It was short notice, but she was literally the only one in the region qualified to fix this mess. After all, it had been her company that had provided the machinery to the Lilycove Regional Medical Center, but as the local IT staff had wanted to alter the interior ever so slightly to accommodate a patient in-then critical condition, had messed up the wiring, causing the internal hardware to crash. They'd tried contacting Volta HQ but much to their dismay, the issue was deemed too big to fix remotely. Someone had to come fix it by hand, and the soonest they could send someone of their own tech department over from Unova to do so would take a week at the very least.

So instead, like a reoccuring thing, they'd asked Brynn to go and see if she could check on things and potentially come up with a solution. Even though she could've used the vacation she'd actually was supposed to be on more than ever. Yet it had never been in her nature to turn down a request, and as such, she'd signed in on the hospital's guest list early morning. Since then, she's been working non-stop on rerouting the entire hardware and checking for any other malfunctions.

One of the nurses currently on break had joined her, chatting away about how busy the hospital had gotten recently. Yet, when the Unovan asked why they'd tried to alter the machine, the true reasoning came to light. A Pyroar had gotten critically injured, having drifted between life and death for far longer than they'd bargained for, and the alterations had been made hoping it would aid the large feline pokémon in speeding up its recovery. The Unovan perked. Although her career had taken a more technical turn, she'd still gotten her medical degree, which were crucial in resetting the machine. If it were to be used for a specific case, it would help her in knowing what exactly she was helping to treat.

"Would it be possible to see the patient in question?"

Although her involvement needed consent from the treating doctors and the Pyroar's trainer first and foremost, they'd allowed her to watch the Pyroar from behind the protective glass windows of his ICU room. She'd been shocked by the extensive damage, but in the end had not left for what should've been an hour now, mulling over all the potential ways she could help the poor thing if it survived its surgeries. Her guest badge was visible upon her chest, but she did not wear any attire that one would suspect from attending hospital personnel; not until she got the consent one of Aslan's attending doctors had set out on to get from Josh Devlin.

They'd brought the gymleader to her, in a small conference room closest to Aslan's ICU, only explaining the situation only briefly, and leaving Brynn to relay the rest.

"Mr. Devlin? Thank you for coming here, I doubt you'd like to stay parted from your Pyroar any longer than necessary." she started, extending her hand. "Brynnhildr Erling, nice to meet you. Though I'd wished it'd been in better circumstances, I'll not beat around the bush and get straight to the point," she said, eyes serious. For one she was glad that her work-minded focus completely overwrote her troubled mindset when she was on the job, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to stay this serious. "The hospital called for my help in regards to equipment that will be used on your Pyroar if his surgeries are successful. The issue however is that this will require my presence and expertise on the matter, for which we need your written consent; as I am not affiliated with any hospital at this point. However, your attending doctors have deemed it will increase the odds of your pokémon regaining a better condition of life if I were to be involved."


Josh Devlin

There were a few tears dripping down Josh's cheek as he was escorted to Brynnhildr Erling 's conference room. He sniffed a couple of times after she introduced herself, shaking his head to try to regain his composure. Aslan was one of Josh's favorite Pokémon. There truly was nothing like riding on a Pyroar; he had even caught Simba, a second Pyroar, to cope with the temporary loss of the fire-type. The powerful strides, bouncy gait, and high speeds got Josh's blood pumping like few of his other Pokémon did.

"That's me. Elite Ranger Devlin or Gym Leader Devlin, but you can call me Josh. Is Brynn okay?" he asked. Either way, he was relieved the technician was in as much of a hurry as he was to get down to business. "Oh, absolutely. It's honestly a miracle he's even alive." He went on to describe the gruesome injuries that Aslan had suffered at the hands of the Deoxys' METEOR BEAM that day the duo had fought on the surface of 99943 METENO. "I have Simba, another Pyroar I'm raising in the interim, but he's no replacement for Aslan. Aslan was one of the first Pokémon I caught when I was young. I've had him for ten... no, eleven... years now."

If Brynn had slid him the necessary paperwork, Josh would skim it before signing off on written consent. "There really is nothing like riding on a Pyroar. Their fierce loyalty makes them surprisingly obedient despite being big cats. Most large felines that are big enough to carry a human are fickle. I wonder what his chances are that he'll be able to race again?" he mused, thinking about what kind of rehab the lion would have to go through to get back in that condition.

The paperwork she'd given the elite ranger was returned to her rather quickly, which only drove home the fact that this Pyroar was far closer to the man than most other of his pokémon; a hunch she had, seeing how she herself had reacted when she'd lost her partners months prior. She smiled empathically and put the paperwork to the side, so she could take it to administration later on and finalize the details regarding her temporary employment. She'd be assigned to Aslan's case, and Aslan's case only, lest someone wished to hire her services as well.

"I know very well your pain, Josh. Yet you've been fortunate enough to have Aslan survive his wounds up until now-- he's a fighter, I can tell." she replied, listening to the man and his stories. She'd never owned a Pyroar; encountered a few in the past, yes, but not like this. They'd been wild ones, and needed a wholely different approach than those owned by trainers.

"Although his surgeries are tricky, I'm quite certain he'll pull through if he remains as tenacious as he has been up until now." Brynnhildr said, checking the files she'd been handed regarding the Pyroar's injuries; saying the surgeries were tricky were probably a major understatement. "I'll have to level with you here, though. Officially I'm here as a representative of Volta Inc; we specialize in machinery and equipment that aid in the rehabilitation of both human and 'mon, and the machine they had intended for your Pyroar was meant to be altered-- expect they messed up. Back in Unova I'm the head of production and helped design these machines; which means I have both the technical knowledge, but also the medical background for these kinds of situations."

She just wanted to get across that aside from knowing how to handle the machinery and so on, she also had the medical know-how and education to be allowed to handle the patients working with these machines. That she was more than just a technician with a business degree. Not a full-fledged doctor, but more than knowledgable, at the very least.

"Once Aslan's recovered sufficiantly, I would like to start treatment to strengthen his muscles again. Only once he's done that can we hope to start his actual rehabilitation on walking, and eventually running. But whether he'll ever be able to be ridden again solely depends on his own willpower to get that far." Her tone was serious, nearly spelling out that she would not allow any pushing to increase its limits. "We'll take things slowly, and if things pan out right, he will be running again in the long run. But you'll have to be careful that he doesn't overdo it; aside from the prosthetics, his muscles too will never be what they once were, and those liabilities will have to be taken into account even if he makes a full recovery."

The next, she spoke silently.

"If he ever relapses, chances are he'll never walk again." A sad, but harsh truth.



Josh Devlin

Pyroar were a strong, determined species. There were far faster fire-types, out there; an Arcanine or Rapidash could easily outrun a Pyroar. That wasn't why he chose Aslan to be his A-team's Fire-type, though. On the course, his claws could let him make sharp turns, he had stamina far greater than most large cats, and he could still pour on a lot of speed. In battle, Pyroar were a very imposing species, perhaps the best users of HYPER VOICE around. He chuckled when the thought of a Gym Leader hurling a SHADOW BALL at the lion during one of his matches came to his mind.

There was no doubt in the Leader's mind that the albino feline's injuries were serious. Aslan was in the best possible hands, though; Brynn's certification was impressive and more than sufficient to work with one of the Gym Leader's closest Pokémon. "I don't doubt Aslan's willpower. I have a lot of memories of racing him at my Gym. I'm sure he'll want to get back on the track as soon as it's safe for him to do so." The stern emphasis on slow recovery made Josh frown, but it was better than the alternative of him dying on the meteor. "Of course; I anticipate the recovery to be a months-long process. I know him well enough that he probably just can't wait to wear his saddle again and burn up the track. Maybe not as fast as he did before, but I'm sure he can still be competitive."

Brynn's last words hit Josh hard. One of the reasons he loved Pyroar so much was their running speed. It was a prospect he couldn't bear to think about for long. "Sounds like I'm going to need to reconsider what tracks I bring him to. That, and perhaps raise Simba for the Pokémon League instead of Aslan like I originally intended. It won't make him happy, but it's something I will need to think about."

"Then it will be up to you to keep his eagerness tempered while he recovers." Brynnhildr replied softly, crossing her arms and leaning against the table. "It's for the better if his willpower is as you say, but it will pose both an advantage and a disadvantage for exactly those things; his survivability may gain, but his recovery rate will suffer if we cannot keep him composed. And that is a task that'll befall you, Mr. Devlin. You'll be his lighthouse, but also his chains."

Aslan's competitive background only made her recall previous incidents, more specifically with different breeds of Tauros she'd once worked with. The need for the pokémon, and in some cases even their trainer's need, to get back in the game had more often than not spelled ill results. Though she knew -or so she hoped- that the gymleader was different in that regard; the way he reacted to all the news, the emotions entertwined with how he started to think ahead... at least he cared less about the performance rate of his pokémon, as long as his Pyroar could be healthy again.

The Unovan looked at Josh rather curiously when he mentioned another name; Simba. "Aslan won't be happy about it? Or Simba?" she asked, eyes still slightly focused on him while she arranged the signed documents in a binder. On second thought, she didn't quite wish to wait for the approval necessary to looking into the rest of the documents and planned surgeries. She wouldn't be part of those, but knowing the details would help her in preparing a proper regimen for the Pyroar to follow, and what equipment to book-- or maybe even fly in from nearby facilities. Perhaps she'd even be able to pull a few strings and have new equipment flown in from Castelia City instead. Once he'd finished explaining, Brynn followed up with another question. "Would you mind telling me a bit more about Aslan? His personality, some background information mayhaps, what he does around the gym and how he fits into your team? Apologies if it's rather personal, but I assure you this is merely so I can get an image of how who I'm dealing with, and how I must handle his recovery."




Josh Devlin

"Of course," Josh nodded as he listened to Brynn's assessment. "If there's a track I've never raced before, I usually took him there. As a racing Pokémon, he was incredibly well-rounded. That, and fast. Of course, that will probably change post-operation. After his surgery, I can't imagine he'll be as fast as he was. But that's okay. I just want him to do what he enjoys doing to the best of his ability." Whether that was battles or races, it no longer mattered to him. He just wanted to be with his Lion King again.

"Aslan, sorry," Josh apologized for the lack of clarity. It was one thing he was afraid of getting backwards when the two could be with each other. "Simba, like I said, is another Pyroar I caught to raise in the interim in case Aslan doesn't make it. I'm sure he'll appreciate the company, too."

Josh thought it was a good idea for him to be asked of Aslan's personality. "Aslan is my most well-rounded racing Pokémon. Sometimes, he's still got the mind of a Litleo. He's actually a lot like me, acting first and thinking later, but he doesn't mean ill will on anyone. He's really proud of his roar, for one, so be ready for it. He'd never use a full-on HYPER VOICE around people, but just be ready for his roar." He paused to consider Aslan's role. "Aslan's very much the spare cog of the team; if I don't know what Pokémon to use on a race track or in a battle, it's him."

"Oh, no worries, I just wanted to be sure. But it's good to know that you have another Pyroar handy, less so as a replacement but moreso for Aslan's potential recovery scheme." she nodded, making notes. It all depended on how competitive Aslan would be, but having some of his kin nearby would help, especially so if the Pyroar would end up slumping in its conviction. Man or mon, in the end neither liked doing things alone. Not unless there was a deeper reason to it.

She smiled when Josh mentioned Aslan being much like him; act first, think later. "And how is Aslan with strangers? Or veterinarians? One can never know how pokémon might act after such severe damage... it wouldn't be the first time they put blame on the one treating them for being the reason they're hurting. He might not be among those, but I'd rather make sure." she continued, looking at Josh. "After all, this isn't his comfort zone at all."


Josh Devlin

Josh was fully aware of how much easier it was having a buddy to help with recovering from any injury, physical or mental. Despite Aslan's physical injury being far more severe, Twilight losing her Mega Stone impacted her more. There were days where she refused to come out of her Poké Ball. "Simba will never be a true replacement for Aslan," Josh added. "That Pyroar was one of my first Pokémon, and his albino fur really makes him stand out. It's, from what I understand, a very rare recessive combination of genes causes that. A shiny Pokémon, that."

"Aslan's great with strangers," he answered. "Simba's a little more apprehensive around them, but Aslan even loves letting others ride him. Of course, riding a lion can be dangerous if you're inexperienced. They're very fast, and their strides are, unlike equines, a lot more pronounced. But if you know what you're doing, it's so rewarding going so fast." He let Brynn's last words sink in. "No, it's not. But it's going to take two successful surgeries and a lot of rehab before anyone sits in his saddle again, sadly."

"Here's to hoping he remains that friendly after the surgery, and away from the tracks as well." Brynnhildr allowed a small smile, then continued writing down the rest of the information the Mauville gymleader gave her about both his Pyroars. "We won't have to worry about riding him just yet, let us first focus on getting him back on his feet proper before we do anything else, alright?" By now it'd already gotten across how madly passionate both trainer and his pokémon were about racing--- which wouldn't come as such a surprise had she been more knowledgeable about the gym challenges, and Josh's gym in particular, but those were things she'd learn of later on.

"For now, how about we head back downstairs and get this paperwork filled in? We can go over the upcoming surgeries and the potential routes of rehabilitation once that's taken care of, and check back on Aslan while we're at it." she proposed, taking all the documents and heading for the door, gesturing for Josh to follow her.

By the looks of it, she'd have her work cut out for her.

~~ Two week later ~~

It had been a busy few weeks leading up to Aslan's surgery. Aside from frequent meetings with Josh Devlin to go over the details, and after pulling some strings, Brynn had managed to convince her superiors to express ship some of the newer equipment over to Lilycove hospital. Something the board of directors at the hospital had been doubtful about at first, afraid of the pricetag attached to it; yet they seemed eager enough once they realised they'd be given a discount as long as they agreed to a testing clause instead.

And now, the time had come. Aslan had been taken into surgery the day before, and Brynnhildr had, true to her word, remained with josh through it all. A good 18 hours had passed now, the surgery still in full session. She'd taken a break from the stark-white walls and the bright tl-lights to sit on the hospital's rooftop terrace, a cup of coffee keeping her warm in the morning chill. Beyond Lilycove's skyline the sun had started rising, ringing in the dawn of a new day, and hopefully, a successful end to the Pyroar's suffering.


Josh Devlin

Josh had been up all night with Brynnhildr Erling . He was tired like he hadn't been in ages, yet he could not sleep. He even tried cuddling around Simba, the saddle-wearing Pyroar he had mentioned back during the office visit. The sunrise blinded Josh almost as much as the fire-type's glowing mane had when he tried to fall asleep in the lion's long and soft fur. For a species known for their vicious temperament and aggression, Simba was quite well behaved, though not as well behaved as Aslan was going into the OR.

Josh had expected the procedure to be very long, especially considering it had to be done twice; once for each leg. Orthopedic procedures were long and painstaking due to the extreme precision required. Even being fractions of millimeters off could result in an imbalance that would render the entire procedure moot and would leave Josh's Lion King paralyzed for life.

"Is it already morning, Brynn?" Josh yawned, Simba also letting out a yawn that could have been mistaken for a mild roar, given how wide his jaw opened. "Any updates on Aclan's surgery?" Simba, at mention of the Pyroar's name, slowly stood up and walked toward her, attempting to nuzzle her if she allowed it.