Chapter 1: First Meetings
Alright. I DO NOT OWN THE POKEMON UNIVERSE.
She can remember it like it was yesterday. She was still stationed in the big city over at Eterna City. Sunny and windy with arid air at most and powerful typhoons the next season would be the words she would describe the city.
Joy was stationed in a Pokemon Centre to meet with any passing Trainer that would get their Pokemon healed, would like a room to stay in, and all that. It was such a wild time for her, and there was this thing called "Mobile Nurse Joy Program". It basically made her day more hectic and wilder than before. And oh so much more frustrating.
The center's doors slide open, only to reveal another Nurse Joy in a red jacket reaching down to above her knees, a glossy purse hanging on her right as she smirks her way to the counter.
"Ahh. Good morning, Shiela. How did the Alolan job go?" Amelia greets, using her nickname. Though they've grown accustomed to being called Nurse Joy, they gave themselves names, along with some jewelry or accessories that they like, a purse or a ring. For Amelia, it was a dark green ribbon tying her hair together behind.
"Ehh, not too bad. The employer's hired Trainers helped me out, and they were some really good Trainers, And the beach is full with guys, so hot~ Especially this one guy, Professor Kukui, oh the hotness under the lab coat." Shiela says, grinning as she leans on the counter. Amelia, however, was pouting, from both jealousy and being a stiff.
"You really shouldn't brag about things like that. It might get you into trouble?" Amelia says with her hands on her sides.
Shiela giggles from Amelia's remark. "C'mon, Amelia. What's wrong with getting a few puffs and stuffs from the side?" Shiela then covers her mouth laughing pridely. Amelia pouts some more with her hands on her sides. Then, the doors slide open, making their heads turn to the first customer of the day.
The sun sets on the sea's horizon as Amelia finished up. After coming out of the girl's bathroom and changing out of her nurse uniform and into her pants and long sleeves, Amelia walks over to Shiela and their Chancey taking up the cashier, putting on some lipstick with her hand-mirror.
Shiela sees her walking up to the cashier and speaks up. "Oh Amelia, have you heard that we're going to have a theatre soon?"
"Really? I did not." Amelia says, typing open their cashier box.
"Well, I think that the first movie should be Serendipity. That movie seems good."
"*sigh* Definitely." Amelia says, and they both swoon as they thought of the man in the Serendipity movie. Both Shiela and Amelia feel their shoulders droop as they sigh in a craving tone.
She takes her daily PD150, PD as in the PokeDollars, out of the cashier and goes to the coat hangers. "Alright, Shiela. I'll be off." Amelia says as she slips on her coat. Shiela and Chancey wave her off, eyes not leaving the women's magazine and Amelia walks through the sliding doors and walks out to the oncoming gloom of night.
Amelia walks in her flat shoes as she hoists her tote bag on the streets, walking as she watched the sun sinking into the horizon. The tails of her green bow flowing with her pink hair as she walks through the streets. She turns a right, walking deeper into Eterna City as it turns on its lights, covering her in the city's lights.
Seeing the subway station ahead, she hustles to walk down the steps and into the station. Checking her watch, she notices that she's arrived ten minutes before her train arrives. She also notices a man, assuming that he's new into the city with his large suitcases, and sits on the far end of the bench, just opposite him. Stopping by a bench, she huffs as she recollects her breathing.
After seconds, she notices this feeling. As if she was being watched. She shoots a careful glance, batting her eyelashes to the man opposite her. She can feel his eyes landing on her.
To not embarrass herself, she meekly looks into her tote bag to take out her book. The man notices the book was written by John Green. Good taste, he thought to himself about her, but his eyes eventually land on her face. Noticing her pink unkempt hair, her soft face and eyes. He finds her face to be familiar.
Then, it hit him like the anvil. Was she – No. He should not be assuming. But he should ask her first.
"Er – Excuse me," Nurse Joy hears the man speak up, and to not be rude, she smiles at him, and turns her face for him to see. ", Ar-Are you Nurse Joy?"
"Oh, indeed that I am." She chirpily says with a smile. Her reply sends to the man a truckload of relief, making him sigh.
"Thank the maker. I've been looking for a Pokemon Center all day."
"Oh, then say no more," Joy says before she stands up, drawing his eye's attention. ", for I am here. At your service." The nurse says before she curtsies at him with her jacket, eliciting a small laugh in them both. "So, what is it you're having trouble with, sir?" Joy says sitting back down and closer to him.
"I uhh just moved into the city and I do not know where I am, so *sigh*," He sighs inward, mustering dignity. Joy tilts her head and softly goes, "Hmm?" somewhat setting him at ease.
", Would you show me the way to this address?" He bows fastly, showing her a white card. She squints at it, before she takes it in her hands and reads the address written on it.
[441Y Tailor Street]
The address immediately clicked in her head. It was a good straight cul-de-sac, brick houses with nice interiors that gave off a feeling of simplicity and smallness. The compactness of the buildings, giving off a neighborly atmosphere. Inside, there were wood planked floorings, with bricked covered walls and regular wooden furniture. She knows all of that because she lives there. Or the houses that are there.
"A-Actually, it," She scratches the back of her head in a sweatdrop. ", It's err actually beside where I live." She finishes with an awkward laugh, and it sends to him some anticipation.
Do-Does that mean…
"So I guess we'll be neighbors." She says with a smile facing him, and it sends through him some comfort. Seeing how he nervously laughs; she takes in his politeness into account for character. I guess he is an okay guy, she thinks to herself and she laughs inwardly to herself as seconds go by.
/Train has arrived in the station./ They both hear the train skidding and buckling just in front of them, and they share a glance at each other before going in, with the new arrival lagging behind, dragging his two luggage by the floor.
She glances at him struggling to keep up. "Le-Let me help you with that." She says as she hustles over to carry one of the luggage he is carrying. With almost no time to argue, he opens his mouth to protest, but the sliding doors say otherwise.
"O-Oh! / Ahh!" They exclaim at the same time as they hop through the sliding doors. They huff on their knees and against the walls of the train before the door closes. They stare at each other in a sweat, before they start to laugh.
"Ah, I'm sorry I made you carry that."
"Oh nono, it's fine, sir." Joy says, holding the luggage in her hands as she refutes the statement and holds the handle high for him to take. He takes it in his hands, and Amelia feels his tips just touching her hands. For him, he did not heed much of it, but for her however, she felt her hands almost clench before she lets go of the handle. She musters up a smile to keep conversation
The train bumps before they decide to take a seat near one another. "So why'd you come to Eterna City, err Mr. …" Joy inquires, making his shoulders rise from the back of his seat.
"Oh er Karsten Kasuo, Nurse Joy. I came to this city because I'll be working over at the Windworks project here in Eterna."
"Oh you mean that One Energy thing, right?"
"Indeed, that is, miss."
"That is very cool." She says with a twinkle in her eye, having him smiling a glance at her. Karsten looks at her unkempt hair around the edges of her cap and his eyes land on her green bow.
"May I ask?" Karsten asks, raising a brow at her.
Amelia sweetly hums, "HmHmm~." Nodding as she does. How would I be willing to bet that it is me being a Nurse Joy, huh? She thought to herself. At this point, she would ignore him outright.
"… Did you make that yourself?"
… what? "Hmm?"
"Your green bow." Karsten says, pointing at Amelia's low-tied pink hair.
"O-Oh, since you asked, then yes. I've sewn it together with green pieces of cloth." Her fingers eventually, without her noticing, twirl around the tails of the ribbons of her bow. "What do you think?" She says, showing off a little.
Karsten smiles at her ingenuity. "It looks good on you." Karsten compliments, earning a "Thank you from her."
The rest of the train ride was the two of them glancing at each other, and one would think.
A typical nice Nurse Joy. But that bow says otherwise. Why? Because an accessory shows preference. Preference means she has likes, dislikes. Maybe there is something in her after all.
Seems like an average Joe. Though handsome, I'd bet he would still see me as only a Nurse Joy. Not that I would mind anyway. But he is handsome though. Amelia thought, eyes not leaving the words on her book, slicking her finger to turn the page.
As the minutes went by, Karsten grew anxious from staring at the gray ceiling or floor again, because that would be followed by a glance at her facial features. To avoid looking at her, he takes out his phone and looks it up. He had 6 missed calls from her again. His mother.
He takes up this chance to leave a message for her.
Amelia glances up at him again and puts down her John Green book, trying to engage in conversation to pass the time. "Used to the city life already, huh?" Amelia says smiling at him. Hearing the question, he looks up his phone and at her, returning a smile at her.
"Hehe. Do I look that composed?" Karsten says out of a chuckle. "I actually just arrived here only this morning. I walked around the city the whole day."
"W-With those heavy bags?" She shudders, pointing to the luggage neatly placed behinds his legs.
"Oh, these just came earlier."
"Well, you're doing a great job so far, Mr. Kazuo."
Karsten's finger tingles at the use of his family name, but shrugs it off as the train halts to a stop, its track wheels buckle with the cars.
"Ahh. Seems we are at the outer edge of the city," Amelia stands, not bothering to dust herself. "Then, let's go."
Once they got out of the subway, the cold of the night hits on them both and makes them tingle. Their breaths form as they walked through the empty streets as they pass by planted trees. Amelia turns to him as they were nearing her house.
"Seems like a nice neighborhood." Karsten blurts out, squinting a look at the scenery through the dark.
"It is. There hardly is any noise from this far out of the city. And the residents mostly consist of sweet old people and university students just living their lives." Nurse Joy sums up the neighborhood for Karsten. The new guy raises an eyebrow as he searches for his house.
Nurse Joy analyzes his face to be squinting through the night. "Are you having troubled finding yourself?" Nurse Joy chimes through to Karsten's head, making his head stagger to her.
"I'm fine. Just…" Karsten mutters as he steps along the sidewalk, scanning the doors.
'441W… X… Ah! There it is.' Karsten hastens his pace, carrying his luggage to the door. He wades up the stairs and into the light just above the doorstep. With Joy keeping up, she sets his bag down beside him and sighs.
"Well," Joy says, patting herself and recollecting with a sigh. She smiles up to Karsten, warming up a bit ", I hope that you'll enjoy it here, Mr. Kazuo." She says sweetly to Karsten, and he smiles back warming up.
"Thank you, Nurse Joy." Karsten says to her, and she faces to him.
"It's been my pleasure. Good night." Nurse Joy says, waving a hand as she sends a smile before turning around.
Karsten nods at her and fumbles for the keys to the door. As she walks over to her house door, she recollects the last hour.
'Karsten Kazuo… Seems like a nice man.' She thinks to herself as she takes out the key to her house. Their clattering fills her ears with unpleasant rattling. She slides the key through the slot and unlocks the door. She pushes through and shares a last glance with Karsten, and they stagger before going through their doors.
Nurse Joy instinctively smile at Karsten. "Good night." She sweetly smiles as she says that across to Karsten, and she steps into her household, oblivious to the short pause that Karsten is in before he enters his.
And then, as she slides her arms out of her coat, she realizes a small detail about her neighbor.
Karsten was not the only man in that house.
"GAHHH!"
There we go. Hopefully, this turns head. I made this some time in 2019 and I sorta felt like I yearned for this to be posted.
Just letting y'all know that, even during these hard times, we should reserve our hope and keep it alive, for it is our faith and trust in one another, in the frontliners that are sacrificing their very lives and our kindness to the people in our lives that will keep us alive.
I hope you are all keeping yourselves safe and indoors, and I sincerely hope that you will reserve your love for one another in your hearts.