"Poi," Poipole said, looking down, then back up at Pikachu. "Poii?"

"I don't think he understood me," Pikachu frowned. "What did I miss? Was I at least close?"

"Almost there," Ash said. "What you want to do is to swap the sounds over."

"Okay," Pikachu decided, clearing his throat. "Pika-ka?"

"Poi-pole!" Poipole said happily.

"There you go, see?" Ash asked. "It's the same sort of language, just different. Me-ewe-eemew. Meww-ew!"

"That's amazing to watch, Ash," Kukui chuckled, from the kitchen table. "I'm sure Rotom's recording everything?"

"Naturally!" Rotom agreed. "These lessons will allow us to teach Pokémon how to understand Ultra Beasts!"

"Poipole's kind of Ultra Beast," Ash corrected. "But what I think would be great is if some of my Pokémon learn Poipole's version and Poipole learns our version. That way none of us will depend on any one person to do the translating – Poipole could do it, then, so could I, and so could Pikachu or you or whoever else learns."

"Relying on a single translator is sometimes necessary but often inefficient," Zygarde yawned, pressed up against Dartrix as they both lounged in the morning sunlight. "I have had an update from the Lumiose Node, who informs me that the Giant Dog of Lumiose has become popular with children. They like climbing them."

"That's sweet," Ash smiled, then turned to Kukui. "I'm still working on the next lecture, Professor, is that okay? I don't remember the schedule."

"Well, today, the class is actually going to be doing work experience at a Pokémon Centre," Kukui answered. "So while the schedule is safe, I think you might want to get involved with that anyway."

"Yeah, that would be fun," Ash agreed. "I'll get Dr. Agonite for emergency care, and probably Cresselia as well… she mostly heals herself, but she can still help out."

As it turned out, when Ash actually got to the Pokémon Centre, there were problems that none of the students had expected.

"Mr. Ketchum, thank goodness you're here!" Kiawe said, with a sigh of relief. "We were supposed to come here and meet up with Nurse Joy, but Nurse Joy's in the back room and Comfey and Blissey aren't letting us in!"

"That's weird," Ash decided. "I guess it's time to find out what's going on!"

"I wonder…" Pikachu began, thinking, then shook his head. "Well, it could be some kind of Team Rocket plan, but I don't think that's likely if the Pokémon are going along with it."

"That's a good point, Pikachu," Ash agreed. "Both of them… hey, Blissey, what's going on?"

The Blissey leaned around the corner. "Joy is sick, and it's contagious," he reported. "We've washed up since last time we went in, but it's not guaranteed to work and so we're staying out of the way of other patients."

"Oh, got it!" Ash replied, with a thumbs-up. "Make sure Joy's okay, I'll get some help in from my other Pokémon!"

"Nurse Joy is sick?" Lillie asked. "That sounds… it doesn't sound likely, really. I don't know why."

"Well, she's just like anyone else, right?" Ash replied. "You're right, though, it does sound unusual, and a lot of that is because she knows about taking care of herself so she's less likely to get sick. But just because something isn't likely shouldn't mean it doesn't happen… I mean, I've met wild Pidgey before!"

"That's not an analogy that helps," Mallow sighed.

"Okay, everyone!" Ash added. "So instead of finding out how a Pokémon Centre works by watching Nurse Joy do it, we're going to be finding out how a Pokémon Centre works by doing it ourselves! Dr. Agonite, you're in charge!"

The qualified Dragonite came out of his Pokéball, nodded, and went to put on a medical hat.

"Ibid, can you find Butterfree?" Ash asked. "Wherever he is, he's probably got some moves that can help. And let's get ourselves dressed up so people know that we're here to help instead of being in the queue… I'll go behind the counter first, then I'll get changed once everyone else is!"

Everyone else getting changed took several minutes, then Ash went off and got changed himself, and while he was in the middle of doing that Mew arrived.

"Hi!" the psychic feline-type said. "What's up?"

"We're taking over a Pokémon Centre for the day because the Nurse Joy's sick," Ash explained. "You know some healing moves, right?"

"Yep!" Mew confirmed. "Oh boy oh boy do I know healing moves! Hmm, though… what to be while I'm doing the healing moves?"

She brightened. "Oh, I know!"

There was a pop, and she turned into a Sprigatito.

"Cats are good for helping people and Pokémon alike heal!" Sprigamew declared. "Let's go and do this! Love the outfit by the way, Ash, it's important to make it clear when you're working in a medical field!"

"Uh…" Kiawe began, deciding to ask. "Ash? Why are you wearing a dress?"

"It's the outfit I found first," Ash shrugged. "I didn't want to spend ages looking for a male nurse outfit and leave Dr. Agonite trying to talk medical details when the person he's talking to can't understand! He's the only qualified doctor here, though some of the Pokémon like Sprigatito and Cresselia can help out a bit."

"I didn't know you had a Sprigatito," Mallow said, scratching the Grass-type under the chin. "They look so cute!"

"Definitely some of my best work," Sprigamew purred. "Oh, hey, look, someone's coming in!"

"Welcome to the Pokémon Centre," Lana said, as the doors opened. "There's a few problems today, but we'll do our best to keep normal service going. How can we help you?"

"I've got two Pokémon who've been through a battle today," the man answered, presenting Lana with two Pokéballs. "I'm afraid I've got things to do, so I'll be back to pick them up later."

Then he blinked. "Um. Sorry, I just noticed… is that a Dragonite behind the counter?"

"That's Doctor Agonite," Ash said. "He's a qualified medical expert! Your Pokémon will be in safe paws!"

"Plus, Jungle Healing is a thing," Sprigamew added. "They'll be fine."

A day in the life of a Pokémon Centre was quite tiring, especially the one in Hau'Oli City because that was the main one for the island, but fortunately between Dr. Agonite, three other Dragonites as orderlies, all five students of Professor Kukui's class, Ash, and Sprigamew they were mostly able to keep on top of things.

Then, towards the middle of the afternoon, Tupp, Rapp and Zipp of Team Skull came in.

"My Garbodor's sick!" Zipp wailed.

"And you'd better help him out, or we'll leave him here!" Tupp agreed, menacingly.

Rapp did a pair of finger-guns. "That's such an incentive, Tupp!"

"An incentive?" Mallow repeated. "Are you threatening to leave your Pokémon here if we don't cure him?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Tupp confirmed. "My friend's Poison-type has such a smell, it makes all the trainers nearby yell!"

"And unless you make sure that he's well, we'll leave him here and make it hell," Rapp went on.

"So you'll fix him, if you've got a braincell," Zipp concluded.

"We'll go ahead and help anyway, but give us a moment." Ash reached into the quite inadequate pockets of his outfit. "Ibid, if we're going to deal with a Garbodor I'm going to need… Salazzle, and Shaymintwo too."

"Shaymintwo in a tutu, or just Shaymintwo?" Ibid checked. "I feel I should ask."

"Just Shaymintwo," Ash clarified. "And Salazzle. Maybe Meganium as well if she's awake."

"How do you know Shaymintwo's awake?" Sophocles asked.

"Brooding schedule," Ash shrugged.

Ibid vanished, returned with Salazzle, then vanished again and returned with Shaymintwo.

"Hey, boss," Salazzle said, doing what was kind of a salute.

"That's one big Salazzle," Rapp said. "Where did you get her?"

"Him," Ash corrected. "It's kind of a long story… let's go with some Pecha berry scent, okay? Then Shaymintwo, you're on air cleaning duty."

"Fine, whatever," Shaymintwo snorted.

"Actually, maybe we should do this by the door," Ash amended. "And, face up… that's right. Make sure your Seed Flare goes into the sky and doesn't hit anyone. Okay, I think we're ready!"

Zipp sent out his Garbodor, and the smell immediately filled the room. It was battling with a very strong scent of Pecha, however, and a moment later the smell began to sort of drain down into Shaymintwo in the doorway.

His flowers immediately turned black, and he fired out a jet of green energy that started out as a spear-shape but turned into a sort of continuous beam.

"There we go!" Ash said. "Now, let's find out what the problem is. Doctor, you're up!"

"Actually, I think I might know," Lillie suggested, a bit nasally as she had one hand over her nose. "Isn't this poison clog?"

"You're right, well spotted," the medical Dragonite agreed. "Someone fetch me some large ear cleaners."

"Ear cleaners coming up!" Ash said, hurrying off.

Shaymintwo was much in demand for the next half hour or so, not only sending the stench jetting off into the sky as a Seed Flare but also going to the trouble of clearing up the poison that had dribbled onto the floor as Salazzle worked.

That didn't seem to satisfy him, though, as then he pointed at Rapp. "Send out your Zubat."

"Huh?" Rapp asked. "What's this little shrub saying? If they want a battle they'd better get praying!"

"He wants you to send out your Zubat," Ash explained. "I don't know if he means one of them or all of them, you had more than one, right?"

"I've got three bats, but what's that to you?" Rapp asked. "I, um… something something who?"

"Hey, don't start a rhyme if you don't have the time!" Tupp chided.

Rapp winced. "Sorry, boss! It's my loss!"

"Just come out already," Shaymintwo demanded. "The one in the middle Pokéball."

That Zubat came out, confused, and Shaymintwo crouched momentarily before pouncing the Poison-type and knocking it out of the air.

"Is something wrong, Shaymintwo?" Ash asked.

Shaymintwo's flowers turned black, and he got off Zubat.

"Hmph," he said. "There. Nobody's going to out-brood me around here."

"I'm not brooding, I have intrusive thoughts!" Zubat protested squeakily.

"Had," Shaymintwo corrected. "Mental pollution still counts."

"So why did that Pokémon attack my Zubat?" Rapp asked. "I don't get it?"

"I guess Shaymintwo does therapy now," Ash judged. "It'd have been nicer for him to explain first though."

Shaymintwo skated over to the window and fired off another Seed Flare.

Just as they were packing up that evening, with Nurse Joy recovered and everyone exhausted from more experience of how a Pokémon Centre worked than they'd ever expected that morning, the door opened again.

"Oh, no," Kiawe groaned. "Do we have to do this one too?"

"Mother?" Lillie said, worried. "Is one of your Pokémon ill?"

"No, they're fine," Lusamine replied. "I've just had the Ultra Guardians alert going in your classroom for the last two hours. I only just thought to come and actually check…"

"Oh, there's an Ultra Beast?" Ash asked. "Has it been causing trouble?"

Lusamine considered that, putting her hand to her chin.

"A bit?" she said. "Mostly it dug a hole, then launched itself into orbit. I'm not technically sure if that was planned or not but it's actually quite hard to go to space by mistake, so it probably intended to."

"That's probably okay, then," Ash decided. "Maybe I'll ask Nebby to go up as a Lunala and ask if they're where they want to be, she's Ghost type in that form and Steel type as Solgaleo but Lunala can probably get around in space better…"

AN:

Emotional support hedgehog? Or just trying to retain the crown of the Most Angsty?