Oneiromancy Is The Loneliest Number (Thel)

"I must be losing my touch... The dosage will need to be increased.". There is a scraping sound from deep behind Patience's ears, somewhere in her body cavity, followed by a sickening crunch. Despite the numbness pain shoots through everything. Patience takes three injuries.

Wellbeing rouses, just in time to see the Charge Beam coming, lancing along his body with destructive results. (CRITICAL HIT - 103 Electric Special, and SpA +1)

"Hhh! Damnable vermin!". The trainer removes her tools from Patience as she is knocked clear of the blast by Vikavolt. "This is progress! A little pain is nothing in the face of innovation!". (Vikavolt intercepts as its action.)

Joy steps up to the table and begins to assess the injured bug. "It's going to be okay little girl. Just have to get you out of here."

D/C clicks angrily, having to land with singed wings, maw opening wide. A beam of blue laced yellow light filling the space, evaporating the lab table under Patience and narrowly missing both Joy and Wellbeing, opening a hole to a Pokemon center lobby.

(Zap Cannon misses, Vikavolt takes an injury.)

The little bug can move her legs again, no longer completely helpless. Still, sore... But the window of escape fills her with strength.

Pained yells and angry buzzing fade away behind the wall of the center as the scene shifts and flows. There's a procedure, then recovery. Patience sits, human once more, in a hospital bed, her brother at her side. She can't place his name, or even truly recall his face.

Then to therapy. Upright between parallel bars, like learning to walk again, a metal box fused with her lower spine pinned close by a sling over either shoulder to keep it from moving much. Wellbeing watches silently nearby, Joy is close at hand. Her brother at the end of he short path.

"Come on Patience, just a few more steps. We're here for you.". He encourages, holding a hand out to her.

There's a jolt with that action, that embrace. An intimate parting of ways as Thel resurfaced, Patience's brother taking on his features properly. Patience no longer so terrified she couldn't expose herself to the world without a guardian at hand. Her clear eyes searched his for a moment, and she wiped at them.

Here in the dream at least, she was whole. "Thel... I...". She buried her face in his neck. The nightmarish fog rolled against the windows of the center, but this place seemed to be safe at least. Shielded by good memories and fond friends.

"I don't know.". She murmured against him, her fingers laced behind his back. "If you can... If you would... I know you said it wasn't my fault but if I had done better maybe she wouldn't have turned out like this. I'm scared if you see, I'll lose you. You'll... You'll...". The doors to the center lock, rather loudly, and the windows shutter themselves.

"What if I can't be brave like you want me to be? If I just... become a weight around you neck and keep you in one spot?". In a rolling wave,the front wall shifted from open windows and a massive sliding door to stone walls and a singular safe door. "I don't want to be taken away, or have you taken away from me either...". Patience looks as though she might be ill at any moment, plaster walls a much thicker stone now.

"I love you Thel... I hope this doesn't end up being goodbye, but I'll show you what came after...". The handle on the safe spun, and it squealed open on rusted hinges. Patience's darkest secrets and that roiling cloud bubbling into the room.

The memories rolled by in waves, buffeting Thel with a storm of inner conflict. Guilt, self-loathing, pain at first both physical and emotional. It all gave way to an almost pleasant numbness. Patience binding humans or Pokemon for experiments, spying willfully to find moments of weakness. Shown little kindnesses rarely and coming to love the girl that had tortured her so.

Her pain drove the boy to a knee, her confusion ripped at him, but his convictions were strong, and his word honest. When at last all had been laid bare, there was just Patience, looking very small. Her chin rested on her chest, and she watched Thel from under her bangs.

She ran to him then, threw her arms around Thel and leapt into his arms as though she were still a handful of less. "Does that mean I can stay with you and Em when things settle down?". She asked brightly, a hopeful sparkle in her eyes. "I could help look after your kids... And learn how to fix the stove when it breaks so you can cook. I'll even keep things tidy!"