A Saga of Tanya the Chansey 75-Duty

Alia didn't end up calling her mom.

“Nurse Joy.” Soone breathes, clearly trying to keep calm inside the overcrowded pokecenter. “Why are you still saying we’re not evacuating? We all can seethe national guard outside!”

What would she say to her? ‘We’re all going to die. My partner went crazy and decided to leave her, flying away in her pokeball sohow to try and stop it. I love you. Goodbye?’

She smiles at the frightened man.

“I’m sorry sir. I can only tell you what I know, and I have not been inford of any evacuation plans in effect, nor has a state of ergency been declared beyond the earthquake.”

No. That would be an admission of defeat, making that call would have been deciding that it’s over.

So she didn't

The man’s fear twists to anger.

“What don't you understand!? The National Guard is here! Why aren't they getting us!?” He shouts, to which Alia doesn't know how to answer. The man takes an aggressive step forward and the Joy has to suppress a flinch. “Quit smiling!”

He starts to lean across the final distance between them, his hand half raised and half closed into a fis–

“Swellow.” Her partner calls with unusual firmness as he drops from the hanging light where he’d been since he delivered her belt, full of chansey pokeballs. He drops to the counter between her and the man, a wing pushing his hand to the counter. “Sw ell ellow.”

The man flinches back, looking at her partner with shock as he rapidly withdraws his hand and rubs his wrist.

“I–”

“If you have any pokemon that need healing please present them now.” Alia states in perfect tones and unflinchingly soft smile. “Otherwise I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave sir.”

That almost seems more shocking to him than Swellow’s sudden appearance, leaning back, he looks around to the crowded center as if looking for support.

Ever since the earthquake began and slowly got stronger, but especially at the end with the large flare of shaking, more and more people have been crowding into the center. Most do not co to the counter though all have at least one pokeball on their hip, and a good portion have so kind of backpack or small duffel with them.

There has been novolcano warning, no order for people to gather in evacuation areas.

But sohow they knew.

“Hey I– I didnt…” He starts, but trails off as he realizes there’s not a single sympathetic eye in the room, the people around him watching with silent judgent.

After a second longer he simply steps to the side and hurries through the crowd and out of the center.

The next person steps up and the cycle continues, but Alia allows herself to repeat the motions automatically.

It was desperation and a phone system saying the gym was closed that had Alia using Swellow as a mail service. It’s that sa desperation that had her organizing Swellow to carry the pokeballs to the sumit in response to the garbled call for help one of the unfamiliar chansey wrote she heard on the center’s ergency radio, leading to the entire group trying to figure out how to replicate her partner’s impossible flying trick.

But from what Swellow says, and from the sudden drop of the graph shown on the ergency earthquake service, it seems like they managed to stop it. Either Gym Leader Flannery did it with Chansey’s help, or Chansey did it all on her own, but they stopped the eruption.

But when he was up there, Swellow said didn't see Chansey.

“I’m sorry Ma’am. There are no healing pokemon working here right now. I’m afraid you’ll have to go to the hospital.” She says to the last of an uncountably many people with aches and bruises from the last surge of the volcano’s earthquake.

“Oh…” She says, apparently caught off guard. “When will they…”

“I’m not sure Ma’am. Could you please step aside?” She says, ignoring the sound of the ringing phone.

Physical patients take priority, and the ergency line hasn't lit up, so whoever it is will have to stay on hold.

Over and over, people co to the counter. But eventually it slows to a near stop, and after a certain point none co up asking for healing. Instead they ask for ‘news’ in vague terms as the room cycles through what they know about their situation in a perpetual loop Alia has heard over fifty tis in the half hour they’ve been here.

The shaking earth and the ever-thickening black smoke from Mt. Chimney had them leaving their hos. Just after the quake stopped they heard the crack of several sonic booms high overhead, the National Guard is here, they’ve taken over the police departnt. The hospital’s dical helicopter was seen flying up the volcano.

The person saying it changes every few minutes, but soone swears they overheard the soldiers talking about the volcano being unstable, or about to blow, or that they need to evacuate the town.

A different face with the sa expression asks the exact sa question in different words over and over again, and Alia falls deeper into her role with every nearly identical response.

She has a job to do, that’s all that matters right now.

It was the correct decision for her partner to leave her alone, to feel the earth rumble and to attempt to reassure the mob of people one step below panic even as she feels the heat of the volcano on her neck.

Her partner did not abandon her just as the Joy felt her world collapsing around her. The ‘mon left because she decided she was the most suitable to stop those people from killing–

Nurse Joy feels her smile twitch, then she suppresses it, pushing the chaotic storm down so deep she can convince herself she doesn't feel it.

She’s in the middle of saying the sa things to another person when she sees the priority line on the phone light up and she picks up the receiver in the middle of a word, connecting the call.

“Lavaridge pokecenter.” She states in perfectly smooth smiling tones.

“Er…” A male voice hesitates on the other end of the line. “Ok, I’ve got a bunch of chansey I need to hand over. Co down to the police station to pick them up.”

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Her partner, she needs–

“I’m sorry sir. I’m unable to leave the center at this ti.” Nurse Joy states in identical tones. “Would it be possible for them to co themselves? Under this state of ergency the use of the transfer machine is restricted.”

There’s a small pause.

“I dont… No, I dont think so Miss Joy. Orders are for us to release them to the local branch of the Joy clan, you’ll need to– wait what?” He cuts himself off, voice becoming more distant as he seems to be talking to soone on the other end of the line. “No, I'm on the phone with her right now. How did she…” Another silence, then his voice cos back again. “Nevermind Miss Joy, sorry for bothering you.”

With that the call ends and imdiately Nurse Joy hangs up the receiver and turns back to the person at the counter, continuing the syllable she’d stopped on without missing a beat.

So small part of her wonders what changed, but what little isn't drowned out by duty and ignored emotions isn't enough to think about much of anything.

She keeps working, now given enough ti to answer calls which are just asking the sa things as the people used to be at the counter. But they seem to have exhausted themselves, talking to each other with yet another repetition of the sa few facts.

Then the TV, which has been blaring the news at an uncomfortably loud volu above the din, has the anchor reading a press release from the governnt .

Nurse Joy tries to focus on it, but she can barely make out the words.

“...ough initially appearing as a natural volcanic event, it appears that at least so aspect of the recent geological and volcanic activity has been influenced or directed by the known criminal organization Team Magma. The representatives of our nation’s people and their advisors declare that those responsible have been apprehended. The imdiate risk has passed, and this state of ergency is to be concluded imdiately, more information will be provided as it becos apparent.”

The anchor continues, discussing eyewitness accounts and live interviews saying much of the sa stuff as she’s heard people talking about in the center.

But even as the newscast continues and the fact that they’re no longer in danger becos clear people do not leave. Instead they go for another round of their gossip, but this ti the tone is different, more relieved. There’s laughter, there’s people opening their bags and showing what they brought with them, describing their experiences as if their fear was so sort of managed experience, like a rollercoaster.

The phone stops ringing, leaving Nurse Joy to stand behind her counter completely still, a perfect smile locked on her face.

After an unknown amount of ti she sees a swellow drop down onto the counter, looking at her with a worried expre–

Nurse Joy gets to work, running down a basic wellness check to see if the pokecare machine is necessary. In less than ten seconds it’s clear that the only issue might be so muscle soreness and minor exhaustion, so she gives a calm smile at the ‘mon.

“You’re perfectly healthy.” She says perfectly, sliding him to the side. “Could you please move over? I need the counter clear for patients.”

The ‘mon steps over her nudging hand and chatters sothing she can't understand, to which she smiles and more firmly guides the ‘mon to the side.

“Thank you Swellow.”

She turns her attention back to the front, where the dual sliding glass doors lay shattered on the exterior concrete and the humid outside air brushes across her face, contrasting the cool of the air conditioning.

Her eyes don't turn to watch it happen, but she observes a few of the people crowding the center make their way out into the midday sun.

Then her eyes catch on a flash of pink, and for a mont sothing shifts deep inside the Joy, only for it to fall quiet again when she recognizes the wig and the woman wearing it.

Ambrette brushes her liar’s hair out of her eyes as she looks down at the shattered automatic doors in confusion, then their eyes et from across the hall and she gives a smile as she walks inside, a bandoller of pokeballs slung over her left shoulder.

“Well!” She says with a huff. “Wasnt this an exciting morning? Head Nurse told to pick up these pokeballs and call her when I get here. Any idea why the army has them?”

Nurse Joy doesn't blink, she doesn't answer either, the words spoken don't have anything to do with her duty so they’re discarded.

The pretender pauses at the lack of response, her smile disappearing as she looks closer.

“...Alia?”

Nurse Joy slowly blinks, looking sowhere approximate to the pretender’s eyes.

“Yes? How can I help?”

The pretender tilts her head slightly, her mouth flatting to a thin line.

“...Could you pass the phone and dial the hospital, extension five.”

Nurse Joy’s smile doesn't shift as she complies, the phone ringing even before the pretender even has it against her head.

The pretender starts talking, and as she does she puts the Joy’s belt full of pokeballs on the counter, and despite needing to face the front her eyes remain locked on one ball out of a ss of seemingly identical copies.

She doesn't know how that ball got into her hand, or why she’s struggling to look away from it.

She does know she’s brought out of this strange state by the sound of the pretender hanging up the phone, prompting Nurse Joy to first look at the phone then straight ahead to so distant point.

“Alia?” The fake joy says again, then makes an irritated grunt and continues. “Yea no. You’re in no state to be working right now. I’ll clock you out.”

A dim anger rises from within and Nurse Joy feels her smile twitch.

“...I’m not sure what you an Miss, I’m perfectly capable of conti–”

“Trainee Nurse Alia Joy,you are not working right now.” Ambrette states with uncompromising firmness. “I will see you tomorrow.”

Nurse Joy blinks, leaning back slightly in surprise as Ambrette walks behind the counter and grabs the ti sheet, signing her out before looking at her with a demanding expression.

For a mont that dim anger flares to sothing more solid, enough it makes her want to shout, to scream at this woman for telling her what to do with her fake hair pretending she has duty. She almost does.

Then the emotion collapses in on itself, leaving Nurse Joy feeling no different than when she started as she nods and calmly walks around the counter in smooth rolling steps and into the outside world.

She can feel the pokeball clutched tightly in her grip looking at her, watching her with so unidentifiable emotion as she moves.

At first she’s headed back toward the hotel, but at so point the thought of sitting in that room becos unbearable to think about so she makes a random turn and keeps going.

She doesn't rember much of where she walked or for how long, but after so amount of ti she realizes she’s near the wooden arch and ancient path to the shrine and keeps going, under the old wood and up the irregular cobbled steps.

Only when she steps through the matching arch at the top of the stairs does she slow to a stop, in the small clearing surrounded by old growth trees, untouched by the chaos of everything outside.

It’s quiet.

…For a mont Nurse Joy just stands there staring out at nothing as the quiet rustle of leaves is the only sound that exists outside of her own breathing.

Then she taps the aperture of the pokeball and a verylarge chansey appears in a flash of light.

The ‘mon looks down at her partner, and Alia looks back up.

She blinks her eyes a few tis as they blur, and suddenly a year’s worth of emotions hit her all at once.

Fearfights with relief, as does sha, as does anger, and joy, and horror, and hate, and love, and–

Alia hiccups, feeling herself start to wobble as she rubs tears away with a palm.

Her partner’s expression is understanding, nothing else, she’s not off balance, she’s not afraid, she’s not anything despite everything.

It’s like everything that’s happened today hasn't ant anything to her at all, like the volcano could have erupted and she would still just be standing there like nothing happened, an immovable object that would force everything else to move instead.

Solid.

Alia wobbles, then collapses forward into her friend’s bulk with a sob.