The pasture air hung heavy and metallic, reeking like an enormous battery leaking electrolyte. The stench radiated through the atmosphere, leaving a sharp, poignant sting in Rosa's nose. It was so intense it made the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Literally.

  “It's okay. Easy there. I know it hurts,” Rosa murmured under her breath. She knelt on the grass next to a wheezing Blitzle. The pony-like Pokémon lay on its side, unable to stand, disoriented by a high fever.

  Under normal circumstances, a temperature like this would be treated with a cold rag and fever-reducing medicine. However, this is far from normal.

  Rosa wore thick rubber gloves that rose to her elbows and a heavy rubber apron that draped down to her ankles. Small, erratic discharges of blue static escaped every portion of the Blitzle's body, popping against the air.

  She stroked its mane with one arm and held her other hand against its chest, trying to feel a heartbeat through the layers of insulation.

  “How's the breathing?” Cheren asked, holding a clipboard where electrical tape covered the metal clip to prevent conduction. He was dressed in the same protective attire as Rosa, save for a missing glove on his right hand to grip his pencil.

  “Irregular. Short, with few breaths in-between,” Rosa replied, her training kicking in automatically. “It appears it cannot sustain an electrical charge to keep its energy levels normal.”

  Cheren sighed, the sound heavy in the humid air. He jotted down the report on his clipboard.

  “Same with the Joltik,” Hilbert replied from nearby. He sat next to a cluster of Joltik huddled together. They looked like a ragged, yellow carpet, with tiny fuzzy appendages and eyes dotted throughout the mass.

  Rosa looked over at them. Normally, Bug-type Pokémon would frighten her, triggering a reflex of disgust. But seeing the small, spider-like creatures whimpering and clinging to each other made her heart sink. In fact, all the Electric-types in the pasture radiated a palpable sense of sorrow. The Blitzle lying next to her seemed on the verge of giving up. A group of Emolga were nestled high in a tree, shivering and refusing any human contact. They were stubborn, but mostly terrified. Several Klink and Klang spun their gears in erratic, grinding rhythms, while some weren't spinning at all. In the tank, the Tynamo swam sluggishly, drifting without direction, disoriented and confused.

  Hilda approached the group carrying a box of Oran berries. “How's Blitzle doing?” she asked, setting the crate down beside Rosa. She grabbed a blue berry and held it up to the Pokémon's snout.

  “Not good. Blitzle seems to have taken it the hardest,” Rosa replied. The Blitzle didn't even sniff the fruit. It had hardly noticed it at all.

  Hilda let out a defeated sigh and left the berry on the grass. She stood up, taking the box over to Hilbert and the shivering pile of Joltik.

  “It's alright, Blitzle. You eat when you're ready,” Rosa whispered. She stroked the Pokémon's neck again, trying to offer comfort through the rubber barriers.

  “I don't understand. How could this happen to all these Electric-types?” Rosa asked, standing up and stretching her back. “Professor Juniper said they all came from Chargestone Cave?”

  “Yeah,” Cheren said, adjusting his glasses with the back of his wrist while reviewing his data. “About a month ago, the rangers reported a magnetic anomaly occurring somewhere in the cave. The floating electrical stones just… dropped. Then their instruments showed a spike that rose ten times above the norm. Only a few hours after that did they start seeing Electric Pokémon fleeing the cave, acting sporadically.”

  “But why is it that the Klink and Klang are affected? They're Steel-type, not Electric,” Hilbert pointed out.

  “An excellent observation, Hilbert,” came the voice of Professor Juniper.

  The team turned to see the Professor arriving at the pasture. With her was Mr. Orens, the lead director of the Pokémon Pastures, and Ms. Gabby, Juniper’s research assistant and colleague.

  “While, yes, Klink, Klang, and their evolution Klinklang are not technically Electric-type Pokémon, they use electromagnetism in their bodies to help them spin the gears needed to sustain their life force,” Juniper explained, her eyes lighting up with academic interest. “A perfect example of a Pokémon undergoing convergent adaptation over the last century…” She trailed off, engaging her brain in something not related to the crisis at hand. “But that's a topic for another day.”

  “And knowing that information can help us narrow down the type of phenomena that caused this incident,” Ms. Gabby said, skillfully steering the conversation back to the sick patients.

  “According to the ranger's report,” Cheren began, nose still buried in his sheets, “it was a centralized event, ruling out anything external like a solar flare. They say it felt ‘artificial,’ like an EMP blast or a frequency jammer.”

  “The result caused the magnetic polarity in the Pokémon's bodies to reverse. They can't regulate their own electricity, so they are discharging it until they faint,” Professor Juniper said. She knelt next to Blitzle and observed it cautiously, keeping clear of the sparks snapping off its coat.

  “So, these poor Pokémon were just caught in the crossfire,” Rosa said, her voice thick with sympathy.

  “Precisely,” Mr. Orens said gravely. “The Pokémon Center in Mistralton handled the first wave. But it quickly became overrun with more and more patients. They reached out to our pastures pleading for help.”

  “Which we happily agreed to,” Juniper said. “It was a lot to get these Pokémon here safely without worsening their conditions. I am extremely grateful for everyone's help.” She looked at her team. They were tired, sweaty, and spread thin, but their resolve was visible. “Really, I could not ask for a better group of young Trainers,” she said sincerely.

  “Anything for you, Professor!” Hilda grinned, giving a thumbs-up.

  “Cheren, do you have any update on the Mareep wool?” Ms. Gabby interjected. She tapped her foot onto the grass, as if the motion would give her the answer she wanted.

  “Not yet. The delivery is still scheduled for this afternoon. Should be here any minute now,” Cheren replied.

  Ms. Gabby sighed and adjusted the pin that kept her dark red hair neatly tied in a bun. “Very well. Until then, Professor, I will continue to look for an explanation for…” She glanced out at the pasture, taking in the tragic scene of sparks and shivering bodies. “All of this,” she concluded, before departing back toward the lab.

  “I'm sure once the wool gets here, the Pokémon will recover much better,” Mr. Orens stated. “Especially this ‘un,” he added, looking down at Blitzle.

  Poor Blitzle. What would Mom do?

  “I hope so, too,” Rosa said, turning back to the sick Pokémon. “Mr. Orens, how exactly will the Mareep wool help Blitzle?”

  Before he could answer, a loud honk echoed from the main gate.

  “Finally, it sounds like the delivery is here!” Hilda exclaimed.

  “Better to show you than explain to you,” Mr. Orens said to Rosa.

  The team, along with Juniper and Mr. Orens, jogged across the pasture to let the delivery truck in. The vehicle rumbled up the main driveway and parked with a hiss of air brakes. The driver remained in the cab while another man hopped out of the passenger seat and began unloading crates.

  “Sign here,” the driver grunted, handing a clipboard out the window to Mr. Orens.

  Hilbert and Cheren grabbed crowbars from a nearby toolshed and started prying open the wood. Inside was a mass of cream-colored wool that was packed tightly into the crates.

  “‘Floccesy Ranch’,” Hilda read aloud, inspecting the stamp on the side of a crate.

  “Courtesy of Nate and Hugh,” Cheren said, looking through the crates.

  “You mean the guys Bianca is picking up?” Hilbert asked, leaning on his crowbar.

  “You mean your new team members, Bert?” Hilda teased.

  Hilbert stuck his tongue out at Hilda which she returned the gesture immediately.

  They really got us all this wool? They must be superstars.

  “This is really high-quality wool,” Mr. Orens said, running a hand over the fleece. “Specifically treated to be non-conductive on the outside, but absorbent on the inside.”

  “Wait,” Rosa said. She looked back at the Blitzle lying still, the Joltik huddled together, and the Emolga cloaking themselves in their wings. “We're going to wrap them up in the wool?”

  "Exactly," Juniper nodded. "The wool creates a grounding effect. It’ll absorb the excess static discharge and keep them warm, allowing their internal magnetic polarity to stabilize naturally without shocking them further."

  Rosa’s eyes lit up. It was a holistic remedy. No needles, no machines. Just natural biology at its core.

  "Well, don't just stand there!" Hilda grabbed a bundle of wool. "Let's turn these static-bombs into fluffy burritos!"

  The team quickly moved the unpacked wool to the pasture.

  “How are we going to manage all this? It's thick and pudgy, hardly any good for wrapping,” Hilbert noted, fiddling with a dense clump.

  He's right. I can barely fold it, much less make bandages and blankets.

  “Hmm, I think I have a solution,” Cheren said thoughtfully. He reached for a Poké Ball. “Help us out, Leavanny!”

  With a flash of light, the tall insectoid Pokémon appeared. Its sharp leaf-arms gleamed in the sunlight.

  “Leavanny are known to weave clothing out of silk. Maybe it can help slice the wool to make it more malleable. You want to give it a shot, Leavanny?”

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Leavanny nodded sharply. Hilbert offered a clump of Mareep wool. After a short inspection, Leavanny used its leaves to slice and puff out smaller bits of wool with surgical precision. Rosa grabbed a piece. She could stretch and bend the cut material with ease.

  “Worked like a charm! Thanks, Leavanny!” Rosa said.

  “Who knew Cheren's dorkiness would come in handy,” Hilda smirked.

  Cheren closed his eyes and sighed, rubbing his temples. “Just make sure the Pokémon are taken care of, okay?”

  “You got it, boss!” Hilda replied.

  The next several hours were a blur of motion. Leavanny cut and softened the wool, Cheren and Hilbert ran supplies back and forth, and Hilda and Rosa tended to the patients. Rosa, naturally, took control of the triage.

  "No, Hilda, not that tight. You'll constrict its breathing," Rosa instructed, adjusting the wool around Blitzle's leg. "You have to layer it. Cross-hatch pattern. It maximizes the insulation."

  "Aye aye, Captain," Hilda teased, but she followed Rosa’s instructions perfectly.

  "Cheren, make sure the Tynamo are kept moist even in the wool. Use the spray bottle every five minutes," Rosa directed, not even looking up as she bandaged a Klink's gears.

  Snivy was helping too. She used her Vine Whip to gently hold the Pokémon still while Rosa worked. She moved with a grace that matched Rosa’s precision.

  "You're pretty good at this, you know," Hilbert said, wiping sweat from his forehead.

  "At what?" Rosa asked, focusing on a particularly sparky Joltik.

  "Being a doctor," Hilbert grinned.

  Rosa stiffened. "I'm not being a doctor. I'm just… helping."

  "You're checking vitals, triaging patients based on severity, and administering treatment," Cheren noted from the side. "Sounds like medicine to me."

  "It's different," Rosa insisted, tying off the final knot of wool on the Joltik. The Bug Pokémon immediately stopped shivering and snuggled into the soft fleece, letting out a contented coo.

  “Hilbert, take the rest of the Joltik and wrap them just like how I did this one.”

  “Absolutely, Dr. Whitley,” Hilbert said in a deep, theatrical tone.

  Rosa smiled at the reaction despite herself. "Doctors treat 'patients.' They fix 'problems.' I'm just helping them feel safe."

  "Whatever you say, Doc," Hilda laughed, throwing a ball of wool at Rosa.

  Rosa caught it, rolling her eyes. "Shut up, Hilda."

  But she couldn't help but smile. Looking around the pasture, the scene had changed. Instead of shivering, frightened Pokémon, the field was now dotted with fluffy, cream-colored bundles. The erratic popping of static had been replaced by the soft rustle of wool and the peaceful breathing of resting Pokémon.

  "This wool is a lifesaver," Rosa said, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. "Bianca said Nate and Hugh got this?"

  "Yeah," Cheren said, checking his phone. "Apparently, they sheared it themselves right as Professor Juniper ordered it."

  "Well," Rosa patted the sleeping Joltik. "They did a good job. I guess I owe them a thank you when they get here."

  "Speaking of which," Cheren frowned at his screen. "Bianca just texted. They missed the ferry in Virbank."

  "Classic," Hilbert laughed. "Are they swimming over?"

  "No," Cheren’s eyebrows shot up. "Apparently, they challenged the Virbank Gym Leader for a ride on her ship. And won."

  "Whoa," Hilda whistled. "Bold strategy."

  Rosa looked at the wool in her hands, then at the healed Pokémon.

  Nate and Hugh. They sheared the wool that saved these Pokémon, and now they were battling Gym Leaders just to reach the University on time?

  She stroked Snivy’s head. "Sounds like they're going to be very interesting, Snivy."

  Snivy gave a haughty sniff, but curled its tail in amusement.

  Rosa looked over to Blitzle, who was now emitting soft neighs instead of wheezes.

  “Blitzle seems to be doing better now,” she said to herself.

  She crouched next to the Pokémon, Snivy following in her footsteps. Rosa studied Blitzle's face. Its eyes were shut, but its breathing was steady. She felt its chest again and detected the rhythmic rise and fall of its lungs.

  “Yup, definitely better!” She smiled at Snivy. Snivy let out a soft cheer.

  Blitzle's eyes fluttered open. Its first sight was the small Grass-type Pokémon staring deeply at it. In an instant, Blitzle scrambled to its feet, causing Snivy to retreat backward, stumbling over her own tail.

  Rosa, startled by the sudden commotion, grabbed Blitzle by the sides, her thick rubber gloves gripping the wool.

  “Whoa! Easy Blitzle, easy. Shhh, shhh,” she soothed. She patted Blitzle's side rhythmically until the horse Pokémon calmed down.

  Snivy, using Vine Whip, grabbed the Oran berry Hilda had left on the ground earlier and offered it to Blitzle's snout. With a cautious sniff, Blitzle took a bite, then gobbled the rest down whole.

  “I'd say Blitzle is doing better than okay,” Hilda said triumphantly. “How's the wool sweater working for you, Blitzle? I hope I didn't tie it too tight.”

  Blitzle ignored Hilda, nosing the ground for more food.

  “Definitely hungry. That's for sure,” Rosa said, grabbing more Oran berries from the crate nearby. “Here you go, don't be shy.”

  She offered the Pokémon more berries, and it happily ate them all.

  “Well, I'm glad Blitzle's okay, but the Emolga are still refusing treatment,” Hilda stated, hands on her hips. “Bert! Status report on the Emolga!”

  “Still up in the tree, Da!” Hilbert shouted back, finishing the wrap on the last Joltik.

  “Figures,” Hilda muttered.

  “We could try coaxing them out with berries?” Rosa suggested.

  “I already tried that. Any ideas, Mr. Smartypants?” Hilda asked, turning to Cheren.

  “Maybe if we show them how Blitzle is doing with its new wool sweater, they might come down for one of their own,” Cheren said, scratching his head.

  “That's… a stretch. But screw it, we'll give it a shot. How many do we need, three?”

  “Yup, there are three Emolga on the pasture,” Cheren said, double-checking his data sheet.

  “Well, I better get working then.”

  Rosa spent the next several minutes walking among the recovering patients. The Klink and Klang had started to rotate at a much smoother pace, finally syncing in one direction. The Joltik were walking through the grass on their own without needing to bundle together, and the Tynamo were kept damp per Rosa's instruction. Blitzle walked alongside Rosa happily while she continuously fed it berries to help recover its strength. It felt so content that it even let Snivy hitch a ride on its back.

  “Okay, that's the last one,” Hilda remarked, holding up a freshly knitted wool sweater.

  “That was quick,” Hilbert replied. A particularly affectionate Joltik had clung to Hilbert's stomach as a ‘thank you,’ but he didn't seem to mind.

  “I had Leavanny help me knit. Using its silk made this a lot easier. Are you ready to wrap these little furballs, Rosa?” Hilda asked.

  “Let's get moving.”

  They walked to the oak tree where the Emolga were hiding. “Hey! Emolga! We've got little sweaters for you!” Hilda yelled up at the branches.

  “Look how they helped Blitzle!” Rosa added, gesturing to the healthy Pokémon beside her. “If you come down from there, you will get better just like Blitzle did!”

  One particularly curious Emolga popped its head from the leaves. Its eyes were droopy and red, clearly feverish. It stared down at Hilda and the sweater in her hands.

  “I see you up there!” Hilda called to the curious Pokémon. “It's okay, this one is for you! It'll heal you.”

  The Emolga took a step closer, its body protruding from the safety of the leaves. The other two Emolga popped their heads out to watch.

  “That's it, a little more,” Hilda encouraged.

  The Emolga took one more step, but the branch it stood on snapped with a dry crack. The Emolga came crashing down, its arm-wings spreading in a desperate attempt to glide, but it was too weak to catch the air.

  “Oh no!” Hilda darted forward, dropping the sweaters. Before the Emolga could strike the hard ground, Hilda caught it, cradling it close to her chest. The Pokémon cowered in fear, covering its face with its wings.

  “Hey, hey. It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you,” Hilda said in a hushed tone. She knelt, picked up a sweater, and brushed off a few specks of dirt. Gently, she wrapped the Emolga up and pressed it against her body warmth.

  “There, there. Does that feel better?” she asked.

  The Emolga cuddled into Hilda's embrace, giving a weak sigh that sounded more like relief than defeat.

  “You're really gentle with Emolga, Hilda. I'm impressed!” Rosa said softly.

  “Hey, I have a soft spot! It just doesn't come out often. Does it, Emolga?” she cooed, her voice shifting to baby talk.

  The Emolga didn't respond, just rested in her arms.

  Rosa looked up at the remaining two in the tree. “You see? We just want to help.”

  The two Emolga looked at each other, then carefully climbed down the trunk, meeting Rosa to receive their own sweaters.

  With the Emolga treated, the crisis in the pasture began to settle. The team made beds with the remaining wool so the Pokémon could recover overnight.

  Mr. Orens approached the group as they finished.

  “I must say, I am very impressed with all the fine work you've done,” he stated.

  “It's our job to help out the Professor anyway we can,” Cheren said, wiping his glasses.

  “Indeed. I hate to ask it, but I need your help with one more task,” Mr. Orens said, his tone shifting from grateful to pleading.

  “Anything, sir. What do you need?”

  “It's just…there is one more Pokémon that needs treatment. I have it locked in a specialized compartment in the lab. It is acting quite ferociously and is not responding to any of our attempts to help it.”

  “We can try. We got the Emolga to trust us, maybe we'll be able to do the same with this one,” Rosa said optimistically.

  “I will warn you, this Pokémon is dangerous and not like any of the Emolga here. But if you can, please try to treat it. And be careful.”

  Cheren and Rosa followed Mr. Orens to the lab while Hilda and Hilbert remained in the pasture to watch over the recovering Pokémon. Upon entering the facility, Professor Juniper and Ms. Gabby escorted them to a secure room. Behind a reinforced glass wall stood a small yellow Pokémon with black stripes and plug-like protrusions on its head.

  Sparks violently arced from its body. Its eyes were bloodshot red, filled with unadulterated rage.

  “An Elekid?” Cheren asked.

  “We've tried everything to sedate it. But I'm afraid it has become resilient to our tranquilizers. Any more attempts and it might overdose,” Ms. Gabby explained.

  “But why is Elekid so enraged?” Rosa asked.

  “We're not sure. But whatever the reason, it's suffering just like the others,” Juniper stated.

  “If you can, please try to calm Elekid and wrap it with wool,” Mr. Orens said.

  “I'll do it,” Rosa volunteered immediately.

  “Rosa, are you sure?” Cheren looked at her nervously.

  “I am the best at getting the wool on the Pokémon. I can do it, Cheren,” she said, meeting his gaze.

  “Alright. I trust you.”

  For safety, Rosa dressed in a heavy-duty electrical suit, layering even thicker gloves than before. She lowered a face shield and zipped up coveralls that protected every inch of her skin. The rubber-sealed door hissed as she breached the containment boundary.

  As she entered, Elekid snapped its head toward her.

  Rosa stood firm, the wool clutched in her hand.

  “Elekid, it's okay…” she started.

  Elekid didn't process her words. It tucked its head, the intensity of the sparks ramping up into a blinding white noise. It charged.

  Before she had time to react, Elekid launched itself, striking her face shield with a concussive crack. The shield flew off her head. Rosa fell backward from the impact, her face now exposed to the vicious sparks flying through the containment cell.

  A beam of electricity crackled, flying straight toward her. She threw her hands up, shielding her face with the thick rubber gloves. When she lowered them, she saw the enraged Elekid standing over her, towering despite its size, electricity buzzing like a swarm of angry Beedril.

  Before she could process the danger, the containment door hissed open. Cheren’s hand gripped Rosa's shoulder so tightly it bruised. He yanked her backward in one swift motion.

  She tumbled out of the room, and the heavy door slammed shut, sealing Elekid inside.

  “I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!” Rosa pleaded, dropping to her knees. She knew she had failed.

  Juniper walked over and placed a hand on Rosa’s shoulder.

  Rosa looked up with teary eyes. She felt stupid for crying, but the weight of failure pressed down on her.

  “No, Rosa, I'm sorry. I should have never put you in danger. That was a mistake I will not make again,” Juniper said, her voice trembling slightly.

  Rosa wiped her eyes with her thick rubber gloves, smudging the tears against the material.

  “What then? What'll we do about Elekid if it won't let us treat it?” Cheren asked, still catching his breath from the rescue.

  Juniper sighed, looking through the glass at the raging Pokémon. “I don't know. I don’t have an answer.”