Chapter 9: Fever Dreams
Lucario fainting wasn't much of a surprise. Given his burns and the effort he exerted throughout the battle, it was very understandable. But then Alex reached the blue jackal and saw Lucario's violent shivering, felt how hot his forehead was, and heard the labored, wheezing gasps for breath.
Roxie stopped in the middle of her reluctantly-given congratulations, caught off-guard by the look of absolute terror on Alex's face. "Hey, what's goin' on? Something wrong with your Lucario?"
Alex didn't bother to explain. He hefted Lucario onto his shoulder and ran to the door, up the stairs, out of the gym, and through the streets of Virbank as fast as he could. Stupid, stupid, stupid-stupid-stupid!The weird behavior, the nervous breathing, how quickly he exhausted himself—Alex cursed his inattentiveness. Damnit Lucario, why!? Why didn't you tell him you were sick? …why didn't he notice you were sick…?
Alex flung open the doors to the Pokemon Center and ran to the counter. He was too out of breath to speak, but mercifully one look at them and the nurse understood what was wrong.
She took Lucario, treated his injuries, and gave him a bed in the back room. Just like last time, everything seemed to indicate a flu, albeit one exacerbated by the battle against Roxie. The nurse caring for Lucario estimated he'd been sick for a few days and asked why he was made to fight. Alex shamefully admitted he didn't know Lucario was ill…
The nurse's glare conveyed her disbelief and disapproval. Alex winced, more aware than anyone how stupid, how irresponsible that sounded. He meekly asked if Lucario would be okay. The nurse sternly answered that he'd be fine so long as no other complications developed and that they would monitor him and administer antibiotics if needed. Alex suffered further scolding, waited until the nurse left, and then retreated to a chair in the corner of the room. Purrloin, already healed, sat on Lucario's bed watching him and occasionally mewing sadly while nuzzling his arm. Lucario replied by moaning and rolling around in fitful sleep.
"Hey doofus, you want to tell me what exactly just happened back there?" Alex looked up and saw Roxie leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed and foot tapping the floor. "Losing's bad enough, but right as I'm trying to congratulate your punk-ass you take off running. Then I come here and I'm told your Lucario's got something called a 'Flu Emergency' and was sick during our match. So what the actual hell? Why would you do that to your pokemon? Did you even know your Lucario was sick!?"
"No…I didn't." Roxie saw the look in Alex's eyes and softened her fiery gaze. He looked utterly broken. Clearly, he blamed himself entirely for Lucario's condition. She had originally planned to tear into him, but now knew there was nothing she could say that would be a fraction as effective as his own conscience. Besides, she didn't notice anything wrong either; it would be hypocritical to chastise him.
Alex felt something cold and metallic hit his face and fall into his lap. He picked it up and saw a strip of metal shaped like a smoke stack with small purple circles that lined up to a poison mark. "It's the Toxic Badge," Roxie explained. "I also owe you some prize money and a TM for Venoshock; come pick it up when you've got the time."
Alex examined the badge, then shook his head and offered it back. "I don't think I deserve it. I—"
"Don't." Roxie held up a hand to silence him, and her tone of voice made it clear there would be no arguing. "Don't pull the pity-party stuff again. You said you didn't know? Well, I believe you. You beat me fair and square and earned that badge. Besides, as hard as he fought it wouldn't be fair to Lucario just to throw it away."
Alex meekly nodded. Roxie wished for Lucario to get well and left. After a considerable length of time, Alex got up and looked at Purrloin. "I need some fresh air," he explained. "If Lucario wakes up while I'm gone, tell him I'll be back shortly."
Purrloin nodded and Alex started out the door, only for someone to run into him and knock him over. "Oh crap, I am so sorry!" a young woman said while helping him up. "I heard there's a pokemon here I might know that's sick, and I wasn't looking where I was going, and…and…" Alex was back on his feet now, which meant the woman finally had her first good luck at him, "…and I was wondering if I'd find you here too."
Alex blinked. At first, this woman looked like the other nurses he'd met—she wore a pink shirt and skirt, white stockings, a pair of pink slippers, and a pink nurse's cap. The other nurses had brown hair, but hers was a pinkish-red and tied into a ponytail, and beneath her bangs were a pair of bright blue eyes. It took him a moment, but he eventually realized this was the nurse he'd talked to the night he left Floccesy Town.
"Um, hi…again," Alex began, confused but also relieved to see a familiar face. "What're you doing in Virbank? Don't you work at the Pokemon Center back in Floccesy?"
The nurse replied with a broad smile. "I was just a temp there. One of the nurses in Floccesy had to leave for a few months and they asked us to send someone to fill in for her. This is actually my first day back." She cleared her throat and added, "I don't think I ever introduced myself; I'm Emily Aylward."
"Alexander Andrite; nice to meet you." As Alex shook her outstretched hand, he suddenly realized Emily wasn't much older than him and made a mental note to ask about that later. "You mentioned you wanted to check on Lucario. It's nothing serious, is it?"
"No, nothing immediately pressing," Emily replied as she stepped around and walked over to the slumbering pokemon. "It's just that it's kind of odd to catch the flu twice in less than two months, and it's particularly odd how quickly he recovered last time." She picked up a clipboard at the foot of the bed and scrutinized it. "High fever, difficulty breathing, no sign of infection or other diseases…same as last time." She considered that information for a while, and then said, "Hey Alex, has Lucario ever said anything about these weird flu-spells of his?"
"Not much," Alex admitted. "Just that they 'happen occasionally' and that he supposedly gets over it in a day or so. He insisted it wasn't a big deal…I guess I shouldn't have just taken his word for it…" Alex folded his arms and withdrew into his metaphorical shell.
"Some people have trouble admitting when they need help. I guess some pokemon are the same way," Emily said sagely. There was a pause and then Emily asked, "Betsy—the other nurse you met earlier—told me you didn't know Lucario was sick. Did he not show any symptoms?"
Alex shrugged helplessly. "Not really…? I mean, he seemed more anxious than usual, and right before the battle his breathing was weird, but I thought it was just nerves. He was the same way before we fought Cheren in Aspertia and nothing happened then!" Alex groaned and pulled at his hair. "It must have been staring me in the face without me even noticing! I feel like such an idiot…"
Emily was about to reply, but then realized the full extent of what he just said. "Wait a minute; did you say you battled Cheren? And…yeah, Betsy said you fought Roxie too!" The look on her face was of someone very thoroughly confused. "I thought you said you weren't a trainer—how did you get your trainer's license and battle two gym leaders so quickly? It hasn't even been two months yet!"
"It's…a long story," he said simply.
"I've got time," she said with a shrug. She considered something and added, "My shift ended ten minutes ago. After I got done checking up on Lucario, I was going to go get dinner. Maybe you could come with and tell me on the way?"
Alex blinked. He was expecting her to reprimand him like the other nurse, not invite him to dinner. "Um, thank you. Yeah, that actually sounds really good right now. I was actually about to step outside for a bit when you ran into me—er, no pun intended." Emily chuckled, and Alex rubbed the back of his head nervously. Purrloin looked at her flustered trainer and snickered.
Emily clasped her hands together. "Then it's settled! Let's go!" She started for the door and motioned for Alex to follow, which he did. He turned around and assured Purrloin he'd be back soon. Purrloin responded by meowing something suggestive about Alex and his new lady friend, which he naturally couldn't understand and decided to ignore.
The two humans left, leaving the purple cat alone to contemplate her ill teammate. Stupid mutt, fighting when he was sick with some sort of super-bug! Worst of all was finding out he'd been this way for a few days and didn't tell anyone. Why, the moment he recovered enough to wake up she was gonna'—!
Right about then, Lucario woke up. He quickly sat up and realized how bad an idea that was when the room kept spinning. The nausea eventually passed and he took his first proper look around the room. Lucario then realized two things:
First, Purrloin was sitting in his lap and glaring at him.
Second, he should have ducked because Purrloin promptly slapped him across the muzzle.
"What the hell!?" Lucario yelled hoarsely. "What is your problem!? Do you just enjoy making other people suffer, or wha—"
Purrloin held up a paw for silence. For reasons beyond conscious comprehension, Lucario complied. "For the record, I'd just like to say you're an idiot," she began with an unnerving amount of calm. "Over the past week, I thought you were just being extra moody, or that maybe that stick up your ass was itching, or something. But now that I know what was wrong, I'd appreciate it if you could indulge a few of my questions..." She took a deep breath and screamed, "HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND!? What in Arceus' name possessed you to think it was a good idea to fight a gym leader while you were sick!? And why didn't you tell Alex?"
Lucario groaned and flopped back onto the bed. He tried to turn away from Purrloin, but she hopped across and forced herself into view. He rolled onto the other side, got the same result, and finally settled for lying on his back and throwing a pillow over his face. "Leave me alone Purrloin," Lucario grumbled through a mouthful of fabric. "I'm not in the mood. Besides, we won right, so why does it matter?"
Cream-colored paws ripped the pillow away, forcing Lucario to stare straight into Purrloin's bright green eyes. She was about to yell again, but her anger gave way to concern. "What's wrong with you…?" she asked earnestly. "Alex is worried sick because of what happened, and on top of that he's convinced it's all his fault. We could have waited to challenge Roxie—why push yourself like that?"
Lucario sat up again and growled. "Since when did you care so much?" he asked bitterly. Purrloin looked baffled. "This is just one of your attempts to get under my skin, isn't it? Make me feel guilty and then laugh at my stupidity." He intensified his glare and continued, "Well, you know what? Screw you! I'm sick of your mind games and I'm not playing along this time! Go find someone else to torment."
With a loud huff, Lucario flopped back onto the bed and pulled the covers over his head. Purrloin snarled, raised a paw to hit him again…and stopped. She lowered the paw and took a sudden interest in the wall over to her left. "…hey Lucario, can I tell you something?" The blue jackal said nothing, but she could tell by the twitch of his ears that he was listening. "I…wasn't always a wild pokemon. Before I met you and Alex, I used to belong to someone else."
That got his attention. Lucario removed the covers and looked at her inquisitively.
Purrloin took a deep, calming breath. "Years ago, there was this old woman named Velma who lived on the outskirts of a city—I'm not even sure where. I was just a small kitten at the time, separated from my parents, scared out of my mind and wandering the forest alone, when she found me and took me in. She talked to me, played with me, occasionally used me to battle a passing trainer…" Purrloin closed her eyes and relished the memories. "She was the nicest human I think I've ever met, and the time I spent with her was the happiest I've ever been in my life."
Lucario listened intently. "What happened?" he asked. "It sounds like you two were really close. Why did you leave her?"
Purrloin's nostalgic happiness drained away. "I didn't," she answered solemnly. "About a year ago, she got really, really sick. She got to the point where she couldn't do anything but lay in bed all day and let the rest of her family take care of her. One morning I woke up next to her and realized she was unusually cold. It didn't take me long to figure out that sometime during the night, she had…she'd…"
Purrloin sniffled, and Lucario's ears drooped. He reached over to gently pat her. "You don't have to say anything else. I'm…I'm sorry for your loss."
Purrloin looked up at him and smiled. "Thanks," she said. "None of her children wanted me—the only times they visited were to ask Velma for favors, so I wasn't exactly friendly to them. A few days after they buried her, they took me out to the middle of the woods and release me back into the wild. And that was the end of it I guess…"
Lucario nodded, but a question loomed in his mind. "Why tell me this, and why now?"
Purrloin groaned and rolled her eyes. "You really are thickheaded, aren't you?" she said while putting a paw over her face. "Okay, look, let me put it to you this way: when Velma died, I lost the only family I ever really knew. Then I kept running into you and Alex, saw how well you two got along together and how nice Alex was. After thinking about it for a while, I realized maybe this was a second chance—a chance to have a family again."
Lucario's eyes widened. Family? She considered him…family?
"Do you get it now?" she asked in a tone that almost sounded desperate. "Look, I get that sometimes I'm a little too obnoxious, but I never mean anything by it. I…I guess I assumed that you both understood that." She hopped into Lucario lap and wrapped her forepaws around his waist in a tight hug. Tears started running down her face. "I've already lost two families now; please, I don't want to lose anyone else! Please don't do something like this again!"
Lucario considered the situation for a moment, and then eventually decided to return Purrloin's hug. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier, and I'm sorry for worrying you and Alex so much." He let out a long sigh. "I guess I should have told you guys, but I didn't want to hold Alex up just because I'm too weak to fight off this…whatever is wrong with me." Lucario let go of Purrloin and pulled at the fur on his head. "Gah, no matter what I try to do I just keep making things worse! I feel so damned useless!"
Purrloin batted Lucario's muzzle with a paw. "You're not useless dummy, and the sooner you figure that out the better off you'll be!" Purrloin closed her eyes and sighed. "You should get some more rest. You still look like crap, and I've yelled at you long enough."
Now that she mentioned it, Lucario was really tired. He got back under the covers and closed his eyes, but couldn't stop thinking about his conversation with Purrloin. It felt weird to be considered part of someone's family, especially by a pokemon he (formerly?) disliked. Family…he understood what the word meant intellectually, but struggled with the emotional meaning. Ricky and the rest of his team were the closest he ever had to a family…for obvious reasons they weren't the best reference. He craved the kind of emotional connection Purrloin had with her deceased owner, but was simultaneously too afraid of something ripping it away. The conflict was agonizing.
He wasn't sure when it happened, but at some point during his introspection exhaustion finally took hold and Lucario fell back asleep.
After a quick discussion on where to go for dinner, the two teenagers agreed on a burger stand a few blocks away from the Pokemon Center. On the way there, Alex recounted everything that happened since the night he left his hometown. Emily listened attentively, and was quick to offer her condolences when he got to the part where Alistair disowned him. Alex thanked her, but was quick to change topics. He had enough on his mind without wasting time thinking about his father.
By the time he was done, they got their food and found a table in the back of the dining room. It was late afternoon, and Alex mentally noted how time seemed to have slipped away.
"That's quite the story," Emily said before taking a bite of her cheeseburger. "I'm kind of surprised you haven't captured Lucario though. I mean, he's practically part of your team anyway, and it sounds like the two of you get along pretty well."
Alex shrugged. "I told him it was his choice, and he hasn't said anything yet. Considering his past with Ricky, I feel it wouldn't be right if I forced it."
"Odd mentality for a trainer," Emily noted. "Most trainers' philosophy can be summed up as 'throw pokeballs until they become your best friend.' Not saying I don't agree with you or your reasoning, just that it's unusual."
Alex replied with an "eh" and decided to change the subject. "Speaking of unusual, how are you a nurse? Er, I mean, you don't look like you're much older than me, so I guess what I'm trying to ask is how did you get to be one so quickly?"
"Well, technically I'm just a nurse in training," Emily replied. "When I was twelve, I tried being a trainer for a year before realizing it wasn't really for me. Then I decided I wanted to become a nurse instead. So I came back home and worked as an apprentice at the Pokemon Center for the past four years. " She rested her chin on her hand and sighed forlornly. "Still, I do miss the traveling. I've actually been thinking about becoming a field nurse, just so I can start exploring Unova again. Working in the Center is cool and all, but I really did like exploring and I love the idea of helping people I meet along the way."
Alex nodded with her. "Yeah, I understand what you're saying. One of the reasons I wanted to be a trainer so badly was so I could travel. Unova's a big place, and I want to see every inch of it!" A pause, and he asked, "So what was your starter anyway? Do you have it with you right now?"
"She's a Vaporeon named Vivian that my dad caught near Castelia as an Eevee, and no I don't have her with me. She doesn't like being cooped up in her pokeball, so I let her roam around the house during the day while I'm at work." Emily frowned and turned her head to look out the window. "That's the other reason I'd like to start traveling again. I can tell that she's restless during the day and it makes me feel guilty. I think it would do her some good to start traveling again." She turned back to Alex and added, "I'll have to introduce the two of you sometime; I think you'd both get along great."
"I'd like that," Alex said, a warm smile stretched across his face.
Emily returned the smile. Then her thoughts shifted to his father. She knew she probably shouldn't bring it up, but couldn't help herself. "I'm not sure if you know this…but the morning after you left Floccesy your dad went crazy looking for you." Alex gave her a weird look, and Emily sensed she was dangerously close to pushing a button best left alone. "I'm pretty sure he talked to half the town before finally thinking to look for you at the Pokemon Center. I'd never seen someone so worried before... Mind you, I'm not excusing what he did—it was awful in so many different ways I wouldn't even know where to begin. I'm just saying maybe you two might be able to work things out eventually."
Alex scoffed loudly. "I doubt it, and honestly I don't even care anymore. When I was a kid, I begged him to let me get my own pokemon and teach me how to raise them. His response was to tell me how much I sucked at life and that I would get myself killed trying, so I shouldn't even bother. If he wants to pretend I don't exist, then fine, whatever. Total strangers have been better teachers than he ever was, so the way I see it I don't even need him."
Emily flinched at the bitterness of his words. "I'm…really sorry to hear that…"
Alex frowned. "Don't take this the wrong way, but why do you care if I get along with my dad or not?"
"I just…really hate broken families is all," she replied. "It just seems wrong to me, like it violates some unspoken law. I think it's why I decided to become a pokemon nurse—pokemon can be as much a part of your family as people can, and I like to think that I'm helping families stay together."
Alex smiled ruefully. "Well, I appreciate you trying, but my family's been broken for a long time. If you don't mind, I'd rather drop the subject."
Any chance at further conversation withered and died. They finished their meals silently and sat there, each teenager lost in thought. After a while, Emily spoke up and said, "It's getting late, so I think I'm going to head home. Besides, you should probably go check up on Lucario."
"Huh? Oh, yeah, I should get back now. Thanks for inviting me to dinner; it was nice talking with you."
"Same here," she said with a warm smile. "And sorry if I was getting a little too personal earlier. I don't mean to, but I can be really nosy sometimes."
Alex dismissed it with a wave of the hand. She got up to leave and Alex started to do the same, but something was bothering him. "Hey, Emily, before you go could I ask you something?" She stopped and turned to face him, and for a moment he hesitated. "The other nurse was really mad at me earlier, and I got the impression she thought I was really irresponsible for not knowing Lucario was sick. What do you think though? Do you agree with her?"
"I think…Lucario is an odd case," Emily said tactfully. "He recovered way too quickly the last time he was sick. You mentioned he can use telepathy, right? When he starts to feel better I'd like to talk to him and ask how he felt on the days leading up to today." She shrugged and added, "The best doctor in the world is useless if a patient doesn't ask for help. If I were you, I'd focus less on why you didn't notice he was sick and more on why he didn't tell you. That concerns me more than anything else."
Alex nodded. "Yeah, I'll do that. Thanks Emily."
They finished their goodbyes and set off for their respective destinations. A cool breeze whipped across the city, biting at Alex's exposed arms. It was definitely getting colder, and soon he would need to find some heavier clothing. He remembered that Lucario didn't like the cold and resolved to figure out a way to keep him comfortable.
A heavy sigh escaped him. This whole ordeal with Lucario getting sick out of nowhere disturbed him. He knew it would come up eventually, but he expected some kind of warning before it happened. Lucario not saying anything—possibly even hiding it from him—was worse. Emily was right; that needed to be addressed immediately.
Alex was back at the Pokemon Center now. His footsteps echoed across the hallway, each one a loud ffpt of shoes meeting tiled floor. He found Lucario's room and stepped inside. Purrloin, who was still lying on the bed, perked up and ran to him meowing happily. Alex smiled and bent down to scratch her back before she scampered back to the bed. Lucario's ears twitched and suddenly he sitting up and looking at Alex.
"Hey Lucario, feeling any better?" Alex began. "Sorry if you were up earlier when I wasn't here, but I ran into that nurse that took care of you in Floccesy and we got to talking and…well, I guess time got away from us."
Yes, I feel much better. Thanks. A pause, and with no shortage of shame he added, I'm sorry, by the way, for not letting you know I was sick. That could have cost us the match today, and it was really foolish on my part.
It was time for the big question. "Why didn't you tell me?" Alex asked. He looked the Aura pokemon dead in the eyes, eyes which promptly moved to avoid his gaze. That prompted a frustrated sigh. "Lucario, please, help me out here, because I've been driving myself crazy all day worrying it was something obvious and that I'm an idiot for not noticing!"
Lucario's ears drooped and he grabbed the blankets with his paws. Please don't blame yourself; I went out of my way to hide it from you because I didn't want you to worry. Lucario looked at him again, and then looked down and away. I thought that maybe I could tough it out, but instead I made everything worse…
"Lucario…it was just a flu. It wouldn't have bothered me to wait a few days before you were better." Alex's confusion was palpable. "I don't get it—why go through all the trouble to hide it?"
Lucario's paws tightened their grip on the blankets. Because…because I was afraid you'd think less of me when you found out how weak I am…. He growled and hit the mattress with clenched fists. All my life, I've been too weak to be useful to anyone! Evolving was supposed to fix that, but then I started getting sick all the time! Lucario faced Alex again, red eyes full of tears. What good am I if I can't fight? What happens if I get sick during another gym battle, or even the Championship match? I don't know why I bothered. I should have known better…
Alex watched, gobsmacked, as Lucario buried his face into his arms and started sobbing. Without a word, he walked over, sat on the edge of the bed, and pulled Lucario into a tight hug. The Aura pokemon opened his eyes and looked up at the blonde trainer.
"I understand how you feel," Alex began. "Before I met you and started my journey, I felt like I was useless too. Still do most of the time…" He chuckled bitterly and continued, "But you're not useless Lucario, not now, not ever. I'd never give up on you, because I think…no, I know that you wouldn't give up on me. Whatever trouble comes our way, we'll deal with it together."
Lucario gradually stopped crying and allowed himself to relax a little. You're a better friend to me than I am to you, he admitted. The only reason I kept traveling with you after Aspertia was because I felt guilty leaving you alone…and because I thought this might be a chance to prove to myself that I'm worth a damn. To be honest, I want to be your friend…but I'm too scared of being left alone again.
Alex loosened his grip on Lucario and positioned himself so they were looking face-to-face. "Lucario, I know you can sense emotion, so please pay really close attention to what I'm about to say." He put his hands on the Aura pokemon's shoulders and said with every ounce of sincerity he could summon, "I'm not going to leave you Lucario. So long as you're willing to put up with me, I'll always be by your side. I promise."
Alex meant every word he said; Lucario didn't need aura to know that. A part of his mind, the part formed when he was a Riolu left alone in the woods, screamed at him not to give in, but at the same time—is this what Purrloin meant when she said she knew this was her second chance…? He stole a glance at her, saw green eyes staring hopefully at him, and finally realized the obvious. They cared about him. Despite his flaws and despite his weakness, they actually cared about him. And no matter what happened, that would never change.
The ghost of the Riolu he used to be screamed at him, begging him not to open up! Don't do it! he insisted. You'll just get hurt again! It's not worth it!
Lucario disagreed.
Alex's bag was in a chair by the door. Lucario got up and ran to it, frantically digging for something. He found what he was looking for—a red and white pokeball—and before anyone could react tapped himself on the head and smiled as he was sucked inside in a flash of white light. Alex gasped as it dropped to the floor and shook once…twice…three times...
Click!
With trembling hands, Alex walked over and picked up the pokeball. He held it for a moment before pressing the button and materializing Lucario in a flash of white light. The Aura pokemon blinked, reorienting himself, before noticing the awestruck look on the blonde trainer's face.
A nervous smile stretched across Lucario's muzzle. Consider that my way of holding you to your promise, he said. Not that I don't believe you, but you know…just to be sure. He chuckled, then sheepishly added, I guess this means you don't have to correct people about not being my trainer anymore, huh?
Alex didn't reply. He softly smiled, put the ball away on his belt, and bent down to scoop the Lucario—his Lucario—into a hug. Lucario returned the hug, and for her part Purrloin ran over and joined in. Lucario started crying again, but for once it wasn't because he was sad or upset.
For the first time in years, Lucario was truly happy.
Within a day of his match, Lucario made a full recovery. The (rather puzzled) doctors and nurses ran several tests to try and discover the root cause of the Aura pokemon's illness, and were rewarded for their efforts with a whole lot of nothing.
Lucario was asked to describe his symptoms, which he begrudgingly did at the behest of Alex. It typically happened once every one-to-two months. Over the course of a week he would become congested, increasingly lethargic, and develop a mild cough. Then, all at once he'd develop a high fever and other flu-like symptoms. Finally, after a day or so of rest, he was perfectly fine.
The Pokemon Center staff was baffled. A chronic flu usually meant a weak immune system, but by that same token it meant Lucario shouldn't recover so quickly. Their best guess was it was a strange kind of allergic reaction, but to what they didn't know.
Needless to say, Lucario became thoroughly tired of their poking, prodding, blood-sampling, and machine scanning and asked when he could leave. After a brief discussion amongst themselves, the doctors and nurses concluded that whatever was wrong, at the very least it didn't seem contagious. Lucario was free to go, but the doctors stressed that they should remain vigilant and that Lucario should receive regular checkups. Alex readily assured them he would do just that.
Tickets for the boat ride to Castelia City were purchased, and a few days later Alex and his pokemon arrived at the docks ready to set sail. They already said their goodbyes to Rena, Louie, and Donny earlier that morning and were about to board the ship.
"Hey, Alex, wait up a minute!" Trainer and pokemon stopped and turned to see Emily running up behind them. Her reddish-pink hair was still tied up in a ponytail, but the rest of her outfit was completely different. She wore a bright red, short-sleeved jacket with black trim on top of a light blue shirt, light-tan pants, black boots, and two different wristbands—one red, one black. She was carrying a large black bag which, if Alex were to hazard a guess, contained medical supplies. On her belt were two separate pokeballs, one of which he assumed contained her starter.
"Hi Emily," Alex said amicably. "I like the outfit. I think it suits you better than your nurse uniform." Realizing that he was being unintentionally flirtatious, he quickly added, "So, erm, what's going on? I meant to say goodbye to you this morning, but I couldn't find you at the Pokemon Center."
After catching her breath, Emily replied, "I was going to let you know after I was done packing, but it took me a little longer than I thought and time got away from me. I talked to my boss yesterday and she agreed to let me spend a year traveling Unova as a junior field nurse."
"That's awesome!" Alex said. "But, uh, a 'junior' field nurse? How does that work exactly?"
"Basically, it's kind of like being a pokemon researcher, except I check in with the nearest Pokemon Center after a month or two and have to keep studying medical material on my own. Also, if I provide any nursing services out in the field I have to fully disclose to my patients what I am before doing anything." She shrugged and added, "Think 'pokemon trainer with lots of homework' and you'll get the general idea."
Interesting, Lucario said. But why did you run all the way down here just to tell us?
"Well, that's the other thing," Emily began. "Sorry if this seems a little sudden or out of the blue, but I was wondering…would you mind if I traveled with you?"
Alex's eyes widened. "You…want to travel with me?"
Emily nodded. "I just figured, with your Lucario having that weird allergy, or whatever it is, you might like having a nurse with you to help keep an eye on him. Also, you seem like a nice guy, and it'd be nice to have someone to talk to while traveling…"
Purrloin started snickering. "Oooooh, myyy~…" she meowed in a very suggestive tone. Lucario raised a brow and asked what she was going on about. Purrloin sighed and said she would explain later.
Alex rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, I certainly don't mind," he said. "Lucario, Purrloin, what do you think?"
Purrloin readily meowed yes. Lucario frowned. He didn't like the idea of being poked and prodded by the nurse constantly, but he was already outvoted. He relented with a loud sigh and said, Sounds reasonable. So long as you're okay with it, I am too.
"Then it's settled," Emily said while clasping her hands. With that, the group of friends boarded the boat and settled in. It would take a day to sail from Virbank to Castelia and Alex could barely contain his excitement. Castelia City was the largest city in all of Unova, not to mention the location of his next gym battle. Not just that, but now Lucario was officially his pokemon and he'd made a new friend in Emily. A large smile stretched across his face. He was living his dream, and in that moment in time Alex felt indestructible. Nothing could touch him—nothing could stand in his way!
It was best that he enjoy the feeling while it lasted.
Author's Note: Huh, so this is what Schedule Slip feels like...
For some reason I had really bad writer's block midway through writing this sumabitch. I'm sorry for the delay, but hopefully it was worth it!
I've been told I may have crammed too much into this chapter, so sorry if it seems to drag a little. It's something I intend to be more conscious of going forward. On the bright side, yay, I can write Lucario and Alex getting along without worrying about how Lucario's insecurities should get in the way! :D
Also, Purrloin will be getting a nickname soon (courtesy of Emily, since Alex is terrible at nicknames). I've gotten a few cool suggestions, but if anyone else has any I'm willing to listen. Other than that, let me know what you thought and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
