Moonlight, midnight Chapter 3!
Phantomness: *waves*
Lance: She doesn’t own pokemon!
Ash: And she uses these ** for thoughts!
Pika-chan: And this if pokemon speak!
Shoyko: And I believe <> is telepathy
Kairo: Enjoy the chapter!
Lance.
A lance was a weapon, used for longer-distance fighting. It was the perfect name to hide her second nature, and it fit perfectly.
She was a weapon after all, partially of her own making, partially not.
Checking her watch, there were five minutes of break left… she purchased a subway sandwich and coke and headed back to the Center.
She returned and found from the security cameras that Ash had gone straight to bed. Interesting. Well, at least he hadn’t caused any disturbances…
Smiling, she went upstairs to her room and promptly fell asleep. However, around 2 A.M., another disturbance occurred.
Catelyn was not pleased when she found Team Rocket trying to steal the Center’s pokemon. She was too tired to care what happened. She whipped out her Houndoom and sent them blasting off without another word.
The next morning, she received an email form the League HQ commending her for bravery. Idiots.
Ash was pondering whether or not to leave Cobalt. For some reason, he felt… it was an odd feeling, but he would say that it classified as ‘safe’.
Hmm…. Maybe….
“Um… Nurse Joy, I mean Catelyn?”
Catelyn looked up from her computer as she finished filling out the damage report. They needed to repair the roof, since that was how Team Rocket had made their exit. “Yes, Ash?”
“Er… I was wondering… I mean, why are you here? You’re not a typical Nurse Joy… oh I’m sorry! Did I offend you?”
Catelyn laughed. “Nothing of that sort. I wished to become a Pokemon Nurse because I saw how wild pokemon were often unable to survive after battle, and it was needless death.”
“Oh!”
Ash felt bad now… he had hurt his own share of wild pokemon… and he had never thought what might have transpired after…
He had to do something!
“Um… so how can I become one?”
Catelyn frowned. “How old are you, Ash?”
“I’m almost twelve.”
“At age twelve you can start an internship program at a league-approved Pokemon Center or Healing Center. If after three years of internship, your evaluators determine that you are adequately skilled, you will receive your qualifications as a basic nurse. To become a Pokemon Specialist, a surgeon/psychologist/breeder nurse like me, you would need at least two more years of classes in your specialized field at Cinnabar Pokemon Tech, Saffron Pokemon Academy, Goldenrod Pokemon Venture, or the Celadon Nursing School.”
“I see…” Ash breathed out. It did sound awfully appealing… “So when can I start?”
“You have an interest in the healing arts?”
Ash nodded. “I want to be able to take care of my pokemon… and I guess other people’s pokemon too. I like pokemon…”
“Let me see then. May I see your pokedex?”
Ash nodded and handed it over.
Catelyn nodded as she interlinked to the Indigo League database. “So you have a Pokemon Trainer Level of 66 out of a possible 250. Not too high, but not shabby either, and you’ve only been journeying for about seven months.”
Ash blushed.
“Your birthday is in… three weeks? You may return the application form then. Here.” She inserted a small diskette into his pokedex. “That contains all the necessary information. Please read it thoroughly and fill out the application properly.” “Thanks, Nurse Joy!”
Catelyn sighed. That was all she was ever seen as. A Nurse Joy… but perhaps it would be useful…
Besides, it hid her shadow.
“Oh, and Ash? The reason that there are so few nurses is that most trainers never bother to think about applying for this field, so there’s a fairly good chance you’ll get in. I’m not supposed to say anything about that though!”
Ash grinned. “Thanks!”
He left the Center, thoughtfully.
So you’re going to become a healer now? Pidgeotto queried.
Maybe…he’s still thinking. Pikachu said Ash pondered.
I think it would be nice. Bulbasaur yawned. Healers are respected by all pokemon.
“They are?”
Of course. They save lives daily… think, Ash. If pokemon were not immediately healed after a battle, how many… Squirtle trailed off as Ash paled.
“Point taken.”
Then he would try! He would be able to help pokemon this way!
Ash merrily skipped off, after buying himself a cream soda. Then, he released Pidgeotto and flew back to Pallet.
His mom was understandably surprised when he returned, but accepted that he wanted to take a break from training and he was not giving up on his dream.
Hmm… maybe he’d be a Master Nurse?
He smiled at that thought, then connected his pokédex to his laptop and brought up all the data on screen. Oh mew, it was a seventy-page handbook to learn…. Well, at least he had three weeks at least….
Ash grimly began reading through the Nurse’s creed and his duty obligations… he barely left his room for the next two weeks, his mind still desperately trying to assimilate everything.
And he hadn’t even started training yet!
Some of the dos and don’ts were quite simple, everyday things a trainer should know. Others dealt with how to properly incubate and isolate and clean wounds.
Still, it was interesting, and a taste of what was to come.
He didn’t even bat an eyebrow when Oak called him and complained that Gary was heading for the League with eight badges. So what?
There were more important things in life than winning. He sensed that it was about to come true before his eyes…
And on the day of his birthday, his mom presented him with his cake and a pink-and-white poke ball.
His very own Chansey…
He cried as he hugged her. He wouldn’t forget… and he *would* become a nurse, come hell or high water!
A month after the initial meeting, Ash showed back up in Cobalt with his application, neatly filled out in black ballpoint pen, all six pages crisp and clean. Catelyn accepted it with a smile, faxed it off to the Indigo League, and gave him the diagnostic test. He passed with flying colors.
And so, the training began…
End Chapter
Completed 4/25/05
Phantomness: Whee!
Ash: At least I’m doing something!
Pika-chan: Yep!