Chapter 4 - Emergency Room

“The fuck are you doing?” Surge growled, though Celeste didn’t turn back to him right away. “Trooper—fuck. Can you strike it and avoid her?”

She turned at that. Hastily, and startling the Machop. Damn. She’d almost got through to him.

“Don’t attack!” Celeste asked, her eyes moving pleadingly for Aria to do something. Her Eevee answered with a distressed nod to Raichu. For once, Aria was being reasonable and not overestimating her skill level. Not a good time for caution, Celeste needed time. She took a deep breath and figured it was best to refocus on Surge. “Please, don’t attack them.”

Raichu hesitated, while Surge continued to swear under his breath, his fingers twitching towards another Pokéball on his belt. “Aria…!” Celeste’s plea was urgent, yet Surge seemed oblivious to her glance towards his hip as she spoke.

You don’t always need to be the stronger in order to win. Just be clever enough.

Aria gathered energy beneath her heels and launched into a Quick Attack. Not targeting Golem, Machop, or even Raichu, but Surge himself. The move caught him off-guard, and he tumbled backwards, momentarily stunned. That pause allowed Aria to snatch his belt away.

“Sorry,” Celeste whispered, receiving only silence in return. Oddly, Surge’s Raichu simply crossed his arms and watched, as if amused.

This was an opportunity. They were both rewarding her folly with a chance for her to do whatever it was she had planned. Celeste steadied and approached the Machop again. It had left its spot, but it wasn’t running to aid the fallen Golem. Instead, it was rummaging through a pile of boxes, searching for something.

Cautiously, Celeste removed a crate from the top. They were heavy, and it was hard with her cast, but she managed, placing it on the ground beside her. The Fighting-Type crooked its neck to her, confused.

Maybe Celeste was confused, too. But seeing the medicine, the berries and the worry in both Machop’s and Golem’s faces when things fell apart gave her an inkling of what was going on.

“Your friend’s underneath this, right?” she asked softly. Machop’s eyes widened, though it remained silent. “They need our help, don’t they? Let us help.”

Turning back, she reached for another box, which wobbled in her grasp before stabilising—not through her effort, but with the help of short, rocky arms. A smile spread across her face as she looked up at Golem, who returned the gesture. They shared a brief, warm moment before it resumed removing boxes, urging Celeste to continue as well.

Surge didn’t offer his help, but he rushed over when Celeste gasped. Among the crates lay a Geodude, barely unconscious, with its body marred by deep cracks.

“Shit…” Surge whispered when he got to Celeste’s side. “This… can’t have happened just now.”

“I figured,” she murmured. He gave her an inquisitive look, so she clarified. “They were only stealing medicine, food… We should’ve realised sooner they were trying to help a sick friend.”

When Machop tried to ease Geodude to some place more comfortable, it groaned in pain and stirred. Its voice was low and weak, and as it moved, the cracks it bore came into full view. The rock on top of its head seemed badly sanded, with an uneven coarseness. The cracks themselves were many. Some ran deep, across its forehead and through one of its eyes, while others were shallower and had remnants of scrap jutting out. Geodude groaned again, weakly trying to lift itself this time. Some of its fingers were missing. It barely got to a foot up before collapsing back on its arms.

“It’s like someone thrown it in a blender.” Surge was quiet. Respectful, but detached. Fitting for a soldier, though not so much for a Gym Trainer. But then, he was both. His expression conveyed a familiarity with hurt, adding weight to his next observation. “This looks serious.”

Golem attempted to feed Geodude a berry, but even that was too overwhelming for the injured Rock-Type. Its head moved as it attempted to chew and swallow, but instead, the food rolled out of its mouth.

“We gotta help,” Celeste declared, looking from Aria to Surge. Her Eevee still held the Private’s Pokéballs in her mouth, which Celeste quickly retrieved and returned to him as a gesture of unity. “How will we help?” she asked, firm.

His gaze drifted towards Geodude, and he shook his head. “Rook—Celeste—I think…” he stumbled over his words, obviously uneasy with this sort of conversation. “Pokémon Centres aren’t miracle workers,” he said bluntly.

She looked at the Pokémon again. Geodude had its eyes closed now. Of course, Pokémon Centres can do miracles. They are Pokémon Centres. They have… magic? Technology? Whatever it was, that’s what they were there for: to cure. That included the big wounds and the scrapes. Surely, regenerating a few fingers and mending cracks wouldn’t be beyond the skills of a competent Nurse Joy.

Surge placed his hand on her shoulder. This time his hands were heavy and warm, and she could swear some of the hair on the back of her neck was standing up as if he had static in himself.

“We better go,” he grunted.

“What!? We need to—” Celeste brushed his hand off. “No,” she countered. “We’re not leaving them. We… we can take Geodude to the Centre.”

A weariness clouded Surge’s eyes as he slowly shook his head. “Moving it might cause more harm. It’s better for it to stay in a familiar place… with friends, when the time comes.”

Celeste felt her breathing quicken, her heart racing. Memories of Mount Lanakila flashed through her mind, the drops of red in the fresh snow. No. No no no. She couldn’t stand by and watch another Pokémon suffer.

“A Pokéball,” Celeste whispered, fumbling to find an empty one in her pockets. “We can use a Pokéball,” she insisted, but there were none on her. The ones she’d bought were with in the bag that had been stolen. She scanned the area. Those bags had to be there. She began sifting through the nearby boxes and shelves—

Surge’s hand found her shoulder again. She was about to yell at him, but there was a Pokéball in his other hand.

“I don’t think this is a good idea.” Was all he said.

“Then we call Nurse Joy here,” Celeste reached for the Pokéball, but Surge’s grip tightened around it.

“I doubt she’d make it in time.” His voice rung low. “This… It’s my responsibility. I’ll catch it. Just make sure…”

He trailed off, leaving his request unfinished. Make sure of what? Celeste followed his gaze to Golem and Machop. Did he mean to make sure catching Geodude was okay? Her eyes flickered to the corner where Raichu stood and down to her Eevee, who was pulling at her jeans. She sighed deeply and approached the Pokémon.

“We want to take Geodude to a Pokémon Centre,” Celeste told the other two, figuring she should be direct and not waste precious time. They exchanged a wary look. Surge joined her, kneeling and showing them the Pokéball but remaining silent. His discomfort did little to gain their trust.

“Aria, help me out,” she prompted her Eevee, hoping to reassure them. Was reassurance even possible at this point?

Aria was also awkward and hesitant. Maybe she agreed with Surge about this being a bad idea. Still, she talked. The Eevee spoke in long bouts of words Celeste couldn’t understand. She might have been unsure, but she was also earnest. Initially suspicious, Golem’s and Machop’s expressions softened, eventually showing a mixture of trust and respect that left Celeste flustered.

Finally, her Eevee nodded to Surge, who gently tapped the Pokéball against Geodude. In a flash of red light, the injured Pokémon was encapsulated, the ball clicking shut without a single shake.

“That’s it,” Surge announced, rising. “Let’s head out. We’ll keep them updated—”

He stopped mid-sentence.

Golem and Machop had positioned themselves behind Celeste, ready to accompany them.

Surge stared, mouth agape.

“They don’t need Pokéballs to enter the Centre’s waiting room, do they?”

—*——*—

Waiting rooms are such strange spaces. They exist as a limbo between one place and the next, filled with a whole lot of nothing. Entire rooms designed for nothing. Weird.

Celeste yawned, shifting in her seat. Powder was napping in her lap, mostly unharmed from Golem’s Rock Throw. She just needed rest. Aria cuddled close by, snuggling with the Vulpix. That was usual for her Pokémon. What was not was for them to have company.

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It was Machop who sought her first. He (she’d found out they were all boys) was shy, and unsure, simply climbing on the bench by her side and staring at his feet. He inched closer, and then a little more, as she opened her arms for him to snuggle. When she noticed his tears, she held him tighter. Golem, less hesitant, settled at her feet, curling up into the ball he was in and resting his head on her calves.

Like that, the hours passed slowly.

At some point, Surge left and came back with pancakes and a Chansey came by to check on everyone. Later in the afternoon they all watched in silence as a boy with a Grimer argued with a doctor. Celeste shuddered at the sight. Poison-Types always gave her the jitters.

As the sun dipped lower, Celeste drifted off. When she dreamt, she saw Geodude.

In her dreams, Geodude was strong. Beautiful and whole. There were no cracks in his body, and when he battled, he warded off all attacks with a flicker of his wrist. He didn’t want to fight, though; he wanted to dance. She watched him spin and leap among white, hourglass-shaped flowers, using his large hands to flip with the flair of a ballerina.

Celeste giggled at the sigh. “I thought you’d be fighting,” she said.

“Am I not?” he answered, and his voice was funny.

“I suppose you are,” Celeste nodded. “How do I become a fighter like you?”

“By dancing,” he replied, pulling her in. As they spun, the world turned a shade of green. Laughter filled the air, and the flowers bloomed musically.

“Will you let go, Celeste?” he asked after a while.

She paused, their hands still joined. “Should I?”

The green sun turned brighter. Geodude never answered. His fingers over hers broke apart. His entire body cracked again, and it sounded like thunder. She tried to hold on. I’m not letting go. The words caught in her throat, so she tried again.

“I’m not—”

Celeste awoke breathless to Aria’s Tackle. Typical. Their eyes met, and she saw some urgency in her Pokémon’s gaze. Surge and Golem were in a serious discussion with Nurse Joy. Her heart sank.

“Breathe, rookie,” Surge said, noticing her. “He’ll pull through.”

Relief washed over her and her smile grew until noticed she was the only one smiling. Why was she the only one smiling?

No one bothered answering her. Nurse Joy patted the Golem but called Surge’s attention again. “Shall I register them as the Gym’s?”

Surge took a moment. “Machop and Golem, yes. Geodude… goes on my personal team.”

The Nurse frowned, surprised by the decision. “Like I told you, he can’t fight.”

“So it makes no sense giving him to the Gym.”

The answer satisfied Joy. She jolted down some words on her clipboard and left. Only then Surge gave Celeste some attention.

He explained the doctors theorised Geodude was already weak when he suffered some accident that left him with those cracks, likely on that construction site. Machop and Golem weren’t much help with clarifying the details, but it didn’t matter. The damage the Rock-Type took was internal and severe, and that Nurse Joy told them it was a miracle they could stabilise him. However, likely due to their delayed action, there was only so much they could do. Geodude’s movements would be impaired for life, and he was unlikely to ever evolve, as that required too much energy.

“Damn…” Celeste sat back down. Powder licked her fingers in support and Aria nuzzled her leg. “How can I be of help?” she asked immediately. “You’re going to look after him? All of them?”

Surge gave a half-hearted shrug. “Golem could be useful for training at the Gym. Machop as well,” he said, but Celeste kept staring. “A Pokémon in Geodude’s condition won’t survive in the wild, and the others didn’t want to leave him.” He paused for a moment, evaluating his words. “Don’t fret, rookie. It’s all taken care of.”

“No…” Celeste puckered her lips together. “I mean… I want to help. I can take care of them too. Maybe I—” Surge snort cut her off, prompting a defiant glare from her. “What?”

“Do you ever think things through?”

Celeste spoke slowly. “What’s there to think about?”

He narrowed his eyes. “You barely know how to care for the Pokémon you have. Do you really think you can take care of three other? Machop might be your level, but Golem will never listen to you while you’re this… weak. And Geodude? He needs special care. No offence, but that’s not for a rookie.”

She sulked. “I’m not a rookie, and I’m not weak.” Each word grew more forceful and bratty as she spoke. “And I know how to take care of my Pokémon.”

“Then show me,” Surge challenged.

Celeste shivered when she remembered his Raichu. “Like in a… battle?”

He smirked. “We both know that’d be a waste of time. But…” he trailed off. On purpose. He was playing coy, and it was infuriating. “Get yourself some badges. That’s a test of strength.”

“Badges…?” What did this have to do with anything? “Alright, I’ll get one. Just point me to the Gym. If the Gym Leader is anything like you, it’ll be a breeze.”

All bark just like Aria. At least her Eevee sprouted from wherever she’d been and yelled in support. Were they really doing this? Celeste psyched herself up. For Geodude. Yeah, they were doing this. They were… not doing this.

Surge laughed at them both. At least that lightened the mood. “You’re clueless, aren’t you?”

“‘Course I’m not,” she murmured, trying to keep the bravado up. “We got gyms in Galar too, you know? Never tried any, but I know how they work.”

“I bet you do, but I guarantee you the Leader here won’t battle you until you’re up to par.” Surge was firm.

Celeste thought it was nonsense. Surge seemed as obstinate as a brick wall and might as well have been the Gym Leader himself for all his gatekeeping. Wait—could he…? She remembered Opal and Kabu and even Melony back home. She watched some of their battles on TV. Opal’s she even watched live. The Gym Leaders of Galar were… larger than life. She knew little about the Kantonian ones, but… she was being silly. Surge couldn’t be it.

“Fine,” she snapped back, her eyes catching a map on the wall. “You won’t let me help out and you won’t let me battle. What then?”

Surge glanced at the map, too. “Like I said, get badges. Saffron’s nearby,” he suggested, drawing closer.

Saffron was just a short route away, and it was a chance to finally be out in the wild on her own. Independence and strength. That’s what she had left home for, after all. Yet… it sounded daunting. The wilderness, not Saffron. Saffron seemed delightful. Kanto’s biggest city. There’d be shopping centres, museums, restaurants and…. her gaze fell down onto a tiny spot at the bottom of the map.

“I need to head to Pallet,” Celeste sighed, recalling a promise to Professor Magnolia. Did she really need to keep it…?

Surge squinted. “Pallet?” he searched for it. “Viridian’s close by. There’s a Gym there.”

“Will their Leader actually challenge me?” she asked, sarcasm in her tone. “Or they got trainers like you?”

Surge shrugged. “Don’t be annoying and you should be fine.”

“You know them?” Celeste eyed him sceptically.

“Not really. Guy’s new.” He pointed towards Pewter. “If Viridian’s a problem, start with Pewter. Flint’s… a character… but he likes to help the little kids. Just don’t cross Viridian Forest all on your own. From what’ve seen of you, you’ll probably get yourself lost or hurt.”

Celeste huffed again. “You’re the one that’s fucking annoying.”

He just chuckled. “Watch it, Rookie.”

She rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. Pallet, Viridian, Pewter. The waiting time was over, now it was time to soldier on. Staying on track was never her strong suit, but that was okay. She’d take things as they came, and once she returned, she’d prove to Surge that she was far from a rookie.

And to Geodude… she’d show him how to dance.

—*——*—

Celeste huffed. Going on a journey will be fun. You’re going to meet wonderful people.

Yeah, right? Wonderful.

“I need this, Surge!” She stamped her feet. It was finally time to take the ferry to Pallet, and Celeste was reconsidering all of her life choices. Especially the ones that had to do with asking Surge to help her with packing.

Surge, with evident distaste, held up a climbing harness attached to a lengthy cord as if it was the last thing on earth he wanted to touch. “No, you don’t. This isn’t Sinnoh, Celeste. Only mountain around here is Mt. Moon, and it’s got a perfectly safe trail.” He chucked the climbing gear aside and roared with laughter when Celeste mentioned Mt. Silver. “Do you have a death wish?”

She rolled her eyes and reached out for a small float. For rafting, the lady in the store had told her. “And how come I don’t need this? Or you’re gonna tell me these are only useful in Hoenn?”

“Useless everywhere,” Surge declared, flinging the float onto the heap of rejected gear. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you to travel light?”

She huffed again, moving on to the fishing rod she bought.

After what felt like an eternity, Celeste zipped her backpack shut. Her room at the Pokémon Centre, which she had miraculously managed to secure for herself, was in disarray. The discarded clothing Surge had dismissed as unnecessary was strewn across the bed, while he attempted to repack his so-called ‘useless waste’ into shopping bags. He’d agreed to return the truly pointless items but would hold onto the rest until her return. Content with her packed backpack, she approached the desk by the window where her bumbag lay. Careful with her cast, she slung it over her shoulder, letting it rest comfortably across her torso.

A quick check in the mirror confirmed her satisfaction. Her new attire, a snugly fitting dark blue and black shirt paired with comfortable leggings, and boots Surge had surprisingly approved for their all-terrain suitability, looked matched. From the table, she also grabbed Aria and Powder’s Pokéballs and clipped it on the side of the bumbag. Much as she loved having them around, she was running late and her team demanded attention.

“Guess that’s that,” she patted the bumbag for a final check. Essentials lay inside. Empty Pokéballs (just in case), documents and some energy bars. “Just one last thing.”

Left on the table sat a small paper bag filled with rice cakes she’d bought earlier. She wouldn’t get to see Geodude as he was still recuperating, but she hoped Machop and Golem, along with Surge and Trooper (as well as any other Pokémon he might have) would enjoy the snack.

“Sorry they’re not pancakes.” She offered a smile, handing him the bag. “Hey… take good care of Geodude, okay?”

Surge averted his gaze, awkwardly adjusting his sunglasses over his eyes as if they offered some sort of protection. Perhaps he wasn’t as tough as he seemed. Celeste watched, amused as he scratched his nose, clearly uncomfortable.

“You don’t have to try them,” she chuckled, slipping on her jacket and adjusting her backpack. “It’s not like I’ll be here to watch.”

“It’s not that.” He straightened up, and Celeste braced for his annoyance. “You’re getting sentimental, rookie. Almost makes me regret getting you a gift.”

She blinked. “You got me a gift?”

He dug into his pockets. “Figured I might’ve been too harsh on you,” he said, revealing a small, shiny, green object. “But life’s harsh, and I think we have to work it out to earn out victories.” He stepped closer, a serious look in his eyes. “That being said, you were brave these past few days. Reckless as hell, but brave. You went through me to help those Pokémon. I can respect that. This… might make things easier going forward.”

He placed the object in her hands. It was smooth and cool to the touch, like glass or some precious mineral. As her fingers wrapped around it, she felt a spark travelling up her arm and a carving shaped like a thunderbolt. Strangely, it reminded her of Surge’s touch.

“A Thunder Stone?” she whispered to herself. She didn’t expect a gift, and certainly not this.

“For your Eevee,” he said, his smirk returning. “You’re welcome.”

“I…” Celeste paused, then smiled. “I’ll let her know. She’ll appreciate this.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You mean you’ll use it?”

“After I ask her. If she wants it, then yes.”

Shaking his head with a laugh, Surge remarked, “Always full of surprises, aren’t you? Now, don’t you have a ferry to catch?”

Her eyes widened. She was late. With lightning in her heels, she ran, waving a big goodbye and with a promise of being back soon.

Ahead, the world opened wide.