Eggxactly as Planned
6. Return
He took the Magby back to the Pokemon Centre in the morning, and Nurse Joy was surprised to see him again.
'I thought he'd run off,' she explained.
'He did,' Ryouga sighed. 'He won't stop following me.'
'And you were there when he hatched, right?' She hummed as she examined the baby Pokemon. 'Set him –
Ryouga tried. The Magby clung to him and wailed.
'You're being a right brat,' he said, annoyed.
Nurse Joy gave him a reprimanding look, then she smiled. 'Looks to me like this Magby has imprinted on you. I imagine you were there when he hatched?'
'Unfortunately.' Ryouga sighed again. 'Isn't there a way to unimprint him?'
'Short of making his life a living hell, no.'
Ryouga blinked at that. Nurse Joy's voice had turned harsh, and she was eyeing him carefully.
He shook his head.
She smiled again. 'Good,' she said. 'I'd hate to think the people whose banged up knees I've patched up time and time again would turn out to abuse Pokemon. Not that I've bandaged you up much.'
'I…prefer quiet activities.' Which was the simple truth, if missing a certain possibly relevant point. Made complicated by Pokemon, because they tended to be anything but quiet. Even psychics that spent eighteen hours a day asleep like Abra.
'Hmm…' Nurse Joy looked thoughtful. 'Running an egg nursery is about the quietest job I can think of. It's also the job you see a lot of this – ' She waved a hand at the Magby. 'Happening.'
'I want to be a lawyer,' Ryouga said flatly.
'Decided your career path so young?' She looked surprised. 'Do you have an invested interest in catching criminals?'
'No.' He was tiring of this conversation. And of the company.
But Nurse Joy had as good as said Magby would just follow him again if he left it…him.