Nurse Joy led the way into a side room that looked very similar to the work-out room I had been earlier, just without the actual equipment in this room. It was a room with a similarly matted floor, and had a wall-sized mirror on one wall, but otherwise was completely empty. What did they do in here, yoga classes? I guess even Pokémon can work on their flexibility, right? At least that would be one class I wouldn't need to take, I'm pretty sure I have flexibility down just fine.

"Alright, Ditto. Go ahead and transform, and demonstrate a move in each form. It doesn't need to be an attacking move, supporting moves are just fine. If you have to use an offensive move, please restrain yourself... and don't aim it at the mirror." Nurse Joy added the last with a small laugh that sounded as if she was making a joke, but the firm stare that accompanied it seemed quite serious. I nodded my head in agreement, and she waved a hand at me to indicate I should proceed.

I let the energy course through me, the white light enveloping my form again as I shifted into the Scyther's form. The big, scarred carapace formed rapidly, arms extending out into the signature bladed appendages. Once the shift finished, I pushed energy across the blades, scraping them against one another with a rhythmic pacing. I moved back and forth in short, quick steps on the spot, driven by the instincts of the move, performing a Swords Dance that was more of an awkward shuffle than a proper dance. It had the intended effect, however, and the blades gleamed under the enhancement.

Nurse Joy nodded, and I dropped the form and shifted again. Pidgey, and a Gust of wind swirling aimlessly around the room briefly. Still going strong and feeling good, without strain. The third transformation was slightly slower, turning into a Caterpie and launching a String Shot up at the ceiling, dangling from the taut line briefly. I hadn't really laid out a plan of what I was going to transform into beyond the first two, so I was just sort of winging it on impulse.

Lacking any better idea, I transformed once more from Caterpie and into Metapod. The energy felt more draining for this shift, but there wasn't a proper sensation of pain. It just had a vague ache, like the sensation you got in your muscles the morning after you did a lot of physical activity. At least I transformed into a Pokémon that didn't really move much, so all I had to do next was push a sheen of energy over my cocoon body and Harden my carapace.

At this point, nurse Joy was actually looking a little surprised, but I felt like I had at least one more transformation in me if I tried my best to cheat just a little. I transformed from Metapod into Kakuna, which barely required me to change my body type from one cocoon to another. I even recycled the same move again, another Harden weakly reinforcing my now-yellow carapace. If I had a mouth in this form, I would be panting. This was an entirely different sense of exhaustion. I've experienced holding a form for too long and releasing the transformation from the strain, but this was almost the opposite sensation. My body felt vaguely fuzzy and... unstable? Unsteady? Like it wanted me to settle down and remain in a form for a bit.

Accepting that and my rising sensation of weariness as appropriate warning signals, I let the transformation drop completely and turned back to normal. My body felt like it was buzzing, or like I was on pins and needles. You know, that odd sensation of not-quite numbness when your limb fell asleep... except it was covering the entirety of my body.

Audino gave me a polite, moderate clapping while nurse Joy marked something down on the clipboard she had taken from the other Pokémon. "Five is actually a very good start for a newly registered battling Pokémon! We recommend reaching at least three before admitting Ditto as battle-ready, so you're well above that benchmark." Nurse Joy's voice was vaguely complimentary as she clipped the pen back onto the clipboard.

Mable stood by the side and flashed me a smile and a thumbs up, seeming to not want to interrupt the nurse. Nurse Joy took a step back toward the door, "Now we just need to wrap up a physical examination and we can finalize your admission to Miss Mason's team. This way, please." I bounded along and tried to display more energy than I was really feeling like I had at the moment. The main thing keeping me going was that this was the last thing before I could go home.

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The physical was relatively painless, and before I knew it I was back with Mable and we were on our way out. I waved to nurse Joy and Audino, "We hope to see you again soon!" The cheery tones of nurse Joy rang out as we turned to leave, and Audino chimed in afterward, "Don't be a stranger! I'm sure you'll get the chance to come back and see me after you get yourself beat up!"

I rolled my eyes, huffing a grumpy sigh, "Thanks for the vote of confidence! I'm sure you'll find some other Pokémon to harass!" I retorted, sticking my tongue out at her through the glass of the closing sliding doors of the Pokémon Center. Thankfully, the storm had lessened to a mere moderate rain with the clouds no longer looking as ominous.

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Mable noted the expression I was making as she opened an umbrella and hoisted it up over her head, "Oh, come on now, I'm sure it couldn't have been that bad. It's never a good idea to get on bad terms with the caretaker Pokémon at the Centers!" She chided gently, and I rolled my arms in the best shrug I could manage. "Ready to go home?"

"I thought you'd never ask! Absolutely!" 'Dit-Ditto DITTO.' It was just a 'quick' trip, but with everything that had happened, I felt like I had been in that Pokémon Center for weeks, now. I'm going to get home, and the first thing I want to do is find the Bidoof gang and join in their huge nap-pile for a few hours.

It was a short stroll to where Mable had parked her truck, and I hopped back up onto the passenger seat's headrest and latched on as it came to life with a slow rumble. Driving along the road back, we didn't see much traffic all the way until we turned back off to the dirt side-road that led to the pasture. It was more of a mud road at this point, but thankfully it didn't appear to have flooded out.

Mable parked the truck in the garage, and plucked me up out of my seat a moment afterward. "Let me carry you in. I don't want you tracking mud all through the house." She had a point, so I let myself just go limp and be carried. I was getting better about not tensing up when I was carried about, so I guess I was getting used to it. You can adapt to anything as long as it happens enough times, after all.

"Bibi, we're home!" Mable called out as we came in the front door, shaking her umbrella and setting it near the entryway. Afterward, she lowered me down to the ground, and I bounced off to one side out of the way.

I heard a slow shuffling in the next room over before Bibarel wandered into the hall, wearing his usual big, goofy buck-toothed grin. "So, I hear that you had a little bit of fun at the Pokémon Center, huh?" He sounded like he was teasing me about it, and I nodded in vehement agreement.

"Like you wouldn't believe. It was crazy... and so were a few of the Pokémon I ran into over there! This Sandshrew I met in the gym, he didn't speak at all, and..." I meandered into the next room, chattering with the friendly beaver Pokémon about my experiences. He was an appreciative audience, looking suitably impressed at the retelling of the battle with the Galvantula and laughing at the teasing of Audino even though I tried my best to gloss over it.

"I hope you're prepared to repeat that story, as I'm pretty sure that there's a few interested. The younger Bidoof that you sparred with the other day and your Pidgey friend, at the least! Any of the other battle-enthusiastic Pokémon might want to hear about it, too." He remarked in a friendly way, but I suddenly had a realization and my mood almost immediately shifted into one of worry.

A lot of things sort of just... happened that I hadn't really expected. I went with the flow on a few things, but now that I thought about it... I needed to have a discussion with Pidgey! I hadn't really spoken to her since the whole forest fiasco, because one thing led to another, and I got so focused in on finding a way into the Pokémon Center, and then agreeing to let Mable be my trainer.

I hoped that she would handle the revelation well, considering that we had made some plans to try and do things on our own. But to be completely honest... when Mable put me on the spot, I didn't feel like I had been able to tell her 'no'. I didn't regret the decision, because I still felt like Mable was probably the kindest, most understanding trainer I was likely to be able to find. We just meshed well with each other.

But it also clashed with how I had planned to try and find a way to go on an adventure with Pidgey... unless she was willing to become one of Mable's Pokémon as well. The problem was, she had always seemed to lean toward being wild and free, doing things on her own and following after her mother's footsteps. Whatever she wanted to do, I wasn't going to try and pressure her into agreeing to be one of Mable's Pokémon. I'd be happy to have a teammate that I had chemistry with and had experience battling alongside, but only if she made the decision to get on board with it herself. The last thing I want is for her to wind up regretting it later on.

Bibarel noticed the pause in my speech and the rather worried expression I had slipped into, and waved a hand in front of my face to jar me from my lapse of action. "You alright there, Ditto? You just sort of went quiet on me."

I flashed an uneasy smile, trying to regain my earlier demeanor of just being happy to be home. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Speaking of the others, though, have you seen Pidgey around? I want to talk to her and tell her what's going on first!"

Bibarel shook his head, releasing a slow yawn. "I haven't really been out much, because of the rain. We all sort of hunker down when the weather is bad. All the Pidgey and Fletchlings are likely in their nests in the back of the pasture, in the wooded area. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if most of them are just sleeping the bad morning off. If the sky doesn't clear up sooner, your best bet is just to wait until lunch. Everyone will come around to eat, one way or another."

I nodded my head in agreement. It wasn't like this was a particularly pressing conversation. Well, it was, and it was important, but it wasn't urgent. It can wait until lunch. Besides, that will give me some time to unwind and get my thoughts in order. "Yeah, you're right. Well, when it gets to be around lunch time, just get my attention and I'll help set-up and sort berries again or something. I have to make up for slacking and not helping the past few days!"

"You just want to get back at those Oran berries as soon as possible, don't you?"

"Not at all, I just want to help. Purely out of the kindness of my heart."

"Are you sure it's not the kindness of your stomach?"

"Don't you have Bidoof to watch or something?"

It was good to be home.