Chapter
19
"Healing
wounds"
"You'll need to meet with the patient telepathically, as you know, in order for this operation to proceed," Professor Latrommi instructed.
"Alright, everything is a go," Joy said, hovering over Swellow's bed, "Just try to relax, Swellow, Gardevoir here will be meeting you telepathically."
Swellow understood the situation at hand, and tried to clear its mind in order to meet with the Psychic Pokemon. The bird was resting on the bed in the same position as before, resting on its belly with its wings spread out which were covered with bandages. The bird closed its eyes ready to accept the operation.
Gardevoir took one step forward against the railing of the bed, and placed one palm on Swellow's head. Gardevoir closed its eyes and started humming a hypnotic tone to itself, its body started to glow in a blue aura, as it carefully tried to meet with the patients mind.
"Swell…?" Swellow muttered, feeling something strange.
"Relax, Swellow," Joy said, "You may feel a bit odd at the moment because Gardevoir is trying to speak with you telepathically. You must leave your mind at ease so it can reach you. We won't be able to do the operation if your minds aren't linked."
Swellow complied resting in a tranquil state, as the blue aura started to spread from Gardevoir's body and conjoin with Swellow's. The Psychic type continued to hum and chant moving its hand gently across the patients scalp.
Joy walked over to the Professor, who was standing next to Gardevoir on the opposite side of the bed. "Gardevoir, was trained by you, was she not?" Joy asked.
"Yes, this Gardevoir was," Professor Latrommi whispered to her, "It's a professional in this field and has done this quite a number of times in the past. There's no reason why Gardevoir shouldn't be able to meet with Swellow telepathically. As you know, it needs full concentration and control over Swellow's thoughts and body in order to do the surgery."
"I'm well aware of that, Professor, but with all due respect there have been a few fatal cases in the past," Joy sighed, "If Gardevoir makes a mistake while telepathically linking itself to Swellow, it could unintentionally cause a stroke or a heart attack in the patient. I just don't know how the boy Ash would be able to take it."
"Listen to yourself, have some faith. You are a nurse in the medical field for goodness sakes! Doctors are not supposed to have pessimistic views on patients during operation. We're here to save as many lives as possible," Professor Latrommi whispered loudly.
"I know…I guess I'm sorry for overreacting a bit. Probably because I saw how heroic the girl was when she got both her friend and Swellow out from the forest fire," Joy said.
"There's nothing to worry about. Gardevoir was trained by me, the person who first came up with this new medical technique. And as you know, humans can easily make a mistake in surgery just as much as Pokemon can."
Joy looked over at Gardevoir, who has its head lifted high, no longer chanting, but still with its eyes closed.
"I understand, Professor. I apologize for not acting like a proper nurse. When Gardevoir finishes the first half of the surgery, I'll be one of the people who help finish it by hand," Joy said proudly.
"That's the spirit, Nurse Joy, I'm glad to hear it," Professor Latrommi smiled encouragingly.
"Gardeeeeeevoir!" Gardevoir said eerily out loud.
"What's happened?" Joy asked.
Professor Latrommi walked over to the bed and saw that Swellow's pupils were no longer in its eye lids. He looked up at Gardevoir, who also had no pupils. He backed off and turned to Joy.
"Looks like Gardevoir was able to meet with Swellow's mind telepathically. Right now they're exchanging thoughts, with Gardevoir telling Swellow exactly what she'll be doing during the operation. Looks like the first part of the operation is a success," he smiled.
"Gardevoir….voir," Gardevoir said.
The bandages on Swellow's back slowly started to lift in the air off its body. Gardevoir was using its Psychic ability to raise them with her mind.
"Gardevoir now looks like she's ready to perform the actual surgery. I need to make an incision in Swellow before she can proceed, should I be the one to instruct it, Professor?" Joy asked.
"Yes, certainly. Tell it exactly what was damaged in its body, which bones were fractures, etc," Professor Latrommi said, "I'll be right here in case you need help."
Joy nodded as she looked intently where Swellow took the most damage from the fallen tree. She instructed the Pokemon, "Swellow's wings were fractured, and several of its bones were broken…here…here…and around the abdomen. We'll need to fuse new synthetic bones and realign others if Swellow has any hope of flying again. Do you understand?"
Gardevoir nodded as its pupils returned to its eyes. The blue aura grew in brightness while the Psychic type began performing the actual operation.
"Swellow is in a hypnotic trance at the moment thanks to Gardevoir meeting it telepathically," Professor Latrommi said, "It won't feel any pain during the surgery because of its tranquil state, the patient won't flinch or move either, so feel free to work as you please."
"Thank you, Professor," Joy said, "We'll need to align these bones here…"
~*~*~*~
Brock had just finished his can of soda as he tossed it in the garbage beside the couches. Max was watching the people coming into the Pokemon Center, while May was pacing the floors back and forth. She held her hands behind her back as her head was lowered in a worried manner.
Max turned to Brock and his sister, "Hey, guys, did you notice that there are a lot of people walking into the Pokemon Center with these giant surfboard thingies?"
Brock and May looked up noticing that a lot of people were indeed carrying large oval shaped surfboards with a large surface area in the middle. The edges of the board had a wall that ran across the entire perimeter, so that the boards were enclosed on all sides but the very back. The boards looked like they were big enough for two people to stand on at once, and most of them had a sturdy tether tied to the end of it.
"Hmmm…that's really no surprise, Max, these people must be going surfing," Brock said, "We came to this mainland by ferry from the other side of the sea, and we landed at a port in a rather large beach complete with a boardwalk, stores, and everything."
"I know that!" Max said impatiently, "We saw a lot of people at the beach when we first came here. What I meant to say is that look how these surfboards are different than normal ones. They're much more oval and shorter in width, and all the sides are enclosed a bit. I wonder what the tether tied at the end is for too."
"Now that you mention it, Max, I don't think we saw those type of surfboards when we first came here," May said as she stopped pacing the floors, "These look kinda different."
"Oh hey! You wondering about 'dem surfboards, dudes?" an unfamiliar voice asked from behind them.
Brock, May and Max turned around as they saw a tall, 20 something year old male with long blonde hair and a goatee. He was wearing a sleeveless purple T-shirt, orange shorts, and blue sandals. In his hands he was holding the large oval shaped surfboard that they were curious about.
"Uh…hi?" Brock said.
"Oh DUDES!" The man said in a typical surfer accent, "I didn't mean to listen in on your conversation or anything, I was just passing by and I heard you guys wondering about these here surfboards. Aren't they just the most tubular far-out things you ever saw? Har har."
"Well…yeah," May said, "My brother just noticed that a lot of people coming into the Pokemon Center have these kind of surfboards. Is there something going on at the beach down at the port or something?"
"Whoa, dudette, you mean you really don't know? You're not yanking my chain now, are ya? Har har! The guys down at the beach have been selling these surfboards for a while now, we're all getting pretty hyped up for the competition coming up next week," the blonde man said, pushing his hand through his locks of hair.
"What kind of competition?" Brock asked.
"Why, it's a race of course! It's totally tubular, man, we all race on these crazy surfboards and GET this, we're not really surfing! Our Pokemon are supposed to be pulling us by the tether attached at the end to help us win the race. Isn't that totally wicked?" the man cracked a gigantic smile.
"Really?" May asked, "That sounds interesting, so it's a Pokemon race then? Do you know what the prize is by any chance?"
"Oh just some free cash and some other stuff that only the ladies like yourself would like…oh hey there's my girl now!" the surfer whistled loudly so his brunette haired girlfriend would see where he was, "Over here, babe!"
"There you are my little snagglepuss, I've been looking for you," the brunette haired girl said. She was wearing a generic t-shirt and shorts with the same sandals as the man.
"Just talking to these kids here, they were interested in the surfer competition coming up. Snuggle noses?" the man said to his girlfriend.
"Aw, you mean in front of everyone? You pumpkin pie, alright, let's snuggle noses!" the girl said happily.
The surfer and his girl then moved their faces close together and snuggled their noses for a few seconds together.
May's body twitched as she watched the couple snuggle their noses. She remembered that she did the same thing to Ash when he was an infant. The sight of seeing the couple snuggling their noses brought Ash back to her attention again as she thought about him sulking in his room.
"Well well, dudes, its been nice meeting you, but we're gonna head down to the beach and practice for the race coming up!" the blonde man cheered.
"See ya later!" the girl said as she wrapped her arm around her boyfriend and walked with him toward the exit of the Pokemon Center.
"Wow, that Pokemon race thing sure sounds interesting. Especially the part where they're the ones pulling the tether to help you win the race," Max said.
"Never mind that, did you see how hot that girl was?" Brock asked hastily, "If that wasn't her boyfriend I would have asked her out! If there are more girls like her down at that beach, then I'd certainly like to spend some time there!"
"Forget it ,guys," May said, pacing the floors again, "We're here for Ash and Swellow, remember? We don't have time for some silly Pokemon race."
"Yeah, we remember," Max sighed, "It's hard being hit back down into reality."
"Swellow's probably being operated on right now," Brock said, sitting back down on the couch, "All we can do now is hope that everything does well."
"Yeah…let's hope for the best," May said uncertainly.
~~*~*~*~
Ten minutes later, Ash and Pikachu walked out of their room and began walking toward the lobby. Ash was walking steady now, he no longer staggered like he did the previous night. His head also ceased pounding, something he was quite relieved about. He still wore his black T-shirt with the orange stripe along with his sweatpants. His socks and shoes were also on, but he left the rest of his attire back in his room.
"Hmmm…the guys said they were waiting in the lobby, Pikachu," Ash said to his Pokemon who was walking on the floor beside him, "I hope they're still there."
"Pikachu!" Pikachu said.
Ash and Pikachu walked along the hallway and turned the corner as they entered the large circular lobby of the Pokemon Center. He was quite happy when he saw that his friends were standing around the orange couches against the wall.
May was the first one to spot Ash, she looked up quite surprised that he was walking out of his room and quickly ran over to him. Brock and Max wondered where May suddenly took off to until they spotted Ash as well, and then followed her over to him.
"Hey what are you doing out of bed, Ash?" May asked encouragingly, as if she wanted to have a long conversation with him, "Don't you still feel tired?"
"Nah…not anymore. I don't even feel woozy anymore, guess I'm getting over this quickly," Ash smiled.
May's face warmed with affection upon seeing her friend, who was generally more optimistic and upbeat than he was before. She was about to say something else until Brock and Max came up beside her.
"I thought you needed some time alone, Ash," Brock said.
"Yeah, aren't you worried how Swellow's operation is going?" Max asked.
"I am, but for some reason I feel much more confident now than I did before. I know my Swellow will get better, I can just feel it. I guess I just realized that I was sulking in my room for no reason," Ash said, looking at his three friends compassionately.
"You did look a little depressed, I'm glad you're cheery again," Brock said, giving Ash a playful punch to the shoulder.
"It's just that…." Ash said before trailing off.
"What is it, Ash? Wanna say something?" May asked quickly in order to encourage him to continue. She smiled and held her hands in front of her.
Ash looked at his three friends again, who all had positive and cheery posteriors while in front of him.
"It's just that I didn't want to sulk in my room anymore by myself," Ash confessed, "At a time like this I shouldn't be pushing you guys away and asking for time alone, at times like this I need my friends more than ever. I want to be with you guys, that's all."
"Heh, Ash, I can agree to that," Max said, hugging Ash's leg.
Ash looked down happily as Max hugged his leg. May smiled, quite proud of her little brother and happy to see that he cared for Ash as much as she did.
"I guess you have a way with kids, Ash, you always did," Brock grinned.
Max let go of Ash's leg and wiped his nose happily. He bent down and gently patted Pikachu on the head.
"So do you guys want to come back to the room, or should I stay out here with you in the lobby?" Ash asked.
"Well I guess we could…" Brock trailed off as he saw Professor Latrommi walking toward the lobby behind Ash, "Hey…there's the Professor!"
The gang turned around and saw the Professor walking toward the lobby, carrying a Pokeball.
"Professor, we're over here!" Ash called out.
"Hey, Ash, maybe the surgery on your Swellow is finished," May said, walking over to him.
"You could be right," he replied.
"Ah there you kids are, I looked in your room, Ash, and I didn't see any of you in there! I thought maybe you all got kidnapped or something," Latrommi jested.
"Kidnapped, eh? Who would be able to kidnap someone as big as Brock?" Max bemused.
"Well I suppose someone could just gas me and stick me in a body bag and carry me away or something," Brock pondered, "Maybe even use a Pokemon like Sableye to perform mind tricks or whatnot."
"Or maybe ninjas could have jumped through the window and knock you out with a few blows to the head or something," Max added, half-serious.
"Uh…can we please discuss a different subject?" May said, rolling her eyes.
"Professor…my Swellow…?" Ash asked concernly.
"Ah yes, I would just like to tell you that the operation done by Gardevoir is finished and now the rest of the surgery is being done by hand by Nurse Joy and other doctors in the building," Professor Latrommi said.
"Wow, Gardevoir is finished already? That was fast," Brock said, astounded.
"Well the operation was all done using psychic powers as you know, it didn't take that long. Gardevoir used its healing powers to help realign and heal Swellow's broken bones, as well as deal with other broken tissue, etc."
"Did you hear that, Ash?" May said happily, shaking his shoulder, "Looks like we worried for no reason. Gardevoir's operation was a success, looks like all that bad stuff like Gardevoir making a mistake or something never happened."
"You're right!" Ash said elated as May was rattling his shoulder, "Psychic Pokemon really do come in handy for injuries. I'm so glad you were there, Professor!"
"Oh don't thank me, Gardevoir did all the work. And of course the rest of the doctors who are continuing the surgery on Swellow right now, doing what Gardevoir left off at," Professor Latrommi said.
"Where is Gardevoir anyway?" May asked as she stopped shaking Ash, "Is it back in that Pokeball in your hand?"
"What?" Professor Latrommi asked, looking down at the Pokeball he was holding, "Oh no, this isn't Gardevoir. Nurse Joy already transported Gardevoir to a different Pokemon Center to perform another operation right after this one. She's a real trooper that Pokemon, I'm honored to be the one who trained it."
"Oh that's too bad," Ash said disappointingly, "I really wanted to thank Gardevoir for what she did for my Swellow."
"Me too, Ash. I wish we could tell it how happy we are," May added in disappointment.
"Don't worry, guys," Brock said to cheer them up, "I'm sure Gardevoir knows how happy people are when she saves lives and performs surgeries. Besides all doctors know that life is precious, and that the patients loved ones are thrilled and relieved once various surgeries are a success."
"I guess you're right Brock," Ash said.
"Brock has a thing for being right most of the time," May giggled.
"What Pokemon is in the Pokeball you're holding then, Professor?" Max asked, changing the conversation.
"Well it's…" Professor Latrommi said reluctantly.
Ash and May looked closer and noticed that the Pokeball had a large dent on the top of it, it had to be Tyranitar's Pokeball.
"Professor…is that your…?" May asked, pointing to the Pokeball.
"Yes it is," Professor Latrommi said, letting out a deep breath, "My Tyranitar was treated and healed in another room here in the Pokemon Center. I transported it over here yesterday, and they restored it to full strength over night."
"How'd they heal it so fast?" Ash asked.
"The damage received to my Tyranitar was the same kind a Pokemon would get in any Pokemon Battle, thus healing battle weary Pokemon is easy to do, nothing like a complex operation like with your Swellow," Professor Latrommi said.
Ash and May stared reluctantly at the Pokeball in the Professor's palm. They both had mixed feelings about the Tyranitar, as they were the ones who battled and defeated it, but were also aware of the fact that the Tyranitar was the one who burned down the forest, nearly got them killed, which also caused Ash a blow to the head and an injury inflicted upon Swellow. Professor Latrommi noticed the two staring at it, he then decided that it was best to put it aside, as he quickly slipped the Pokeball deep into his pants pocket.
"I'm sorry for the pain my Tyranitar caused you. I knew you kids would have mixed feelings about seeing it, which is why I went to see my friend in private when it was fully healed. I'll be taking it back with me to the lab, hopefully able to sort things out," Latrommi said quietly.
"Did…Tyranitar do anything once it was healed though? It didn't attack the nurses or anything, did it?" Ash asked in a low voice.
"No it didn't, the nurses said that my Tyranitar looked more confused than anything after it regained its strength. In fact, I don't think it remembers much about you kids battling it, or about Team Rocket or the burning forest for that matter. I guess which its mind slowly deteriorating, it's also losing its memory as well. I'm not really sure what to do with my Tyranitar, but I will care deeply for it for the rest of its lifespan," Latrommi said, patting his pants pocket.
Ash and May exchanged glances as both of them weren't sure what to say regarding the Professor's Tyranitar. They both felt contempt for the Pokemon for all the pain it inflicted upon them, but at the same time they felt sorry for it, as they knew that the destruction the Pokemon caused wasn't entirely its fault. Ash and May looked at each other one last time, and as if they knew what the other was thinking, they both nodded in unison willing to move on and not dwell on their feelings toward Tyranitar any longer.
Professor Latrommi walked toward Ash and put his hand on his shoulder, "Your Swellow will be fine, son, I know how it is to care deeply for a Pokemon. I feel the same way about my Tyranitar. Once the surgery is finished, go spend some time with your Swellow while it's resting."
"I will," Ash said.
Professor Latrommi nodded, looked away from Ash for a second, and then took one more glance at him. He smiled and removed his hand from his shoulder as he turned around.
"I'm going back to the operating room to see how the surgery is going, I suggest you kids wait back in Ash's room. Nurse Joy will be looking for you there," Professor Latrommi said as he walked off.
~*~*~~*~
Another hour had passed as Ash and his friends were sitting in his room in the Pokemon Center. Brock was sitting on a chair against the wall, flipping through some magazines to pass the time. Max was changing channels on the remote for the overhead TV monitor. Ash was sitting on the side of his bed, touching the bandages wrapped around the back of his head. May stood close to him, watching the TV monitor as Max was changing the channels.
"Eh…these bandages make my head feel real itchy," Ash said uncomfortably, scratching the bandages wrapped around the back of his head.
"You shouldn't scratch them, Ash, they are there for a reason you know," Brock said, turning the page in his magazine.
"Yeah, I just want them to come off already. They've been bothering me ever since Nurse Joy put them on. I really do feel perfectly fine now, even if there is still a big bump on the back of my head," Ash said, scratching his head again.
"Stop scratching yourself," May scolded, pulling Ash's hand down from his head, "You're making me nervous when you keep doing that!"
"But…it itches!" Ash whined.
He picked up his hand and started scratching the back of his head through the bandages again.
"I said stop doing that!" May repeated.
"I'm not really scratching that hard you know, it's just really itchy!" Ash said, lowering his hand.
Nurse Joy then knocked on the door before opening it slowly. She smiled at the kids holding a clipboard in her hand.
"Ash, I'm happy to tell you that your Swellow's surgery is finished. We've removed most of the bandages except for a few, but of course your Pokemon is still exhausted. It'll have to stay here to rest for a few more days," Joy smiled.
"YES!" Ash jumped up joyously from the bed, nearly knocking over May in the process, "Thank you, Nurse joy!"
"That's wonderful," May said joyously in a high pitched voice, trying to avoid Ash's excitement before he stumbled into her, "Ash, watch where you're jumping!" she said heartily.
Pikachu jumped into Ash's arms also happy to know that one of its friends had a successful operation, "Pika pika!" Pikachu said happily, laughing in between yelps.
Ash hugged his Pokemon tightly as the two laughed and giggled together. Max was overcome with jubilance just watching Ash and Pikachu hugging on the bed. Brock felt himself overcome with reassurance and was thrilled to see that the operation was finished.
"If you guys want to come see Swellow, you can right now," Joy said happily.
"We can?" Ash asked as he and Pikachu looked at her surprised.
"Yep, but you can't be too noisy. I need you all to be relaxed when you go in, Swellow has been through a lot," Joy said.
"We will, Joy," May said for the group.
~*~*~*~
A few moments later, the group entered the room Swellow was resting in. Swellow was resting on its stomach with a bandage still wrapped around its wing. It was no longer hooked up to the machines in the room either. Professor Latrommi stood on the side greeting the trainers as they walked in.
Swellow spotted Ash immediately as its face beamed. Ash walked over to it, a bit speechless as his eyes watered.
"As Nurse Joy said, Swellow is very weak from the surgery, as well as very tired," Professor Latrommi said, "I'm afraid that after five minutes or so that a few people will have to leave the room, just so Swellow isn't overwhelmed. Don't worry though, you can come back and see Swellow later too."
"We understand, Professor, thanks," Brock said.
Ash and his friends spent those joyous moments with Swellow and with the relief that its injury was taken care of. Ash reminisced with the Pokemon about how it'll be able to take flight and soar the skies again, in which Swellow cracked a smile as a tear fell out of its eye. The Pokemon was as overjoyed as the trainers even as exhausted and fatigued as it was.
A few minutes later, Professor Latrommi and Nurse Joy said that Swellow could only receive two or so visitors at a time, so the Pokemon wasn't overwhelmed by so many people crowding in the room.
"You stay with your Swellow, Ash," Brock said, "It needs you more than anyone else. I'll be heading down to the cafeteria to get a bite."
"Ok, Brock," Ash said.
"Yeah, I'm getting kinda hungry too. I really didn't eat anything all day," May said, rubbing her stomach.
"Um…can I come with you, Brock? I'm really starving," Max said.
"Sure, Max," Brock said.
"Yes, please try to limit the number of people around Swellow for now, it would be a good idea to let it rest for the time being," Joy said, "I have other patients to see, but you guys can go visit your Swellow at anytime."
Professor Latrommi smiled as Joy walked out of the room. "I guess I'll go with you two," he said to Brock and Max, "I hear they make some pretty mean sandwiches here."
"Wanna come too, May?" Brock asked, standing by the doorway.
"Well if I'm disturbing Swellow than I should…" May said as she turned to her friends.
"That's not it at all, May." Ash said, pulling her by the hand back toward Swellow's bed, "You can stay. After all, without you, Swellow wouldn't be here right now. You saved its life, you mean as much to Swellow as I do."
"I guess," May smiled as Ash held her hand, "Are you ok with that, Swellow?"
"Swellow…swell," Swellow said indebted to the girl for saving its life.
"Pikapika," Pikachu added encouragingly, looking up at May.
May picked up Pikachu from the floor and clutched it in her arms. "I want to stay here for, Swellow," she said turning to Brock, Max and Professor Latrommi.
"Want me to bring anything back for you, May?" Brock asked.
"Yeah, a sandwich would be nice…" May said.
"Ok," Brock said.
"…and maybe a bottle of water to go with it."
"Sure."
"…and a bag of chips."
"Alright."
"Oh…and maybe some gummy bears too? I love those fruit snacks, especially the red ones, those are my favorite," May squealed.
"Uh…of course, May," Brock grinned, "I'd hate to think of the waiter taking your order at a restaurant."
"Yeah, sorry for asking for so much," she said, embarrassed as she squeezed Pikachu in her arms.
Brock, Max and Professor Latrommi walked out of the room as Ash, May and Pikachu sat on chairs next to Swellow's bed.
"I'm glad you stayed," Ash said to her, "…for Swellow of course."
"No problem," she said, "I said I'd be staying with you guys until you were healed, remember? I meant that too."
"Swellow…swellow," Swellow said, thanking her.
"And now that your surgery is finished, Swellow, you'll only need to rest here for a few more days to get your strength back up. Then we'll be all like we used to again," May said happily.
"May's right. We won't leave without you, buddy," Ash said. He then started to scratch the back of his head where the bandages were wrapped over again.
May caught notice of him scratching his bandages again and quickly grabbed his arm and pulled his hand down.
"I said stop scratching yourself, Ash!" May reprimanded, holding his arm down, "You're only going to make yourself bleed again."
"…BUT IT ITCHES!" Ash whined again, "Can't I just scratch it just a little bit?"
"No. You're not supposed to be scratching or rubbing your wounds anyway," May said, with a firm grip on his arm.
"Just one scratch?"
"No."
"Even a tiny little one?"
"No."
"Just for a second?"
"NO! Jeez, Ash, I feel like your mother," May bemused.
"Well I'm sure if your head was bleeding and they wrapped a bandage around it, you'd be scratching your head too. You don't know how badly these same bandages itch after all this time."
"Guess you're happy that you only have to have them on for the rest of the day then, huh?"
"Yeah…I guess I shouldn't scratch them anymore anyway," Ash said, looking at her hand holding down his arm. "Uh….May? You know you could…let go of my arm now."
"Hee hee…sorry about that, Ash," May chuckled as she let go of his arm.
"Chu Pikachu," Pikachu said smiling.
Swellow chuckled to itself, happy to have such compassionate and endearing friends.
~*~*~~*
Several hours later in the evening, Ash was sitting on his bed while Joy said that she was going to carefully unwrap the bandages tied around his head. His friends and Professor Latrommi were standing around him. May was happily chucking little red gummy bears into her mouth while holding the bag that her brother had bought for her.
"See, Ash?" May said while biting the head off the fruit snack, "Looks like you don't have to scratch yourself anymore."
"Scratch himself?" Joy asked.
"His head," May replied, swallowing what was in her mouth, "Ash said the bandages are really itchy."
"Oh," Joy chuckled, "Bandages certainly do get itchy when they're wrapped around a wound."
"They're been bugging me all day, Nurse Joy," Ash said, "I'll be glad to have them off."
"OK sit still, I'm going to carefully take off the bandages, but I want to make sure that the wound is closed up, otherwise you could start bleeding again," Joy said.
Ash sat upright on the side of his bed as Joy approached him. She reached over the back of his head and started unwrapping the bandage around his head. She tugged on the bandage from the back of his head and carefully moved it along his forehead as the bandage was tied below his hairline. She went around his head several times until the entire bandage started to loosen and fall off.
"Before I take the whole thing off I want to check your head for a minute, Ash," Joy said while holding part of the bandage in her hand. She went over to the back of his head where he had been struck by the tree branch and gently pressed her fingers against it. "Hmm…there is still a bump there but your wound has healed. As long as you don't hit your head again you should be fine."
Joy then went another cycle unwrapping the bandage that was tied around his head one more time till the whole thing came off. She held the bandages in he hand and went over to the garbage to dispose of them.
"They're off, Ash!" Max happily declared.
"Pika?" Pikachu asked.
"I dunno, Pikachu, even with the bandages off my head still feels a little itchy," Ash said uncertainly.
"It probably is," Joy said, turning back to him.
"Well maybe if I scratch it a little bit…" Ash said, raising his hand before trailing off….
"NO!" both May and Joy yelled in unison.
A startled Ash lowered his hand quickly. "Ok, ok! I won't scratch it!"
"I suggest you make sure your friend doesn't scratch his wound. He could cause an infection or get the cut to open up again," Joy said to May.
"Don't worry, Ash isn't going to be doing any scratching while I'm around," May said, grinning proudly.
Ash rolled his eyes as he rested on his bed with Pikachu.
"Can't argue with women, Ash, they always end up having their way," Brock said slyly.
"You're free to leave the Pokemon Center anytime you wish now, Ash," Joy said, "Of course I know you'll want to stay here for your Swellow, but you yourself are no longer a patient here."
"That's good news," Ash smirked.
"I hope you know though that we may need to use this room for a new patient, so you may not be able to stay here if we get some new admissions," Joy said, opening the door.
"That won't matter, Nurse, the kids can stay at my lab again if they need to," Professor Latrommi said.
Nurse Joy nodded and closed the door behind her. May took the last gummy bear from her bag and violently bit its head off before devouring the entire body. She then tossed the bag into the wastepaper basket beside her.
"Professor, I hope you know you have our continued thanks for letting us stay in your lab," Brock said, "I hope it isn't a bother."
"Yeah, you're a pretty nice guy after all," Max said.
"Uh…excuse me?" Professor Latrommi asked slyly, "You kids do know that you're not exactly staying at my lab for no reason."
The group looked at him with startled expressions.
"Oh brother," Professor Latrommi slapped his face, "Don't tell me you kids forgot the reason you're staying at my lab in the first place! You kids destroyed my mechanical arms and a couple of my other machines, remember? You're supposed to be working for me to pay off your debt!"
"What?! You mean after everything that's happened to us you're still going to make us work for you?" May gasped.
"Hey, I may be a nice guy but I'm not that much of a nice guy. You kids have rubbed off on me a bit, that's true, but I do kinda need my expenses taken care of. I have shipments of several equipment that I need finished for Devon Corp. And with some of my machines busted, you kids were supposed to be working for me to do their job!"
"Gee, and I thought the only worry left was waiting a few days for Swellow to recuperate," Ash said, falling back down to his pillow.
"We'll work for you Professor until our debt is paid off," Brock said, remembering the deed the Professor gave him by letting him use the second ray gun, "Helping with Swellow's surgery was far beyond our expectations. That alone is worthy of us staying with you until your shipment is done."
"I guess Brock does have a point," Max said, raising his glasses.
"Sheesh," May said wearily as she stared out the windowsill that faced the beach in the distance.
"Hey wait a minute," Brock said as an idea clicked in his head, "Professor do you know anything about that Pokemon surfing race they're having down at the beach a few miles from here?"
"Hmmm? You mean the race where you stand on those surfboard thingies and let the Pokemon pull you by a tether in the ocean? Yeah I know about that, they have that race here about once a year. What about it?" Professor Latrommi asked.
"May, didn't that surfer we bumped into say something about cash being a prize in that race?" Brock turned to her.
May turned away from the windowsill, "Yeah I guess…why are you asking?"
"Well, maybe, Professor, we won't have to work for you to pay off your debt," Brock said, snapping his fingers.
"WHAT? Are you kidding me?" Professor Latrommi bellowed.
Brock quickly darted over to Latrommi and whispered into his ear. Ash, Pikachu, May and Max looked at Brock oddly as he was whispering something to the Professor.
"Professor…you know about that ray gun that was supposed to help me with women? Well…I did use it…and I just thought of something. The thing won't kick in till about another day or so, and where else would there be a great place to find girls than on the beach?!" Brock whispered while covering his mouth.
"What does that have to do with you working for me?" Latrommi said out loud.
"Hey, I'm not finished!" Brock said, pulling the Professor's shoulder down so he could whisper into his ear again.
"What do you suppose they're talking about?" May asked.
"Who knows," Max shrugged his shoulders.
"…and not only that…but if there are cash prizes then we can use that money to pay off the debt in your lab. You won't have to order another batch of machinery from Devon with your own money, we can simply use the prize money to help finance it," Brock continued to whisper.
"Not a bad idea," Professor Latrommi said, "But how in the world do you know you'd win?"
"That I don't….but hey it's worth a try. And I don't want to pass up my opportunity with all the girls in bikinis down there!" Brock said.
"Girls in bikinis? What did you say?" May asked suspiciously.
"Oh…did I say that part out loud?" Brock said, rubbing his head.
"Ugh…" Professor Latrommi said, walking away from Brock, "Your friend here thinks you should enter that race contest that they're having down at the beach next week."
"A race? What are you guys talking about?" Ash asked.
"Are you nuts, Brock?" May said angrily, "We have to wait until Swellow is ready to leave!"
"I know that May, but Swellow will only need another day or two of rest. And we are indebted to the Professor for Swellow's surgery and for well…busting up his machines. If we can win some of that prize money down at the race, it can help pay off all our debt!" Brock said before lowering his voice and rubbing his foot nervously on the floor, "…that and I wanna go before the zapping from the ray gun wears off…"
"What was that last part?" Max asked snootily.
"Oh nothing!" Brock said nervously, rubbing his shoulder.
"His plan is sound…assuming you'd be able to win of course," Professor Latrommi said, "I hear the prize money is quite a hefty sum, and I think they're awarding another prize for the winner as well but I can't recall what it is this year."
"What is the prize usually the other years?" May asked.
"It's mostly stuff for the female surfer I believe…but my memory is a bit hazy," he said, scratching his scalp.
"I dunno about this," Ash said sternly, "I'm more concerned about Swellow now then winning some silly race."
Brock sighed. "I understand, Ash, and it really is up to you. The race they're having doesn't start for another week or so anyway, so Swellow should be ready to come with us."
"But…what is this race even about? We barely know anything about it," Ash said.
"Hmmm…I think I saw some adverts in the lobby about the race they're having down at the beach," Max pondered, "It probably says all the rules and the prize in there. Do you guys want me to go get one?"
"Sure, Max, I guess. Might as well read about it even though we're not totally sure that we're interested," May said, slightly bored with the current conversation.
"Ok, I'll be right back!" Max said, running out of the room.
"Hmmm…I'll have to think about this," Ash said, "I honestly wouldn't mind continuing working for you, Professor, like we were doing."
"For another six days though, Ash?" May said, reminding him, "We did kinda…break a lot of his stuff…remember how our Sceptile and Combusken destroyed those mechanical arms of his?"
"Yeah, I remember that," Ash chuckled, a bit embarrassed.
"I remember that too, good and well I'm afraid," Professor Latrommi said.
Max suddenly ran back into the room holding a little pamphlet in his hand.
"Guys! This booklet says all the rules of the race, and how the Pokemon are the ones pulling the surfboard by the tether and everything!" Max said excitedly, "It even says the prizes!"
"What are they?" Brock asked.
"The winner gets both a cash prize and another prize," Max said, reading through the pamphlet.
"How much is the cash prize?" Latrommi asked.
"Uh…it's...$1000!" Max said.
"$1000?! Wow, people have that much money to blow away on a Pokemon race?" May asked in disbelief.
"Hmmm…that money more or less would be enough to replace my damaged machines. Although the price of my machinery is probably a bit more than 1000 dollars," Latrommi pondered.
"…The other prize is a set of 15 things…they're…uh…" Max trailed off while reading.
"What are they, Max?" May asked.
"Oh…they're only for girls," Max said disappointingly.
"What? Give me that!" May exclaimed, snatching the pamphlet out of Max's hands. Her eyes quickly read through the text until her heart leaped with joy upon reading the prize. "Oh my gosh! The prize is 15 different two-piece bikinis!"
"That's a stupid prize," Ash remarked.
"Stupid? I don't think so, Ash!" May squealed, "Just look at what these bikini's look like!"
She quickly brought the pamphlet next to Ash and pointed to the picture showing 15 different swimsuits with different deisgns.
"The winner will have the bikini's custom made to fit your size…" May said out loud reading from the text, "I haven't had a chance to buy any new swimsuits in months. This is amazing! Do you guys know how good these swimsuits would look on me?"
"Uh…" Max rolled his eyes.
"This is such a great idea, Brock! After Swellow is ready to leave of course, we should try to enter this race!" May squealed, "We'll not only win cash for the Professor but I can get all these nifty new swimsuits as a prize!"
"Aren't you getting a little carried away?" Ash asked, snatching the booklet from her hands, "We've never even tried racing like this before."
"Well there's a first time for everything," May winked.