A/N: 16/10/2021. I've edited this story and reuploaded chapters. Would advise going back and reading all Chapters cause some of those changes might be very important.
Chapter Five: Adapting
Living with Nurse Joy was very different to what I'd had before. Within the first day, she moved me into a spare room in 'her residence' which was effectively just an extension of the Pokemon Centre with personal living quarters and a kitchen.
Nurse Joy explained that all Pokemon Centres were built with three sections: staff's personal quarters, health care and trainer rooms. The size of each of these was dependent on the size of the area that the Centre serviced and number of required staff. Although Nurse Joy was expected to be the only full-time member of staff, the Pokemon Centre had been built to allow a second full time member, and have space for three temporary apprentices.
As I hadn't been comfortable in the full suit available for another staff member, I'd chosen one of the apprentice rooms attached to Nurse Joy's rooms, which means we shared a kitchen and living room but I had my own bedroom and bathroom which was more than enough space for me. Especially since the bedroom was designed with the idea of Pokemon companions in mind, so I'd have space for my family when they hatched.
I spent much of the first day, familiarising myself with my room without sight while cradling each of the eggs in turn, before I ventured beyond my room. There was a bay window, which Nurse Joy said looked into their privet garden and Pokemon recovery gardens. With the pillows that made up the seat, and the sun which warmed it from morning till evening, it was quickly becoming one of my favourite places to sit.
Other than the window seat, there was also a small desk with shelves above it, a single bed which gave me somewhere to work and somewhere to sleep, but both pieces of furniture were small enough to allow for plenty of floor space. For now, the only other things in my room were a cloths rack and the family incubator, which was on a temporary stand so it could be moved and I could remove it after the eggs had hatched.
I thought the cloths rack would remain empty, except for the stolen cloths I'd commandeered, but Nurse Joy had taken her new guardian responsibilities seriously and purchased me new cloths. Five long sleeved shirts with a round high collar and five roll-necks; Nurse Joy had realised I wouldn't be comfortable in something which was revealing, so she'd gone with shirts which I could hide in. The shirts were all greens, blues, purples and reds, dark shades but not black. So, I didn't have to worry about colour coding, she'd also purchased me three pairs of black combat trousers. As there were pockets in the trousers, I didn't need to carry a bag around, and they were made of heavy-duty fabrics so wouldn't be easily torn.
The final part of new wardrobe was underwear and silk bandages. The silk bandages would replace the medical bandages once my eyes had healed enough to be able to replace them. This part of my wardrobe went into the draws which were under the clothes rack, and the shoes I'd been given went next to the draws. Having not worn shoes for so long, I wasn't sure how long those new shoes were going to remain there before I worked up the courage to try wearing them.
I wasn't exactly happy with the amount of money that Nurse Joy spent on replacing my wardrobe, especially since the League had decided to award me money for giving them the intelligence to bring down a criminal organisation and saving six Pokemon eggs. The award money was in a bank account which I had access to, but Nurse Joy told me not to spend the money as it was now her responsibility to take my expenses. I had a feeling that we might argue about such things in the future, especially if I manage to find myself employment as I would be aiming to do as soon as possible.
On top of the wardrobe, Nurse Joy had also obtained a specially designed and adapted PokeNav. It had been designed by Silph Co, in order to assist people with physical disabilities like mine. As it was still in a trial period, Nurse Joy had gotten it on a severe discount as long as I sent in reports on how the PokeNav was working for me, and what might need to be changed to make it better. The navigation buttons were raised so I could feel them under the pads of my thumbs, but the device mostly responded to voice commands and was specifically programmed to respond to my voice. It had a reader, which meant despite loosing the ability to read, I hadn't been robed of my ability to learn.
The PokeNav had several different functions, including the ability to access the internet, a place to download research papers, another place for downloaded books, a word document for writing and storing notes of any length, a GPS/map function and an emergency contact system. Trying to get used to the software, I was listening to downloaded research papers on Pokemon as well as old news reports, and using the diary function to report on the progress on each of the eggs.
It was difficult, having to verbalise each of the punctuations I wanted to include in my writings, especially since I had to re-learn how to actually use most of them and learn how to use some more. One of the first things I was writing in my review for the PokeNav, was that it needed to include shorthand's for the needed punctuation or predictions of possible punctuations that could be used.
Outside of learning, trying to catch up with the years of formal education that I had missed and the developing world that I had been removed from for three years, I'd taken up the meditation exercises that Lucario had couched me in, morning and evening, as well as thrice daily physical training that I hadn't been able to do before. The meditation helped me to calm my mind, settle my spirit and Aura. As I was using my Aura, to increase strengths, for an hour each day I also needed to take the time to settle and familiarise myself with it to ensure I didn't loose control.
The physical exercises that I was using were a combination of some of the most basic strengthening and stretching exercises that Lucario had described to me, as well as a few that Nurse Joy had recommended. The damage I'd taken over the years had left my body so very week, and I needed to get stronger in order to truly begin using Aura as Lucario had described to me, and to adequately look after the Pokemon that would soon be in my care. Much of the Aura technique and skills that had been described to me, required the user to have a strong mind and body, and if the world was approaching a tipping point than I needed to start getting ready.
With such a small window of time before the eggs started hatching, I took time to start researching the different flying types that my first egg might hatch into, as well as researching Piplup, Froakie and Vulpix so that I didn't have to rely on the information I'd gained from the criminals. I'd begin researching the dragons once the others had begun hatching.
When the flying type egg started intermittently shaking, I permanently removed it from the family incubator and carted it around with me at all times. Nurse Joy wasn't pleased with that decision because I'd taken to using a guide stick in order to navigate around obstacles in the Pokemon Centre. I hadn't gotten the courage yet to move outside of the Pokemon Centre, since I couldn't take all the eggs with me and I didn't want to leave them behind.
This flying type Pokemon, and its siblings, would be the first Pokemon I'd be seeing in to the world who would not be living a life of pain and death, or inadequate training as a pet. They would be hatching under my care; would be trained to be the best they can be and to be what they want to be – not what I want, despite wishing to become a Pokemon trainer and hoping they would like to come with me and battle. The Pokemon would be strong and determine their own futures, without interference or influence.
"Nurse Joy, has the Lt. contacted you?" I questioned. It'd been under Nurse Joy's care for a week, and I'd hoped that the criminal organisation would have ended before the eggs were due to hatch. With my flying-type due to hatch in a week, that deadline was fast approaching and I was worried that some of them would slip past the Lieutenant and his man which would endanger me and the Pokemon under my care.
"Not yet. But it takes time to gather the information and pull a team together. They also needed to find which island Grasshope is, which is probably taking the longest amount of time." Nurse Joy explained. "The Lieutenant will likely return in person to let you know of his mission's outcome."
"I thought he'd just leave a message with you?" I questioned, surprised.
"The Lieutenant is an honourable man, and with your friends on the island, he would want to assure you that not only are you safe but so are they." Nurse Joy explained.
"I'm glade that he is the one given the mission. He is one of the few I'd trust in the League to hold true." I sighed. "I don't think I would have told as much as I did, if he hadn't been the one sent."
"You've heard a lot about the Lieutenant." Nurse Joy prompted.
"Yes." I agreed softly, getting up and heading to the privet garden.
The Lieutenant had risen to prominence back during the time of Team Rocket; he was the only person who still maintained the title who hadn't been absorbed into the Ranger or Ace ranks. Lt. Surge had led many teams into battle, and successfully defended not only Vermillion City (which had been his main base of operations at the time, and now where he led a gym) but led teams to defend towns and villages which had come under attack. He had a 'no prisoners' attitude when it came to taking down human criminals, although he was typically more lenient with their Pokemon, preferring to capture and detain them. It was this attitude, along with his fierce effectiveness, which had led to the cautionary tales told by criminals in firelight. Many of the tales told were not kind, and I was sure had memories that Lieutenant wouldn't want to be reminded off.
Finally, eighteen days after I arrived on Shamouti, on the 23rd January the first egg cracked. As I'd been instructed, I called for Nurse Joy so that she could be on hand encase anything went wrong, before I gentle rested the egg in a nest of blankets. Once the egg was properly supported so that it couldn't roll away while it was hatching, I sat back and waited.
Nurse Joy entered the room behind me with Chansey with her, and waited by the door. They knew that this was an important moment for me, and that I had to be the first one the Pokemon saw because of the bond we already had. To affirm that bond, the Pokemon had to see me first, and know that I was prepared to be there and look after them.
Twenty minutes after the first crack appeared, a small Pokemon of about 0.4metres emerged. Due to the precious nature of the moment, I used my Aura Sight in order to determine that the Pokemon had a small circular body, two tuffs of feather protruding from the middle of her head, and a feathered tail. What identified her species the most clearly, was the two fluffy white wings.
"Swablu," I carefully lifted the small Pokemon up and held her close.
"Swa, swablu," she chirred before letting out a high-pitched beeping coo that was characteristic of her species.
"You're beautiful." I gentle ran my thumb over Swablu's head, which was soft and caused Swablu to let out another beeping coo as she became a puddle in my lap.
"Jenny, can I come and check on Swablu, to make sure it's okay?" Nurse Joy spoke softly.
"She, Swablu is a she. And yes, you can come close. But she'll be hungry soon." I shifted Swablu so that she was resting in my hands, instead of my lap, which made it easier for Nurse Joy to get access to the small cloud like Pokemon. I wasn't willing to allow Swablu out of my hands.
"She seems to be in perfectly good health. Her wings are week, so she won't be able to fly yet. Over the next week, her wing strength will increase and she'll be able to carry her own weight for short periods of time. You'll have to help her gain strength with some basic movement exercises. Do you need me to show you how to help her, or do you already know the exercises?" Nurse Joy questioned.
"I know the exercises." I smiled, gently rubbing my thumb over Swablu's head once more. I'd been researching them as part of my search into flying type Pokemon. There was also a few that I remembered from my time on the island, as Lucario and the other wild Pokemon had taught their young.
"How did you know this was a Swablu, and female?" Nurse Joy questioned.
"I don't need eyes to see," I accepted the berry mush that Chansey had prepared and began feeding the eager Swablu. Unwilling to answer any more questions, I began humming softly while feeding my new charge.
