⋅𖥔⋅ Arc I | A City to Behold ⋅𖥔⋅
If you asked Cielle what came to mind when she thought of Unova, there were three things: Pokéstar Studios, the current Champion, and Castelia City. Why Castelia and not Nimbasa, Virbank, or Opelucid? That's because Castelia City was the worst city to live in.
As the biggest city in Unova, Castelia boasted skyscrapers that could touch the twinkling stars in the sky. They towered over everyone and everything, making them look like insignificant Joltek compared to their size. People hustled from one end of the city to the other for work, play, or good old-fashioned battling. Many enjoyed this fast-paced lifestyle where everything was 'go, go, go!'
Tourists or those who would come to challenge the Pokémon Gym would stare in awe at such a marvelous city. Why wouldn't you? There were so many things you could do here. But did everyone share the same feeling? No, not at all.
Cielle was one of the few people who loathed this city with every fiber of her being. Many would throw away their life savings to secure a spot here, but it didn't make much sense to her.
Sure, Cielle might be a bit dramatic by stating that the grandest city in this region was terrible, but when you've lived here your entire life, pessimism won over optimism. If you asked her to list every reason, it would probably take her two hours to list them all. Do you want to know the very first reason on that list? You could never get anywhere on time because of the absurd amount of people here.
If you weren't the one stuck in the neverending traffic at every intersection in a car, you were too busy trying to weave through the dozens of people traversing the sidewalk. The nineteen-year-old's hatred for the city didn't calm in the slightest. In fact, it was steadily growing as she was currently running late to work.
"I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!" As she sprinted down the crowded sidewalk, the mantra spilled from the brown-haired teenager's lips.
The soles of her worn black and white shoes slammed against the concrete, stirring up bits of dust. She clutched her arms to her chest, trying to appear as small as possible as she slithered through the crowd. She passed by irate and tired businessmen and women, excited trainers, grumpy civilians, and whoever else decided to venture on this Arceus-forsaken sidewalk. Due to how fast she was running, Cielle's scarlet backpack bounced back and forth, sometimes smacking her spine.
Honestly, it wasn't Cielle's intention to rush to work. It threw her whole schedule off, and given that she had to get ready on borrowed time, Cielle did not have the time to wrangle her hair into a neat ponytail. Instead, pieces of brown hair jolted around her, which she would have to fix later when she was in front of a mirror. The only strands not flying everywhere were the ones on the top of her head.
Was she wearing a hat or beanie? Nope. Aquamarine, her trusted Oshawatt (that's a lie, Aquamarine was incredibly lazy), decided that he was going to ride on the top of her head. Why? She had no clue, but it had become a habit since she had gotten him when she was ten.
It didn't help that the Water-Type was pretty heavy despite being small. Maybe she should stop feeding him so many poffins. Of course, this wouldn't be a problem if Aquamarine just went into his Pokéball, but no. The tiny otter was adamant that he would ride on her head. So much so that his little paws gripped onto her sweater for dear life as she tried to yank him off earlier.
You could assume who came out victorious.
With every intake of air, Cielle's lungs burned like someone had lit a match underneath them. The muscles in her legs ached, screaming with every step she took, and begged for a second of rest. Unfortunately, the cerulean-eyed girl couldn't give herself a break; otherwise, she would be later than she already was. Why did she have to live so damn far away from the Pokémon Center? Oh, right, she wanted to rent an apartment that wasn't that expensive.
She kept her pace steady. Well, as steady as one could when trying not to crash into anyone. A few civilians gave her strange looks, but she didn't have the time to ponder about it. She ducked underneath a young girl but was almost smacked by someone else. The culprit was a man in a suit who paid little mind to those around him as he was too busy yelling at someone on his phone. He jerked his hand out, fixing his sleeve and nearly hitting Cielle.
Not wanting to get hit, the girl threw her body to the right and nearly into oncoming traffic. Like the majority of people, dying at the age of nineteen was not on Cielle's bucket list. Seriously, who decided to make these sidewalks so tiny? Skittering back onto her feet, she regained her balance and sighed in relief. The girl's eyes connected with the woman who almost hit her with her car. The surprised lady's palm connected with the horn before she flung her middle finger at the teen.
Cielle knew that tossing yourself all willy-nilly was not the best idea, especially with angry drivers trying to get to places, but seriously? No one in this damn city had an inkling of respect for anyone anymore. As much as Cielle wanted to shout something in return, the giant screen on a building on her left made her pale. She had precisely three minutes to get to work.
Yeah, today was not the day to defend her honor.
Her heel connected with the top of a bright red fire hydrant as she jumped over it. It wasn't the first thing she would think of doing, but since there wasn't even a sliver of sidewalk open, Cielle would take her chances with a sprained ankle if she missed the landing. Besides, maybe Nurse Joy would cut her some slack if she came in limping. No, the older woman would give her a stern talk and never let her hear the end of it.
A man's briefcase slammed into her knee, and Cielle swallowed the curse she was about to utter. A dull ache blossomed across her skin.
Why did so many people walk at seven in the morning? How did so many people fit on this sidewalk anyway? It was beyond Cielle's understanding; she didn't have the brain power to understand what the architects who built this place were thinking.
Now, under normal circumstances, Cielle wouldn't be in this situation. Who would want to be sprinting to work looking like a hot mess with an Oshawatt bouncing on your head? No one. But as always, life seemed to hate her. It was just her luck that the apartment above her decided they would throw a rowdy party on a weekday. The music practically made the furniture in her apartment vibrate with how loud it was. It was a miracle that her eardrums didn't burst.
On top of that, no amount of phone calls to the landlord or the non-emergency line was helpful since the music drowned out her voice. If Cielle wanted to sleep, she could have left her apartment and slept at a hotel for the night-as if she could book a room on such short notice-but why would she need to leave the place she paid rent for?
So, while the stars were hanging high above the sky, Cielle cursed every known legendary and questioned her life choices. She owned a pair of noise-canceling headphones but had given them to Aquamarine. As much as she bickered with her partner, more like she spoke firmly while he dozed off, she didn't want him to suffer. Aquamarine already had selected hearing, and having him lose hearing would do no good for her either.
Cielle never thought she would stand on a chair and banging the ceiling with a broom, but she was proven wrong that night. The music finally died down around four in the morning, and she was able to sleep. Too bad that her internal clock didn't wake her up.
Breathing heavily, the teenager squished between two women without a word. The tugging on her head was loosening, which meant Aquamarine was dozing off despite all the bouncing his tiny body was doing. With a weak huff, Cielle plucked him off her head and tucked him into her arms. His head bobbed up and down with each step she took. Drool seeped into the sleeve of her gray knitted sweater, meaning the Oshawott was finally in dreamland.
Her nose wrinkled as the dampness touched her skin. "How can you fall asleep now? You lazy little thing. It'd be much more comfortable in your Pokéball."
Cielle's words were ignored since the otter was fast asleep. Well, even if he was awake, she wouldn't get one anyway.
Cielle nearly tripped over her own two feet as she rounded the corner. Luckily, she regained her balance just before she tumbled into a Sawsbuck. There's no room on the sidewalk, so why did some stupid trainer release their Sawsbuck?! She didn't have time to ponder the notion when her gaze lifted. A smile decorated her face when she noticed that her destination was near. That bright orange roof was hard to miss, after all.
Forcing herself to sprint faster, she somehow slipped past the horde of trainers passing by. The automatic doors slid open, revealing the furnished lobby with soft couches, low white tables, and large televisions hanging from the walls. As she passed, a few people conversing about what was playing on the screen watched her frantically run toward the front counter with strange looks.
Triumphantly, she placed a sleeping Aquamarine on the front counter. Like a lifeless doll, the Pokémon sagged before curling into a ball. He tucked his arms underneath his head, sleeping like Cielle hadn't been running around like a mad woman.
"I... made it... Am I late?" She heaved. Her body was hunched over the counter, palms settling on the cool surface. Her head dipped in exhaustion, and she wondered whether or not it would be too much to place her head on it.
Laughter touched the air, almost sounding like bell chimes. On the other side of the counter was a woman with beautiful pink hair. Most of it was tucked into the white nurse's hat she adorned, but the lower portion was curled into two loops. The hair alone was recognizable to everyone. Placing her fists on her hips, Nurse Joy tilted her head with a reluctant smile.
The first gesture alone was enough to make Cielle sag onto the counter beside Aquamarine. The brown-haired teen buried her face into her arms. She spoke, albeit the words sounded muffled. "You've gotta be kidding me... I hate this city."
Darkness surrounded the girl's vision from all sides as she refused to lift her head. The burning sensation in her legs reminded her that her sprint across the city was all for naught. Cielle's fingers curled into a tight fist before slamming against the counter weakly-a pitiful attempt to rid herself of her annoyance.
Jubilant laughter filled Cielle's ears, and she could already guess who it came from. Despite her unwillingness to witness reality again, the blue-eyed girl moved her head just enough to peer at Nurse Joy. The woman smiled as if making light of Cielle's treacherous journey. Was she being over dramatic? Yes. Did she care? No.
"Don't be so pessimistic, Cielle! Being five minutes late is nothing to worry about. Most people assume you would end up late given the terrible traffic in this city." Nurse Joy leaned forward to inspect the Water-type. She lightly poked Aquamarine's head multiple times, yet he did not stir.
Springing up, the brown-haired girl extended her hands out. "That's what I don't want! Sure, I woke up late today, but it's the first time it's happened in years! I'm always prepared and make sure I've got enough time for everything, but this city drives me absolutely insane! It's terrible to assume you'll just be late for everything!"
"Beating yourself up for things beyond your control is never a good coping mechanism, Cielle." Nurse Joy tucked her hands underneath Aquamarine's arms before lifting him. The Oshawatt's head rolled to the side. Humming, the pink-haired woman quickly scanned over the Pokémon. Once she was done visually inspecting him, Nurse Joy cradled him in her left arm. "We can only control our actions, not those that belong to others."
"Well, can other people have the decency not to crowd the sidewalk or be rude when they bump into me?"
"That would be a wish that only Victini could grant. We humans tend to be selfish, after all." The nurse's fingers pressed against Oshawatt's forehead. Once she confirmed his temperature was normal, she lightly flicked his stomach to check for tenderness.
Cielle sighed and dragged a hand down her face. "I can't wait to leave this damn city."
"A week will pass in no time. Though, I can't say I'm not sad to see you leave after all these years." Nurse Joy hummed and delicately placed Oshawatt down on the counter. Even through the examination, he stayed fast asleep. The woman's soft expression morphed into a saddened one. "But everyone needs to leave the nest at one point. You're just starting a bit later than others."
"Nine years too late, Nurse Joy."
"Well, you know what they say. Better late than never!" The pink-haired woman ruffled the white fur on Aquamarine's head. Glancing up, she flashed a cheerful smile at the young girl. Nurse Joy always seemed to wear her heart on her sleeve. "Now run along to do your duties! We can chit-chat more later when we have downtime."
"Yes, ma'am." With a short salute, Cielle scooped up her Pokémon and walked toward the back. A pair of double doors leading to the examination rooms stood in her way but opened when she slid her ID card against the scanner.
A sigh tumbled from the nineteen-year-old's lips. She was quick to enter the backroom for employees and placed Aquamarine inside one of the many sinks. Cielle turned the knob on the faucet, and a gush of cool water splashed onto Aquamarine's shell and stomach. He released a content chitter and sunk further into the sink. Once Cielle was confident he wouldn't slip out, she rushed into a bathroom to get changed. As she did, various thoughts raced in her mind like a never-ending whirlpool.
Everyone knew that when you reached the age of ten, Unova's Professor would give you a Pokémon if you hadn't received one from someone else or bonded with a Pokémon in the wild. Once you had one and a Trainer ID, you were set to go on a Pokémon journey and venture into the unknown.
But Cielle was one of those unfortunate children who had to live in an orphanage after her parents were killed during the reign of Team Plasma fourteen years ago. Ex-Champion Hilda had ground their plans to a stop, but she couldn't stop all the destruction they had left in their wake. The sound of thunder crackling with deafening roars and flickering flames lashing out with the intent to consume was burned into her memories. It didn't help that Unova's wounds had yet to heal when two years later, Kyurem had arisen, and Hilda had disappeared.
Unova was lucky that ex-Champion Rosa had appeared when she did. Otherwise, Unova would have been nothing but a barren wasteland. If there ever was another disaster, the current Champion Eden would have to take a stand. Many didn't worry since she had to be pretty strong if she had kept her position for five years now.
The orphanage headmaster supported most children leaving on their journeys and returning when they finished, but Cielle didn't budge. Her best friend, Lavender, tried to convince her for an entire month to leave with him but she refused.
Those horrible memories were burned into her mind, and throwing her ten-year-old self into the wild with no experience terrified her. What if another disaster occurred and no one could reach her? What if she was left alone with lifeless bodies surrounding her once more as she wailed into a void? Her intestines twisted, consumed by a frigid cold as the thought sent shivers down her spine.
Staying home, keeping her head down, and getting her high school diploma and associate's degree was the best thing for her to do. Castelia City was the worst place to live in, and she hated it, but the thought of her dying at such a young age triumphed over her hatred. Just one more week until she could finally leave this place behind. She was older and had much more knowledge than when she was ten. Cielle would be perfectly fine.
Stepping out of the stall, Cielle glanced at her reflection in the mirror. No one else occupied the bathroom besides herself and Oshawatt. Wrangling her hair into a neat ponytail, the girl smiled at the mirror. "Okay, time to work."
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The second reason as to why Cielle despised Castelia City was the fact that you never get downtime. But what did she expect when she worked at a Pokémon Center in the biggest city in Unova? She's only been here for two hours and was about ready to throw her clipboard out the window. Lucky for her, the windows couldn't be opened. But why on earth would anyone make a Vanilluxe fight in the desert?! Obviously, it was going to melt!
People were stupid. Trainers were beyond stupid.
The blue-eyed girl scoffed as she shook her head. Her fingers flickered through the small stack of pages held by her clipboard. She skimmed through the information, reading what she deemed important to know and noting things that sounded strange. Although people bring in their Pokémon for care, that doesn't mean they treat their Pokémon kindly. If there were even the slightest suspicion of ill intentions, she would have to report it to Nurse Joy.
Cielle may be a registered nurse, but she was nowhere near as good or experienced as Nurse Joy. On top of that, the pink-haired woman was her boss, and she needed to report everything to her anyway. The girl's gaze fell back onto the clipboard.
Trainer Name: Magnolia Murphy
Age: 15
Pokémon Team: Zweilous, Duosion, and Pidove
Reason for check-in: Pokémon injured after gym battle with Burgh
Room: 12
"Another trainer who fought Burgh? That's the fifth one today! Where does that gym leader find all this time to beat the crap out of trainers?" Cielle raised a brow in astonishment. "It's almost nine-thirty... either Burgh isn't going easy, or trainers aren't strong enough."
When she was younger, Lavender tried to convince her to challenge the Bug gym, but Oshawatt was lazier than a bag of rocks. He would listen to her commands, but his lack of wanting to fight didn't help. At one point, she had taken the Pokémon to Nurse Joy to see if Professor Juniper had given her a sick Oshawatt, but no, he was just lazy. Not to mention that a single Pokémon wouldn't be enough to take down Burgh's weakest Bug-types.
Catching another Pokémon was an option, but Cielle didn't want a Pidove or a Swaddle. Lavender did offer to catch her a Pokémon during his travels, but Cielle refused. She wanted to catch her own Pokémon, but you can't really do that when you don't leave the city. Sure, she could venture to the Desert Resort, but she had a feeling neither she nor Aquamarine would last long.
After walking a while, the teenager finally made it to the room she was looking for. Taking in a deep breath, she plastered a smile on her face and knocked on the door. A startled 'come in' was heard, and Cielle walked inside.
Sitting on the white chairs on the left side of the room was a young girl with short black hair with green decorating the inner parts. The second her turquoise eyes landed on Cielle, she jumped up like a frightened Skitty.
Dear Arceus, this trainer is going to be one that freaks out over every little thing, isn't she? Cielle smiled a bit bigger, trying to seem welcoming despite the pessimistic thoughts.
"Hello, Miss Murphy, you're here to check on the condition of your Zweilous and Duosion, yes? Does your Pidove need examining as well?" The blue-eyed girl asked as she checked her clipboard once more. She didn't need to, but she did it anyway.
"Magnolia is fine! Calling me miss sounds a bit strange. You are...?" Magnolia tilted her head, words falling short. Strands fell into her eyes, and she quickly swapped them behind her ear. She then blinked. "Oh, Chicken-I mean Pidove-is fine! I didn't bother sending him out in battle since I recently caught him. It doesn't seem like a good idea to send out a Pokémon who hasn't been trained yet."
For a split second, every single thought in Cielle's head ground to a halt. She opened her mouth to say something but instead clamped it shut. Instead, she went to the large apricot cabinet and plucked a pair of gloves from a box on the counter. She seriously named her Pidove after food? What'd she name the other two, then?
Cielle found herself not wanting to know. "You can just call me Cielle. No need for formalities like you would for Nurse Joy."
Her blue eyes settled onto the white cot in the middle of the room. Two Pokémon were collapsed on the soft surface, and at first glance, Cielle couldn't tell if they were unconscious or just didn't have the energy to move. Well, time to find out.
She cupped the side of Zweilous' right head with her hand, feeling for any inflammation in her lymph nodes. She did the same for the other head. Her fingers felt rough scars underneath the dual-type's fur, some healed and others scabbed over. Some could be from past battles, but the majority would be from the two heads fighting each other for dominance. The two heads never got along.
Heavy breaths coming from both heads could be felt against her palm. Not hyperventilating, but a bit quicker than what Cielle would like. The rapid pulse solidified her dismay.
Withdrawing her hands, the brown-haired teen placed them on her hips. She pursed her lips. Two heads, one body. So, did Zweilous count as one Pokémon or two? But her evolution has a head and two mouths for hands. At least it was easier to wrap her head around the Duosion right next to the Dragon. Duosion was pretty much just floating green jelly that became sentient.
Cielle was getting off-topic, wasn't she?
"How is Didi? She isn't hurt that bad, is she? I didn't think Burgh's Leavanny was going to be that tough! If only I had known... I would have trained a lot harder..." Magnolia's shoulders slumped forward with guilt. She wouldn't meet Cielle's gaze and instead kept her eyes on her Pokémon.
Didi isn't that bad of a nickname.
Cielle pressed a hand to one of Zweilous' foreheads. Her lips twisted into a frown when she felt a bit of heat. "Superficially, she looks fine except for scarring, though I assume that's because Zweilous' heads fight each other."
"Yeah... her two heads fight over everything, which leads to them chomping at each other. The Nurse Joy in Nimbasa said I should put them in cones to keep them from fighting." The trainer muttered.
"Guess you lost pretty fast to Burgh?" Cielle grabbed a thermometer from a drawer and turned it on.
The trainer's green eyes widened in surprise before a sheepish expression painted over her features. Strands of black and green fell onto the girl's face before she hastily wiped them away. "Is it that obvious?"
"You said Burgh's Leavanny is tough, and you should have trained harder. Not that hard to figure out, Magnolia."
"Oh," was all that the girl said. Her hands clutched the straps of her backpack tight. She released a short squeak when she finally noticed the thermometer in Cielle's hand. "Is Didi alright?"
"Didi, can you open your mouth for me? It doesn't matter which one."
The two black tufts sprouting from the Dragon's backside twitched as a sign of her listening to Cielle's words. A few seconds passed before Didi pressed her claws against the softness of the cot. Her blue paws sunk, almost knocking the weak thing off balance, but she managed. Slowly, Didi opened her left mouth just enough for Cielle to place the thermometer inside. A quiet beep signaled for the teenager to remove it.
103.7 F was what the thermometer read.
"Zweilous has a fever. Overtraining, perhaps?" Cielle's eyes flickered over to Magnolia. She didn't seem like the type of trainer to overwork their Pokémon to the point of them falling sick. She seemed to take care of both of her Pokémon very well. Plus, she did mention she didn't train enough to beat the gym.
The girl in question pressed her hand to Didi's forehead. The color drained from her face. "He's hot! Oh no, did you have a fever, and I sent you out to battle?! I made you worse! Didi, I'm so sorry!"
Cielle left the room briefly to grab a bucket of ice packs. Once she returned, she was met with the sight of Magnolia on the brink of tears. Yeah, this girl did not force her Pokémon to become sick. Placing the bucket on the counter, the blue-eyed girl began to put the ice packs around Zweilous' body. The Pokémon's two heads slumped onto the cot and tried to cozy further into the ice.
"Did you come from Virbank City or the Desert Resort?" Cielle asked as she slipped off her gloves and put on a fresh pair. Droplets of cold water seeped into her light pink scrubs.
"The Desert Resort. I was in Nimbasa City a week ago, so that was the quickest way." Magnolia mumbled. She was too busy wiping her tears to give a longer answer.
The puzzle pieces clicked in the girl's head. "Nimbasa is cool around this time, but the desert never seems to drop in temperature. The temperature change from Nimbasa to the desert to Castelia City might have affected Zweilous and caused her to get sick. However, I'm only assuming. There are various other ways for a Pokémon to get a cold. A cold is better than heat stroke, so you're lucky in that sense."
"Still, I should have realized the condition my Pokémon were in beforehand! I'm such a bad Trainer for not checking!"
"No need to beat yourself up over it. Not everyone knows how to check signs. The only thing you can do is be more careful next time." Cielle adjusted the ends of her gloves and shifted her attention to the Duosion. "Now, time to see if you're the same or just exhausted."
Unlike Zweilous, Duosion was only exhausted from the strenuous fight against the Bug-type gym leader. There wasn't much to do there besides allowing adequate rest. As for the dual-type, Cielle recommended that she stay longer to see if the Pokémon's condition improved. Magnolia was more than willing to do anything Cielle said if it meant her Pokémon would get better. The brown-haired girl did one final check before bidding the young trainer goodbye.
The second the door had clicked shut, Cielle's shoulders slumped forward as a sudden wave of exhaustion washed over her. "My next patient better not be another victim of Burgh. If that Zweilous' fever doesn't go down, I'm going to have to ask Nurse Joy to prescribe some medicine."
Cielle raised her arms and stretched. A few pops were emitted from her spine. Maybe I can sneak into the daycare to see how Aquamarine is doing. He's probably fine. I did drop him into the kiddie pool, and he was happily floating while asleep. I doubt the other Pokémon would bully-
Muffled and panicked yelling broke through the girl's thoughts. Disturbed by the sudden disruption, confusion stitched itself onto Cielle's features. More yelling could be heard from the lobby, but like before, they were filled with fear and concern. She glanced at the examination room she was in before turning her attention to the double doors at the end of the hallway.
If something terrible was happening, she had to check what it was, right? Some might say that was a stupid decision because Pokémon Centers were equipped with security, and they should be able to handle it. But that little whisper of curiosity got the best of Cielle, and she suddenly found herself marching toward the lobby. She pressed the button to unlock the doors and stuck her head out to see what was going on.
The first thing that Cielle saw was a Swoobat lying limp on top of the front counter with his trainer hunched over him. Tears were trickling down the boy's face as he explained. Having rattled trainers come in when their Pokémon became unresponsive was normal. But this was different. Even from where Cielle was standing, which was a bit far, she could tell something wasn't right.
Vibrant and strange pink lines were drawn across the Swoobat's body, giving the Pokémon a sickly glow. These lines mirrored the pattern of spiderwebs, stretching around every inch of his body. It made the girl's stomach twist in dismay, as if she wasn't supposed to be witnessing what was happening. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Cielle shifted her gaze to Nurse Joy. Cielle hadn't ever seen this before, but maybe Nurse Joy had, and she would know what to do.
Cielle felt her heart drop when Nurse Joy's expression was one of complete worry and disbelief.
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Author's Note:
Hello everyone! Thank you for giving Nihility a chance if you've made it to the end of this chapter! This story was an idea that popped into my head after I finished a rerun of Pokémon Black 2, and I just had to plan it out. This story doesn't follow the original storyline but will mention parts of it as this story takes place twelve years after BW2. Again, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy this book.
I have no idea if Pokémon doctors exist since everything is essentially done by Nurse Joys and Chanceys. So Cielle is technically a registered nurse but can't do everything say Nurse Joy does. Same with other staff.
Also, if you're interested, I have another Pokéfic called Zero Oasis, which is fantasy-based. I'll post the cover here as a reference.
Character Spotlight:
Name: Cielle Quinn
Pokémon: Oshawott (Aquamarine)
Likes: Rocky Road ice cream