In the beginning she offered her hand and now he was offering his. A part of her should feel offended or even say no, but she couldn't. He had risked so much to save her life. Obviously during that time he grew too and no longer held any ill-feelings.

"Welcome to the team." Keygan said taking the ball and tapping agaisnt his forehead instantly engulfing her new Pokemon partner.

AN: That's the end of the chapter! Bulbasaur has joined the team! I made sure I got this done and up before I went to bed for work. I'm going to try to get some others up tomorrow. I hope you enjoyed it and will Review, Favorite, and Follow in the meantime. See ya!