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Description
"A-choo!" A young Riolu sneezed violently.

"Vincent, you OK buddy?" A Toxicroak asked, worried about his little friend.

"I'm fine Rupert, nothing to worry about" The Riolu managed a smile, just to be instantly interrupted by another sneeze. Both of them knew it was a lie, the young Riolu lied in a bed, his head deep red burning in fever.

"Here, blow" an Infernape handed him a tissue as she pressed it against his nose.

Vincent did as he was told before taking the tissue of her hand "Thank you Veru- A-choo!" Before being able to do something about it he sneezed right into her hand "I'm sorry" He apologized in a frail tone before turning away in shame.

The Infernape took her hand away and reached for yet another tissue "Don't worry Vincent, it wasn't your fault" She said as she wiped of her paw. Now if this had happened any other time she would have yelled at him and get out of the room in order to properly wash her paw, yet just couldn't remain angry with the little Riolu when she saw him like this "*Sigh* Blame it on me for the 'bright' idea of playing on the rain"

"Don't be that hard on yourself Veruka, you didn't meant to-" However, before Vincent could even finish the door opened, revealing a shiny pink Bunneary slowly entering the room, a look of guilt on her face.

"Vincent... Just came to see... How are you doing?" The Bunneary asked trough a grimace as she got closer to the bed.

"I guess I'm doing a bit better" Vincent managed a rather weak but sincere smile towards her, yet his actions betrayed his words as he burst out into another sneeze.

"Yeah, hoped so..." The Bunneary started as she faked a smile, but it wasn't long before her facade was revealed as she burst into tears "I-I'm so sorry Vincent, I didn't mean for you to end up like this" She spoke in between sobs as she buried her head into the blankets.

Vincent wasn't feeling good for a start and now was feeling terrible. Not sure about how to react he simply reached out a paw for her "Cotton, really, it's OK. It wasn't your fault, you were just trying out that Rain Dance"

"I know *Sniff* but I should have been more careful, I didn't want you to get sick" She managed to say in-between her sobbing.

The Riolu was out of words at this; sure, she could have been more careful with it but maybe the fact that neither him, Veruka or Rupert had seek for shelter and decided to remain outside when the rain started could have something to do with it too. A small chuckle came to him as he remembered this, Veruka looked so funny when soaking wet. It was only until he heard another sniffle that he snapped back to reality.

"I'm serious Cotton, it wasn't even your fault"

"He's got a point" Intertwined Veruka "It was mine, I should have told him to get inside; same goes for Rupert, it was my fault as a leader"

"Oh come on Veruka, no one is blaming you. We did have some fun out there, right Vincent?" Rupert added in almost a chuckle; however, this barely lasted a moment since he remembered Vincent's current condition.

Seeing the silence that invaded to room at the mention of his name, Vincent decided to do something about it "Well, I must admit I-"

"Guys! Master is calling for you, dinner is ready" A Raichu stepped into the room "So, how are you doing Vincent? Want me to ask Master to bring yours here?"

"No thanks Ross, I'm not hungry at all" He replied as he dropped into the bed once more.

"Alright, just let me know if you change your mind" Ross added as he stepped out of the room. He was shortly followed by Cotton and then by Rupert.

Only Veruka remained for a moment "I'm off to take a bite, try to have some rest for the while OK?"

Vincent simply nodded at her as he curled himself into the bed and saw her leave. However, it didn't took him long to begin feeling lonely.

It wasn't their fault though, Veruka and Rupert had made him company almost all day, and had even skipped lunch to remain with him; he understood they needed some rest, and maybe he did too.

He left out a long sigh, closed his eyes and tried to embrace sleep. As he did so he became lost into his own thoughts, and out of them one kept on troubling him: Why had it only been him the one that got sick during the rain?

The more he gave thought on it, the clearer the answer became: It was perhaps he was too young.

What seemed like a distant thought at first kept making more sense as it came back to him: Both Rupert and Veruka could resist a lot more than him both in and out of battle for they were both, unlike him, evolved. And as well, they had evolved already and he hadn't for the very same reason: they were older than him.

As the thought came on deeper, without realizing it he sulked as a grimace crossed his face and curled even tighter.

It was the very same reason he was a shame of a Riolu being unable to even sense Aura, the same reason no one ever took him seriously; the same reason Veruka would never feel for him what he felt for her.

Veruka... Now that he thought of it, it was ridiculous to even keep trying. She had seen him hatch for crying out loud, and back then she wasn't even that young. There was no way she felt the same way for him, at most she saw him as an annoying little brother, and would never be more that that.

The room eventually began to feel colder; he wrapped the blankets even tighter around him but it seemed to make no difference at all. He tossed and turned, trying to get the thought out of his mind, but by doing so he was only overwhelmed by his own mind and the coldness all around him...

Then, all of a sudden, he felt a familiar warm sensation. It was only after he felt an arm around him that he realized. Surprised by this he turned his head to see a familiar light lying next to him that somehow made him feel... safe "Veruka?" He asked a bit shocked.

"I'm not even hungry anyway" She said as she lied down right next to him. A goofy smile invaded Vincent's face as she did so, one that didn't go unnoticed by Veruka, who couldn't help but smile as well "So, feeling better?"

"A bit" He replied sincerely as his eyes slowly drifted into a peaceful slumber.

Description
"A-choo!" A young Riolu sneezed violently.

"Vincent, you OK buddy?" A Toxicroak asked, worried about his little friend.

"I'm fine Rupert, nothing to worry about" The Riolu managed a smile, just to be instantly interrupted by another sneeze. Both of them knew it was a lie, the young Riolu lied in a bed, his head deep red burning in fever.

"Here, blow" an Infernape handed him a tissue as she pressed it against his nose.

Vincent did as he was told before taking the tissue of her hand "Thank you Veru- A-choo!" Before being able to do something about it he sneezed right into her hand "I'm sorry" He apologized in a frail tone before turning away in shame.

The Infernape took her hand away and reached for yet another tissue "Don't worry Vincent, it wasn't your fault" She said as she wiped of her paw. Now if this had happened any other time she would have yelled at him and get out of the room in order to properly wash her paw, yet just couldn't remain angry with the little Riolu when she saw him like this "*Sigh* Blame it on me for the 'bright' idea of playing on the rain"

"Don't be that hard on yourself Veruka, you didn't meant to-" However, before Vincent could even finish the door opened, revealing a shiny pink Bunneary slowly entering the room, a look of guilt on her face.

"Vincent... Just came to see... How are you doing?" The Bunneary asked trough a grimace as she got closer to the bed.

"I guess I'm doing a bit better" Vincent managed a rather weak but sincere smile towards her, yet his actions betrayed his words as he burst out into another sneeze.

"Yeah, hoped so..." The Bunneary started as she faked a smile, but it wasn't long before her facade was revealed as she burst into tears "I-I'm so sorry Vincent, I didn't mean for you to end up like this" She spoke in between sobs as she buried her head into the blankets.

Vincent wasn't feeling good for a start and now was feeling terrible. Not sure about how to react he simply reached out a paw for her "Cotton, really, it's OK. It wasn't your fault, you were just trying out that Rain Dance"

"I know *Sniff* but I should have been more careful, I didn't want you to get sick" She managed to say in-between her sobbing.

The Riolu was out of words at this; sure, she could have been more careful with it but maybe the fact that neither him, Veruka or Rupert had seek for shelter and decided to remain outside when the rain started could have something to do with it too. A small chuckle came to him as he remembered this, Veruka looked so funny when soaking wet. It was only until he heard another sniffle that he snapped back to reality.

"I'm serious Cotton, it wasn't even your fault"

"He's got a point" Intertwined Veruka "It was mine, I should have told him to get inside; same goes for Rupert, it was my fault as a leader"

"Oh come on Veruka, no one is blaming you. We did have some fun out there, right Vincent?" Rupert added in almost a chuckle; however, this barely lasted a moment since he remembered Vincent's current condition.

Seeing the silence that invaded to room at the mention of his name, Vincent decided to do something about it "Well, I must admit I-"

"Guys! Master is calling for you, dinner is ready" A Raichu stepped into the room "So, how are you doing Vincent? Want me to ask Master to bring yours here?"

"No thanks Ross, I'm not hungry at all" He replied as he dropped into the bed once more.

"Alright, just let me know if you change your mind" Ross added as he stepped out of the room. He was shortly followed by Cotton and then by Rupert.

Only Veruka remained for a moment "I'm off to take a bite, try to have some rest for the while OK?"

Vincent simply nodded at her as he curled himself into the bed and saw her leave. However, it didn't took him long to begin feeling lonely.

It wasn't their fault though, Veruka and Rupert had made him company almost all day, and had even skipped lunch to remain with him; he understood they needed some rest, and maybe he did too.

He left out a long sigh, closed his eyes and tried to embrace sleep. As he did so he became lost into his own thoughts, and out of them one kept on troubling him: Why had it only been him the one that got sick during the rain?

The more he gave thought on it, the clearer the answer became: It was perhaps he was too young.

What seemed like a distant thought at first kept making more sense as it came back to him: Both Rupert and Veruka could resist a lot more than him both in and out of battle for they were both, unlike him, evolved. And as well, they had evolved already and he hadn't for the very same reason: they were older than him.

As the thought came on deeper, without realizing it he sulked as a grimace crossed his face and curled even tighter.

It was the very same reason he was a shame of a Riolu being unable to even sense Aura, the same reason no one ever took him seriously; the same reason Veruka would never feel for him what he felt for her.

Veruka... Now that he thought of it, it was ridiculous to even keep trying. She had seen him hatch for crying out loud, and back then she wasn't even that young. There was no way she felt the same way for him, at most she saw him as an annoying little brother, and would never be more that that.

The room eventually began to feel colder; he wrapped the blankets even tighter around him but it seemed to make no difference at all. He tossed and turned, trying to get the thought out of his mind, but by doing so he was only overwhelmed by his own mind and the coldness all around him...

Then, all of a sudden, he felt a familiar warm sensation. It was only after he felt an arm around him that he realized. Surprised by this he turned his head to see a familiar light lying next to him that somehow made him feel... safe "Veruka?" He asked a bit shocked.

"I'm not even hungry anyway" She said as she lied down right next to him. A goofy smile invaded Vincent's face as she did so, one that didn't go unnoticed by Veruka, who couldn't help but smile as well "So, feeling better?"

"A bit" He replied sincerely as his eyes slowly drifted into a peaceful slumber.