After a couple minutes of running and trying to keep her Bulbasaur safe, Tootie finally made it into the next city. She could tell because she could see some buildings as well as people walking around. Tootie slowed down and then stopped, panting a few times to calm down and catch her breath.

"Okay. I'm in Pewter City," Tootie told herself. She began to walk around the city, turning her head this way and that. "Now all I have to do is find a..."

Before she could finish her sentence, however, she found what she was looking for. A Pokemon Center. She walked up to it and pushed the door open with one hand, keeping her weakened Bulbasaur in the other hand. She went up to the counter, and behind it stood... a magenta-haired woman in a white nurse uniform.

"Hello, I'm Nurse Joy," the woman greeted her politely. "Welcome to the Pokemon Center, where we heal your Pokemon to perfect health."

Tootie looked a bit surprise. "Excuse me, haven't I seen you somewhere before?" Tootie asked.

"No, I don't believe you have," Nurse Joy replied.

But Tootie wasn't going to let this interfere with the real reason she was here. She showed the nurse her Bulbasaur, still blackened and barely moving.

"I'd like to heal my Bulbasaur, please," said Tootie.

"My goodness!" Nurse Joy said as she examined the Bulbasaur's condition. "What happened to this poor little Pokemon?"

"We were just at the Viridian Forest, but something happened to him. Do you think you could make him feel better?"

"Of course I can," said Nurse Joy. "Would you like me to heal the rest of your Pokemon, too?"

"Yes, please." Tootie nodded, then pulled out her remaining three Pokemon - still in their Poke Balls - and handed them to Nurse Joy.

"Thank you, madam," Nurse Joy thanked her. "This may take a few minutes, so please wait."

She turned to the computer behind her, placed the Poke Balls inside and pressed a few buttons. As the computer did its work, Tootie stood where she was.

"I didn't realize the nurse here would look exactly like the one I met in Viridian City," Tootie thought to herself. "I wonder if they're related somehow..."

Finally, Nurse Joy removed the Poke Balls and turned back to Tootie, giving her Pokemon back. Bulbasaur was no longer black, nor did he feel weak; in fact, he had made a full recovery.

"Thank you for waiting. Your Pokemon are back on their feet and ready to fight," Nurse Joy stated.

"Oh, thank you!" Tootie said in relief. When she saw that her Bulbasaur had recovered, she picked him up and gave her a hug. "Oh, Bulbasaur, I'm so happy you're feeling better! I was so, so worried about you..."

She could hear the nurse giggling in adoration during the few seconds she hugged her Pokemon. She then pulled out his Poke Ball and recalled it, then placed it into her pocket along with the Poke Balls that had just been healed.

"If anything else happens to your Pokemon, feel free to come back," said Nurse Joy. "Be careful out there!"

Tootie nodded in understanding and walked out of the Pokemon Center. She took a deep breath, sighed and wiped her forehead with her hand. The stress she had felt for the last few minutes or so had gone away, because her Bulbasaur was back on his feet. But now that she was done with that, she felt like there was something else she needed to do. Something she couldn't put her finger on.

"Oh, that Brock!" she heard a voice.

Not recognizing who had said that or who they were talking about, Tootie turned her head toward where she had heard it. It was from one of two male trainers having a conversation. Tootie stayed where she was, listening in without trying to sound rude.

"I get he's the leader of the Pewter Gym and all, but why's he got to be so tough?" the first trainer asked. "I've tried every Pokemon I have, but I just can't beat any of his. Heck, I can't even take down his Geodude!"

"Geodude?" Tootie whispered to herself, raising an eyebrow.

"You think his Geodude is too strong? Try his Onix!" replied the second trainer. "That massive Pokemon of his is so hard and tough, he took down my best Pokemon with one Tackle attack!"

"He's got to have the strongest Rock-type Pokemon I've ever faced. I'll never get one of his Boulder Badges at this rate..." the first trainer mentioned as he sulked.

"I know. If that's how tough Gym Leaders are supposed to be, then I officially hate them!" said the second trainer.

"Hmm..." Tootie thought to herself, trying to get everything she'd heard straight.

There was someone named Brock who was the leader of a Pokemon gym known as the Pewter Gym, and he had a Geodude and an Onix, two Pokemon Tootie hadn't seen yet. She could visualize them, however, taking down almost any Pokemon down by Tackling them once or twice. And apparently those Pokemon were Rock-type, so that must have made them much harder to defeat than any Pokemon Tootie had encountered. But if someone were to defeat his Pokemon, they - the person who defeated them - would receive a Boulder Badge as a reward. The idea of having to face a stronger Pokemon Trainer than, say, her rival Vicky, sounded a bit scary to Tootie. But it also sounded like a challenge that would reward her if she succeeded, and not disappoint her if she failed but encourage her to keep going until she succeeded. After a long few minutes of letting all of this sink in, Tootie made up her mind.

"I'm going to meet with Brock," Tootie said to herself. "And to do that, I have to find the Pewter Gym."

Tootie walked away from the Trainers, neither of whom had noticed she was listening to them, and began to search Pewter City for the Gym. She'd have to prepare herself to face Brock and his Pokemon, and most likely take a few trips to the Pokemon Center each time she was defeated...