Chapter 11: In Which We Take a Brief Detour into the Life of a Renegade Nurse Joy

((Okay, this chapter is not vital to the rest of the story and has no real reason for existence other than the fact that the idea amuses me. Possibly I should take this chapter out and make it a story of its own. She does show up again in a chapter or so, though, so it isn't completely random.))

Several months before the rest of the story

"This," said Joy Medic the 104th angrily, "is IT." She paced back and forth across her bedroom, glaring at nothing in particular. "This is absolutely the last straw!"

She would grit her teeth and suffer through the 'Pokémon Care' lessons. She would pretend to listen to her mother's lectures on how to be a proper Nurse Joy. But this, THIS was going too far. They actually wanted her to co-manage a Pokémon Center with her aunt Joy in Cianwood City? 'It'll teach you some responsibility, dear,' her mother had said. Responsibility, ha. Joy had plenty of responsibility. She just chose not to apply it to things so utterly stupid as Pokémon healing. She wanted to do something different with her life... something exciting, something interesting, something non-saccharine, something... evil. Yes. Evil.

Originally, she had wanted to wait to join Team Rocket until she was eighteen and legally her own person. But now she saw that she had no choice. She'd have to run away from home today and join Team Rocket as soon as was possible. Otherwise she'd be stuck managing a Pokémon Center with her horrid aunt for who knew how long. Aunt Joy was sweet, lovable, kind, caring, helpful... all the things a good Nurse Joy was supposed to be. It made Joy sick just to think about it. Not that her mother and sisters weren't like that too, but them, Joy knew how to avoid. There'd be no avoiding her aunt- her mother had seen to that by making her co-manager. She'd have to be in the Pokémon Center helping at all times, and her aunt would be watching her every move.

So, she was leaving.

She packed her one Pokéball, containing a Chansey she'd stolen from her older sister, into her backpack, threw in what money she had, then went to her closet to get some clothes. "Shit!" she said under her breath upon opening the closet door. Her mother had gone through her wardrobe again and thrown out everything that wasn't pink. And Joy was damned if she was going to request to join Team Rocket while wearing a Nurse Joy outfit. Then she remembered the Secret Black Shirt and Pants that she'd hidden under her bed.

She descended into the Dark Abyss that was under the bed, and made her way through years' worth of junk. She'd only put the outfit there a few months ago, but she'd hidden it behind some other things so that her mother wouldn't find it- an action which she was now regretting.

At last she found it. "Aha," she said aloud, in a rather muffled voice. And she made her way back out from under her bed, which in itself took her several hours.

"Joy," she heard her mother tell her oldest sister as she at last emerged from the Dark Abyss, "go tell Joy that it's time for dinner, would you?"

"What do you mean, go tell her? She's right here. Next to me."

"No, not that Joy, the other Joy."

"She moved to Saffron City, remember?"

"No, not your older sister Joy, your younger sister Joy."

"Oh. Right. Where is she?"

"I think she's in her room."

Joy's oldest sister Joy who will henceforth be referred to as Joy the 102nd in order to avoid confusion walked into her room, closely followed by her other older sister, Joy the 103.503rd it's a long story.

"Joy, it's time for dinner," said Joy the 102nd.

"I'm not coming to dinner," replied Joy.

"But Mother will be so upset if you don't," Joy the 103.503rd told her.

"Oh, forget Mom. I'm not coming to dinner- not now and not ever!" proclaimed Joy dramatically.

"Oh, but you must eat dinner sometime, or you'll starve!" tittered Joy the 102nd.

"Unless you plan on eating extra-large lunches from now on," giggled Joy the 103.503rd, doubtless thinking that she was being very clever.

"You two," Joy the 104th stated matter-of-factly, "are complete and total idiots. Goodbye."

And, backpack on her back, she stalked out of the house. She'd show them. She'd join Team Rocket, and she'd take over the world and she'd show the whole wretched race of Nurse Joys that.... that... that... well, she'd show them something. She just wasn't quite sure what yet.

"And I will make them PAY," she said, quietly and evilly, grinning in a way that could get her classified as insane fairly quickly.

She wouldn't, of course, or at least not personally. After all, when she joined she'd only be a grunt, and grunts can't do anything.

But let's leave her her delusions of grandeur for now, shall we?