Season 01

Episode 05

Reminiscence

With Pewter City in site, they happily headed that way so they can stay at the Pokemon Center instead of camping. The city was busy as usual despite it starting to get dark. After after asking a passing woman for directions to the Pokemon Center, they finally arrived.

'How may I help you.' Nurse Joy looked up from the front desk. Chansey was wiping down a table where visitors sit and eat.

'Would you by any chance have a room that we can use for a few nights?' Crystal asked politely.

'Of course. You must be Crystal and Heather am I correct?' Nurse Joy looked at them.

'Yes we are. How did you know?' Crystal seemed a little surprised.

'I was informed by Nurse Joy in Viridian City that you would be heading this way.'

'Fair enough.'

'Please follow me. I will show you to your room. However, you will need to put your pokemon in their balls.' Nurse Joy stood and walked around the desk. 'Ah. I am sorry. It slipped my mind. You need your pokemon out of their balls to help you, do you not?' she looked at Crystal.

'That is right Nurse Joy. Is there a problem with that?'

'The only problem is that it would get a little cramped in the room.'

'Well that would be understandable. Shall we figure something out when we get there?'

Heather removed her bags from Ponyta. 'I'll pop my pokemon in their balls.' and she did just that.

Nurse Joy led them upstairs and opened a door to a guest sleeping room.

'Well, it certainly will be a tight squeeze.' Crystal commented.

The room certainly wasn't very big. There were two bunk beds flanking the window and a table under the window.

Crystal looked among her pokemon. 'This is a little tricky. Most of you will need to go back into your balls, but who do I keep out to help?' all of them except for Arcanine started making a commotion. 'Stop that.' they stopped. 'Look, I know that you're all eager to help me, but do you remember what I told you about teamwork? Sometimes the best teamwork is to stay out of the way and allow your teammate to get the job done.'

'I have a suggestion.' Heather spoke up.

'I am listening.'

'How about Bulbasaur? With my help, we can both lift you up. Charmander and Squirtle are not tall enough to match my height, but Bulbasaur using her vines can do so.'

'Are you sure? I don't want to be a burden.'

'I am sure. What are friends for?'

'Well then. I will be in yours and Bulbasaur's care.' Crystal faced her pokemon. 'Well then guys. Into your pokeballs.' Crystal was just pulling their balls out when Heather spoke up.

'Why don't we put our stuff in the room and have supper first.'

'I must be getting tired. I'm not thinking straight.'

'I will go and prepare you something to eat.' Nurse Joy walked away.

'Well then, I'll put our things in the room. You head on down to the eating area.' Heather gathered their stuff.

As Heather went into the room, Crystal, along with her pokemon headed back downstairs. Just as they arrived at a table, Heather ran up behind them. Squirtle and Charmander helped Crystal onto one of the benches. Heather sat opposite her.

'Well, seeing as we're going to be eating…' Heather brought out her pokemon.

Crystal rubbed her eyes. 'I've gotten lazy since the accident. I get tired easy.'

'I wouldn't be surprised. You're relying most on others to help you.'

'I do whatever I can, but yeah. There's little I can do on my own. If it comes down to it, I will drag myself around.'

'Please don't do that.'

Nurse Joy arrived pushing a trolley of food. They were sandwiches and drinks for heather and Crystal, and several bowls of pokemon food for the pokemon.

'Come to think on it, I wonder if Gym Leader would be willing to let me borrow their gym for training?' Crystal spoke up as she grabbed a sandwich.

'That would be easy.' Nurse Joy replied. 'There will be a gym member coming here in the morning. You can ask him in person.'

'Who is it?'

Nurse Joy smiled. 'You will see. He's a good man, although he has a bit of an annoying habit when he meets me. I'll introduce you when he arrives.' then she leaves with the empty trolley which she placed next to a wall.

'I wonder who it could be?'

'Maybe the gym leader himself?' Heather replied.

'Well, we'll find out in the morning.'

They quietly ate their supper and headed off to bed.

When morning came, they all headed down to the front desk.

'Nurse Joy, you're the joy in my life. With you nearby I…'

A young man wearing brown trousers and green jacket was leaning over the front desk. His dark skin showed a gentleness as he held Nurse Joy's hands between his. However he was cut short when a pokemon came out of his pocket. It was blue and squatting right behind him. It's cheeks inflating and deflating. He didn't even need to turn round as he could tell his pokemon was right behind him.

'Croagunk?' he said. 'Guh!'

Croagunk jabbed him in the lower back. The young man collapsed and Croagunk laughed a little as he reached down to grab one of his legs.

'Erm Croagunk.' Nurse Joy spoke up. 'Please don't take him away just yet.' Croagunk looked at Nurse Joy. 'I have some people for him to meet.'

'Cro. Cro.' Croagunk looked at Nurse Joy for a moment before slapping the young man.

The young man came round and stood up. 'Oh Nurse Joy, to wake up to the vision of…' he stopped as he saw Croagunk readying a Poison Jab.

'Crystal, Heather. This is Brock. He is a member of Pewter City Gym. Although he is not the Gym Leader any more.' Nurse Joy gestured to Brock. 'You can ask him about the Gym.'

'You want to know about Pewter Gym?' Brock spoke up.

'Yes. I hope you can help us.' Crystal replied. 'Why don't we have breakfast while we talk?'

'I will bring you some food.' Nurse Joy went into the back.

They went over to one of the dining tables. As Brock went to sit down he watched in surprise as Crystal's pokemon lifted her off Arcanine and onto the bench where she used her arms to make herself comfortable.

'In all of my travels, that is something I've never seen before.' Brock commented. 'Sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. I take it that you cannot use your legs?'

'My legs became paralysed due to an accident.'

'I am sorry.'

'You don't need to apologise.'

'So what did you want to know about the gym?'

'Heather and me were wondering if we could borrow the gym for training.'

'I don't see a problem with that. We'll need to ask my brother Forrest. He's the gym leader.'

'Thank you Brock.' Crystal reached down and patted Squirtle on the head. 'I want to train my pokemon in a safe environment. They're doing their best and I am proud of them for that, but it's currently too much of a challenge to train in the wild if you know what I mean.'

'I know what you mean. I travelled a lot with friends while learning to be a pokemon breeder. Although I now train to be a pokemon doctor.'

'You were a breeder?' Heather looked shocked.

'Yes I was. Well you could say that I still am in a way.' he looked at heather thoughtfully. 'You seem surprised.'

'It's just that Nurse Joy said that you were a gym leader.'

'That is true Heather. I was a Gym Leader until I met Ash who quickly became my friend.'

'Ash? Do you mean Ash Ketchum?' Crystal asked quickly.

'Yes. Have you met him?'

'No. I haven't met him. It's just that Professor Oak has mentioned him a lot.'

'I'm not surprised. Most of his pokemon are at Professor Oak's lab.'

Nurse Joy arrived with the food before having to leave when someone brought in a sick Rattata.

'As a trainee pokemon doctor, I am interesting in you training your pokemon to help you. Can I ask you some questions?'

'I don't mind.'

Brock asked questions and Crystal answered. She explained how she moves around on Arcanine's back. How it's difficult to climb on and off his back. How she decided that she would travel and train pokemon to help support her and to teach people about her mission. How Professor Oak is supporting her by writing a book on the subject. How Heather, while learning to be a pokemon breeder is helping.

'So you're learning to be a breeder as well Heather?' Brock asked her.

'Yes. Yes I am.' she seemed nervous.

'Don't be nervous. If you're nervous you'll find it very difficult to care for pokemon. Open your heart, smile and take every chore as if it is a game. The pokemon will enjoy that.' Brock went into explaining how he travelled with Ash, Misty, and others. Along the way he learned and did his utmost to support them as a breeder. That is until he decided to become a pokemon doctor.

They finished their food, grabbed their stuff from their room and headed for the gym.