章節 9: Chapter 9: Emergency at Pokémon Center
The orange glow of the setting sun slanted through the windows, casting a hazy light across the empty Pokémon Center.
The place was quieter than usual—eerily so.
My fingers drummed against the counter as Nurse Joy took my Charmander's Pokéball.
"It'll take some time," she said, her voice soft but clinical.
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the counter. "Sure," I muttered, glancing around.
The place felt deserted.
I turned back to her. "No other trainers?"
She shook her head, her pink curls bobbing slightly. "No, they've all gone. Now, it's just you, me, and that girl you came in with."
I almost smirked. "Oh, right, sorry for not introducing us earlier." I nodded towards Alice, standing by the window, staring out into the fading daylight, her arms crossed. "I'm Ethan, and the girl with me? That's Alice, my girlfriend. We're from Pallet Town."
Nurse Joy smiled politely. "Nice to meet you, Ethan. I suppose you already know my name."
"Of course, Nurse Joy," I said with a wink. "By the way, what's on the menu for dinner?"
Just then, I felt the distinct prickle of someone's eyes drilling into my back.
I didn't need to turn around to know who it was.
I'd felt that glare more than once.
Spinning on my heel, I locked eyes with Alice, her gaze sharp and cutting right through me.
"Did you... finish what you wanted to do?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
Her glare didn't soften.
I could feel the tension between us, thick as the walls of the Pokémon Center.
But, instead of backing down, I doubled down.
"Nurse Joy," I called over my shoulder, "send dinner over to our table, would you? We'll eat here."
"Sure, Ethan," she replied.
I walked over to Alice and looped my arm through hers.
She didn't resist, but she didn't exactly melt into me, either.
"Come on," I said, steering her towards a table by the window. "Let's sit. How's my honey doing?"
I pulled out a chair for her, but before I could sit down myself, I slouched into the seat beside her, letting my head fall into her lap.
The scent of her faint perfume mixed with the smell of the Pokémon Center, and her fingers instinctively began to work their way through my hair.
She was quiet for a second before she muttered, "Are you done flirting?"
"Flirting?" I snorted, grinning up at her. "I didn't do anything. I'm innocent."
"You never are," she replied, her voice flat but with a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.
Before she could get another word out, I leaned up and kissed her, soft and quick. Her cheeks flushed—just for a moment.
I caught the blush and couldn't help but tease. "Oh, look at that—you're blushing."
She rolled her eyes, then pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Get serious," she whispered.
I stretched, then relaxed back into her lap, my eyes half-lidded. "So, guess what? I had my first real battle today. And I won."
Alice's fingers kept massaging my head as she murmured, "So, we've got money, then?"
"Yep." I grinned. "How about you?"
"I've gotten used to Bulbasaur," she said, almost as if she was reporting her progress on a mission.
"Or," I teased, "you mean Bulbasaur's gotten used to you."
Her eyes narrowed. "Don't push it."
I laughed, the sound filling the empty center. "Alright, alright. So, you've already planned out everything for the week in Viridian Forest, right? We'll need all the supplies we can carry."
She nodded. "I made a list of everything we'll need. If we don't stock up, we won't be ready to face Brock."
I raised an eyebrow. "Brock, huh? What if we run into Flint instead? His dad? I don't know much about him."
"We'll figure that out when we get there," Alice said calmly. "But we'll need to earn more money before then."
"Always planning ahead," I smirked. "That's your style."
"And you?" she shot back. "Making unpredictable decisions on the fly? That's yours."
I shrugged, unfazed. "Charmander's learning Mega Punch. Two more days, and he'll have it down."
Alice's fingers paused briefly. "I'll help you train in the forest. It'll go faster with two of us working on it."
I nodded. "I'm using a guide I found to teach him. It's been pretty helpful. Two hours of training, then rest."
"I've been reading up too," Alice admitted, her voice softer now. "The guide really does make a difference."
"See? I'm rubbing off on you," I teased. "I'm starting to feel like a genius."
Alice smiled, her eyes glinting with something I couldn't quite place. "My genius."
"Your genius," I echoed back, smiling.
Nurse Joy—no, Chesney—walked over then, setting Charmander's Pokéball on the table with a small, polite smile.
"Thanks, Chesney," I said as I grabbed the Pokéball and stowed it in my bag.
As Chesney walked away, I shifted slightly in Alice's lap, letting out a contented sigh. "Your lap is softer than any pillow. You're... even more beautiful than usual. Maybe it's because you're younger now."
She blushed again, and this time, I could feel the warmth through her skin. "You're not so bad yourself," she murmured.
I closed my eyes, the weight of the day finally catching up to me as Alice's fingers continued to move gently through my hair.
It was a fleeting moment of peace in a life that never seemed to slow down.
And then, I let sleep take me.
---
Dinner had never felt this quiet before.
I stabbed at the stir-fry on my plate, the taste of it slipping past my attention as I tried to distract myself from the awkward tension simmering between me and Alice.
I took a bite, chewing thoughtfully. "It's got taste," I muttered, mostly to myself.
She barely looked up from her plate. "Hmm."
"Nurse Joy, who made dinner tonight?" I called out, my eyes flicking toward the counter where Nurse Joy stood.
"Most of the time, Chansey handles the cooking," she answered, her voice slightly distracted.
I nodded. "It's tasty."
Alice, still focused on her food, cut in, "We've got training tomorrow. Early."
I was about to respond when the loud screech of tires ripped through the calm.
Alice's head snapped up, eyes narrowing.
"Here comes Ash," she murmured under her breath.
The door of the Pokémon Center flung open, and Officer Jenny came skidding in on her bike like some action star from an old movie.
She stopped with a screech that made Nurse Joy wince.
"How many times do I have to tell you to park outside?" Nurse Joy scolded, her irritation barely masked.
"It's an emergency," Officer Jenny shot back, her words sharp and urgent.
Ash jumped off the bike, cradling his limp Pikachu in his arms.
His face was pale, eyes wide with panic as he rushed to the counter.
"Nurse Joy!" he yelled, his voice cracking with fear.
Me and Alice exchanged a glance, each of us quietly taking another bite of our dinner.
There wasn't much we could do now but wait.
Nurse Joy wasn't wasting time.
"You shouldn't push your Pokémon so hard," she said sternly, taking Pikachu from Ash's shaking hands.
Before Ash could explain, Nurse Joy turned on her heel, calling out to her Chansey. "Get the stretcher."
Chansey waddled over, hoisting Pikachu onto the stretcher with a practiced efficiency.
Without another word, they disappeared into the back, leaving Ash standing there, his hands empty, looking more lost.
Officer Jenny gave him a sympathetic nod before spinning her bike around and heading back outside, the screech of tires fading into the night.
I finished my drink and pushed my plate forward.
"So now?" I asked, more to myself than to Alice.
She set her fork down and leaned back, her eyes scanning the room before landing on Ash.
"You should go talk to him," she said. "Maybe he knows us."
I stood, brushing crumbs off my jeans.
Before I walked away, I bent down and kissed her, my lips brushing hers briefly.
She blinked in surprise, her cheeks flushing.
"Why?" she whispered, her voice quieter.
I grinned, shrugging. "After dinner, some sweet," I teased.
Her response came in the form of a light shove, but I caught the flicker of a smile as I turned away.
Ash was slumped in a chair near the wall, his hands fidgeting in his lap.
I slid into the chair next to him, stretching out my legs and trying to catch his eye.
"So, what happened to Pikachu?" I asked, keeping my voice steady.
He didn't look up right away, his eyes fixed on the floor as if the words would be easier to find there. "Ethan… my Pikachu, he… I don't know. We were attacked by a flock of Spearows. I thought we could handle it but…" His voice trailed off, the weight of guilt pressing into every word.
I nodded slowly. "Don't worry. He'll be fine. He's tougher than he looks."
I hesitated for a second, then added, "You know me and Alice, right?"
He finally lifted his head, his eyes a little clearer now, though still confused. "Of course. You're from Pallet Town. Everyone knows you two. Alice is Professor Oak's favorite, and you… well, Professor Oak says you're a genius."
I blinked, dumbfounded.
That wasn't something I'd ever expected to hear.
I glanced back at Alice, who looked just as shocked as I felt.
Genius?
Yeah, right.
"Why don't you call your mom?" I suggested, changing the subject before I could spiral into that thought.
Ash nodded mutely and made his way to the video phone.
I stood, shaking off the weirdness of the moment, and walked back to Alice.
"Someone's making everything sound perfect," I muttered, settling back into my chair.
"Yeah," she said dryly, her eyes glinting. "And you're a genius."
"Professor Oak's favorite," I shot back, rolling my eyes. "That, I can understand."
Before she could respond, the phone at Nurse Joy's counter rang loudly, and Ash picked it up after speaking with his mom.
A few minutes later, Alice's voice cut through the noise. "Professor Oak."
"Yeah, let's go see."
We approached just as Oak's voice echoed from the screen. "Now, Ash, if you're in Viridian City, other trainers should've already reached there by now."
Then, his eyes shifted and locked on us. "Oh, Ethan and Alice are there too! Good. Tell me, did you two catch any Pokémon, or are you just like Ash?"
Ash looked like a deer caught in headlights.
I cleared my throat. "We didn't, Professor."
Alice's voice cut in, steady. "We're planning on catching the right Pokémon, not just any."
Oak nodded, a slow smile spreading across his face. "Good choice."
Then, abruptly, he added, "My pizza's here. I'll talk later. Take care of Ash while you're with him. He's like a little brother to you."
The call cut off, and silence settled over the room.
Ash looked at us, a slight blush creeping up his neck.
Alice and I exchanged glances before both muttering under our breath, "Little brother?"
Ash piped up, his voice smaller. "Big brother… and big sister. I'm hungry. Do you have anything to eat?"
I sighed, pushing back from the counter. "I'll see what I can do."
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