A.N. Hope you enjoy!
"I hope to never go through that forest again," muttered Ash again under his breath as he looked backwards towards the forest that was fading from his vision. "For all I care, they could clean cut a path straight through there to make it to Pewter City..."
"Then what would happen to all the Pokémon who inhabit the forest?" asked Erika with a stern look on her face. "It would definitely alter the ecosystem in this area since a vast majority of bug Pokémon help pollinate the vegetation where we get our fruits and vegetables from."
"I never really thought of it like that," said Ash. After being drained of almost all energy, Ash did not really feel like starting any deep conversation. He decided that it was time to head on to the Pokemon center and get some dinner and see his three Pokémon once again. Maybe Scyther would be a better sport this time and get to know him even more; he wondered if Scyther had the ability to transmit aura that Ash could miraculously understand, though he did not put it past him.
Riolu, such a brave and strong Pokémon. How grand it would be if he were to evolve to Lucario before the battle at Pewter City gym, where he would have a four-times advantage against rock! But, this was not likely to happen since he had the Pokemon for only a day, plus, he did not want his Pokémon to evolve just yet. He still wanted to know and love him as a Riolu before a Lucario.
Dratini's defeat against Venonat was somewhat embarrassing, but he knew her level was at least half of that of the insect Pokémon. Her face was stamped in his mind; such a cute and obedient Pokémon. He was just so proud of them all! k
As the two protagonists descended to the bottom of the hill after a few struggles and loss of balances, they were welcomed by the calm purring of automobiles in the light traffic, which was a sound that Ash had not heard in a while since there were not any busy roads in the rural area of Pallet Town. The shadows of Erika and Ash grew as the sun began to sink into the horizon and a beautiful glow of orange and pink painted the sky. Despite being on solid ground and being able to walk without the assistance of Erika, Ash began to have trouble moving. He walked towards a nearby bench and sat down and looked at his foot.
"Ash, is your foot bothering you? If so, I can rebandage it and apply some medicine on it before we go to the doctor tomorrow, if you wish," suggested Erika as she stood by him at the side of the bench.
"Yeah, that'd be great, ance once I recover you can go back to doing whatever it was you were doing before you met me," he said teasingly as he nudged her shoulder with his elbow. "I mean, if you really want to. What you choose to do is okay with me, but I would prefer if you stayed, since it wouldn't be as fun."
"I do not have any desire of leaving just yet," began Erika as she offered her hand to Ash as they walked towards the Pokemon center that was about 300 feet away. "And do not feel like you are burdening me, 'cause that isn't the case."
The two of them remained silent until they reached the center. Luckily there were not many people there and Erika and Ash both went to the counter where Nurse Joy stood along with a large oval, cream-colored Pokemon was standing. There was a pouch on its stomach and inside it was an egg. It also had a cute little hat that matched that of Nurse Joy.
"Chansey!" said the Pokemon as she waved her hand at the two people approaching the counter.
"Good evening, young man. And Erika!" exclaimed Nurse Joy in a voice that attracted the attention of several bystanders. "Oops. Inside voices. What a surprise to see you out here." She directed her attention to Ash again. "Are you injured badly?" interrogated Nurse Joy concerned. "Allthough I specialize in Pokemon, I do know a few things about the human anatomy. Why don't I take a look at you after I heal your Pokemon?"
"Just stitches on my foot; I had just come through Viridian Forest, and my foot is killing me." Ash almost lost balance, but luckily Erika was by his side to support him. Ash did find it somewhat strange that as poor shape as he was facing, that the nurse would take care of his Pokemon first, but then again, this was a Pokemon center.
She first took all three of the Pokeballs Ash had and put it on the high-tech machine that worked its magic and recovered his injured party. She turned back around and handed Ash the three balls that he put in his pocket for the time being. Erika went up next and just gave her one ball, obviously Weepinbell for having fought with Team Rocket earlier.
"Stitches you said?" Oh, my. Isn't it very painful?" Nurse Joy asked. "Why don't you tell me what happen so I'll know what I'm dealing with."
"Ash, mind if I tell her the events that have happened?" asked Erika. "You really need to catch your breath."
He felt that it was rather odd that she wanted to tell the nurse behind the counter a very...unpleasant story, but it wasn't like he was going to be hanging around Pewter City for long. "Sure," was all that Ash managed to respond as he leaned against the counter.
"Yes, his journey had reach a tragic interruption yesterday when a Gyarados attacked his foot when swimming a lake along the path of Route 1, but luckily I managed to repel the creature by defeating it with Gloom and Weepinbell. It really wasn't a big task since it was obviously a confused Magikarp who had just evolved since it didn't know many moves. Once I won, I treated Ash's wounds and he even saw a doctor in Viridian."
"Wow, such a terrible turn of events for this young man," replied Nurse Joy almost confused. "Now, let me examine your foot. Come with me for a second, Ash," instructed Nurse Joy as they went into a side room. "Take care of anybody while I'm gone, Chansey!"
"Chansey!" she squealed with delight as another trainer approached the counter and handed her the Pokeballs.
"Let's go get some dinner when she's finished!" suggested Erika from halfway across the lobby as Ash and Nurse Joy entered a room. He responded with a smile, a nod, and a thumbs up and then they were gone.
Nurse Joy showed a chair for Ash to sit down in. He set the crutches and knapsack aside and put his foot on another chair for her to see. "Now, let me examine that foot of yours." She took off his right shoe and examined his sock. The blood on there was far less saturated than when Ash had been in Viridian City, but it was still enough to squeeze some out with force. Fortunately, Ash's shoes could be saved with a decent washing. Ash appreciated the fact that the slightly less gruesome (and smaller) injury didn't hurt as much; it was one of those "looks worse than it actually feels" situations, because he could not dare fathom the excrutiating pain he would have to endure if the pain matched the wound!
Nurse Joy got some supplies out of the cabinets which consisted of cotton balls, herbal amenities synthesized by the spores of Parasect and other grass Pokemon, and isopropyl alcohol. She went to the sink and turned on the faucet by rotating a red knob with "H" on it, clearly for hot water. She grabbed a cloth in another cabinet and soaked it in the isopropyl alcohol for sterilizing the area around the wound. She grinded the amenities for a few minutes with a mortar and pestle until it was able to form a fine dust, which she then put in a small pot about the size of a tea kettle. Ash sniffed the air and got a whiff of something awful.
"What is that smell?" asked Ash as he held in his nose.
"When I grinded that plant matter, it broke down the cell walls of some of the leaves, which release a chemical that produces a vile odor," she explained as she resumed her duties. She went back to the sink and slowly touched the water before turning a bit of cold on to reduce the heat then filled the pot up and stirred it with a metal spoon. It turned the water a repulsive shade of brown and smelt nasty. Nurse Joy took the cloth and wiped it around the wound on Ash's face. He winced quite a lot from the cold chemical rubbing against his foot, but he knew that this would make it better. After about a minute, Nurse Joy placed the bloody cloth in a hamper basket and went to wash her hands thoroughly and placed the pot on a small foot stool and looked at Ash's foot. It luckily wasn't bleeding at the moment.
"I will need you to apply this herbal remedy on cotton balls and clean the area of your wound thoroughly. The remedy is a combination of Parasect spores, Bellsprout roots, Vileplume pollen, Meganium leaves, and a bit of Gloom nectar. Despite the fact they smell horrendously nauseating, they contain lots of antibiotics to prevent infection. Please keep your foot still as I wash the area."
She dipped a cotton ball in the foul liquid and then put it against Ash's foot. It stung really bad but he knew that this was the way to make it feel better. About a minute and half of utter silence lingered across the room until the nurse decided to break it.
"So it was only yesterday that this incident occured?" she rhetorically since she already knew that Erika informed her about it. "You are quite a brave young man, Ash. I'll need for you to show me your I.D. so I can give you a room key to spend the night. Also, take a batch of this medicine to help you." She took a canister and filled it up with the rest of the liquid and capped it before she gave it to Ash.
"Thank you, and yes, let me get my I.D. for you," he replied and opened it after he got it out of his pocket. The PokeDex identified Ash's status as a trainer and whatnot, giving Nurse Joy the desired proof.
"Okay, that settles it!" she said cheerfully with her famed smile. "Put on a fresh pair of socks and I will wash the ones you had on. Also, your shoes should be okay for tonight, but if you give them to me, I'll make sure they get properly washed to get the blood out. I have completed all that I can for tonight; if something arises in your stay in Pewter City, do not hesitate to come by more or a nearby doctor."
"Thank you for everything," Ash replied happily. "I didn't know that you were allowed to do this."
"Well, normally, I'm not supposed to, but since you were with someone with high status like Erika, I am more than willing to make an exception. And speaking of which, you should go down the elevator and meet her in the basement where they are serving dinner."
"I couldn't agree with you more," said Ash as he just finished tying his shoe and standing back up with the support of the crutches. His stomach growled and he sheepishly chuckled. Nurse Joy giggled in response.
"Oh wait, before you go, please take this." She took out a metal canister and poured the remainder of the medicinal brew in it. "Be sure to clean the area before you leave tomorrow."
Nurse Joy smiled and opened the door for Ash. He headed towards the elevator and pressed the button to go downwards. In about five seconds, he was in the cafeteria and there stood Erika, all smiled.
"I'm so glad you made it, Ash," said Erika as she walked over to him and helped him sit down. "Don't worry, I already paid for us both. I kept myself busy by reading the newspaper. Look at this." She handed him a piece the paper whose headline said "Doom in Mt. Moon". He read it real fast and gasped.
"So they are harassing trainers at Mt. Moon in search for fossils and moon stones?" commented Ash a bit puzzled. "Since that's the fastest way to get my second badge, I'll show them a lesson! I already faced them in Viridian Forest, so I won't be as scared next time!"
"I'm sure and hope that the Pewter City and Cerulean City police will take care of them," reassured Erika, "but it doesn't hurt to be prepared if we face them again. No telling what tricks they have up their sleeves. We managed to get lucky with them due to the swarm of Beedrill. We may not get so lucky next time."
"We'll see about that," answered Ash. The two of them got their food and ate quietly, contemplating more about the fact that tomorrow that Ash was going to have his first gym battle. But Ash suddenly looked at Erika's dish that had a strange substance in it. It was light green and a bit of cream color.
"What are you eating?" he asked, the curiosity getting the better of him.
"Spinach, tofu, and cucumber salad," she said as she brought some more to her lips via chopsticks.
"I think I'll get some of that cucumber salad," he said, "as well as a side dish of soba noodles."
After having seconds, Ash went up the elevator and walked up to the counter and got Nurse Joy's attention.
"I'm about to go to bed; is it okay if you come by my room and take my shoes and socks to be washed?" asked Ash. "I'll leave you a tip for your services."
"Certainly," she said as she followed him to his room. She put on a pair of clothes and took a small laundry bag. Ash sat down on the bed and took off his shoes and socks and she placed them carefully in the bag. The room also had some hand sanitizer and rubbed it on his hands to rid them of the germs. He handed her a ¥500 bill and she smiled. "I hope you sleep well," she added as she closed the door behind her.
Ash locked the door behind him and shut the closed the small curtain on the window of about 1 by 1 feet that was at two-thirds the height of the door. He stretched out on the bed and looked around the room. It seemed slightly smaller than the one that was in Viridian City, but not by much; the room was maybe about 12 by 12 feet, but the bed seemed a lot more comfortable. Ash took off his jacket, jeans, and hat and set them neatly on the small desk. He took out his Pokeballs and let out Scyther, Riolu and Dratini, who were more than excited to be free of the technological sphere that contained them.
"Ash!" said Riolu and Dratini telepathically as they first landed on the floor and then jumped on the bet next to him, wagging their tails. Scyther stood up to Ash and lowered his head so pat his head. The aura that Dratini and Riolu were emitting was very strong, and he could sense how happy they were to see their kind-hearted trainer. It was an amazing feeling to be the owner of such uncommon Pokémon at this early in his journey, and he would do just about anything to keep them happy and along his side through this ordeal that he is suffering with his foot.
"Tomorrow is a big day, guys; we got a battle against the gym leader tomorrow, and I'll need all of you to be in prime shape," said Ash as he rubbed Riolu and Dratini. "Scyther, I'm afraid you might have to sit out this battle since you have a four time disadvantage against rock types. I may use you first, Dratini, to weaken his Pokemon, then follow off with you, Riolu, since you got an advantage."
"Sure thing, I can't wait to show them what this Riolu can do!" said the bipedal canine flexing his blue arms. He stopped abruptly whose stomach suddenly growled. "But, uh, can we get some food first?" Dratini and Scyther both looked at their stomachs and it appeared that both of them were hungry as well.
"You all want your dinner now?" he chuckled. "Okay, let me go through my knapsack and see what I got." He opened it and found the berries that Erika had picked earlier after they had defeated Akio and took about ten out; they were mostly Pecha, Rawst, Cheri, and Chesto berries. The Pokémon did not hesitate and he immediately began munching on their food.
Ash looked at the clock and saw that it was already near 9:30, but he was exhausted; it was definitely not a small task to travel with crutches. He got in the bed and looked up towards the ceiling, thinking about his adventure tomorrow at the Pewter City gym; was he really that strong enough? Besides Akio, Ash did fight off some weak Pokémon along the way through Viridian forest, but he did not know if his strength was sufficient to become victorious against an offical Pokémon League certified gym leader!
Ash was just about to close his eyes when all the sudden six eyes were gazing down upon him and gave him a warm smile enough to warm anybody's heart.
"You guys are the best and know how to cheer me up," started Ash as he petted Dratini's cool body and rubbed Scyther's chin, who closed his eyes as he enjoyed the affection his trainer was giving hiim; it'll only make me feel better if I lose tomorrow."
"Do not be sure that failure will happen," said Riolu as he rubbed his cold nose against Ash's face with love.
"We will just have to wait for tomorrow. Even if we lose, we will not be mad at you; it's just another reason for us to improve our potential," replied Dratini who licked Ash.
"Scy, scy, ther! Scyther!" said Scyther who very gently poked Ash's bellly with the green part of his blade that was dull. Ash chuckled.
"Thanks, guys, you're the best." He hugged all of them and turned off the light. "We need to preserve our strength for tomorrow." He turned off the light and almost immediately fell asleep.
A.N. I can guess that a lot of you must be thinking "What kind of Pokémon center washes shoes and socks and has dinner in the basement? This isn't a hotel!" But I consider this my version of what could be in a Pokémon center since I'm not sure if there are a lot of detail describing it. (I haven't watched anime in a very long time). Also, Nurse Joy is a very nice lady! Next chapter will focus on the battle with Brock. And I still am interested with anybody's opinion of another companion with Ash and what Pokémon he'll catch. Until next time!
Post. A.N. This story will not have any type of romance; someone mentioned that Ash's affection with the Pokemon was getting a little overboard, so I am just posting this as a remind that it will not have any of that weird stuff to clear up anybody's doubts. Thanks!