To
Care for Him
ACT 2: HALESHIPPING
Chapter 12: Two Weeks
Later
Delia was exhausted, having been in the bathroom most of the early morning hours. It was like she was attached to the toilet, plus she was as pale as the bathroom appliance. She couldn't bare the thought of going to work today, but perhaps it would be best to seek out help at Professor Oak's lab.
Delia slowly traveled to Oak's ranch, apologized for being late, and began to head out toward a stream where poliwag, blue and white tadpole-like pokemon, were known to swim. She looked around to make sure no one was following her. She dipped into the stream, smiling at the poliwag, and sighed as she felt a warmness below her. When she was through, she left the stream and headed back to the lab. Professor Oak was attending to some squirtles that had been shipped for the next round of beginning trainers -- inspecting their beaks, rubbing vitamin-laced salve on their shells, and clipping the ends of their claws. He looked up and saw a drenched young woman.
"What happened?" he asked.
She shrugged. "I wanted to see how the water pokemon were doing, that's all."
"You shouldn't get wet, not in your condition," he replied, setting down one particularly fussy squirtle.
Delia growled, "What condition?"
Taken aback, Oak smiled nervously. "You're late because you're sick, right? I don't want one of my pokemon caretakers to get pneumonia, that's all."
Delia tried to hide a sigh of relief. "Oh." Trying to change the subject, she asked, "Have you heard from Spencer yet?"
Professor Oak shook his head. "No. Hasn't he called you by now? Surely he's found Pokemopolis' temple. I think, if I remember correctly -- wait!" he exclaimed as he tried to run down the grouchy squirtle as it tried to dash out of the lab, who doused him with water gun, making his slightly graying hair glistening with drops of shiny beads of water. He coughed and squeezed his lab jacket to wring out the water and looked back at Delia with a sheepish grin on his face. "Well, I haven't heard back from him today. His report isn't due for another week or so, so you'll be the first one he calls if he tries to contact anyone before then."
Delia nodded and bowed slightly. "Thank you, Professor." As she turned to leave, he coughed. She glanced back at him.
"Ahem, Delia," he said in a serious tone, "if you need any assistance, just let me know."
She smiled barely. "Thanks, Professor, but I'm fine. Really."
She turned to leave again but bumped into a solid mass of a man. She gasped as she stumbled backwards, tripping on a pokeball left lying on the floor. Professor Oak managed to catch her just before she smacked her head against the small table where the squirtle looked on nervously.
The man, his brown hair slicked back, dusted off his black pinstriped suit and glanced briefly at Delia before turning his attention to Professor Oak. "I've come to …"
"… ignore your restraining order," Delia interrupted, frowning as she stood back up.
Giovanni ignored her. "I've come to check your database you use to input entries into the pokedex, Professor. My gym has had a lot of pokemon lately that bite my kadabra and it's doing more damage than it should."
"So the old abra you caught evolved, then?" Professor Oak asked, patting Delia on the shoulder. He glanced at her. "Why don't you go on ahead home, Delia. Come back when you're more fully rested."
"You're sick?" Giovanni asked dryly, showing little if any emotion. "What are your symptoms?"
Delia groaned. "It's just something I ate, that's all. I'm not going to deal with this today. I think I will go home." As she tried to make it past Giovanni, a young researcher entered excitedly, his face aglow with information.
"Professor! Professor! The poliwag in the stream downwind of the tauros herd are laying a bunch of unfertilized eggs on the shore! It's not mating season -- maybe there's something wrong with the water?"
Delia glanced at Giovanni. She noted with horror that he returned her glance for an instant, as if he knew the significance of the news. She glanced back at Professor Oak. "Is it alright if I leave, Professor? I should be better by tomorrow. I'll let you know if Spencer calls."
Professor Oak nodded in half-interest, as he was taking notes from the hyperactive researcher, who couldn't help jumping up and down and gesturing wildly as he recounted the events he witnessed.
As Delia brushed by Giovanni, he whispered into her ear. "Let me know if you need some lum berry bread, Delia. My wife says it cured her of nausea … perhaps it would help you as well."
"Back off," she whispered back angrily as she left the lab.