Hey Roger,

As always, I'm doing fine.

I've decided to write this letter instead of call. Nostalgic, isn't it?

I'm happy to hear you like the shiny Ponyta. How's it adjusting?

I know it took a long time, but I told you I'd get you an awesome pokemon for the farm!

I can't believe it took me three years to hunt that thing down, and Kyle didn't help complaining the whole time.

Speaking of Kyle

"Whatcha doing?" Kyle asks, leaning on his shoulder.

"I'm writing a letter to Roger," he replies, tapping the paper with the tip of his pencil.

Kyle makes a face as he always does when his older brother is mentioned.

(The world didn't end when the two met, but a piece of Johto did suspiciously burn down that very day.)

"I thought you were done with that," Kyle complains.

"It helps me get my thoughts together! Besides, everyone loves letters," he replies crossly.

"You just don't want to tell him what you're doing to his face," the Ace Trainer snorts.

He bites his tongue because the guy's not wrong. He'd love to just phone his older brother up and tell him everything he's been planning since he was thirteen.

Except Roger is still stuck on the idea of what it means to be a man.

His brother would absolutely hate his career choice. His biggest fear is that Roger might never talk to him again.

Matter of fact, he might even blame it on a certain Ace Trainer…

"Okay, no," Kyle interrupts, "I see your evil face, and it's not happening."

"What's not happening?" He asks innocently.

"It's just a feeling, but do not put the blame on me for your choice," Kyle says leaning all his weight into his shoulder.

"Well, it is your fault," He says grunting under the force.

"Oh yeah, like I told you to go out and break social norms," Kyle scoffs.

"You planted the idea in my head! 'Hey Jace, you're getting good at patching up both me and the pokemon, why don't you do it long term.' " He quotes in a deeper, albeit sillier voice.

"I didn't mean as a Nurse Joy," Kyle says grinning.

"You totally did," he accuses, wriggling out from under the Ace Trainer.

"Maybe," Kyle finally admits.

"Yeah," he says going back to the paper, "I know you did. Now shoo, I have a complicated letter full of my tears to write."

"Just tell him you really admired the Nurse Joy uniform—"

He throws Happiny's pokeball over his shoulder.

He tunes the following commotion out with long-standing practice.

Speaking of Kyle, I know you don't like him very much, but he's helped me grow into the person I am.

And he's going to help me keep growing into the person I want to be too.

That person is someone who helps others, who heals both people and pokemon. A person who works tirelessly to ensure battling is fun and not tear-filled.

I'm speaking of becoming Johto's first male Nurse Joy.

Okay, okay, take a deep breath. Just hear me out, okay?

I know that the Nurse Joy program only accepts females with a Happiny, but that's where Kyle comes in.

You know, Kyle? The guy who could probably make Champion if he wasn't so sure he couldn't? The one who has an endless amount of contacts and, I suspect, amount of blackmail?

After I told him what I wanted to do, he sat down with the director one day and bam! I got in.

So, I guess what I'm telling you is I'm going off to Nursing school, and I hope you'll support me.

It's been a long time coming, but I finally understand what you see when you look at pokemon.

I want to help them. I want to see excited trainers with all kinds of pokemon pass by my desk every day!

You can't stop me, so I hope you'll eventually understand that this is how I want to live my life.

Love,

Jace

P.S. If I pass, Happiny becomes a Chansey! How cool is that?

P.P.S. I no longer have a girlfriend, Beth was a waste of time.

P.P.P.S. Kyle's coming with me. Says he's going to be my coach, bodyguard, and morale booster. He got permission to be my roommate, but he plans to travel. He'll probably leave once I've settled in, and come back when I'm ready to quit. He's weird like that.