Nurse Isabelle and the Johto Pokédex: the Trials of a Field Nurse

#001 Chikorita

Chikorita, the Leaf Pokémon. Its most distinguishing feature is the large leaf on the top of its head, which is usually longer than the rest of its body. Aside from the soothing aroma that wafts from its leaf, Chikorita uses its leaf to determine the temperature and humidity of the surrounding air. Chikorita can be found in grasslands throughout the Johto region. However, due to its status as a starter Pokémon, a wild Chikorita is hard to come by and it is generally found under the ownership of Trainers. Chikorita tend to be docile in nature due to their domestication from birth. – Nurse Evergreen

After the events in Kanto preceding the day they had wished to depart, Nurse Isabelle had been forced to stay in the hospital for a few days to recover from her ordeal. A few tests had been performed to be certain she was alright. Aside from low blood sugar, minor cuts and bruises, the worst injury she had was mental. It's been hard to admit to needing care, but Dominic Whitewater had saved her from humiliation and stayed with her the whole time, even going as far as sleeping in her hospital room.

Dominic. Whenever she thought about him, her stomach fluttered and it seemed as if her very being was warmed. Glancing to her side, she watched as he sat leaning against the window of the bus with his eyes closed. The trip from Kanto to Johto was a reasonably long one – over thirteen hours – so many have fallen asleep.

Looking past Dominic's sleeping form, Isabelle looked out. Johto, despite being so close to Kanto, felt strangely foreign. It was much more rural than Kanto had ever been. Instead of several major cities, Johto only had one. The rest of its population lived in tiny towns spread all over the region. Reflecting on this fact, Izzy found it not surprising that she had turned out to be a city girl and Dom to be a countryside kid.

The bus would only take them to Cherrygrove City, where travellers could spend the night and catch another bus that would lead them deeper into the Johto region. Dominic and Isabelle, however, had some business in nearby New Bark Town, where Professor Elm lived. After that visit, they would continue to Cianwood city, where Dominic's family lived nearby.

They arrived early in the evening. Without the harsh shine of streetlights, the stars were visible. Considering it was already September, summer was slowly coming to an end, but it was still warm enough to stand outside and marvel at the millions of lights up in the sky. Together, they watched in silence before one of them yawned in exhaustion. They laughed and headed inside the Pokémon centre.

With a tender kiss to her forehead, a tendency he had picked up since she escaped from Mewtwo, Dominic went to arrange a room for them, while Izzy sat down on one of the couches, guarding their backpacks. Sitting with her legs crossed, she observed a young girl train her Chikorita. The Johto grass-type starter was adorable in Izzy's opinion, but that might be because she was biased towards grass-types. It's almost hard to remember that Ivysaur had been this tiny. So young and impressionable.

Maybe with some sadistic pleasure, Isabelle watched the girl struggle to get Chikorita to do as she wished. As her frustration grew, her voice became louder, which had the complete adverse effect. Eventually, the girl sat down on the ground, fisting her brown hair in annoyance. Isabelle stood up and slowly walked over.

"Excuse me. I don't mean to bother you, but would you like some help?" She asked kindly to the kid, who was nearly crying.

"What do you know about training Pokémon?" was the cross reply.

"Glad you asked," Izzy replied with a slightly smug smile. "Not only am I a certified Pokémon nurse, I also have worked with every single Pokémon to be found in the Kanto region. I currently have a Ponyta, a Chansey, and a Lapras with me, but I've trained for a long while with a Bulbasaur as my starter, Wartortle, Pidgeot, and Dewgong. If there is one thing I've learned from my time with Ivysaur, it's that shouting never works with grass-types. They tend to do what they wish. As unmoveable as trees, if that comparison makes sense?"

Sniffling, the girl nodded as she wiped her nose. Izzy seemed to have caught her attention. With a light groan, the blond nurse sat down on the ground next to the girl, and stretched her hand out towards Chikorita, who curiously sniffed it before stepping carefully closer.

"See? Grass types aren't hateful, but they are exceptionally stubborn. Push them too hard and they'll fight you every step of the way. But if you push them too little, they'll become lazy. They love to nap in the sun and will do so at every opportunity," Isabelle taught her with a fond smile, thinking back of her Ivysaur.

"So, what do you want me to do?" Inwardly, Izzy sighed. There was little assertive about the girl, no urge to get up and figure things out herself. Being told what to do was an easy way of dealing with things, but one learns the most from trial and error.

"I suggest you try to bond with your Chikorita. Discover common interests. Maybe you both love naps or flowers? Dominic, my boyfr-... my fiancé, has Pokémon that love to join him on his morning run. Quite a peculiar procession, I must say, but it bonds them closely together. You're doing this journey together. You and Chikorita. So, stick together and make the most of it, okay?"

The girl nodded, though she seemed a bit disappointed she did not get an entire manual on how to train a Chikorita. Too bad, girl, Izzy thought, as she stood up again.

Since Dominic had only just moved to the front of the queue and began ordering a room, Isabelle had some time to spare. Spotting the collect-call telephones in the corner, she had a brilliant idea. Finding a quiet corner of the centre, still in view of Dom, Izzy pulled her cell phone from her pocket and dialled a familiar number.

"Isa, is that really you?!" The voice exclaimed as soon as the call was accepted. Number recognition was so useful these days.

"Yeah, it's me, Eri. We just arrived in Cherrygrove City," Isabelle said with a fond smile to her childhood friend, Erika of Celadon Gym.

"That is a relief. How are you feeling?" The question was asked carefully, as if breaching a sensitive subject.

The nursed sighed. "Better every day. Sleeping still sucks, but I've been told to expect it. Dom's being really sweet."

"Good." The gym leader sounded genuinely pleased. "So, why did you call, aside from to check in?"

Isabelle laughed at how well her friend knew her, for she was not one for idle chitchat. "I'd like to ask you to send Ivysaur over to the Cherrygrove City Pokémon centre. This place smells beautifully and I feel like he'd love to see it. Besides, I miss my little pal." It physically hurt to say it, but Erika surely understood.

"No problem. I'm sure Rosie and the egg will be alright for a short while. He's been fiercely protective over them. I'll grab your Pokéball and hunt him down." Erika said it with such enthusiasm that it made her laugh.

"You're the best, Eri."

"Take care, Isa."

"Will do."