Hey readers - Yay! We've moving on to a new episode at long last : ) I don't really have much to say today, other than Happy Easter to you all : )

In other news, I am sorry to say that there has once again been a problem with the votes for the last topic. I won't bore you guys with the details right now, but I'm afraid that there isn't a definitive winner as of yet : (

Never mind that now though. Instead, I want to say a BIG thank you to everyone that has supported this story by reviewing, favouriting and following it. The support is great motivation to keep writing, so thank you and please keep it up : )

Finally, please remember that Pokemon is not mine, but my OC is.

I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and once again, Happy Easter everyone : )

Pokemon Emergency

Pokemon Emergency - Part 1

The sun was hanging very low as Nolan and Ash finally arrived on the outskirts of Viridian City, its touch casting a beautiful sunset of gold and crimson and even violet that illuminated the entire sky. It really was breath-taking, and as the first few street lights began to flicker into life, their twinkle only added to the almost magical effect of the rapidly darkening cityscape.

Regardless of how gorgeous the sight was however, Nolan couldn't help but feel a surge of relief when he finally clapped eyes on the sprawling metropolis that was Pallet Town's closest neighbour.

After they had all recovered from the shock of seeing that mysterious Pokemon up in the sky, the group had set about getting out of the Pallet Woods, which proved to be a trickier problem that Nolan had initially thought it would be. Ash was still so weak from the blast caused by Pikachu's attack on the Spearow flock that he couldn't even walk properly, which of course meant that Nolan had to assist him.

A task he had been doing ever since - almost three hours later.

The blonde trainer was struggling under Ash's weight, practically dragging the poor boy along as he all-but carried him. Nolan was careful not to complain about the endeavour though. He knew that if the situation was reversed, Ash would do the same for him without giving it a second thought. That's just how it was with best friends. Still, it wasn't an easy trip, but they were almost there now. The blonde boy just prayed that they would make it in time.

Pikachu's life might very well depend on it.

And speaking of Pikachu, the electric type Pokemon was in an even worse condition than his trainer was. Shortly after that gigantic strange Pokemon had disappeared over the rainbow, the little yellow Pokemon had passed out, and he had yet to regain consciousness. Ash had tried to argue that he would carry his partner himself, but when he almost fell over, Nolan had put a stop to his attempts. Now Meadow was carrying the prone form of Ash's partner Pokemon, suspending him over her head by the use of her Vine Whips, as she walked alongside her own human partner.

It would be a great relief when the dishevelled group of travellers could finally rest for the night.

"Viridian City" Nolan said, a ghost of a smile finally coming to his face after what felt like days of struggling uphill, "We're almost there Ash, don't worry".

Ash groaned, blinking his eyes wearily as he tried to take in the sight before him. His lips quirked upwards, though it was incredibly strained.

"That's good" he panted out, gasping for air, "That means we can get Pikachu help soon, right Nolan?"

The blonde boy's eyes sadly strayed over to where Meadow still had the little electric type tenderly suspended in her vines. There was no denying that the yellow Pokemon was in really bad shape, but Nolan didn't want to make Ash any more worried than he already was. His friend needed to worry about himself right now. Forcing a reassuring smile on to his face, the blonde haired boy nodded his head.

"Sure thing buddy" he said, readjusting Ash's arm around his own shoulder to give him a better grip on his best friend's body, "We'll have the pair of you fixed up in no time!"

Nolan really hoped that he at least sounded more confident than he felt about that.

Pikachu's breathing was extremely swallow, and he had still yet to regain consciousness. It was obvious that he needed urgent medical attention if he was going to survive, and Nolan was determined to see him get it. If Pikachu didn't make it... No. He wouldn't let that happen. Ash wasn't going to have that on his conscience. Not if Nolan had anything to say about it.

With a fresh wave of renewed determination, Nolan was about to set off again in order to complete the final stretch, when a weak moan from the boy he was supporting halted him in his tracks.

"Wait!" Ash managed to groan out, "I... I think I can manage now".

Nolan couldn't help but doubt those words. His best friend, to put it lightly, looked awful. The blonde boy looked at Ash in concern.

"Ash, you were caught up in a blast that could have killed you" Nolan gently reminded his best friend, worry dripping from every word, "I'm not so sure you should be trying to walk around on your own just yet".

Lifting his heavy head to look his friend in the eye, Ash saw the immense level of concern reflected there. And whilst he appreciated it, the raven haired boy was unwilling to back down. Stubborn was Ash Ketchum's middle name after all.

"I'm fine..." he forced out through clenched teeth, "I really appreciate you helping me... But it's... It's slowing us down to much... You supporting me like this... We need to get there quicker... Pikachu needs us to..."

Nolan cast his gaze back to the creature in question and frowned. The electric type Pokemon was barely even moving at this point, and his glossy coat was drenched with sweat. His breathing was gradually getting weaker too. Ash certainly wasn't wrong about him needing treatment sooner rather than later, and deep down, Nolan knew that this was ultimately Ash's decision. He was Pikachu's trainer, not Nolan. Sighing in defeat, the blonde boy slowly nodded his head in begrudging acceptance.

"If you're sure" Nolan said, still sounding uncertain.

"Thanks" Ash flashed him a grateful smile, relieved that his friend wasn't going to argue with him on this one.

Unwrapping his arm from around the blonde boy's shoulders, Ash took an unbalanced step away from him. Nolan quickly raised his arms, just in case he had to catch the raven haired boy if he toppled over, but fortunately it was unnecessary. Ash managed to find his centre of balance, and soon enough was confident on his feet again. A small but genuine smile graced the dark haired boy's face.

"Great!" he even managed to cheer, "Now we can get Pikachu to the Pokemon Centre even faster!"

Though the notion of that was of great relief to Nolan, he still felt it important that Ash take it easy, since he wasn't a hundred percent himself right now.

"Just don't try to push yourself too hard Ash" Nolan gently reminded the other boy, "You won't do Pikachu any good if you crash and burn yourself out".

Ash nodded seriously. What Nolan said made sense.

"I'll be careful" the raven haired boy promised.

"Good" Nolan smiled in relief, before turning back to the task at hand, "Now, if you're sure you can walk, let's get moving. The sooner we can get you guys healed up, the better".

Ash nodded and moved over to where Meadow was dutifully waiting for them. He took Pikachu from her, gently cradling his weakened Pokemon in his arms, before smiling down at his best friend's partner.

"Thanks a lot for carrying Pikachu all this way, Meadow" he praised the little green Pokemon, who smiled modestly, "I really appreciate it, and I'm sure Pikachu does as well".

"Saur!" Meadow preened at the praise, before she hunched over in an exhausted fashion.

Seeing this, Nolan smiled before kneeling down and gathering the tired creature up into his arms.

"How about I carry you the rest of the way?" Nolan asked her kindly, "You must be as exhausted as the rest of us".

"Bulb" Meadow nodded gratefully, before snuggling down into his embrace and slowly closing her eyes.

"Poor thing looks wipe out" Ash remarked with a chuckle.

"Yeah" Nolan said softly, "She needs checking over at the Pokemon Centre as well. Come on, let's get going".

Ash nodded his agreement, and the two friends set off again, thankfully making much faster progress this time now that Nolan wasn't having to drag Ash along with him.

Soon enough, the two travellers were crossing the border into Viridian City. They had barely taken a few steps into the city's perimeters however, when a loud booming voice echoed from all around them.

Nolan almost jumped out of his skin, but quickly realised that nobody was addressing them specifically, and that the voice was instead being broadcast over a citywide speaker system. Since Pallet Town had a speaker system for the mayor and the police force to make important announcements, the blonde boy wasn't surprised to find that Viridian City also had a similar kind of system. He quickly tuned his attention into what the broadcast was saying.

"Attention citizens of Viridian City, attention citizens of Viridian City" a professional sounding female voice rang out of the speakers positioned on a nearby street corner, "We have reports of possible Pokemon thieves in our area. Be on the lookout for suspicious-looking strangers".

Nolan's eyes widened until they were almost the size of saucers.

"Pokemon thieves?!" he exclaimed in horror, anxiously looking around as if expecting such a person to randomly jump out at them, "That's really not good!"

Ash nodded seriously in solemn agreement.

"Especially since Pikachu and Meadow are too weak to protect us or even themselves at the moment" Ash fretted nervously, subconsciously tightening his grip on Pikachu, "What should we do Nolan?"

"Let's hurry up and find the Pokemon Centre" the blonde boy quickly decided, "We should be safe there".

Ash nodded in agreement, and the two boys set off running again. Nolan's legs were starting to hurt, his muscles screaming in protest, but he refused to stop or even slow down. They could rest once they had got Meadow and Pikachu to safely, and not one second before.

So focused on their goal, neither of the young trainers noticed as they crossed in front of the local police station, so they were completely caught off-guard when the glass door suddenly burst open, right as they were passing by it.

"HOLD IT!"

Before Nolan even knew what was happening, a hand shot out of nowhere and grabbed him by the hood of his hoodie. The result was enough to stop him dead in his tracks, eliciting a startled yelp from the young trainer.

When he heard a similar noise of surprise from his best friend, Nolan realised that Ash had also been stopped, though it was by the collar that he was being held back. Slightly panicked, Nolan stopped struggling against their hold, and quickly turned his attention to the person restraining them both.

What he saw made him gulp nervously.

The unwanted obstacle in their path turned out to be a young woman; her cyan coloured hair styled into outlandish jagged points, a severely stern expression on her beautiful face. But that wasn't what was so striking about the woman, no - it was her police uniform that had Nolan slightly worried. From watching the news on television, Nolan immediately recognised the woman as an Officer Jenny, one of a family of dozens of police officers around the world, who all looked and sounded so eerily similar that it was completely impossible to tell them apart.

The blonde boy was barely able to suppress a groan as this realisation set in. He wasn't exactly sure what he and Ash had done wrong that would warrant the police woman's attention, but after the day they'd had so far, he was honestly dreading the answer.

Just what kind of trouble had they found themselves in now?

"And just where do you two think you're going with those Pokemon?" she demanded to know.

It was then that Nolan realised that it was clearly this Officer Jenny who had been talking on the broadcast system before, warning the local citizens to be wary of Pokemon thieves. The pieces quickly fell into place after that.

She thought they were trying to steal Meadow and Pikachu.

Ash seemed to have connected the dots as well, for the raven haired boy quickly shrugged out of Officer Jenny's grip, and turned to glare up at the police woman.

"They're our Pokemon, and mine's really hurt!" Ash snapped at Officer Jenny, who looked genuinely taken aback, "So I've gotta get him to the Pokemon Centre right away!"

"It's true Officer" Nolan said in a manner that was a little more respectful, earnestly backing his friend up, "We were attacked by a flock of Spearow on our way here from Pallet Town, and Pikachu got roughed up pretty badly".

Hearing the clear anguish in both the boys' tones, Officer Jenny's stern expression melted into one of concern as she peered anxiously at the unconscious Pikachu in Ash's arms, before shifting her gaze to the sleeping Bulbasaur in Nolan's.

"Oh, I'm sorry" she apologised sincerely, "I thought you might be stealing those Pokemon. Just show me your IDs and you can both go".

Ash looked slightly nonplussed by her request, but Nolan understood perfectly how to handle this. He stepped in before Ash could accidentally get himself into trouble again. They didn't have time for anything else to go wrong after all. Not if they were going to get Pikachu to the Pokemon Centre in time.

"Which would you prefer?" Nolan asked the police woman politely, "We both have our trainer licences or a pokedex we can show you".

Officer Jenny again was somewhat surprised. She had never before met such a young trainer that right off the bat knew how to properly produce ID without any kind of guidance. A smile graced her face as she looked down at him.

"If you can both show me your pokedex, that'll do nicely" she informed the two boys.

Nodding his head, Nolan proceeded to carefully rearrange Meadow in his grip so that he was carrying her with one arm, before using his free hand to fish his pokedex out of his pocket. He then offered it to Officer Jenny, who took it gratefully.

"Thank you young man... Now let's see here..." Officer Jenny muttered as she flipped open the device and pressed a few buttons.

"I'm Dexi, a pokedex programmed by Professor Oak for Pokemon Trainer Nolan Locke of Pallet Town" Dexi reported in her usual cool tone, "My function is to provide Nolan with information and advice regarding Pokemon and their training. If lost or stolen, I cannot be replaced".

"Looks like you were being truthful" Officer Jenny smiled as she handed Nolan's pokedex back to him, before she turned to Ash with an expectant look on her face.

Realising what she wanted, Ash mimicked his best friend by shifting Pikachu's limp body into the crook of his arm, whilst using his free hand to turn over his pokedex.

"I didn't know that my pokedex could also be used as ID" Ash remarked casually, causing the police woman to smile to herself.

Officer Jenny repeated the procedure she had done with Nolan's pokedex, and as expected, Dexter relayed the same information that Dexi had, though of course he identified Ash as its owner instead of Nolan. Officer Jenny returned the device to Ash, before smiling down at both boys.

"Looks like your story checks out" she informed them in a pleased tone. Arresting two young children wasn't an idea she relished, but that wouldn't have stopped her if they had broken the law. She was glad things hadn't come to that.

"That's great" Ash heaved a great sigh of relief, before asking with an air of hope, "Does that mean we can take our Pokemon to the Pokemon Centre now?"

Officer Jenny offered him a warm smile.

"Of course" she nodded, understanding how concerned they must be about their Pokemon right now, "And to apologise for delaying you boys, I'll get you both there in no time at all".

Gesturing with her hand for them to follow her, Officer Jenny set off walking around the side of the police station. Ash and Nolan exchanged a bemused glance, before they both shrugged and followed after her.

As they went, Nolan couldn't help but notice a poster pinned on the wall. It contained two photographs, though they had been very badly taken. He could just about make out the blurry forms of a blue haired man and a red haired woman, but any details were indistinguishable. He quickly realised that it was a 'Wanted' poster though, and shuddered as his blood suddenly felt cold in his veins. Just the thought of Pokemon thieves made him queasy.

The sooner they could get their Pokemon healed up and could be on their way, the better.

Forcing those grim thoughts aside, Nolan returned his attention to the matter at hand just in time to see Officer Jenny pull a tarpaulin off a large motorcycle and it's sidecar. The blonde boy's eyes immediately lit up in excitement.

"Cool!" he cried as Officer Jenny mounted it and settled herself into position at the controls.

"I'm glad you think so" she smiled at his enthusiasm, "Just don't try driving one until you're of legal age and taken lessons. Now boys, get into the sidecar and buckle up. This is gonna be a bumpy ride".

Ash went first, quickly clambering into the sidecar and strapping himself in. He then carefully took Meadow from Nolan for a moment as the blonde boy climbed in next to him. Once his seat belt was secure, he gratefully took his partner back from Ash and held her tightly in his arms.

"Is everybody ready?" Officer Jenny wanted to be sure.

"Ready!" both the boys confirmed in unison.

"Perfect" the police woman nodded, "Well then; sit back, hold on and don't yell!"

And without so much as a word of warning, Officer Jenny then stomped the heel of her shoe against the accelerator pedal, and they went tearing off down the street. Ash was so caught off-guard by the abrupt movement that he couldn't help but scream in panic. Nolan on the other hand just laughed and whooped with glee. They certainly were cooking with gas now, whizzing through Viridian City at a breakneck pace.

Next stop... The Pokemon Centre.

Meanwhile, high in the sky over the very building that Ash and Nolan had just been in front of moments before, a hot-air balloon fashioned in the likeness of a Meowth was floating above the city.

Suddenly, a fishing wire with a hook attached descended from the balloon, and with a great level of skilled control, snagged on to a loose corner of the same poster that Nolan had taken notice of before. With one firm tug, the poster came free, and the occupants of the balloon quickly reeled it in.

"A wanted poster" the very same woman from the aforementioned poster sneered in cold amusement, "How... Flattering".

"Flattering?!" her male companion, who was also featured in the poster they were discussing, repeated incredulously, "This picture makes me look terrible".

"Then you should be happy the photographer captured the real you" the woman, whose name was Jessie, remarked in amusement.

"Exactly" the man, who was called James, smirked back at her.

"We'll show these bumpkins!" Jessie laughed cruelly.

"The people of Viridian City will be sorry they ever saw this face!" James' smirk darkened nastily in agreement.

The final occupant of the balloon, a Meowth just like the one that their means of transportation had been designed to look like, stepped forwards and grinned maliciously.

"We're all sorry to see your face" the Pokemon mocked him sarcastically, actually speaking in the human language and in perfect English too, "Stay focused! We're here to capture rare and unusual Pokemon don't forget! Meowth!"

Jessie and James both smirked fondly as they looked down at him in amusement.

To anybody else on the planet, the sight of a Meowth that could actually talk in a human language would have rendered them utterly speechless. Such a thing was so rarely heard of that most people would dismiss it as a hoax, some kind of trick.

Not Jessie and James though.

No, they had been around Meowth for so long now, had heard more of his mindless chatter than most could possibly imagine, that the shock factor had long since worn off at this point. They both regarded the normal type Pokemon in amusement.

"Absolutely!" Jessie agreed.

"But of course!" James nodded seriously.

Meowth's vicious grin widened almost ten-fold as he jumped up on to the side of the balloon's basket, sneering down at the unsuspecting city beneath them.

"And just remember... I'm da top cat!" he declared happily.

He was so caught up in his boasting, that Meowth didn't notice Jessie and James playfully raise their fists behind his turned back.

"You got it!" James struggled to hold back his laughter.

THUD!

"Meowth!"

If the hour hadn't been so late, everyone in Viridian City would probably have heard that scream of pain.

Nolan was still cheering as Officer Jenny put her motorcycle through its paces, whilst Ash was gripping the edge of the sidecar in a death grip. Whilst he really appreciated how quickly the police woman had got them across the city for Pikachu's sake, he couldn't help but feel that her calling it a 'bumpy ride' was something of an understatement. Ash honestly feared that he was going to throw up if they didn't slow down soon.

Fortunately, the raven haired boy was spared from that particular brand of embarrassment.

"There it is!" Officer Jenny suddenly exclaimed.

Looking ahead of them, Ash and Nolan saw an absolutely massive building with a glass domed roof, and a huge stylised pokeball above the door. It was clearly there as an indication to passing trainers that this building was the Pokemon Centre. Ash and Nolan both smiled in relief. They were almost there now.

"That's the Pokemon Centre?" the raven haired boy couldn't help but muse aloud to himself, "It's gigantic!"

Nolan just nodded silently in agreement, too impressed to say anything just yet. This would be his first time ever visiting a Pokemon Centre before, so it was kind of exciting. The blonde boy couldn't wait to see the inside of the place. Fortunately for Nolan, it wouldn't be long now.

As Officer Jenny drew the motorcycle in closer, they realised that the entire building was actually on a sort of raised platform, with short flights of steps leading up to the main entrance. The police woman furrowed her brow as they neared the Pokemon Centre.

"This is tricky" Officer Jenny muttered to herself, before turning to the two youngsters that she was escorting, "Just hold on boys!"

And without any further warning whatsoever, the police woman then did a skilful manoeuvre that reared the motorcycle up on its back wheel, then launched them through the air, up the steps, before landing safely at the top. Ash was a little green in the face by this point, but Nolan was grinning from ear to ear, having thoroughly enjoyed that.

Officer Jenny didn't pause for even a second, and steered the motorcycle towards the front doors of the Pokemon Centre. Thankfully the glass doors were automatic, so they opened before the group could crash into them. The motorcycle then proceeded to tear through the building, before all-too-soon Officer Jenny brought the vehicle skidding to a stop at a desk in the reception area.

Nolan, although relieved that they were finally there and could get Meadow and Pikachu the treatment they needed, couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that the ride was over so soon. It had been fun. Still, all good things had to come to an end at some point he supposed. Only once Officer Jenny had turned the engine off did the blonde boy disembark from the sidecar, just as a new voice rang out angrily.

"We have a driveway, you know!"

Looking up, Nolan saw another face he knew, though this one was less familiar to him than Officer Jenny's was, since he had only read about her in magazines and not seen her on television like he had with the police officer.

The owner of the thoroughly irritated voice was a woman wearing a nurse's uniform, with bright pink hair that was tied into two large loops, one on either side of her head. She was a Nurse Joy, a woman also born into a family of remarkable identicalness, and the expression on this Nurse Joy's face was one of severe disapproval.

"It's a Pokemon emergency!" Officer Jenny bluntly retorted, unfazed by the other woman's irritation.

"Please, help my partner!" Ash pleaded as he scrambled out of the sidecar, and hurried around the motorcycle to get to the front desk.

Any trace of anger left Nurse Joy's face immediately as she studied the unconscious electric type Pokemon, replaced by utter concern.

"A Pikachu" the nurse rubbed her chin thoughtfully, before turning to reassure Ash without promising him anything specific at this point, knowing it wouldn't be fair to offer him false hope, "We'll do what we can".

Nurse Joy then turned to the computer on her desk, and began typing furiously, her fingers but a blur of motion across the keyboard. When she was finished typing, she pulled a small microphone that was plugged into the computer to her lips.

"I need a stretcher for a small electric Pokemon, now!" she exclaimed urgently.

Nolan's stomach dropped slightly at her tone. He couldn't help but notice how worried she sounded, and how that might mean Pikachu was even worse off than they'd initially thought. Turning to Ash, he saw that the other boy's face was ashen, so he gave him what he hoped was a reassuring smile. His best friend was just barely able to return it, appreciating Nolan's efforts.

Suddenly a pair of doors leading further into the Pokemon Centre burst open, and out came a pair of pink Pokemon that Nolan didn't recognise, wheeling a stretcher between them. Nolan raised a surprised eyebrow. He had no idea that Pokemon Centres used Pokemon as assistant nurses, but found the concept pretty cool. To be able to train Pokemon to give medical help to other Pokemon had to take a serious level of skill.

Once the two egg-shaped Pokemon had brought the stretcher over to where the group had gathered, Nurse Joy gently took Pikachu's frail body from Ash's arms, and carefully set the little yellow creature down on the stretcher. All the humans looked down at him in pity and worry for a moment, before the nurse quickly got down to business.

"We'll do our best to help him" Nurse Joy said kindly to Ash, still not promising him anything though, before turning to the mysterious pink Pokémon waiting patiently at her side, "Rush this Pokemon to the critical care unit".

The two Pokemon nodded, and began to wheel the stretcher with Pikachu on it away. Nolan, unable to resist giving in to his growing curiosity, quickly shifted the still sleeping Meadow into the crook of his arm, and used his free hand to pull his pokedex out of his back pocket. He pointed the device at the mysterious pink Pokémon before they disappeared from sight.

"Chansey - the Egg Pokemon" Dexi informed the rookie trainer, whose eyes widened in shock at the information, having heard rumours about these creatures, "A rare and elusive Pokemon that is said to bring happiness to those lucky enough to capture one".

"A Pokemon that can bring you happiness?" Nolan repeated as he flipped his pokedex shut and pocketed it, before grinning at Ash, "It sounds like Pikachu couldn't be in better hands Ash. Or, well, paws, but you know what I mean".

Ash managed to give him a very strained smile as he silently nodded. He was still incredibly worried about his partner Pokemon of course, but he did feel a little better knowing that Pikachu was now being looked after by the professionals.

"We'll begin the treatment right away" Nurse Joy assured them, "But first thing's first, who are you?"

Seeing that Ash was struggling at the moment, now doubt riddled with panic for his Pokemon, Officer Jenny kindly stepped forwards to explain.

"His name is Ash" the police woman informed Nurse Joy, who nodded in understanding, "He's the Pokemon's trainer".

Finding his voice at long last, Ash nodded and stepped forwards.

"If there's anything I can do to help Pikachu, please tell me!" he all-but pleaded, almost in tears.

Nolan couldn't help but feel another wave of sympathy for his best friend. If it was Meadow in the hospital receiving urgent treatment, well... He was pretty sure that he'd be a crying mess on the floor right about now. Before he had the chance to offer his best friend any comfort though, Nurse Joy spoke up, and her tone was far from soothing.

"If you really want to help your Pikachu, you can start by being more responsible!" Nurse Joy snapped at the raven haired boy, whose face fell even more if that was at all possible, "If you want to become a good Pokemon Trainer, young man, you don't let your Pokemon battle until it's in this condition!"

To say that Ash looked absolutely crushed was a complete and utter understatement.

Nolan felt a surge of anger course through him at the nurse's hurtful words, regardless of the truth in them. Okay, he knew that he had given Ash a pretty hard time himself today, and that to call her out might make him a hypocrite, but the flock attack wasn't Ash's fault. He had no way knowing that the Spearow he had been trying to catch would pull such a dirty trick. It wasn't fair that this woman make such a horrible assumption about his best friend without having all the facts first!

"Hey! That isn't fair!" Nolan was unable to stop himself from leaping to his best friend's defence, "For your information, we were attacked and chased by a whole flock of wild Pokemon! There was nothing Ash or anybody else could have done to stop Pikachu getting hurt. Believe me, we all tried!"

Nurse Joy appeared remorseful when she noticed how sincere the blonde boy's defence of his friend was.

Ash on the other hand was genuinely touched at how Nolan had defended him like that. He knew deep down that he had caused a lot of trouble today, and that his best friend had a right to still be annoyed at him. So to see Nolan put all of that aside and still be on his side like that meant a lot.

The two boys were loyal to each other if nothing else.

"Oh... I didn't know that. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions" Nurse Joy apologised regretfully, and Ash nodded in forgiveness, "But what's past is past, right now we have to heal your Pikachu".

"What can I do?" Ash was desperate to know.

"Just leave everything to me" Nurse Joy winked down at the dejected boy, who managed to give her the ghost of a smile.

Feeling that the task was well in hand and that her part in this was done, Officer Jenny smiled before standing to attention and saluting the nurse before her.

"It's in your hands" the police woman said brightly, "I know you'll give the Pokemon excellent care".

"You got him here just in time!" Nurse Joy smiled back at her kindly.

"That's my job" Officer Jenny winked as she dropped her salute, before the cyan haired woman gasped as she remembered something, "Oh my goodness! I just remembered that I left my motorcycle parked at the front desk!"

Her expression immediately became rather sheepish, but instead of being annoyed again, this time Nurse Joy just laughed.

"Next time use the driveway!" the pink haired woman playfully teased.

Rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly, Officer Jenny laughed before she made to return to her duties, satisfied that this situation was handled. Before she could leave however, Ash called out to her.

"Officer Jenny" he said and the police woman paused and turned back to face him, "I just wanted to say thank you for the ride. You really helped my Pikachu by getting us here so quickly. Thank you".

"Ash is right" Nolan added in agreement, bowing his head respectfully, "We both really appreciate it. Thanks".

Officer Jenny smiled at the children before her. She could tell that they were both really great kids, and that one day they would make amazing Pokemon trainers.

"It was my pleasure" she told them kindly, "You kids take care of yourselves, and I hope your Pikachu gets better soon Ash. Bye boys".

This time she really did leave, and Ash and Nolan both turned their attention back to Nurse Joy. It was only when Meadow shifted in her sleep in Nolan's arms did the nurse finally notice the exhausted grass type Pokemon he was carrying. A concerned expression immediately flashed across her face.

"Oh my, I didn't even notice this little cutie before!" she exclaimed, peering closely at Meadow, "Was your Bulbasaur attacked too? Does it need medical attention?"

Nolan cuddled Meadow's warm body against his chest, smiling down at the sleeping grass type in his arms fondly.

"Meadow wasn't attacked too badly by the flock, but I was hoping you'd give her a check up since I only just got her this morning and she's pretty exhausted" Nolan said with an air of hope, "I also have a Pidgey. He wasn't caught up in the attack at all, but since I just caught him, I want to have him looked over to make sure the battle with Meadow didn't hurt him".

Nurse Joy nodded as she took all that information in, before smiling down at the blonde boy.

"You can count on me" the nurse assured him, "I'll make sure to check them over just as soon as I've done all I can for your friend's Pikachu".

Nolan couldn't help but heave a great sigh of relief.

"Thanks a lot Nurse Joy" he said, bowing his head gratefully, "I'd really appreciate that".

Nodding, Nurse Joy then reached over and gently extracted the sleeping Meadow from Nolan's arms, being especially careful not to wake her. Nolan then handed over the pokeball containing his Pidgey, which, Nolan realised, he had yet to come up with a name for.

Accepting the two Pokemon, Nurse Joy made to leave, but then remembered something, and turned back to address the two new trainers.

"Ash, and... Oh! I'm so sorry, but I didn't catch your name" she looked at Nolan in an inquisitive manner.

"Nolan" the blonde boy introduced himself promptly, "Nolan Locke".

"Nolan" Nurse Joy nodded as she repeated the name, "Well Nolan, you and Ash will have to go to the waiting room".

She then turned and walked away, carrying Meadow and the pokeball with Nolan's Pidgey inside it through the doors that the two Chansey had taken Pikachu through earlier.

"But can't I be with Pikachu?!" Ash cried desperately, but unfortunately the doors slid shut before Nurse Joy could hear his plea, and thus she did not return.

Ash's shoulders slumped miserably.

Seeing this, Nolan frowned sadly, wishing there was something he could do to help. He hated everything about this situation, but at least Pikachu was getting the help he needed. And Nolan knew that the only thing he could do right now was to simply be there for his friend.

Reaching out, he gave Ash's shoulder a reassuring squeeze, causing the raven haired boy to look back at him, his russet eyes wide with unshed tears.

"He's in the best possible place for him right now" Nolan whispered in a gentle voice.

Ash swallowed hard but nodded, genuinely appreciating that Nolan wasn't trying to fill him with false hope and was just being honest. It helped more than false platitudes ever could. Silently, he allowed his friend to gently steer him away from the doors Nurse Joy had gone through, and off in the direction of the waiting room.

Only one thing was for sure right now.

The next few hours were going to be torture.

And there's another one done : )

Yay! We finally get to see Team Rocket : ) Not gonna lie, I find Meowth so much cuter than Pikachu - at least in season one of the anime. He got less cute as the seasons went on admittedly, but I just loved that little cat in the Indigo League season : )

And speaking of Meowth, let's move on to the next topic - last chapter's vote : )

For those of you that recall, last time I asked you all to vote between which new Pokemon would be added to my Nuzlocke and thus the Pokemon Nolan captures in this story. The choices were Meowth, Voltorb, and Rattata. Well... it ended in a tie - AGAIN!

I can't believe that this has happened three times now, and we're less than ten chapters into the story XD

The tie was between Meowth and Voltorb, so I was just going to toss a coin to decide, but I really don't want to do that every time this issue comes up. I feel like that goes against the spirit of why I decided to write the story like this. I wanted the readers to pick the Pokemon, which is why I've decided to put it up for vote again, albeit without Rattata since he got no votes at all ; )

Please, please help break the tie by picking between Meowth and Voltorb in a review. You can see their information in the last chapter. Once I know which of these two it'll be, I will then have my first full team of six in the Nuzlocke and the story decided : )

Anyway, thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Until the next time, keep on reading : )