Goldenrod City, the biggest city in Johto. For a kid like James, the size of the de facto capital might be intimidating, but neither he nor Jen were fazed by the tremendous buildings and wide, bustling streets. James was eager to hit the Goldenrod City Gym as soon as possible, and Jen echoed that sentiment. Their first stop was naturally the Pokémon Centre, where they stopped to rest after their long trek up Route 34. As they entered the building, James headed for the counter while Jen looked for the trainer's area.
“Hello, and welcome to the Goldenrod Pokémon Centre.”
“Hi, Nurse Joy.” James paused, then continued. “Could you tell me if a trainer named Hunter passed through here?” James hadn't seen his rival since Azalea, and was curious to know whether he had made it to Goldenrod safely. When Nurse Joy answered affirmatively, James smiled and went to find Jen. She was waiting at the entrance to the trainers' lounge, and they looked for a quiet spot to take a breather.
“Man, that trip took forever,” Jen gasped as they sat down in the corner of the lounge. “Even without the stopover at the Daycare, that route takes a lot out of you.”
“You think that was bad? Just wait 'till we head further north, the trip gets even harder.” James took a big gulp of water from his canteen before he continued. “So, do you want to battle the Gym first? You took down Bugsy on your first shot, so if you go first, I'll be the only one delaying us if I lose.”
“I think you should battle first, since I did last time. I'm not going to let you be the gentleman every time, James.” James grinned at this and turned to Quilava, who was lying on his stomach next to James' chair.
“You ready to take on the Goldenrod Gym, buddy?” Quilava nodded, but James noticed that something was obviously amiss. The Volcano Pokémon didn't seem to have the same energy he usually did. His eyelids were drooping, and his movements had slowed since they'd arrived.
“Is Quilava okay?” Jen asked, looking at the Fire-type. “He looks tired out.”
“Maybe I should take him to Nurse Joy,” James said, and he led his starter Pokémon over to the main counter.
“Hello again, young man. ” Nurse Joy said cheerfully. “How may I help you?”
“Nurse Joy, can you do a quick check on my Quilava? He doesn't look so good.”
“Certainly. Quilava, could you please follow me?” Quilava growled weakly and did his best to comply, but collapsed halfway to the examination room. As James cried out and ran over to his friend, Nurse Joy sprang into action. “This isn't good! Chansey, I need a stretcher for a mid-sized Fire-type Pokémon, stat!” The pink assistant Pokémon behind the desk rushed to help, while James looked at Nurse Joy frantically.
“What's wrong with Quilava, Nurse Joy?”
“I don't know, James. We can't know until we can conduct a closer examination. It could be serious, or it could just be extreme fatigue. Don't worry,” she added calmly as James' expression became even more terrified. “Your Quilava is in good hands. Leave everything to Chansey and me.” James nodded, but was unconvinced. This was the second time he'd had to watch his buddy go through something like this, and it was just as bad as the first.
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“James, what happened?” Jen asked as James walked back into the lounge. “You look like you did when you fought that Kabutops.”
“Quilava's not doing so well.” James answered simply, trying to hold back his tears. “Nurse Joy is taking care of him, but it's hard to see your best friend—best non-human friend, that is—get wheeled into a hospital room again.”
“Hey, Nurse Joy will have him up and firing again, no problem!” Jen said reassuringly. “It's not your fault, these things happen. I remember how upset my neighbor in Snowpoint was when her Pokémon got sick. But that's what Nurse Joy and the Pokémon Centre is for. He'll be fine.” James sat down and shut his eyes, not convinced in the least. They sat there for a good fifteen minutes, then Nurse Joy reappeared, her expression calm.
“James, your Quilava is going to be fine. We've run a few tests, and he's simply got a chill that sometimes manifests in Fire-type Pokémon, so it's not as serious as it could have been. All he needs is a good night's rest. I do have to ask you a couple of questions so we can figure out what brought it on.”
“Sure,” James said, wondering what could've caused his friend to suddenly drop like that. Nurse Joy took out a notepad and jotted something down before turning back to him.
“Okay. First off, how long has it been since Quilava evolved from the Cyndaquil stage?”
“A few weeks, I think. He evolved back in Azalea Town during a Gym Battle. He was pretty banged up towards the end, but according to the Azalea Gym Leader the fighting caused a surge of energy that made him evolve. But what does that have to do with it?”
“Well, the amount of energy required to trigger the evolution process is fairly substantial.” Joy explained, writing James' answer on the pad. “The first few weeks after evolution can be fairly stressful for some Pokémon, since they have to come to terms with a new form and sometimes new drawbacks. Have you done any heavy battling since that time?”
“No,” he answered. “We've been training on the move, but I haven't battled anyone since the Azalea Gym.”
“So no major battling since evolution. Alright.” Nurse Joy took a few more notes, then continued. “Now, has Quilava ever gone through any major physical or emotional trauma?” When James looked confused, she clarified it for him. “Has he ever been seriously injured in battle, meaning beyond simply being knocked out?”
“Yeah,” James said slowly. “We fought a Kabutops while he was still a Cyndaquil, and he got cut up pretty badly. He was fine after he got treatment, though.”
“Alright,” Joy wrote something else down on the notepad. “Okay, now that I have this information, I'll run a few checks and come back in a few minutes.” James nodded, and turned to Jen.
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“D'you think it's serious, then?” Jen shrugged.
“It doesn't sound that bad. I mean, if the evolution's causing him trouble, he just needs to get used to things. If something were seriously wrong, Nurse Joy would've told us.”
“I guess,” James answered. Just then, Nurse Joy reappeared, still calm as ever.
“Okay, now, from the tests I just ran, I can tell you that Quilava's recent evolution likely contributed to his illness. I believe that the surge of energy that allowed him to evolve caused his body to go into something of an imbalance. In other words, his body is feeling the latent after-effects of that energy surge, and that has manifested itself as his current illness. It's a good thing you were here, or he might have been in trouble. You're lucky it didn't happen on the road or during a battle.”
“I'll say,” James murmured. “But what does the battle with Kabutops have to do with it? That was a while ago now.”
“I can't say for sure, but the lingering psychological damage from the battle could have contributed to the energy imbalance. In this case I don't think it makes a difference. I was simply testing a theory involving past injuries and their effects on the evolution process.”
“Okay,” James said quietly, confused but happy that Quilava was going to be okay. “So what do you suggest?”
“Well, Quilava is going to have to spend the rest of today and tonight in the treatment room. These illnesses tend to pass within a day or two, but we can have him up and running by tomorrow. I would, however, recommend letting him rest for a few days. I'm assuming you two are traveling a lot, so the constant activity may be affecting him.”
“If that's the case, maybe we shouldn't move so quickly,” Jen said, looking at James. “We have been going at an insanely fast pace, and it might be better if we stick around in a town for longer than we normally do.”
“I would definitely recommend that. Now, you're planning on challenging the Goldenrod Gym at some point, right?” When James nodded, she continued. “If I were you, I would let Quilava sit this battle out. He may get over his illness quickly, but throwing him right back into battle will almost certainly make things worse.” James sighed; there went his plans for the Goldenrod Gym. Jen saw this and tried to cheer him up.
“Don't worry, James. You've got four other Pokémon with you, so Quilava can rest up for the next one!”
“I know, but...” James hated the idea of sitting Quilava. If there was one thing Quilava loved to do more than anything, it was participating in a Pokémon battle. But Nurse Joy knew better than he did, so he had to accept it.
“He'll be fine, trust me.” Nurse Joy reassured him. “For now, we can let him rest, and I'll bring him back out tomorrow morning. He's safe with us.” James thanked the Pokémon Nurse, and Joy bowed to them before heading back to treat Quilava.
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“If Quilava's gonna sit for the next match, I have to figure out who to use in his place,” James said half an hour later as he and Jen walked to the Centre's training area. “If it's a standard three on three, I have the numbers, but my strategy has to change.”
“Well, I can help you.” Jen answered as they found a small area to practice in. “I've already got something of a strategy planned, but I need to work in my two new Pokémon. Come on out, everybody!” She tossed her five Pokéballs into the air, and they released their occupants with a snap. Magby and Togepi stood close to one another, waiting for their trainer's orders. Zubat flitted from one end of the lineup to the other, and Pichu hid behind Elekid, still unused to her new teammates.
“Okay, I'd better let my team out too.” James released his four Pokémon; Pidgey instantly began looking for Quilava, while Geodude folded his arms and Gastly yawned. His Elekid moved to shock somebody, but Geodude rolled in front of him and sternly told the Electric Pokémon to stop. “Alright, guys, we've got a Gym battle soon, so I need to pick a lineup. Quilava's not feeling well, so he's out, but that means the rest of you get to step up and battle. Are you guys ready to go?” The team called out affirmatives, and James grinned. “Alright, let's get to it!”
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James' team worked hard trying to earn their spot in the next battle. Jen's did similarly, but she spent more of her time integrating Pichu and Elekid to her squad, which wasn't easy due to Pichu's timidity and Elekid's aggressive nature. The hours passed, and eventually James turned to Jen with a confident look on his face.
“Hey, Jen, why don't we have a practice battle? I've got a tentative lineup set, so I want to see how at least one of my Pokémon fares.”
“Okay,” Jen called over Magby, who looked eager to battle. “Magby, we're going to have a quick battle, are you up for it?” Magby nodded with a smile; she was always ready for a match. “Okay, Magby's my choice.”
“Alright, I'll send out Elekid. He's a newcomer, but I'm going to put his skills to use.” Magby and Elekid faced each other, with Elekid stifling a laugh. Magby chirped at him, but Elekid ignored her. “Elekid, knock it off. This is your chance to become a true part of the team.”
“Let's get going already!” Jen called out. “We're burning daylight over here!”
“Alright, fine! Elekid, use Quick Attack!” The Electric-type crashed into Magby, who stood firm.
“Magby, Fire Punch!” Magby's fist caught fire as she swung at Elekid, but her fist was met by her opponent's own attack. “Hey, watch out for that Brick Break!”
“Elekid, go after it!” Elekid and Magby kept trading strikes, with neither managing to put the other away. Eventually, though, Elekid's body caught fire after one strike, and James groaned.
“Alright, it's burned, Magby! Take it down!” Magby's Fire Punch hit the mark, and Elekid lay dazed and beaten.
“Elekid!” James was annoyed at the defeat, but confident nonetheless. “That was quick. Man, we may have lost, but I'm impressed! That Brick Break is going to surprise a lot of people.”
“It sure will. I read that the Goldenrod Gym Leader uses Normal-types, so a Fighting-type attack like that is going to be important.”
“Yeah,” James turned to the rest of the team, who waited patiently for instructions. “Okay, guys, I think I have a team worked out. Elekid's in because of Brick Break, and Geodude, you're in because of your resistance to Normal-type moves.” Geodude nodded and rolled into a wider space, which caused James to raise an eyebrow. “Okay then. Pidgey, you're going to have to battle, since Gastly's Ghost-type moves won't cause any damage.” Gastly yawned happily; he'd have rather taken a nap anyway. “Hey, don't think you're off the hook. You'll be in a battle soon.” The lazy Gas Pokémon just yawned again and floated down to the ground, eager to get some sleep.
“Looks like you've got a strong lineup.” Jen looked at Geodude, who was now curled up with his eyes closed. “Hey, James, look at Geodude. He looks like he wants to take a nap too.”
“Then let him take a nap. The gang's been training hard, they need their rest.” As he finished this statement, Geodude opened his eyes and his body turned a harsh white. “Wait a minute! That's...!”
“It's evolving.” Jen couldn't believe it. The Rock Pokémon hadn't shown any outward signs of being ready to evolve, but had always just sat there, calm and stoic. “Let's hope he doesn't end up like Quilava.”
“He won't.” James had to convince himself of this; he didn't want his whole team falling ill because of an evolution.
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Geodude's body grew immensely, and the first thing James noticed was the appearance of two short legs. Two extra arms appeared near his chest, and his rocky skin transformed into what looked like scales. His narrow eyes remained as calm as ever, and he curled up into his preferred ball as soon as the process finished.
“Wow. He evolved into Graveler.” James took out his Pokédex to scan his newly-evolved team member.
“Graveler, the Rock Pokémon and the evolved form of Geodude. Its preferred method of locomotion is rolling rather than walking, and its body is covered with jagged, rocky scales.”
“How cool!” Jen knew that an evolved Rock-type would really put James over the edge. “Now you're in perfect position to challenge the Gym!”
“I may be, but I think you should battle first.” James told her. “With everything that's happened, I'm going to need to sit back for a bit.”
“Alright then,” Jen answered, and they recalled their Pokémon before heading back into the Pokémon Centre.