Trainer Girl
Chapter 5 – At the Pokemon Centre
Ashley woke up to her legs aching far worse than when she and Gary would climb the hills just outside Pallet Town and then run away from the sandshrew they aggravated. And it was no wonder. Exhaustion hadn't succeeded in wiping the memories of the previous night out of her mind.
And that was one hell of a trip, she groaned to herself. No wonder the League had so much paperwork and tests to get through. Though she hadn't gotten that poor a mark in pokemon location – not so poor that she didn't know gyarados weren't supposed to be in small rivers like the one leading to Viridian City. Last night was enough of a testament of that –
She suddenly remembered the Poke-ball and tried to sit up, wincing as she did. The poke-ball was nowhere to be found, and neither was Pikachu. But Misty had taken Pikachu in her bike. Star was there though, watching the door. She made some sort of noise seeing her stand off and then pushed the door open and left. Ashley blinked, then looked around some more. She was in the bottom bed of a two-bed bunk and her cuts and scrapes had all been cleaned and bandaged – or bandaged at least. She assumed they'd been cleaned as well. There was a nice fragrance in the room, and her bag, as well as a red duffel. She supposed the red duffel belonged to whoever was using the upper bunk- if anyone was. And she assumed someone had found her backpack and dropped it off. Thank goodness the pokedex counted as an ID, otherwise it mightn't have been that simple.
She felt in her pocket with a slight wince – then blinked at the unfamiliar material. Then she looked more at herself. She was wearing a light pink night gown that said "PC" on it. How had she missed that?
She'd rather have the pyjamas her mother had packed for her. Even if they did look like a jigglypuff cosplay. She had spotted those, looking for other things. They were just as outrageous as charizard wings – though maybe it was just her mother's way of telling her to get good night sleeps. But did it have to be pink?
Not that she had much of a choice between pink and pink. She could see her regular clothes on the vanity. She'd definitely need a needle and thread – or a new pair while she sent the old ones back to her mum to be repaired.
She could walk around in jigglypuff cosplay pyjamas until she could buy new clothes (and thank goodness her back was there, and hopefully nothing was missing from it). Just not in a nightgown.
Before she could try to stand and change though, the door opened again, and Ashley stared at the red-haired girl standing there.
'You're…Misty?' she asked uncertainly. It had been pretty dark last night after all. Then she sat up straighter. 'How's Pikachu? And the gyarados?'
'That's right.' She sounded less friendly than the previous night – or at least, Ashley assumed it was the previous night. Hopefully she hadn't slept the day through – or days. 'And your Pikachu's in the recovery room.' Ashley sighed in relief. Misty's lip curled. 'And what the hell were you thinking, capturing a gyarados? An amateur like you?'
'Your starmie was going to kill it,' Ashley snapped back. Misty hadn't answered the second half of the question. 'How could I just leave it there?'
'Gyarados are savages,' Misty retorted. 'You should know that. All the stories of ships capsizing in storms. Sailors never being found. It's them. Gyarados. They're even on alert with the League –'
'The League has been notified.'
Misty turned around and came into the room, letting the woman in a nurse's outfit in as well. 'I'm Nurse Joy,' she introduced to Ashley. 'I run this Pokemon Centre.'
And that told her a hell of a lot more than Misty had. 'Hi,' Ashley said. 'I'm Ashley Ketchum. How are my Pokemon?'
'Pikachu came in last night. We did a minor surgery to realign the sternum where we assume the fearow's beak struck, but it all went well and he's in the recovery room now.' There was a pokemon coming out from behind her: a chansey. She had a nurse's cap as well, and some bandages and a little bottle. Disinfectant probably. Ashley inched up the bed as the chansey approached.
'I don't really need that, do I?' she asked.
'Chan-sey,' the chansey replied, carefully unwinding the bandage around her right ankle.
Ashley assumed that meant a 'yes, you do need that.' She groaned. Disinfectant stung.
Then again, fresh air on open wounds stung too.
'We did a preliminary scan on the gyarados whilst still in its poke-ball,' Nurse Joy continued, as Chansey readdressed the wounds. 'I'm afraid we're not equipped to let an untrained gyarados out here and your pokedex said you received your first pokemon yesterday?'
Ashley nodded. And that also confirmed the fact that she hadn't been sleeping her journey away as well. Another relief box ticked.
'Gyarados are also, as your friend said, on alert so any gyarados found in places they shouldn't be or captured by a trainer need to be told to the league. Because you've captured this gyarados, it'll be up to the league whether you keep it, with caveats I imagine, or whether it'll be taken off your hands.'
Ashley felt her eyes sting, and she wondered if that was the disinfectant chansey was using or the idea of losing the first pokemon she'd caught – even if she hadn't been intending to catch it. 'What's the gender?' she asked. Her voice was steady at least, if a little lower than normal.
Nurse Joy flicked through a file. 'Female,' she replied. 'And known attacks are Bite, Flail, Tackle and Hydro Pump.'
'You're lucky Star has experience in fighting gyarados,' Misty muttered.
Ashley looked at her. If she didn't know better – which she didn't – she'd have thought Misty had something personal against the gyarados. 'Do you have one?'
'No,' she snapped, turning away – before whipping around again. 'You're not seriously considering keeping it –'
'Her,' Ashley corrected automatically.
Misty groaned and turned away.
'If you appeal to the League, they'll be more inclined to allow you to keep her,' Nurse Joy offered. 'Your behaviour last night could go either way: you did take the responsible route in bringing pikachu to a Pokemon Centre as soon as possible – even giving him to someone else so he could make it here safely – and you can't be expected to have control over your pikachu after just one afternoon, but walking all the way here in the dark and getting so scratched up?' She cast a reproving glare of him and Ashley looked at her knees and Chansey dabbing away.
'I was worried,' she said defensively.
Nurse Joy smiled. 'Some trainers find that irresponsible. Others consider that commitment. But even then, you're a beginning trainer and you'll need enough experience to prove you can handle a gyarados before they'll allow it on your team. That means training your pokemon, catching new ones, and winning battles. After healing up.' She added the last bit because Ashley had sprouted a calculating look.
It didn't go away. There was no harm in planning ahead. 'I know there's a gym in Viridian City.'
'It's the toughest gym in the Kanto circuit,' Misty interrupted. She sounded a little defeated. 'Pewter Gym is the next closest, and it's better for beginners. It's a rock type Gym.'
Nurse Joy nodded. 'Water, ground, grass, steel and fighting are the most effective types. The last two are pretty rare in these parts but you might be able to find a good water type in the rivers leading up to Viridian City or a grass type in the Viridian Forest.'
'More bug types than grass types,' Misty corrected. 'You can find ground types the way you came as well.'
Ashley nodded. She remembered the sandshrew. And the hills to the other side of pallet town had always been filled with sandshrew.
'Pikachu aren't good matches for ground types though. Or rock types. Looks like –' She topped when chansey moved away.
'All done,' Nurse Joy said brightly. 'Take it slow for a couple of days. Rooms at the Pokemon Centre are free, as is food and treatment of any pokemon. Since you're a human, you'll have to pay for the bandages and disinfectant, but otherwise you're set to remain here as long as you like – and you'll have to wait for the League representative anyhow.'
'Some guy with brown hair and an attitude brought your bag this morning.' Misty glared at Ashley's backpack.
Ashley snorted. 'That sounds like Gary. Did he have Cole and Rosie with him still?'
'Just a girl doing the driving.'
'Nope, that's not Rosie.' Gary must have gone off on his own again.
Nurse Joy smiled again. 'I'll leave you two alone. The League has sent someone. They'll be here tomorrow at 2pm, so be sure to be at the front reception then, Ashley.'
Ashley nodded. Nurse Joy gave a little wave and slipped out the door with Chansey. Misty sat on the desk. 'Any chances of talking you out of keeping the gyarados?'
'She's the first pokemon I caught,' Ashley explained. 'Never mind it wasn't with my own pokemon or I hadn't thought it through. I have her now…and I don't really want to give her up.'
'Thought as much.' Misty sighed. 'And judging from yesterday, you're the stubborn sort.'
Ashley laughed. 'I wouldn't have left home if I wasn't.'
Misty half-grinned. 'Neither would I.' Before Ashley could ask, she pressed on. 'Guess I'll tag along for a bit then.'
'Why?' Ashley asked.
'Can't let you get gobbled up by your gyarados in good conscience.' She shrugged. 'And you look like a cool girl to tag along with. You're not letting me tell you what to do anyhow.'
'And that's a good thing?' It didn't make sense in Ashley's head.
Misty nodded though. 'Sure we'll probably argue every afternoon, but that's way better than subserviently following someone. Just because everyone says "do this"…'
Ashley did understand that. Rosie had only gone through with the testing procedures because Ashley was taking it and Rosie wouldn't have wound up being the only girl, but Ashley had gone through on her own decision. Sure her mother had supported her, but she certainly hadn't encouraged. And Gary hadn't seemed particularly fond of the idea. Maybe he didn't want a rival. Or maybe he was just worried. Ashley didn't know – and until she saw him next and had a decent conversation with him, she didn't really care.
Cole just didn't think she was ladylike enough, which infuriated her to no end. How Rosie put up with him, she had no idea.
Actually, she did. Rosie was a follower.
Ashley was not.
And she thought it did sound like an interesting idea. 'I guess I'm going to Pewter then,' she said. 'After convincing Pikachu that I'm not the worst girl in the world and not to run off like that again –'
'I don't think you have to.' Misty was smiling now.
'Why?'
'Pikachu was pining, last I saw.' She had a full-fledged grin on her face. 'Guess your hard-headed actions got through on their own.'
Ashley jumped up, then groaned and held on to the steps for support. 'Why didn't you mention that sooner?' she asked. 'I thought he was still unconscious.'
'Because I was sure you'd jump up like that the moment I did,' Misty replied, standing up. 'Come on, lean on me.'
'I can walk.' And she could, after she took a deep breath and moved, slowly, holding on to things for support. The wall mostly. That tended to stretch where nothing else did.
Misty shrugged and lead the way. 'I'm not carrying you if you collapse. And Star's help was a one-off thing.'
'Noted,' said Ashley with gritted teeth. She was capable of walking to her pokemon's bedside on her own, thank you very much.