Season 01

Episode 09

Sink or Swim

It didn't take them as long to get from the base of Mount Moon to Cerulean City as it did to get from Pewter City to Mount Moon. This is because they were in a hurry and not hanging around. So it only took a day and a half to arrive. Heather was riding Ponyta and Crystal was riding Arcanine. Both Pokemon were running a lot. Crystal was holding Starly with one arm.

After arriving in Cerulean City, they slowed down. After getting directions from someone who just so happened to be cleaning his house windows with the help of a Squirtle, they headed along to the Pokemon Centre.

Heather climbed down off Ponyta and they all headed into the Pokemon Centre. They found Nurse Joy mopping the floor with her back to them.

'Evening Nurse Joy.' Crystal called out.

Nurse Joy perked up and turned to them. 'Evening. How may I help you?'

'Can you help this Starly please?' Crystal held Starly up for Nurse Joy.

'Oh my. I've never seen a Starly with that colour before. It's also quite bandaged up. May I ask what happened?' Nurse Joy walked over.

'Well…' Crystal explained everything.

'Oh dear. It's not uncommon for such things to happen. It just doesn't make it any happier. Chansey, bring a stretcher!'

'Thank you Nurse Joy. Oh, could you have a look at Arcanine please.' she gave him a head-scratch. 'We had to run more than usual to get here. I'm sure he's just exhausted, but it doesn't hurt to make sure.'

'Of course.'

'Could you check Ponyta as well please. The same reasons as Arcanine.' Heather spoke up.

'Of course.' Nurse Joy placed Starly on the stretcher. 'Arcanine and Ponyta, please follow me.'

'One moment please Nurse Joy.' Crystal called out the rest of her Pokemon. 'OK everyone. Can you help me over to that table please. Arcanine needs to go for a check-up.' they all spoke up and got ready on one-side of Arcanine.

Arcanine crouched down and Crystal rolled off. The Pokemon caught her and carried her over to the table. Once they helped her to sit down she gave them a pat on the head. She then noticed that Starly was looking to jump off the stretcher. 'Starly. Let Nurse Joy take care of you. We won't leave you. We will be right here waiting for you to get better. Do you understand?'

'Starly.' Starly nodded and relaxed.

Nurse Joy calmly took the Pokemon into the back with Chansey pushing the stretcher.

Crystal sighed and placed her head on the table.

'Are you OK Crystal?' Heather sat opposite her.

Crystal shook her head lightly and sat up. 'These last few days have been more faster paced that I expected.' she sighed. 'I was expecting a casual journey, but we've ended up with one thing after another. First Squirtle, Charmander and Bulbasaur chose to join me. Then we find Mudbray who joined up with us. You also got Ledyba, and now there is this situation with Starly.' Bulbasaur placed a vine on her shoulder. She looked down at them and saw their saddened faces. 'I'm not saying that you being with me isn't wanted. It's just that things are moving quicker than I can handle.'

'Sounds like you need to relax and have some fun.' a voice came from nearby.

Crystal, Heather and their Pokemon were startled from the sudden voice. Heather turned round to see a young woman sat at the table behind her.

She was wearing a yellow t-shirt and blue shorts, and her red, slightly spiky hair had a ponytail to one-side. She walked over and crouched down and started patting the pokemon. 'Sorry for butting in like that.' she offered her hand to Crystal. 'Hi. I am…' Just then, a pokemon appeared from her pocket.

Holding its head and giving a blank stare, it tilted its head.

The girl clenched her fist and clouted it on the head. 'Psyduck. We don't need an idiot right now.' she sighed. 'Sorry about this. Psyduck has a habit of randomly popping out of his pokeball and mainly gets himself into trouble…' she clouted his head again 'which tends to cause me trouble.' she sighed again. 'Still, I'll never get rid of him.'

Then she realised something. 'Sorry. I was about to introduce myself.' she offered her hand again. 'I am Misty. The Gym Leader of the Cerulean Gym.'

'You're Misty the Gym Leader?' Crystal returned the handshake. 'Brock mentioned you.'

'Brock? Are you perhaps Crystal and Heather?' she pointed from one to the other.

'That's right.'

'I wasn't expecting to see you so soon.' she stood up while lifting Squirtle with her. 'You've got a nice Squirtle here.' Squirtle looked happy.

'We weren't expecting to meet you either.' Heather spoke up.

'Let me guess. Brock said that I was here as the Gym Leader, but because this is a city, you weren't expecting to bump into me.'

'That's right.'

'Well, we appear to have bumped into each other.' she laughed a little.

'You said that I need to relax and have some fun.' Crystal spoke up.

'Oh yes. That's right. As a Gym Leader, I find that having some days off from work helps me and my pokemon recover so that we can enter the next battle or training session all refreshed.'

'That's true. When I was training to be a Police Officer, even we had days off to relax. I'd forgotten what those days felt like. After the accident, my days went from mostly training, to basically relaxing everyday. Now I'm travelling, all the time and training my pokemon, I forgot that I need to relax for a while.'

'So, will you sink from too much training, or will you relax and swim?'

'I think I'll relax.'

'Now that's more like it.' Heather spoke up.

'How about I…' Misty started talking but was suddenly interrupted when something passed her and barrelled straight into Crystal, knocking her over.

'Starly starly starly.' Starly had flown straight into Crystal and was now rubbing her head into Crystal's chest.

'Starly? I thought you were with Nurse Joy?'

'Starly starly.' Starly was shaking her head.

Nurse Joy walked over. 'I'm sorry. The moment I had removed the bandages, she suddenly flew off.'

'That's alright Nurse Joy. I think she's become rather too attached to me.' Crystal replied.

Nurse Joy smiled. 'I am not surprised. It happens a lot. A Pokemon is alone, sometimes badly injured or starving and then someone comes along and offers love and care. The Pokemon then doesn't want to lose such happiness, so they cling to the person that helped them. They do eventually settle down when they get use to the fact that they won't be abandoned. That someone will be caring for them. Whether it's the person that rescued them, or they're passed onto someone else who can and will take care of them.'

'That's understandable, but we both rescued Starly. Why is she fond of Crystal and not us both?' Heather spoke up.

'There is no single answer. You could be the first one she saw, or the one that cared for her the most, or that she has simply become fond of you. There are many other possible reasons. All that matters now is that she is attached to you, and that I still need to treat her.'

'I guess that I'll have to come with you into the treatment room.' Crystal spoke up.

'How will you move around? Arcanine and Ponyta have fallen asleep. They were exhausted.'

'Mudbray. It looks like you will need to step up and carry me.'

'Brraaayy!' Mudbray almost jumped with joy.

'Charmeleon, Squirtle, Bulbasaur. You will need to hold me steady while I'm on Mudraby's back.' Mudbray suddenly looked saddened. 'Don't look like that Mudbray. You're still young and small. Give it time and you'll be carrying me a lot more often.' Mudbray nodded after a moment.

With care, the Pokemon carried and placed Crystal onto Mudbray's back, side-saddle style. While Crystal held Starly, the other Pokemon held Crystal and they went into the back and into the examination room. Nurse Joy placed a chair next to the examination table which Crystal moved over to sit on.

Starly stood on the table and allowed Nurse Joy to examine her. She first checked the eyes, then inside the mouth, then feeling over the body which caused Starly to flinched with a bit of pain here and there.

'I don't see anything bad. A few scrapes and bruises with nothing broken. Signs that she's still recovering from malnutrition. A mild infection may be settling in which can be treated easily this early.' Nurse Joy smiled. 'Starly will be just fine.' she then walked over to a glass cabinet.

'Do you hear that Starly. You'll be just fine.' Crystal smiled happily at Starly.

'Staaarrrlllyyy!' Starly flapped her wings in happiness.

Nurse Joy soon returned with a small tray containing only two pills. 'Here you go Starly. This pill is an antibiotic to treat the infection, and this one is a vitamin supplement. Please swallow them.'

'Star?' Starly looked at the pills with a look of slight worry.

'Don't worry Starly. They're to help you. So swallow them down like you would some food. Be a good girl and I'll see if Heather can make you something nice to eat.'

'Staarr!' Starly was suddenly eager and swallowed the pills quickly.

'That's a good girl. But next time Starly, please don't swallow them so quickly. We don't want you to choke.' Crystal placed a hand on Starly's side.

'Star.' Starly replied.

'All you need now is to rest up Starly. Don't go eating to much too quickly either. You'll only make Crystal worry about you when you fall ill.' Nurse Joy leaned towards Starly before looking at Crystal. 'Stick to giving her food in fluid form for a few days before gradually switching to solid food. That will give her body time to adjust.'

'Thanks Nurse Joy.' Crystal smiled. 'You hear that Starly. You need to take it easy for a while and no eating solid food. Don't eat too quickly either. Nurse Joy is right. You'll only make me worry if you fall ill.'

'Star.' Starly looked saddened but then took a deep breath puffing out her chest for a moment. 'Starly.' she nodded.

'That's a good girl.' Crystal stroked Starly's head. 'Now then, shall we go back to Heather? I'll ask her to make you a nice drink.'

'Star…' Starly was about to jump for joy but suddenly stopped mid crouch before standing straight and just nodding. 'Starly.'

Crystal smiled at her before turning to the other Pokemon. 'Shall we go then?'

With cries of agreement, they moved Crystal back onto Mudbray's back. Starly hopped into Crystal's arms and they left the room.

Back in the waiting area Heather was still talking to Misty when the others returned. She had her other Pokemon, Jigglypuff and Ledyba out. Misty was holding Jigglypuff on her lap and talking about another Jigglypuff that kept following her and her friends in a never ending desire to sing to an audience but instead kept putting everyone to sleep. It had a habit of getting angry and drawing on peoples faces when they fell asleep.

'Luckily my Jigglypuff doesn't sing all that much. I've only known her to sing when she feels that she needs to force someone to sleep. Mainly me. I've been known to overwork myself and refuse to sleep, so she's forced me to sleep by singing.'

'Oh you're a sweety Jigglypuff. You've got a big heart.' Misty gave her a big squeeze.

'Puff.' Jigglypuff puffed up her body with a proud expression.

'Did I miss anything interesting?' Crystal asked as they came over.

'Nothing much. Just talking about past travels.' Heather replied. 'How's Starly?'

'Starly will be fine. Nurse Joy says to put her on drinks for a few days before gradually giving her solid food.'

'I thought that it might be something like that.'

'Starly. Go on over to Heather and ask her nicely for a drink. Don't ask too excitedly. If you ask calmly and politely I'm sure that she would make it that bit more special for you.' Crystal stroked Starly's head.

'Star.' Starly flew over and landed on Heather's lap. 'Star. Starly starly. Star star starly.' Starly was trying not to get too excited.

'Of course Starly, I'll be more than happy to make you a drink.' she looked over at Nurse Joy. 'Nurse Joy, do you mind if I borrow your kitchen.'

'Of course you can. Please follow me.'

After sitting Starly on the table, she grabbed her bag and followed Nurse Joy.

'You two will make great friends on your travels.' Misty spoke up.

'Thanks.' Crystal replied as her Pokemon helped her onto the seat at the table.

'Have you decided whether to rest up or not?'

'I have. We will take a break for a couple of days.'

'That's good to hear. I have an offer for you. Why don't you come to the gym with me? I can take you swimming. Explore some underwater beauty from scuba diving.'

'Misty, have you forgotten that I can't swim?'

'I haven't forgotten. I'm a water pokemon trainer. Just look at your pokemon and ask yourself which one you're able to hold onto while it pulls you around underwater.'

Crystal blinked, looked at her pokemon and then suddenly it all clicked. 'Squirtle. Of course. I see what you're getting at.'

'If Squirtle isn't up to pulling you around underwater, I can let you borrow one of my Pokemon.'

'That's alright. I believe in Squirtle, just like I believe in all of my pokemon.' Crystal looked at Squirtle.

'Squirtle.' Squirtle raised a fist in a cheer. The other pokemon looked happy as well.

Crystal and Misty continued to talk about one thing or another until Heather returned with Nurse Joy. She was pushing a trolley of food.

'OK everyone, form a line and no pushing each other. I will give you your food.' all of the pokemon formed a line so Heather started placing bowls of food down for them. While she placed them down, she told them not to eat until everyone has food in front of them otherwise it'll be rude. 'Starly, don't go drinking this too quickly. Just take your time and you will enjoy it for longer.'

'Star.' Starly nodded.

Once Heather had placed all of the food 'You can eat up now.'

The pokemon immediately dug in. Starly even forced herself into taking sips of her drink.

Heather grabbed some food from the trolley and sat at the table with the others while giving Crystal a plate of food. 'Let me guess, we'll be resting up for a day or two.'

'Yeah. A couple days of resting sounds great. Misty even invited us to the gym for a swim.'

'That sounds great. Thanks Misty.' Heather replied just before taking a bite of her food.