Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon; it belongs to Nintendo, Gamefreak, etc. All of the OCs and the Doren region, however, are mine.

Zane set Wraith down and lifted his head to stare at the figure in the doorway. Given the volume of the slam he had heard, he had expected to see something very large and muscular grunting in a savage manner. His expectations, however, were wrong.

A young woman stood in the doorway, breathing heavily. She was wearing a green turtleneck, blue knee-length shorts, and a pair of sandals. Her black hair was unevenly cut, as though she had done it herself without being able to see her work. Her keen gray-blue eyes and slender hands gave her the impression of someone with a knack for manipulating delicate instruments. She appeared to be about sixteen, the same age as Zane.

"Professor," she panted, totally ignoring everyone else, "we've got a problem. Have you seen…? Oh," she said as she caught sight of Zane, "he's out of bed already? Wow. I thought he'd be there for at least another-"

"So you're the doctor?" Zane guessed, shocked to learn that there had been a doctor. He turned to Professor Alder. "You had a sixteen-year-old girl cut my arm off?"

"I think I like this guy," the young woman commented with barely detectable sarcasm. "We drag his sorry butt off the beach, patch up his wounds, give him a warm bed, stop him from getting lethally infected, and he chews us out for cutting his arm off." She walked over to stand by the professor and crossed her arms. "Yep, there's gratitude for 'ya."

"So I've noticed," Professor Alder replied, smirking slightly. "And while we're on the topic, it appears my name has been changed to 'Frankenstein'."

"Frankenstein?" The young woman chuckled.

Professor Alder smiled evilly and reached into his pocket.

The young woman hurriedly apologized, holding her hands up in a feeble show of defense. Zane snickered in the background.

"Shut up," the young woman demanded.

"Why should I?" Zane replied, still chuckling a little. "That was funny."

The young woman waved her hand dismissively. "Shut up or I'll saw off your other arm."

"You wouldn't."

"Try me."

"Easy now," Professor Alder interrupted. This had been somewhat amusing to watch, but it was time to stop it. "Let's start over, shall we? Zane, this is Helen Reyn, the most competent-"

"And only," Helen interjected.

"-doctor in New Pallet Town," Professor Alder finished.

"I'll remember never to get medical treatment here again, then," Zane muttered.

Helen walked over to Zane and stomped on his foot. Zane bit his lip, determined not to show pain.

"Calm down, both of you," Professor Alder said. "Helen, this is Zane."

"A pleasure, to be sure," Helen said sarcastically, doing an extravagant bow.

"Cut it out," Zane said flatly.

"Why should I?" asked Helen, echoing Zane's earlier comment. "This is fun."

"I don't know what the problem is between you two," Professor Alder said sternly, opening a poke' ball "but if you don't find a constructive way to settle it, I will have Dirge drop you both in the ocean."

The newly released Dirge advanced toward his quarry, a mischievous look in his eyes.

"Hold on a sec," Helen said quickly, trying to buy time. "Hey, Zane, that Cyndaquil over there is yours, right?"

"You mean Wraith?" Zane asked, gesturing at the Cyndaquil as it came over to him. "Yeah, it is. So?"

"Wow," Helen commented in mock awe, "are you really that stupid, or are you just acting?"

Zane growled and fumbled with Wraith's poke' ball, causing the Cyndaquil to disappear in a flash of light.

"So," Helen continued, ignoring Zane, "let's have a Pokemon battle. When I win, I'll expect an apology for everything you've said."

"Okay," Zane replied angrily, preparing to open the poke' ball again, "let's do that. Right here, right now."

"Oh, no you don't" said Professor Alder, grabbing hold of Zane, and Helen and shoving them out the door. "If you're going to have a battle, have it outside."

As Zane and Helen walked off to find a suitable battleground, Professor Alder closed the lab door and breathed a sigh of relief. After about ten minutes of blissful quiet, however, he remembered that he'd forgotten to tell Zane something. Cursing his moment of stupidity under his breath, the professor left his lab and went off to find Zane once more.

A/N: Well, that's it for this chapter. Please let me know what you think. If you don't like it, please don't flame me; tell me how to improve it.

Also, thank you to Hollishawk for reviewing chapter 3, and Maypie Lord for reviewing chapter 2.