I Don't Belong In Pokémon
Episode 1: Pokémon – I Choose You!
Part 2: Eevee-nescence
Last time:
Our heroine found herself transported inside the Pokémon World, surprisingly de-aged, on the outskirts of Pallet Town at the beginning of the day that Ash Ketchum got his first Pokémon and started his journey. At Professor Oak's Lab, she discovered a scrawny Eevee wandering around and adopted it as her own, calling it "Demi-Bell". After it refused to come out of her Poké Ball until it was left alone in a separate room, Deborah decided to carry it in her arms instead. Her attempts to get to know her Eevee better were quickly spoiled when it bit her and scampered off at the mention of the word "battle." Before she caught up with it, it was set upon by a wild Sandshrew and brutally attacked. A stern talking-to later, however, the wayward Pokémon was repentant and offered to lead the way to where she could get help for Demi-Bell.
Now:
Deborah follows the wild Sandshrew out of the forest, continuing on the road to Viridian City, when suddenly her guide is nowhere to be seen. Surprised, she looks around distractedly in an attempt to find out where it went and ends up barreling into a tall person standing akimbo in a blue police uniform.
"Oof!" she grunts at the impact. "Sorry, Officer, but I have to get to the Pokémon Center right away; my Eevee is badly hurt."
"Oh really?" She sounds skeptical. Why would she be skeptical? "And just how did that happen?"
"A wild Sandshrew," Deborah tells her, still wondering where said wild Sandshrew has disappeared to.
"But the question is," Officer Jenny poses with obvious suspicion, "if you're only running to get help for your injured Pokémon, why do you keep looking behind you?"
"The Sandshrew," she states simply.
Now Jenny seems concerned. "Was it chasing you?" she asks worriedly.
Deborah shakes her head and launches into a rapid explanation, babbling a bit in her urgency to move on, "No, I was following it, only now I don't know where it went; I just lost sight of it a moment ago, but I really have to get Demi-Bell here to the Pokémon Center before it's too late!"
"Alright, alright, calm down," she says, holding her hands up cajolingly, "just show me your ID and you can go."
Right, ID, Deborah thinks, Trainer Card. No, that's just in the games... What'd they have in the show? …Well, duh! What do Pokémon Trainers get when they start their journeys? A Pokédex! "My Pokédex is in my pocket," she informs the woman, gesturing with a tilt of her head to the right; she knows she wouldn't be able to get to it herself without disrupting Demi-Bell.
Officer Jenny reaches into Deborah's pocket and pulls out her Pokédex, opening the cover to reveal the screen and buttons on the inside. After a moment of fiddling about, the light on the top right-hand side of the front of the device flashes as words issue from it in a tinny, female-sounding voice:
"I'm Dexy; a Pokédex programmed by Professor Oak for Pokémon Breeder Deborah Sumac of the Town of Pallet. My function is to provide Deborah with insight and assistance regarding Pokémon and their behavior. If lost or stolen, I cannot be replaced."
"That seems to be in order," she concedes, snapping Dexy shut and slipping it back into Deborah's pocket. "You're free to go. You know where the Pokémon Center is?"
"Um..." She bites her lip and glances around, finally spotting that dratted Sandshrew peeking its little head around the corner of a building at the end of the street. She fixes him with a steady gaze and says, "This way?" in what she hopes is a nonchalant enough voice that Officer Jenny won't think anything of it.
"Yep." The woman nods before returning to the gatehouse.
Deborah nods back and hurries onward, the Sandshrew scampering out in front of her and leading her the rest of the way until she overtakes it on the stairs just outside.
"Nurse Joy!" she exclaims as she rushes through the doors into the Pokémon Center with her unconscious Eevee still clutched tightly to her chest, crossing the distance to the front desk in five seconds flat. "Nurse Joy, you've got to help Demi-Bell!"
"Demi-Bell?" the nurse repeats, blinking confusedly. "Who's Demi-Bell?"
Deborah holds out her arms to her in response, and Joy gasps in astonishment at the sight of the battered Eevee. "Please," she prompts her as the nurse seems stunned into silence.
The woman shakes herself and then is suddenly all business. "I need a stretcher for a small Normal Pokémon, stat!" she calls out, typing up the order information on the computer as she speaks. Almost immediately, two Chansey come down the hallway pushing a bed on wheels.
"Here, Demi-Bell," Deborah whispers into her Pokémon's fur as Nurse Joy takes it from her and lays it down on the thin mattress with its head resting on the equally thin pillow near one end.
"Ee?" it sighs, stirring briefly.
"It's okay, baby," Deborah promises it, planting a chaste kiss on top of its head and patting it gently before the Chansey push the bed away. "Please tell me it's gonna be alright," she begs the nurse with pleading eyes, "tell me it'll recover."
Nurse Joy looks at her intensely for a moment and she's sure the woman's about to ream her a new one for letting Demi-Bell get hurt so badly, but she doesn't. "You've got a couple of nasty cuts there," she comments, indicating the Bite and Scratch marks on either side of Deborah's face as she reaches into the pocket of her apron. She pulls out a tiny squeeze tube and two square sticky bandages, giving them to her as she continues, "The washroom is just down that hallway; second door on the right." After pointing the way, the nurse turns on her heel and follows the Pokémon into the exam room.
Just as Deborah looks down to examine the medical supplies now in her hand, a flicker of movement catches her attention: there's the Sandshrew, lying flat on its belly under a bench in the corner, gazing warily at her. Before she can ponder what the wild Pokémon's continued presence might imply, she is distracted by a massive pillar of electricity extending into the sky as the rain ends with one final crash of thunder. That must be Ash's Pikachu, she thinks, dispatching the angry flock of Spearow.
Despite already knowing what happens, she can't help feeling nervous and worried about Ash and Pikachu. After all, how can she be sure things will turn out the same way? Earlier, at Professor Oak's lab, she noticed that Ash didn't open the three starter Poké Balls; he didn't have to, since – thanks to her and her big mouth – he already knew they were empty. Granted, that's hardly a big change, but it proves that there's no guarantee everything will happen exactly as she remembers it from the show. Not to mention it's been a long time since she's seen episodes from the first season, and that's where she's starting from; she needs to wrack her brains to recall the aftermath of the Spearow Incident (which, she decides on the spot, should officially be called that; capital "I" and all) as precisely as possible.
She berates herself for being stupid when she comes to the conclusion that Ash gets a lift to the Pokémon Center from Officer Jenny. Taking a deep breath and rolling her shoulders back, she reads the instructions on the tube she got with the bandages from Nurse Joy as she heads for the washroom:
Healing Ointment – apply a pea-sized amount to wound and rub in, then cover with sterile bandage or wrap.
Upon reaching her destination and catching sight of her reflection in the mirror over the sink, it becomes painfully obvious to Deborah why she wasn't reprimanded for neglecting her Pokémon; in addition to the battle scars she's sporting, her hair is damp and disheveled and her clothes are filthy and torn in a couple places. Put simply, she doesn't look to be in much better condition than her Eevee.
She heaves a sigh and sets the stuff aside, then splashes her face with warm water before working some antibacterial liquid soap into a good lather. Once she has run her sudsy hands across her forehead, down her nose, around her mouth, and over her chin, she finally bites the bullet and washes her cheeks, wincing at the burning sensation as the cleansing agent irritates her raw skin.
A toilet flushes somewhere behind her and a girl with cobalt blue hair and a tote bag on her shoulder steps out of the farthest bathroom stall a moment later, reaching the sinks just as Deborah is gathering a handful of water in her cupped palms to rinse off. The first time she splashes the clean water on her soapy face, the bubbles from her forehead drip into her eyes, making her clench them shut until she can scoop up a second. After the third time, her cheeks feel a little tender but at least they're clean now.
That's when she notices the bluenette beside her is holding out a dry paper towel. "Oh. Thanks," she says to the girl, accepting the proffered towel and patting her face dry with it.
"No prob," she replies offhandedly but continues to look intently at her.
When she finishes drying her face, Deborah drops the dampened paper towel in the trash and picks up the Healing Ointment. As she unscrews the cap, she can see in her peripheral vision that the girl is still staring at her. Deborah clears her throat.
Jarred by the noise, the blue-haired girl starts before nervously asking, "So... you a Trainah?"
Her accent gives Deborah pause, but she shrugs it off as she squirts some of the thick, oily substance onto her finger and replies, "Yeah." As she brings it to her cheek, she amends, "Well, if you wanna be technical–" She falters then, unable to suppress a sharp intake of breath when the innocuous-looking cream stings as she spreads it over the sore from Demi-Bell's Bite attack. "According to my Pokédex, I'm a Breeder."
"Ah Breedah? Really?" She cocks her head to one side; Deborah responds to her query with a nod as she squeezes out another dollop of Ointment. "Wow."
"I'm just starting out, though," she goes on, sucking air through her teeth when the ointment comes into contact with the Sandshrew's Scratch mark. I wonder if that little bugger is still here at the Center, she muses absently before clarifying, "I only got my first Pokémon today."
"Ah see," the bluenette mutters. "Yah prob'ly wouldn' know mah brothah, then."
"No, probably not," she admits, unwrapping the bandages and peeling the backing off one of them. "Why do you ask?"
"Jus' wond'rin'," she says quickly as Deborah sticks the first bandage on her right cheek. "Ah kinda wanted tah talk to 'im... Yah know, catch up? Ah haven' seen 'im since 'e left on 'is own Pokahmon journey."
Her story seems legit enough, but Deborah's pretty sure there's something this girl isn't saying. Not that it's any of my business, she chastises herself as she presses the second bandage to her left cheek. Having finished dressing her wounds at last, she offers the bluenette a gentle smile. "Why don't you tell me what he looks like?" she suggests, gathering up the wrappings that had somehow managed to scatter themselves all over the counter that the sinks are set into and throwing them away as she continues, "That way I can keep an eye out for him, and if I see him I'll let him know his sister's looking for him."
After what seems to Deborah like an inordinately long period of indecision, the girl gives in. "Well... 'e's a couple o' years older'n me; blue hair, like mine, on'y a little bit shortah; an' 'e wears 'is sunglasses on top of 'is head; 'is name's–" Suddenly, the PA system cuts her off with the tinkling tune that plays when your Pokémon get healed in the games, followed by:
"Paging Angela Carter, paging Angela Carter; your Pokémon are fully healed. Please claim your Poké Balls at the front desk. Thank you."
"Ah, tha's me!" the bluenette shouts. "It was nice talkin' wi' ch'you... ah'm sorry, wha' was yer name?" She offers her hand to Deborah to shake, which she accepts.
"Deborah," Deborah replies automatically, "Deborah Sumac." Now the wheels in her mind are turning double-time because this is twice now that those words have come so readily to her lips despite the fact that it's not her real last name. She is startled out of her thoughts when the speakers come back on again, playing the same jingle but with a vastly different message:
"Attention visitors to the Viridian City Pokémon Center; would the Trainer who brought in the injured Eevee for treatment today please report to the lobby? Note that you will be required to present proof of ownership before we return your Pokémon to you. Thank you."
"Demi-Bell..." Deborah mutters, bursting through the door and rushing down the hallway. She comes to a halt when she sees Nurse Joy is standing off to the side with a conflicted look on her face. "Where?" Deborah wonders aloud as she looks around. "Where's Demi-Bell? I thought it'd be here–"
"First I need proof that the Eevee you brought in really is yours," Nurse Joy states firmly.
Deborah reaches into her pocket. "Here's the Poké Ball I caught it in this morning," she begins, but all she can find are five Balls and her Pokédex. "Oh. Um." She bites her lip, trying to think when she last had Demi-Bell's Poké Ball. Finally remembering, she gasps, "Professor Oak didn't give it back to me before I left his lab!"
Nurse Joy's eyes narrow at that and she plants her hands firmly on her hips. "How convenient."
"No, it's not, I'm telling the truth, honest, call him, ask him!"
Joy raises an eyebrow and turns to the phone on the wall, placing the call to Professor Oak. A short conversation later, the nurse hangs up and turns to Deborah. "He says he put it in the box. If you don't bring it out right now and prove it to me, I'm calling the police. I've had enough of this ridiculousness."
Deborah sighs in relief. "Of course." She takes the backpack off her shoulders and opens it to find the box miraculously undamaged. Sure enough, upon opening the box, her Poké Ball is right on top, nestled in the middle of the Berries. Picking it up, Deborah holds it out to the nurse.
Nurse Joy takes the Ball and puts it in the divot of a device in the corner, which lights up. The screen above it then shows a 3-D rendering of Demi-Bell exactly as it looked upon being caught.
A gasp comes from beside Deborah, startling her as she hadn't realized anyone was standing there. She turns to look askance at the person, seeing that it is Angela. The bluenette's hands are covering her mouth, but as she whispers, "No... Eevee..." she lowers them and turns to glare at Deborah for some reason. "Ah reco'nize tha' Pokahmon," she says shakily, "it's mah brothah's! Ah remembah when it ha-" she stops herself then and shakes her head briefly before going on, "Ya said ya didn' know mah brothah, so hah come you got 'is Eevee? Did'ja steal it from 'im?!" Here she gives Deborah a shove, knocking her to the floor.
"Demi-Bell found me," Deborah stresses, hurt more by the accusation than the fall (though she does reach around to rub her aching backside as well), "but if it isthe same Eevee, then I'dlike to have a few words with your brother about how he treats his Pokémon."
"Wha'..." Angela stammers, "wha' ah you insinuatin'?"
Struggling to her feet, Deborah snips, "Your brother... is his name Damian, by any chance?"
"Yah do know 'im? Why'd yah lie tah me?"
"I didn't lie." Deborah shakes her head. "I've never met Damian, but I have heard of him. I don't know anything about his training methods, but I do know Damian wouldn't hesitate to abandon a Pokémon if he thinks it's not strong enough."
At this statement, Angela bursts into tears. Deborah blinks in surprise. "Ah... Ah had hoped the rumors weren' true..." the blue-haired girl sobs. "Now tha' ah'm finally old enough tah be a Trainah, I was gonna find 'im an' make sure... bu'..."
Deborah pats Angela's back in an attempt to calm her. "Is there anything I can do? To put your mind at ease?"
"Yeah," she sniffs. "Could yah give 'im a swif' kick in thah pants?" She laughs halfheartedly.
"I'll do my best to knock him down a peg or two if I bump into him, how's that?"
"Tha' 'll have tah do." Angela sighs, "Maybe then he'll come home."
"Should I give him a message or anything? Tell him you're–"
"Oh no, please don'! If he knew I sen'cha, he'd jus' use tha' as an excuse tah stay away!"
"Alright, alright; I won't mention you at all."
"Thanks. Yer... yer a really good friend, Deb'rah," Angela says with a smile.
Deborah smiles back. "I try." She then spreads her arms in an invitation for a hug. Angela only hesitates a moment before throwing herself at her new friend and embracing her.
"Oh, here," she says as she pulls back, reaching into her tote bag for a pen and paper. After writing ANGEL416 on it, she presses the paper into Deborah's hand and drops the pen back inside her bag. "Keep in touch, 'kay?"
"Um... alright..." Deborah glances down at the paper and then back at Angela, but suddenly she's gone. Looking around, the only person in sight is Nurse Joy.
"So it was mistreated before you caught it, by its previous owner," Nurse Joy muses, drawing Deborah's attention.
"You can tell it had a previous owner?" Deborah asks, slipping the paper into her pocket.
"Yes," Joy informs her, patting the machine the Poké Ball is sitting on as she turns to face Deborah. "This scanner can read all of the information stored in the databanks of whatever Ball is placed on it."
"I didn't realize Poké Balls had that much information inside them," Deborah says, interested. "What else can it tell you?"
"Honestly? I don't know." Nurse Joy smiles sheepishly. "I barely passed the technology portion of my nursing class; my specialty is the actual treatment of the Pokémon, so if nothing else you can be sure that the Pokémon I care for are completely healed after I've seen to them."
"So Demi-Bell's alright?"
"Its wounds have been tended to, but due to its malnourishment I have it hooked up to an IV to stabilize its condition."
"Can I see it? Please?" Deborah begs.
"Yes, but I can't in good conscience release it to you until morning."
Deborah nods, aware that Demi-Bell needs this chance to recuperate, and follows Nurse Joy silently into the room where her Pokémon is being kept. "Hey, Demi-Bell," Deborah whispers as she moves to stroke its cheek.
"Ve," it murmurs, its eyes cracking open to gaze uncertainly at her.
"I'm sorry, baby," Deborah offers, tearing up. "I didn't realize. I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to do. Okay?"
"Ee," Demi-Bell mumbles, "ee eevee." It blinks then and glances away, noticing the drip line going into its foreleg. "Eevee?" it asks, lifting the paw it's attached to and shaking it as though to knock it loose.
"No no, Demi-Bell," Deborah says placatingly, resting a hand on its paw to lower it back to the bed. "That has to stay in. It's giving you the nutrition you need to recover."
"Vee..." It looks from Deborah's hand to her face and back again before licking Deborah's fingers. It then returns its head to the pillow and closes its eyes.
"Let's leave it to sleep now," Nurse Joy says firmly, steering Deborah out by her shoulder.
"I'll be back, Demi-Bell," Deborah promises from the door. "I won't abandon you. I love you." She then blows her Pokémon a kiss before finally leaving to return to the lobby.
Next up... Episode 2 Part 1: The Taming of the Sandshrew