"Sylvia!" Nurse Joy cheered as I walked into the Pokémon Center for the first time in who knows how many weeks. She ran from behind the counter and nearly shoved Officer Jenny out of the way. I froze in shock as the officer didn't do anything but smile as she took her Poké Balls and snuck out of the Pokémon Center.
It didn't take long for Nurse Joy to open her arms wide, pulling me into a hug.
With Team Miasma finally gone, Trainers seemed to be more active, but that didn't stop Nurse Joy from welcoming me back into the Pokémon Center. I could feel her arms unknowingly pressed into every bruise that was on my body. If I said anything, she would probably demand what happened.
It's been two weeks since I've stopped Taipan and the rest of Team Miasma. I watched it somewhat happen. The moment the battle stopped, the Trainer pulled out another Pokémon and flew me to the nearest hospital.
Because I was too cold to really notice what was going on, I have no idea who that person was. I just remember waking up in a hospital, hooked up to some IV's and a nurse by my side, explaining that a young man, about my age, brought me here. He must've left before I got up, and the nurse didn't really know much more than that about him.
It could've been Rudi, but the Trainer's voice didn't sound like his at all.
Thinking it was Rudi was quickly debunked when I talked to his family members. While I was battling Taipan, and after Rudi got his sister to safety, Zekrom must've made an appearance while the other legendary disappeared. Rudi took it upon himself to try and find Zekrom's Trainer, meaning he was out and about. The good news is that Rena was fine, and they knew I was fine too.
Bad news: I didn't know where Rudi was.
After a week of being trapped in a hospital, I visited their underground hideout. There, I gave Rena her Lilligant back and just helped around the place, waiting to see when Rudi would come back.
He didn't.
Seeing that I had other things to get to, I came back to the Pokémon Center to visit Nurse Joy. It wasn't even my idea, but Landon's, as he told me it would probably be best that I told Nurse Joy everything that happened.
I didn't want to tell her anything, but my work as a superhero was done. It should be done anyways. With that being said, I decided that it was either now or never.
When Nurse Joy pulled away from the hug, she didn't look to happy, "It's been a while. What happened?"
My hand reached to a particular Poké Ball that clipped to my belt. As I showed it to her, Nurse Joy's eyes widened.
"I should've known," She whispered, "Come to the back. I think it's time we catch up."
I nodded my head, following her to the back where the rooms were at. We stopped right outside the one where I had personally healed that little Ducklett. Something inside me stung. After the events that had happened, I didn't talk about it to anyone.
Nurse Joy must've noticed as we both sat down on some chairs outside the room. She wrapped an arm around me, while I just looked right at the room. It seemed so long ago since Swanna disappeared.
"Sylvia, I can't tell you how proud I am of you," Nurse Joy told me, "You would've made your parents proud."
She was talking about going on my journey. I looked down, feeling very guilty. Nurse Joy would be crushed the second I told her I put myself in danger. Guess I didn't have to tell her everything. The times I've blacked out or nearly froze to death, people didn't know that. It wasn't common knowledge, so she didn't need to know.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, wrapping my hands around the old Poké Ball that used to belong to my only female Pokémon, Swanna.
"Don't be, sorry," Nurse Joy said, "You did nothing wrong."
"Yes I did," I argued, keeping my eyes on the empty Poké Ball, "I lied to you. I was never on that journey. I—I helped out Braviary Man with Swanna. I'm Swanna Girl, well, I used to be."
There was a moment of silence. Nurse Joy was probably processing everything that was going on. That was just a big bombshell she had just witnessed. The countless phone calls I've made to her, she just thought I was traveling around. I told her whenever I healed a Pokémon, which wasn't untrue as I did that a lot, and when I caught a new Pokémon, which again, wasn't necessarily untrue either.
"I know."
I looked up at Nurse Joy, surprised, but the nurse just smiled.
"You're too much like you father. Back when he and your mother were superheroes, he only did so to keep people safe. He had a talent for that sort of thing," Nurse Joy explained, "Besides, there was a Trainer who never got her package of a Swanna costume she must've ordered."
"You knew?" I asked.
"Well, I wouldn't be a good nurse if I didn't pay attention to the small details, now would I?" Nurse Joy told me as she winked, "I learned that from you."
"Of course you did," I laughed.
Nurse Joy smiled, "Plus, I'm friends with Officer Jenny. You do realize that the officials have their eyes on you and that boy. I mean, same thing happened with your parents, you're just lucky that I could talk them out of doing anything major.
My laughter died down a bit, as I started to realize why I wanted to talk to her in the first place.
Nurse Joy's expression changed to a more solemn one as she caught on, "Now, what happened? Did that boy break your heart? Do I need to ban him from the Pokémon Center?"
"No!" I protested, "Rudi isn't like that!"
Nurse Joy looked confused, "Wait, you and him aren't—"
"No," I cut her off, "I mean, we're dating, I think. I don't know. With everything going on, we had to put that on pause. Not completely though, I mean, we kissed. Only once though."
I remembered that much, quickly thinking about the second time we could've done it. It was probably best that didn't happen. My emotions were running all over the place. Audino nearly fainted leaving my original Swanna—
No, I couldn't think she was dead. There was no body. No body meant she could've escape. There's a lot of Pokémon who feint, take time away from their Trainers to heal, and come back. That's not uncommon. I just had to keep hope.
She couldn't be dead. I would know if she was.
Didn't Trainers know when their Pokémon—
"So if it's not the boy, then what is it?" Nurse Joy asked.
I took a deep breath, "During the last battle against Team Miasma," I finally told her, "I wasn't quick enough. Swanna, you know, the Ducklett I took in and took care of, she disappeared. I don't know if she's dead or if she just disappeared."
"Oh, Sylvia," Nurse Joy wrapped her arms around me, "That Swanna is a tough one. I'm sure she'll come back."
I didn't say a word, hoping Nurse Joy was right.
(-o-)
The following day, Officer Jenny came into the Pokémon Center. She talked with Nurse Joy for a moment, but I didn't listen to whatever they were saying. Instead, I just opened my old notebook, looking through the pages that were filled about flying types. Maybe there was something in here that could tell me what happened to Swanna.
As her Trainer, I would know if she was dead, right?
That's what Nurse Joy said the other day.
"Sylvia," Nurse Joy inturrupted my thoughts, "I'm—I mean, Officer Jenny needs my help with something. Do you think you could be in charge of the Pokémon Center for a couple of hours?"
I looked up, seeing Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny looking down at me as I sat on a chair, with my notebook on my lap. Instead of answering, I just nodded my head. Nurse Joy smiled back before she and the officer walked out of the place.
It was like a distant memory. I stood at the front desk, having my mom's old Pokémon help me out around the Pokémon Center. It was a bit more organized that way. I would talk to the Trainers, while Swanna would take the Poké Balls full of Pokémon to the back for Audino to take care of it.
Our little system helped cut down time.
When things got quiet, I'd look back in my notebook, hoping to find something. I didn't. Guess I shouldn't have given myself false hope.
That was when the phone rang. I dropped my notebook and picked it up, saying the usual, "Hello, this is the Nacrene City Pokémon Center. This is Sylvia speaking. How may I help you?"
"Sylvia?" Rudi's voice broke on the other hand.
My heart skipped a beat, "It's been two weeks. What's going on?"
"Sorry, it's just, I—I found a Pokémon that could really need some help," Rudi told me, "How fast can you make it over to the Giant Chasm? You know, the place where we battled Team Miasma?"
I looked at the clock, "Give me an hour and a half. Swanna and I will be there as soon as we can. Just make sure you keep the patient from bleeding out, feed the right berries if it's anything with status, and remain calm."
Rudi didn't say anything, so I quickly slammed the phone back and looked at Audino and Swanna. After explaining what was going on, Audino agreed to stay back while my Swanna quickly grabbed the emergency first aid kit. With that in my hands, the two of us sprinted out the door and took off towards the Giant Chasm.
(-o-)
The Giant Chasm was colder than I remembered. Then again, it didn't help that I was wearing my short sleeved nurse shirt with white jeans. If I'd thought more about it, maybe I would've grabbed a winter coat.
Swanna walked by my side, looking around to find where Rudi was. After a few minutes of searching, I found Rudi and his sister kneeling down beside something. Both of them were smart enough to wear coats and scarves. Upon seeing me, Rudi's eyes brightened a bit, but his smile wasn't even there. Seeing this, I knew something was wrong. I rushed over, stopping in my tracks as I saw her.
My very first Pokémon laid there. Her wing was bent backwards where it was beyond repair while blood oozed out from her chest. Under normal situations, I wouldn't feel this way, but this was my Swanna, the one that I had raised as a Ducklett.
I wanted to vomit.
"Sylvia, we tried everything," Rena whispered, "But, you see..."
"A member of Team Miasma came back," Rudi finished, "Don't think he knew everyone was put in jail, but the police came and picked him up. Swanna, tried fending him off as much as she could, but—I wish I got here sooner, Sylvia, I really do. It's my fault."
I bent down on my knees, kneeling right beside her. I knew Rudi and Rena were talking to me, but I didn't hear them. Between the pounding in my heart and the adrenaline running through my veins, I couldn't afford it. My male Swanna helped by giving me the tools I needed.
If there was anything I could do, I was going to save this Swanna. There was nothing that was going to stop me from saving her. I took some gauze and tried to stop the bleeding that way. I kept a stethoscope at hand to hear her heartbeat going slower and slower.
Tears and sweat were beading down my face. There wasn't much time. I tried everything I could do. That phone call I received earlier, well, I knew whatever happened was going to be bad. I prepared myself for anything when I got that call. Rudi wouldn't have called if it wasn't an emergency.
I just didn't think it would be Swanna, my Swanna. There was still a chance to save her. My male Swanna handed me a needle as I tried stitching up part of her wing to heal it. While I did, I noticed the injured Swanna wincing, but that was taking her strength away the more she did.
Luckily, I didn't have to say a word as Rena and Rudi tried talking to Swanna, telling her that things were going to be alright. They had to be. I fought the tears that came, realizing that if I was going to help, I had to forget about my emotions and just concentrate on the task at hand. At least I had a chance of saving her. I just had to concentrate.
Nurse Joy always warned me the hardest patient a nurse could have would be the ones that were closest to me. Seeing that I healed her as a Ducklett, things shouldn't have changed.
The encouragement between the Rhea siblings and Swanna seized. I looked at Swanna, noticing her body going limp. All the color—if she really had any—had drained away.
No. I placed the stethoscope over her heart. This couldn't be happening. I moved it all over, hoping I could find a pulse of some sort. Nothing came.
Everything in my hands dropped as I ended up staring at the Swanna.
Rudi wrapped his arm around me as Rena was speechless.
"I'm sorry," Was all Rudi could say.
Numbness was all I could feel, staring at the lifeless body of my first Pokémon. Around me, I could feel Rudi wrapping his arms around me, trying to stop whatever I was feeling. My male Swanna, he just laid his head on my lap, letting my hands relax a little on them. Everyone was trying to be supportive in some way.
But I just felt numb. There was nothing I could do to save Swanna. I tried everything, but I didn't. I wasn't quick enough. Something could've been done to save her. There had to be a way. I just failed.
I just closed my eyes, feeling the tears burning down my face.
Why was it so hard to say goodbye?
And why did it hurt so much?
Is it because I failed her?
Was it my fault?
The three of us sat there as I just stared at Swanna. I was just too late, and there was nothing I could do.