The Rookie Chapter 6: VIRIDIAN CITY PT3, a pokémon fanfic

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN POKÉMON

|CHAPTER 5|

After a good thirty minutes of vigorous scrubbing, I finally stepped out of the shower.

No longer being covered in muck and grime was a wonderful feeling. It's amazing how feeling clean can boost your mood. I didn't even flinch when I saw my scars in the foggy mirror.

Instead, I grinned and flexed my muscles. "Put on a couple more pounds and I could audition for the live-action Broly," I told my reflection.

As I grabbed the towel hanging next to the shower to dry off, there was a knock on the door.

"Sam?" Nurse Joy's voice came from the hall. "I brought you a change of clothes."

Thank Arceus! I thought as I wrapped the towel around my waist. I had not been looking forward to trying to clean my only set of clothes.

"You can come in," I said, stepping out of the bathroom.

Nurse Joy opened the door, and I saw she had a bundle of folded clothes cradled in her arms. Her eyes fell to my exposed chest, a worried frown creasing her forehead before she forced a cheerful smile.

"I thought you might need these," she said, offering me the clothes. "They were left behind in the lost and found, but they should fit you just fine."

I took the clothes gratefully, relieved that I wouldn't have to continue wearing the tattered rags that Team Rocket had left me with.

"Your Elekid is all healed up and is doing well, but I would like to keep Gyarados overnight. It took a strong electric attack and has some slight nerve damage."

Nerve Damage?

Instantly, my heart sank as I heard the news about Gyarados. The thought of causing permanent damage to any Pokémon, especially one I had just caught and was hoping to bond with, sent a wave of guilt crashing over me. I had been so focused on whether or not Gyarados would accept me as its trainer that I hadn't even considered the possibility of it being unable to battle after being struck by lightning.

Nurse Joy must have noticed my concern because she quickly reassured me, her forced smile turning into a genuine one. "Don't worry, there's no permanent damage. A night in the Healing Machine will have Gyarados right as rain."

I let out a sigh of relief, grateful that I hadn't unknowingly permanently paralyzed a Pokémon. I pulled the shirt Nurse Joy gave me over my head, the towel around my waist slipped and fell to the floor.

I froze, my face flushing red as I realized I was now completely naked from the waist down. I looked up to see Nurse Joy's eyes widen in surprise, her gaze lingering on my muscular thighs and toned abs. I couldn't help but feel a surge of pride at the sight of her reaction. It wasn't every day that a beautiful woman like her showed such obvious appreciation for my physique.

Nurse Joy quickly recovered, her smile growing wider as she stepped closer to me. "Sam, you did an incredible job today. You saved my Pokémon Center and all those Pokémon from Team Rocket. I can't thank you enough."

Her words filled me with a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. It was true, I had risked everything to save her and the Pokémon, and it felt good to know that my efforts hadn't gone unnoticed.

"You deserve a reward, Sam," Nurse Joy continued, her eyes never leaving my face. "Something to make you feel even better about what you've done."

Her hand slid down my chest and—

Beep!

I opened my eyes, groaning at the loud blaring of the alarm clock next to my bed.

Sitting up in bed, I slapped the snooze button to stop the ringing. I looked around the room. Elekid was still sleeping, curled up at the end of the bed, but Nurse Joy was nowhere to be found.

Of course, she isn't here, I rolled my eyes at my own wishful thinking. Nurse Joy wasn't some slag that was going to bang me just because I stopped Team Rocket.

But that didn't stop my imagination from turning what really happened into a penthouse letter.

THEN.

After a good thirty minutes of vigorous scrubbing, I finally stepped out of the shower.

No longer being covered in muck and grime was a wonderful feeling. It's amazing how feeling clean can boost your mood. I didn't even flinch when I saw my scars in the foggy mirror.

Instead, I grinned and flexed my muscles. "Put on a couple more pounds and I could audition for the live-action Broly," I told my reflection.

As I grabbed the towel hanging next to the shower to dry off, there was a knock on the door.

"Sam?" Nurse Joy's voice came from the hall. "I brought you a change of clothes."

Thank Arceus! I thought as I wrapped the towel around my waist. I had not been looking forward to trying to clean my only set of clothes.

"You can come in," I said, stepping out of the bathroom.

"I thought you might need these," she said, offering me the clothes. "They were left behind in the lost and found, but they should fit you just fine."

I took the clothes gratefully, relieved that I wouldn't have to continue wearing the tattered rags that Team Rocket had left me with.

"Your Elekid is all healed up and is doing well, but I would like to keep Gyarados overnight. It took a strong electric attack and has some slight nerve damage."

Nerve Damage?

Nurse Joy must have noticed my concern because she quickly reassured me, her forced smile turning into a genuine one. "Don't worry, there's no permanent damage."

I let out a sigh of relief, grateful that I hadn't unknowingly permanently paralyzed a Pokémon. I pulled the shirt Nurse Joy gave me over my head.

"A night in the Healing Machine will have Gyarados right as rain," Nurse Joy paused, then asked, "You were planning to stay overnight?"

"Definitely," I nodded. The thought of trying to make it through the Viridian Forest in my current state was beyond idiotic.

We needed rest, both for myself and my Pokémon.

Plus, thanks to those asshole Team Rocket members from Route 1, I didn't have any kind of camping gear whatsoever.

Or the money to buy replacements for everything I lost.

Which was something I wanted to talk to Nurse Joy about.

"I'm going to be brutally honest, I didn't put much thought into planning or packing for my Pokémon journey," I said, looking up at the pink-haired Pokémon nurse. "And if I want to make it through the Viridian Forest, I'm going to need more than what I have."

It rankled me, having to pretend that I was in this situation because of my own hubris, but this was the choice I made. Without acces to the Oak family resources, I had to make my own money.

Nurse Joy didn't seem surprised. She took a moment to sit beside me. "A lot of young trainers just starting out find themselves in your position," she said and I detected a tinge of bitterness in her words. "The league has never made wilderness survival a requirement to become a Pokémon trainer and that's a big reason why so many young trainers fail. They're not prepared physically or mentally."

"The physical and mental part I can handle. Money is the problem for me," I said. I wasn't worried about the physical and mental strain of traveling. I'd grown up in a small rural community a hundred miles from the nearest city. I was more at home in the woods than I was in the city.

"Well, battling is the most common way for trainers to make money," Nurse Joy replied. "but there are other ways too."

I perked up at that, my curiosity piqued. "Other ways?" I asked.

Nurse Joy nodded. "Sometimes trainers spend weeks in the cities or towns they pass through, working part-time jobs to save up money for the essentials they'll need to continue traveling. Like food for themselves and their Pokémon, or PokéBalls if they plan on capturing more Pokémon."

I considered the idea. I didn't want to be trapped in Viridian City for a week, but I also knew that without the right supplies, I could die. "I'll keep that in mind," I said, determined to make my Pokémon team stronger.

"Why don't you take a look through our lost and found?" Nurse Joy suggested. "You never know what you might find?"

Now that was an idea. If I could find even just a few useful things in the lost and found it would at least save me some money. I followed as Nurse Joy's pink hair bounced with every step, leading me downstairs to a room tucked away at the back of the Pokémon Center.

As the door slid open, my eyes widened in surprise. When she had said the lost and found, I had been expecting a couple of bags of clothes, maybe a bag or too. But the room Nurse Joy led me to was filled with rows of towering shelves, each one crammed with boxes and plastic containers of all shapes and sizes. It was as though I had stumbled into a camping section at a department store!

"This is the lost and found?" I asked, unable to contain my surprise.

Nurse Joy's smile was gentle yet filled with sadness as she nodded in response. "It is," she said. "Trainers often leave behind their belongings when they give up on their Pokémon journeys or forget them in the excitement of a new adventure. We hold onto them for 30 days, if the original owner doesn't contact the center about missing items we put them in here and eventually everything is either recycled or re-sold."

My eyes gleamed greedily as I scanned the shelves again, assessing what might be useful. "Can I take anything?" I asked, barely able to believe my luck. This could solve a lot of my supply issues.

Nurse Joy's smile widened. "You helped save my Pokémon Center from Team Rocket. Letting you choose whatever you like from the lost and found is the least I can do."

I grinned back, already making a mental list of what to grab first.

NOW.

Preparing for a Pokémon journey was no easy task.

It wasn't like a weekend camping trip you'd go on with your family. I was going to be in the wilderness for weeks, maybe even months at a time.

Without the proper gear, I could die!

I needed a plan.

Multiple plans.

...All the plans.

That was why, instead of collapsing into bed after my shower like I wanted to, I spent half the night digging through the Pokémon Center's lost and found. I hadn't spoken to Ash or Misty since Office Jenny took their statements, and as much as I wanted to talk to two of my favorite characters, I knew I needed to buckle down.

Checklist Pg.1

-1 waterproof camping tent
-1 multi-seasonal sleeping bag
-1 large 2-quart pot
-1 steel frying pan
-1 Ferro rod set
-1 enamel bowl w/spoon
-1 canteen
-1 bar soap
-1 8-oz tube of toothpaste
-1 face flannel
-1 40-mm roll dental floss
-1 small bottle of bio shower soap
-1 shaving razor (and 1 blade)
-1 towel
-1 pair of high-leg waterproof hunting boots
-2 T-shirt's(short-sleeved)
-6 pairs of socks
-1 neck gaiter
-1 shemagh
-2 pairs of gloves (1 leather work-style glove, 1 thin glove)
-4 pairs of underwear/briefs
-2 pairs of outdoor pants/bibs (can unzip into shorts)
-1 waterproof uninsulated Jacket
-1 pair of gaiters
-1 leather belt
-2 toothbrushes

I managed to fit all of that into one big bag. In fact, I put it all in a bag that looked remarkably similar to the one Brock used to carry around. It was only half my checklist and was already a lot to carry.

However, the Pokémon anime series and games never got into the day-to-day of what being a Pokémon trainer is really like. A lot more went into surviving weeks and months away from civilization than was shown on television.

I would rather 'have' something I didn't 'need' than 'need' something I didn't 'have'.

Besides, most of the items at the top of my checklist were either small or could be folded or rolled up to be smaller. I still had more than enough room for the rest of my gear.

Checklist Pg.2

1 buck hunting knife
-1 Leatherman multi-tool
-1 LED flashlight
-1 net foraging bag
-550 Paracord-80m
-8mm climbing rope-10m
-3mm cotton cord-40m
-1 sharpening stone
-1 roll of duct tape
-1 small shovel
-1 hatchet

And...done! I thought proudly, as I checked off the last item on my list. Everything was packed up in my bag.

Of course, not everything could fit inside the bag. My sleeping bag was tied to the bottom and would rest near the base of my spine with my overstuffed bag sitting on top of it. And more than a few things were strapped to the outside of the bad with cord. The poles that would hold up my tent, my pot and pan on the side, and a few other things.

"Are you sure going to be able to carry all of that?" a worried voice asked.

I looked up and saw Nurse Joy standing outside my room. She was holding a tray with Gyarados pokéball. "It'll be heavy, but I plan on catching a pokémon to help me soon," I said walking over to the stunning pink-haired nurse. "Are you sure it's okay for me to take all this stuff? It's gotta cost a few hundred poké dollars altogether, maybe even over a thousand."

Nurse Joy smiled as she handed over my newly healed Pokémon. "Absolutely," she said, inching up on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek. "Like I said last night, you saved the Pokémon Center. Besides, most of this stuff will be replaced by the end of the year anyway."

It's good to be the hero, I grinned as I watched Nurse Joy walk away until she turned the corner and disappeared at the end of the hall.

My grin faded when I glanced down at Gyarados pokéball. Another difference between this world and the games, I thought as I grabbed my backpack and hefted it up onto my back. I grunted as weight pulled down on my shoulders. Reaching back, I grabbed the waist strap on my backpack. I looped the padded strap around the top of my hip bone to help redistribute the backpack's weight from my shoulders to my hips. This allowed my whole body to take the weight of the backpack rather than one muscle group and let my legs do the heavy lifting.

In the games, if you had the right number of badges, your pokémon listened to you. Now that I was here, in a world where pokémon were more than just lines of code, I had to consider the personality of the Pokémon I caught.

Some pokémon might not want me to be their trainer. Some might not want to battle. Others might want to battle too much and not listen to my commands.

Every pokémon I encountered would have a unique personality and I would have to decide if they fit on my team.

I left my room the door closing softly behind him. My footsteps echoed in the hallway as I went downstairs, Elekid trotting along beside me. I glanced down at the Electric-type, who was jogging to keep pace. I sighed, understanding the practicality of the situation—once we were out of the city, I'd have to recall Elekid into his pokéball again. It was not an ideal situation, but Elekid's small legs just couldn't match my long strides.

Down in the lobby, I saw Nurse Joy behind the counter. I lifted my hand to wave goodbye, not wanting to stick around much longer.

Unlike last night, the lobby was bustling with trainers coming and going. Their excited voices drowned out the hum of the healing machines in the back and it was making me all the more eager to really start my own journey.

Nurse Joy waved back, but not to say goodbye. She was motioning for me to come to the counter. I walked over and just as I was about to ask what was going on, an unexpected interruption occurred. The sliding doors leading to the lobby suddenly parted, and a familiar pink blur burst forth.

It was Chansey, the same one he had protected the previous night.

Chansey rushed toward me, her round body wobbling with an almost comical grace. The pink Pokémon latched onto my legs, her soft arms wrapped around me.

"It seems like Chansey has taken quite a liking to you for saving her from Team Rocket," she said, her tone marked by a hint of wonder.

I reached down to scratch Chansey between the ears. "Well, she won't have to worry about them anymore," I said and I tried to pull my leg away. Only I couldn't move it at all.

Chansey had a death grip on me, and she refused to let go.

I blinked in surprise, looking down at the affectionate creature. Nurse Joy's surprised expression mirrored my own.

Nurse Joy's voice broke the moment, her eyes reflecting understanding. "It seems Chansey has taken a liking to you, Sam. She doesn't want to see you go."

I glanced between the joyful Chansey and Nurse Joy, my brows furrowing. "I can't stay at the Pokémon Center forever."

Nurse Joy's lips curve into a gentle smile. "You know, sometimes these bonds form unexpectedly," she muses. "Would you consider taking Chansey with you?"

"Take her with me?"

"Ever since last night, Chansey hasn't been acting like herself," Nurse Joy explained. "She's been withdrawn and cautious of any new trainers and their pokémon. Team Rocket really scared her."

I glanced down at Chansey, who looked up at me with pleading eyes. It was just like I had been thinking earlier about Gyarados. Pokémon had their own personalities and people couldn't just ignore them.

"Are you sure?" I asked, looking back up at Nurse Joy. "Will the league be okay with that?"

I wasn't exactly sure how everything worked, but I was positive the Pokémon League funded and ran the Pokémon Centers. The Nurse Joys were just employees who worked in them.

"Of course," Nurse Joy said. "I love Chansey, and maybe one day she'll want to come back, but I think this is what would be best for her. To get away for a while."

"If you're sure," I pulled out one of my empty pokéballs and held it up. "You sure you want to leave the Pokémon Center?" I asked, and Chansey nodded, her happiness evident as she bounced around me.

I tapped her with the ball and it popped open, sucking Chansey inside in a flash of red light. I attached her poké ball to his belt next to Gyarados' and pulled out my pokédex.

Chansey, the Egg Pokémon, and the evolved form of Happiny. Chansey is a kind Pokémon who shares its egg with those who are sick or injured.

Gender: Female, Height: 3'07.

This Chansey knows the moves: Gravity, Heal Pulse, and Protect.

I whistled at the move-set. "Those are some strong moves," I said closing the pokédex and sliding it back into his pocket.

The pink-haired nurse bit her lip, "I know she wants to go with you," she said, "but I'm not sure she's particularly inclined to battle."

"I won't force her to battle," I assured Nurse Joy quickly. "Chansey knowing Heal Pulse and being able to keep my other pokémon healthy while I'm traveling is way more important."

Not only that, with a Chansey that knew the move Gravity, I could super-charge my other pokémon's training Dragon Ball Z style!

"I can't thank you enough for this," I told Nurse Joy. I'd never seen anyone in the anime or manga use a move like Gravity for training, but if it worked I'd be able to bridge the gap between my pokémon and more experienced battlers.

Nurse Joy stepped out from behind the counter, her eyes brimming with gratitude and affection. Crossing the space between them, she gave me a tight hug. "I'm the one that needs to thank you, Sam," she whispers, her voice soft.

Her arms wrapped around me, pulling me close. I could feel the gentle pressure of her body against mine, her breasts pressing against my chest, the softness of her curves fitting against my frame.

"I didn't do much," I said, shrugging my shoulders as I returned the hug. "Just what any trainer would."

Nurse Joy's eyes searched my face, a mix of emotions flickering within them. Gratitude, relief, and something more. "You saved this place from Team Rocket," she says, her voice catching slightly. "I can't thank you enough!"

I blinked as the realization dawned on me that Nurse Joy hadn't just been talking about Chansey. Team Rocket had scared her too. She didn't see Jessie and James in the same way I did. To me, they were a comedic duo that was just a source of amusement and occasionally annoyance when I thought they were being overused in the anime.

To Nurse Joy, Jessie and James were members of Team Rocket, a dangerous terrorist organization that killed and stole Pokémon. When they attacked the Pokémon Center last night she had genuinely feared for her life.

Her voice quivered with unspoken emotions as she continued, "I don't know what would have happened if you weren't here."

"I'm sure everything would have turned out fine," I said, so confidently that Nurse Joy had to believe me.

After all, I did know that everything would have turned out fine. Even without me interfering, Ash and Pikachu would have taken care of Team Rocket. I just expedited the process.

Eventually, Nurse Joy released her hold on me, a reluctant smile playing on her lips. "When you get to Pewter City, make sure to visit the Pokémon Center there. My sister runs it, and she'll want to thank you for helping me."

"I will," I said, and I moved away as another trainer stepped up to the front desk.

Elekid followed after me as I walked across the lobby.

Today was a surprise, I thought as I looked down at the three pokéballs on his belt. I hadn't expected to get a third pokémon so soon.

Chansey wasn't even a pokémon I'd been considering catching. I never used one in any of the games, but the second I saw Gravity and Heal Pulse on the pokédex, my mind was full of possibilities.

The Pokémon Center front doors slid open and I stepped out with a smile.

Next stop, Viridian Forest!

SAM'S POKÉMON TEAM!

Elekid: Quick Attack, Focus Punch, Thunder Shock

Chansey: Gravity, Heal Pulse, and Protect.

Gyarados: ? ? ?