They put Pikachu's implantable cardioverter defibrillator in the wrong place. It has to be under the collar bone and not beside it. So Pikachu had to have another operation just to put the ICD in the correct place. That was why it wasn't working. Mrs Swanna thought I was going mad, but I knew that something wasn't right. Now that it's been corrected, I feel a lot more better. I wanted to supervise Mrs Swanna with her operation with Garchomp. Even though the operation was successful, I still couldn't trust her.
When I said Spiritomb shouldn't be working, I think I might take that back now. Operations and palliative care are one of his areas of expertise.
"I'm surprised Garchomp lived through the operation," Mrs Swanna confessed to me. We were wheeling Garchomp back into his room as Iris' Haxorus followed us all the way back to her dad's room.
"How did the operation go?" Haxorus asked.
"Better than expected," Mrs Swanna announced. I didn't like the flamboyant tone she used. "The cancer shouldn't spread anymore now."
The lack of proper diagnosis in the past helped Garchomp's cancer spread all over his body. I don't think there was anywhere else the cancer could spread to. The most infected area was his wings. The body tissues in Garchomp's wings were dying from the lack of blood supply. We had no choice but to remove them. We also had to remove Garchomp's claws and spikes to stop him from hurting himself or damaging the syringe driver if he rolled over to the bed.
Four times a day, care assistants would go into Garchomp's room. They would clean him up, roll him over and apply cream to vulnerable areas. It would stop him from developing pressure sores and ensures that he's comfortable. We have to wait a few weeks until we can operate on Garchomp again. But I'm not sure if Garchomp is going to last long enough.
If we were in the Kanto Clinic I used to work at, they would have put the pokemon down. I had been involved in euthanasia and putting pokemon to sleep before. It's illegal in Sinnoh. One on hand it's good to see a patient finally free from their pain, but on the other hand, it's our duty to preserve and protect live, and not to end it.
Euthanasia hasn't been brought up yet. I hope it doesn't. Patient's right to live or die conflicts with our duty. Garchomp appears to be in a lot of pain, but I've yet to hear him complain. I wonder what he's thinking off right now?
"My son is meant to be coming soon," Garchomp croaked.
"He'll be here in a minute," Haxorus told him. She held onto the bed bars, being careful of the wounds and the syringe driver. "He's gone to see a friend of his."
"Which friend?"
"Red's Pikachu."
"Pikachu is young. What's he doing here?"
"He got hit by Officer Jenny's bike."
"Reckless women drivers," Garchomp croaked.
"Hello Dad!" A dragonite glided through the door as he spoke. He came to the other side of Haxorus and held onto his hand.
"Alright, Son?" Garchomp puffed and became dependent on his oxygen mask.
Dragonite nodded. "I'm good. You've got lots of people looking after you."
Garchomp yawned. "I want you both to stay here. That will make me cozy."
I left Garchomp with his kids and made my way to the nursing office. Then as I took a step outside the cancer unit, I discovered a familiar face. A tall man with dark blue hair and a white coat. When I knew him, he wore a blue tunic and had curly and less stylish hair then he does now.
Augustine Sycamore used to work as a health care assistant here when I started working here. He was studying evolution at university and he was here for quite a while. He left to start his new job in Kalos. It's been eight years since we've last met and his face is like a breath of fresh air. One would expect it to be a happy situation, but the circumstances are not so sweet.
Augustine had just walked out of the morgue with a female friend. She was a tall, slim and modest looking lady with dark hair. She was carrying a little ralts in her arms. By the looks of it, they were sharing their grief together. That Gardevoir who died from a complication of AIDS and being hacked belonged to Augustine's friend. He told me that he had no desire to return to Sinnoh until he heard the news.
"I'm very sorry about your Gardevoir," I told the lady. I didn't know her name, as it was the first time we ever met. But I was assuming the ralts in the lady's arm was a child of the diseased.
"When I heard the news I was shocked," Augustine admitted. "I will never understand why some people are horrible to pokemon. I have some sources that a gang in Kalos are behind some of the pokemon prostitution rings."
"Who do you think is doing this then?" I asked. I had a feeling that they were going to say that Team Rocket were behind the prostitution rings. It wouldn't surprise me if it was true. But Augustine said it was a gang from Kalos: Team Rocket's head quarters are in Kanto.
"Team Flare," Augustine replied. "They want to make a beautiful world."
"By stealing pokemon and using them as prostitutes?" I asked.
"I'm afraid so," Augustine murmured. "But I think they're doing much more than that. But Matron... I would like to introduce you to somebody. This is my friend Diantha."
"Nice to meet you," Diantha said.
"So what are Team Flare doing?" I asked. "Are they another Team Rocket Clone?"
"You could say that," Augustine replied. That meant yes.
"I'm certain that a special someone will defeat them for good," Diantha said.
"So what do you want me to do?" I asked. If it's all happening in Kalos, then I can't do much in Sinnoh. It would look really bad if the matron in charge leaves the ward when there are two league champions desperately wanting their pokemon to be saved. He can't expect me to run away with him.
Augustine smiled. "I need you to keep up with the good work."
"Believe me I will!"
"I would be just as bad as them if I sought revenge," Diantha said. She sighed and looked down on Ralts. "Maybe some day I'll be good enough to be a pokemon champion." The thought made both Augustine and Diantha smile.
"How are you going to take down Team Flare?" I asked Augustine before looking up to Diantha. "How are you going to be the champion." They've got great ambitions, but their occupations require a lot of physical and social activity. They're going to be really short on time.
"I've already chosen four children in Vaniville Town," Augustine said. "They haven't got their trainer licences yet, but they have just the right traits that I'm looking for."
"But Augustine..." It was time to be realistic. "I don't think it's very sensible to allow young children to take on a prostitution ring."
"Now Matron," Augustine seemed pretty determined with his plan. "Many villainous gangs have disbanded because of trainer's dedication to pokemon."
"That is not the point," I snapped. "It's still dangerous. If the children got killed or were seriously injured you could be sued."
"It's gonna be fine," Augustine said. "Because Team Flare will go down."
His confidence nerved me. "There is such a huge problem with this."
"I've got the best team anyone could ask for," Augustine announced. "I've got a good friend called Lysandre. He promised he would help me out."
"How do you know this Lysandre isn't the leader of Team Flare?" I asked.
"I just don't know," Augustine said. Getting louder than ever, he continued. "I just have a feeling that I can trust my instincts. What will be will be."
"Listen to me," I said. "If those children die, it will be the end of your career."
"This is just the beginning." Augustine sounded very enthusiastic for such a dangerous mission. He sounded very delusional and different to the modest care assistant that I used to know. "By doing this, I'll get to discover more about the wonders of mega evolution. I can't discuss it with you yet: it's a top secret. But once Kalos pokemon are officially registered on the national pokedex, I will explain it."
"Please take care of Ralts," I said. I really couldn't think of anything else to say that Augustine will listen to, even if it was directed at Diantha. "Gardevoir would like that."
"I promise I will," Diantha said.
"Anyway I heard you're a mother now?" Augustine said.
"Oh yes," I replied. "Lavander, I haven't had the time to see her, but I know she's quite happy with her father."
"It amazes me how you and Spiritomb were able to breed," Augustine admitted. He patted my head and said, "You two must have a special bond."
"Let me assure you that my relationship with Spirirtomb is strictly professional. "
"So I guess he was sent home to spend more time with Lavender?" Diantha asked.
I shook my head. "Spiritomb has been signed off for health and safety reasons. He hasn't been very well."
"What a shame." Augustine smiled. "Oh well, I'm sure he'll get better soon. He's a true survivor."
"HELLO AUGUSTINE! I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU IN YEARS!"
Spiritomb's voice chimed through one side of the park to the other. Spiritomb appeared out of nowhere with a big malicious smile on his face.
"I thought you were signed off?" I told Spiritomb.
"I signed back on again," Spiritomb replied.
"See I told you," Augustine said with a cheeky blink. "Well I gotta go and let you guys go back to work. See ya."