This was probably the first time these Pokémon had ever experienced what it was like to soar through the sky. At first, they huddled around Whimsicott, nervously looking around and terrified of falling.
Altaria was considerate enough to fly slowly and smoothly, though, so they gradually grew braver. With their companions nearby for protection, they started making their way toward the edge of Altaria's body to peek down.
One glance was enough to make them tremble.
Yet after trembling for a while, they couldn't resist taking another look.
They were the definition of scared out of their wits, but far too curious to stop.
By the time they returned to the area around the Pokémon Center, the ship carrying the Pokémon League's construction supplies had already departed. With everyone who had come to inspect the island gone, the place had settled back into its usual quiet.
Whimsicott and the others jumped down from Altaria's back and looked around curiously, only to discover that a whole group of Pokémon was watching them with equal curiosity.
"You caught all of them?" Mai asked in surprise.
Luther had never been the type to catch Pokémon on a whim. The fact that nearly ten Pokémon had followed him back was honestly hard to believe.
Luther briefly explained what had happened. Mai glanced at the Shiny Whimsicott and the group of little Pokémon standing awkwardly behind her, then quickly signaled Chansey, who was still helping prepare dinner, to cook extra food.
While the local Pokémon got acquainted with Whimsicott and the newcomers, Luther headed toward the Pokémon Center, which was still under renovation. He planned to invite Joy over for dinner.
There weren't many people on the island at the moment, and since they were going to be living together, it made sense to get to know each other better.
Luther had assumed Joy wouldn't have much to do now that the Pokémon Center was under construction and night had fallen.
He was wrong.
When he arrived, Joy was surrounded by several Bug-type Pokémon.
As he drew closer, he saw her holding a medical kit and pulling out various little tools to treat a Spinarak's injuries.
A Kricketune at the front noticed Luther and instinctively stepped in front of Joy and the other Bug-types. Only after Joy gently patted him aside did Kricketune finally lower his guard.
Luther kept his distance and waited for Joy to finish her work.
Once she sprayed the Spinarak's wounds with a healing spray and secured them with a carefully cut bandage, Joy gently patted Spinarak on the head and set him down.
Spinarak cautiously shifted his weight. The injured leg still felt a little stiff, but that didn't stop him from happily spinning around in circles.
Kricketune grabbed Spinarak, placed a pile of Berries in front of Joy, and waved goodbye before quickly leading the group off into the darkness.
"Is that the medical bill?" Luther asked curiously as Joy picked up the Berries scattered across the ground.
Joy casually selected one that looked particularly tasty, wiped it clean, and popped it into her mouth. She tossed another one over to Luther.
"Pretty interesting, isn't it?" Joy said with a smile. "When we first started building this Pokémon Center, a Staravia that got hurt in a fight collapsed nearby. I carried it inside and patched it up."
"Once Staravia recovered, it quietly left without a word. I had almost forgotten about it until one day it came back with a few Berries for me."
"After that, word seemed to spread among the Pokémon on this island and the nearby ones. Somehow, they've even accepted it as an unspoken rule..."
Joy packed up the Berries and motioned for Luther to follow her.
Inside the under-construction Pokémon Center, Joy handed him a daily work log.
While Joy stored the Berries in the refrigerator, Luther flipped through the unusual records.
"Sentret - tail injured by a blunt object. Treatment: one week. Payment: two Lum Berries."
"Beedrill - suspected injury from a fight over a mate. Multiple wing wounds. Rested for half a month. Payment: one expired canned food item of unknown origin."
"Hoothoot - inexplicably fell headfirst from a tree in front of the Pokémon Center. Treatment: one day. Payment: one Hoothoot feather."
"Zigzagoon - ate too much and couldn't move. Stomachache. Treatment: half a day. Payment: two Pecha Berries."
"Chinchou - bite marks from sharp teeth, suspected attack by a large Water-type Pokémon. Treatment: two weeks. Payment: one high-end fishing rod."
Luther rubbed his head and pointed at the entry for the expensive fishing rod.
His expression clearly said, 'Seriously?'
Joy caught his drift immediately. She went to the Pokémon Center's storage room and brought back an almost brand-new fishing rod.
It was real.
Luther had no idea where Chinchou had even found it. It was a complete mystery.
It was quite an amusing log. Since Joy rarely dealt with Pokémon Trainers here, she recorded everything in a very casual, laid-back way.
According to Joy, her routine was pretty simple. She would wake up, open the Pokémon Center, use the weak signal to check what was happening in the outside world, and then spend time playing with her own Pokémon before exploring the nearby forest.
If a Pokémon came asking for help, that was when she switched into work mode.
Her life here was certainly isolated, but Joy was actually quite happy with it.
When she was first assigned to the island, she had been a bit down. Although it wasn't far from Lily of the Valley Island, she could go an entire day without seeing anyone other than Aoi Nanjo. All the moves and techniques she had learned went completely unused, leaving her rather bored.
But after the day she treated Staravia, her island life gradually became much more fulfilling.
She got to interact with all kinds of Pokémon, watch their happy faces after they recovered, and receive bizarre gifts they had scavenged from who-knows-where.
"I feel like I've finally found my purpose," Joy said. "There are plenty of doctors who treat Trainers' Pokémon, but not many who serve wild Pokémon. This is an experience most people never get to have."
Luther had originally come just to invite Joy to dinner, but their conversation gave him a real insight into why she chose to stay on the island.
In a way, they had grown a little closer without even realizing it.
Joy didn't turn down Luther's invitation. She usually ate dinner by herself anyway, so sharing a meal with others was a welcome change of pace.
Luther was about to go look for Aoi Nanjo as well, but Joy immediately let him know that nobody was at the Power Plant right now.
"Here's a little trick," Joy said. "If Aoi is at the Power Plant, those two Magneton won't be outside the entrance. Whenever she leaves, she has them patrol the perimeter."
Following Joy's gesture, Luther indeed spotted the two Magneton patrolling back and forth around the Power Plant in the dark.
Ever since Aoi Nanjo was defeated by Cynthia that day, Luther hadn't seen her around.
"She didn't completely lose heart after Cynthia beat her, did she?" Luther asked, a bit worried. "She shouldn't be that fragile."
After all, anyone who challenged Cynthia ought to have been prepared for that outcome.
(End of Chapter)
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