Breathless Passion

After a few moments, Nurse Joy and Rogue finally caught their breath and began to slowly disentangle themselves from one another.

"That was amazing, Rogue…" Nurse Joy said with a smile, running her fingers through his hair.

Rogue grinned back at her and leaned in for a kiss. It was slow and gentle this time, filled with tenderness and affection.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," he whispered against her lips.

Nurse Joy chuckled softly. "Enjoyed it? That was one of the best experiences of my life."

Her words made Rogue's heart swell with pride. He was especially glad to hear it from someone as stunning as Nurse Joy was truly gratifying. 

He reached for her hand and intertwined their fingers together. "I hope we can do this again sometime."

Nurse Joy smiled warmly at him. "I would love that."

They stayed there for a little while longer, just enjoying each other's company before Nurse Joy reluctantly got up to start getting dressed. 

Rogue also got dressed and began cleaning up the mess that they made while Nurse Joy cleaned the dishes. 

After they were done, they looked at one another and Nurse Joy spoke up. 

"Unfortunately, I have injured Pokemon waiting for me," she said with a hint of regret in her voice. 

Rogue nodded in understanding. "Of course. I should probably get going too. I'm rather tired from hunting Pokemon." 

As Nurse Joy turned to leave, she paused and reached into her pocket, producing a small key. "Oh, before you go, here's the key to the shower room. You can use it to freshen up before resting." 

"Thank you," Rogue replied gratefully, taking the key from her outstretched hand.

With a kind smile, Nurse Joy left and Rogue made his way to the shower room, eager to wash off the dirt and sweat from his day's journey. 

… 

… 

Rogue stepped into the steaming shower, letting the hot water wash away the dirt and sweat from his intense training session. The sharp scent of soap filled his nostrils as he scrubbed every inch of his body, muscles sore and tight from pushing himself to the limit with Honedge in hand. 

Despite the physical exhaustion, a sense of satisfaction washed over him, knowing he now had the opportunity to get stronger before taking revenge on the Crimson bastard. 

But now, as the heat of the water began to soothe his aching body, a wave of fatigue crashed over him like a tidal force. His eyelids felt heavy and his limbs felt like lead as he struggled to stay upright under the stream of water. 

It was clear that he had pushed himself a little too hard. He did run off to the forest right after receiving Honedge after all. 

After washing up relaxedly, Rogue came out and found that his belongings were gone. His clothes and the empty Pokeballs that he received from Professor Hiashi had disappeared. 

In their stead was a change of clothes, probably given by Nurse Joy or Chancey. Luckily, Rogue had placed Honedge's Pokeball inside of his System Storage, so he wasn't too worried about losing his Pokemon again. 

Feeling too tired, Rogue decided that he would ask Nurse Joy about it at a later time and went to room 2F – the room that Dawn is supposed to be sleeping in. 

Navigating his way through the halls, Rogue easily found room 2F with the help of clear direction boards.

As he reached the door, he hesitated for a moment, feeling that something was amidst. However, he couldn't just not open the door… so he did. 

It was completely dark inside, but Rogue's keen eyes could make out the faint outline of a bed and other furniture scattered throughout. There was even the shape of a body on the bed, possibly being Dawn. 

Rogue blindly reached out to find a light switch, his fingers fumbling in the darkness until he finally located it. With a flick, he attempted to illuminate the room, but to no avail. The bulb must have been burnt out or missing altogether. Sighing in frustration, Rogue resigned himself to navigating through the darkened space.

A strong smell of disinfectant hit him as soon as he stepped into the room. With each step into the room, he felt as if something was crawling on his back, nagging him to stop for a bit. 

*Thud* 

*Click!* 

Suddenly, a loud thud echoed through the room, causing him to jump in surprise. He turned to see that the door had automatically closed behind him with an ominous click. The sound only added to the eerie atmosphere of the neglected space. 

"What in the world?" Rogue exclaimed, his confusion and frustration evident in his voice as he dashed back to the door and tugged at the handle. To his dismay, it remained steadfastly closed. His heart began to race as he realized he was trapped in this desolate room with no way out. 

Panicked, he scanned the pitch black room for a way out. His eyes darted back and forth, searching for any sign of a window or a large vent. But… there wasn't any. 

The room was like a sealed box, with the only opening being the one he had entered through. 

Frantically, he turned to the bed where he had seen the outline of a body earlier. He needed to find out if it was Dawn on the bed. In this moment of urgency, he wanted to see if Dawn was safe. 

Rogue's heart pounded in his chest as he approached the bed, his eyes straining to see anything in the darkened room. 

He was eager to see Dawn's sleeping figure. But as he lifted the covers, a putrid smell wafted out, sending a chill down his spine. 

Instead of Dawn's familiar features, he was met with the silhouette of a still and decaying corpse lying in the bed.

He could tell from just his senses that the body on the bed is a rotten one. Even without the feeling, he could see small movements on the still body - likely maggots feasting on the body.

The smell that had filled the room was probably some kind of disinfectant that's used to mask the smell of a corpse that's under the covers! 

The now rotten smell was almost suffocating, causing Rogue to gag and step back, almost throwing up the food that he just ate. 

He realized now that the strong scent of disinfectant that had always lingered in this room was used to cover up the unmistakable stench of death. 

And he wondered… Was it Nurse Joy who did this!?