Chapter 4: Creative Nickname

As he marched to the lighthouse, Joe realised why the light was out. If Jasmine was here to tend to a Pokemon, and it was at the top of the building, then it was probably responsible for operating the light. Or maybe the Pokemon was the light. Whatever illness the Pokemon had incapacitated it to the point where it couldn't illuminate the sea.

Joe craned his neck to observe the building he approached. It looked old. The paint could do with a refresh. But more important to him was how tall it was. He estimated sixty or seventy meters. Three metres per storey, so ten storeys. Hundreds of steps. He wasn't even considering backing out. He was just considering what lay ahead. What trial he was about to overcome despite his tiredness.

He walked up the concrete steps carved into the base of the lighthouse and entered the structure after pushing a thick wooden door aside. Finally out of the rain. The ground floor of the lighthouse was a large open space. Orange, rectangle lights lined the white walls at regular intervals. At the opposite side of the room, forty feet away, were metal doors and a button on the wall next to it. An elevator. Joe was tempted to start a victory dance, but he held himself back. Instead, he walked like a normal human.

"By the way, where's the medicine?" Joe asked, finally able to use his indoor voice again. Might as well get it out of the way. He had a theory about it falling down the cliff and being destroyed. If that were the case, he didn't know what to do next. He wasn't a doctor.

Olivine's Gym Leader stayed silent until Joe covered most of the ground to the elevator. He felt like this confirmed his suspicions, but he wanted to hear it from her anyway. She opened her mouth. "…I dropped it."

Jasmine started to quietly sob. When Joe noticed her crying earlier, was it not for herself and the pain she was in, but for the Pokemon she was supposed to treat? If so, she was tougher than she looked. Joe admired that.

"So, what now? Can we get the medicine from another shop?" Joe felt the swishing of hair on his neck. Jasmine was shaking her head, her bangs slapping him. The medicine must be a specialist product. Not something they could casually buy. "Do we call for help then?"

After saying it, Joe realised Jasmine wouldn't have a smartphone on her because of her dress. It's not hard for Joe to imagine his own phone is dead now. It was in his pocket. He'd been hit by enough rain to fill a swimming pool. If it somehow survived that, the engineer of the phone should receive a raise.

"...I don't know."

"Well, we'll figure something out." If he had to, Joe would carry Jasmine's Pokemon to the nearest nurse. He'd been on occasion. Places called PokeCenters. If the Pokemon was too big for him, then he'd just have to run somewhere and get assistance from someone. He was involved now. He wasn't going to abandon Jasmine.

Joe arrived in front of the elevator and put a hand out, his pointer finger moving to push the call button. The exact moment the button sunk into the panel and a ding rang out, the room went dark. The orange lights were replaced a moment later by a dim blue hue. Emergency power, backup lights. Power to the building had failed. Joe sucked air through his teeth. Silver lining. At least they weren't in the metal box when the power went decided to call it quits. Backup power wasn't going to fuel an elevator. He was back to needing to climb hundreds of stairs.

"Well, end of the road. I don't think I can carry you to the top. You're surprisingly heavy. Must be the influence of all those steel-types." Joe had never told such a bold lie.

Jasmine started to wriggle free of his arms holding her legs and pushed against his back to get down. He automatically loosened his grip in response. She hopped down. Joe heard her breathe sharply from the pain of landing on her injured ankle.

"It was just a joke." Joe turned to the Gym Leader.

"N- No… I can't keep relying on you."

Joe took a big step forward to stand a mere inch from Jasmine. He put an arm around her shoulders and another under the back of her knees. He lifted her in a carry usually reserved for a husband carrying his wife away from the wedding. A bridal carry. "You're not going to get far on that leg. It's fine to rely on others. If you need help, just ask."

Jasmine was clearly embarrassed. She covered her face with her hands. Her ears turned red though. Gave her away. Her hands muffled her speech, but Jasmine followed through on Joe's recommendation. "T- Then, can you please help me get upstairs…?" She got quieter the longer she spoke.

"Gladly." Joe smiled as he moved away from the elevator, Jasmine in his arms. Off to the side of the room was a spiral staircase that, Joe rightfully assumed, would take him to the top.

Joe ascended, light tapping of footsteps echoing throughout the building from the thin metal stairs. Rain could be heard pounding the outside of the lighthouse. Jasmine soon removed her hands from her face, cheeks still slightly red, and instead held them to her non-existent chest. That was okay. Joe didn't discriminate based on size.

Thinking about it, Joe was growing more attached to Jasmine than he expected. Right now he only had casual flings in his life. He didn't want to be like that with Jasmine. Didn't seem fair to her. But commitment wasn't something for Joe right now, so he wasn't going to pursue Jasmine. He'd love a proper relationship, his own family, but certain circumstances prevented him. It was a problem Joe had let fester for too long. After today he was going to look into it.

Without realising, Joe took one more step and was at the top. That was easier than he expected. The room at the top of the lighthouse wasn't big. It didn't need to be. Joe estimated a diameter of fifteen feet. Around him was a wall of curved glass to let light out.

In the centre, next to a podium that amplified light, was a Pokemon collapsed on its side. Yellow back and plump white belly, like a guy at the bar that drank too much. Red gem on its head and tail. Black stripes on its ears, neck and tail.

"Amphy!" Jasmine called, scrambling out of Joe's arms. She winced and limped on her first step, but quickly ignored the pain and ran to her Pokemon. She really was tough. She could ignore her own pain if it were for someone else.

Amphy the Ampharos had been in her family for a few generations. It was old and sick but determined to fulfil its duty. Her concern stemmed from the fact that Amphy wasn't just a pet. It was family. She'd grown up with the Pokemon. Given its age, Amphy was like a grandparent to Jasmine.

Jasmine crouched by Amphy, her hands hovering over it, shaking. Joe checked his phone. Sure enough, it was done. No saving it. He casually walked up to Jasmine and knelt beside her. He waited to see if she could figure out a solution on her own, but when he saw her face, he knew she wasn't thinking straight. Didn't know what to do. Joe put a hand on Jasmine's shoulder to get her attention.

"Hey, look at me." Joe said. Jasmine turned her head but her eyes focused on Amphy for a few more seconds. She finally looked at Joe. "Calm down. You can't help anyone when you're flustered like this. Take a deep breath and think. What next?"

The Gym Leader obeyed. To help her, Joe breathed with her. Slow and steady. In and out. A minute later, he nodded. She was calm and seemed to be ready to act. She had been given the time to sort her thoughts.

"W- We need to get Amphy to a PokeCenter." Amphy's medicine was a specialist item. Most PokeCenters kept stock of important medicines just in case a situation like this occurred for a Trainer. Jasmine looked up at Joe. The thought crossed her mind again. She couldn't keep asking him for help. "But..."

In response Joe just shrugged. "Then that's what we'll do. Going down is the easy part. You get on my back and I'll carry Amphy in my arms."

Jasmine nodded and for the first time since they met, she didn't hesitate. She climbed on Joe's back immediately. The breathing meditation had aided her more than expected. Her mind was always full of thoughts. It's what often slowed her down. Too much information to sort through. Giving herself a reset, clearing her mind, allowed her to immediately think more clearly.

Once Jasmine was on Joe, he spun his body, still crouched, until he was facing Amphy. He put his hands under the Pokemon's arms and hefted it up. It was shorter than Jasmine, and heavier. He let it rest against his body so he could adjust his grip and found out Amphy was conscious. It was just resting its eyes. Amphy made a noise, a tired whine, and stood on its own two feet. Joe moved his hands and lifted Amphy. The Pokemon curled its head into itself.

The weight of the Pokemon really hit Joe. He stood there for a moment, collecting himself. Must be the bulbous belly. Or maybe Joe was just tired. His muscles were screaming at him to stop. He'd listen soon, after he got Jasmine and Amphy to the PokeCenter.

It wasn't doing much anymore, but Joe was thankful for his decision to work out. At first he just did it on a whim, but it'd come in handy. When Joe moved to Olivine, he had already decided to save up for a big holiday. He liked the great outdoors. Because of this desire, Joe wanted a hobby he could enjoy for cheap. As he explored his apartment's surroundings, he stumbled across a fitness centre ten minutes away. He tried it and found it reinvigorating to work on himself. It helped that they had televisions above most machines. The fitness centre aired shows and livestreams from the Internet. From Pokemon battles to regular TV dramas. Even a couple of documentaries. It was two Pidgeys with one Rock Throw. Joe got to work on himself and enjoy typical entertainment, TV shows. He was fine with this combination as his hobby.

On his descent, Joe noticed there were a few other doors attached to the stairs. He glanced inside as he passed since the doors were open. One seemed like a room for Amphy. A pile of hay poked out from beneath a blanket. Another was a simple kitchen and lounge area.

With technology as advanced as it was, Joe was surprised the city was relying on a Pokemon for this job. Especially a sickly Pokemon. If it isn't broke, don't fix it. Such a saying no longer applied now that Amphy was ill. Maybe this would show the mayor they should renovate the lighthouse. Let Amphy finally rest. Pride was fine, but not if it caused injury either to oneself or to others. It seemed time for Amphy to move on.

Towards the bottom of the stairs, Joe chuckled to himself from a dumb thought. Jasmine peered over his shoulder, curious. "...Why are you laughing?"

Joe hefted Amphy, making sure his grip on the Pokemon remains strong while also bringing attention to it. "Are you jealous?"

It took a second, but Jasmine eventually understood and shrunk away. Joe imagined her face. Embarrassed again, her cheeks red. He smiled at the thought as he reached the bottom of the lighthouse and walked out the door. The storm seemed to have passed, but it was still raining. Back to a light drizzle.

Joe marched through the streets of Olivine as Jasmine pointed over his shoulder to where the nearest PokeCenter was. He soon saw a building, three storeys tall with smaller two storey segments coming off the sides. A bright red roof, heavily slanted. The roof stopped right as it touched the top of the windows for the third floor. Above the door was a massive sign. Bigger than Joe. A sphere. Top half red, bottom half white. Frosted glass backlit by bulbs.

He entered through massive automatic glass doors. He was noticing a trend with these double doors. Always fully glass.

The interior of the PokeCenter seemed cosy. Orange tile flooring. Long leather seats in the corners for people to rest as they waited. Small plants here and there to add some life. A cafeteria in a corner, the scent of coffee reaching Joe's nose. Dead ahead was a desk with a nurse standing behind it. Pink hair fashioned into buns. Big, kind eyes and a smile permanently plastered on her face. A rotund pink Pokemon stood beside her with an egg in a pouch.

The rotund Pokemon ran away when it saw Joe, returning with a stretcher on wheels right as Joe reached the desk.

"Please place the Ampharos on the bed." The nurse used a hand to gesture towards the stretcher.

Joe had to stop himself from laughing as he obliged and put the animal down. He didn't expect that. Amphy the Ampharos. How creative. Although to be honest, if he had a Pokemon he doubted he would even bother with a nickname, so really, who was the one that lacked creativity?

Once Ampharos was lying down, Jasmine hopped off Joe's back and winced at the pain that shot through her leg again. Amphy was carted away into the back to be looked after and Jasmine went with them after smiling at Joe. It was genuine and reached her ears. He liked her smile.

"I hope everything goes well." He said as he watched her go.

A stranger approached Joe, a lanky kid that looked like he was still in school. No doubt waiting for his Pokemon to be healed. He handed Joe a towel. Joe gave his thanks and handed it back after drying his hands and face.

Joe yawned deeply and stretched his arms above his head. He should be getting back to work, but he was so tired. He desperately needed to rest his aching body. He was all about routine and discipline, but surely his manager would forgive this one selfish request. He walked to a brown leather couch and lay down, his head resting on his arm. Joe was asleep in seconds.

A few minutes later, after informing the nurse of what medicine Amphy needed and hearing her Pokemon would be okay, Jasmine went to the lobby of the PokeCenter and saw Joe fast asleep. She smiled to herself and walked over to him. She struggled with people, she didn't know when she would be able to thank Joe properly, but she could push her anxiety aside if he were asleep.

"Thank you…" Jasmine then realised she didn't even know his name yet. He did all this, not seeming to consider leaving Jasmine to sort her own problem out, and she didn't even know who he was.

The nurse returned to her desk and saw Jasmine hovering over Joe, staring at his face. It was a little creepy, if she had to be honest. But the nurse could see the duo was still drenched from head to toe. She went to a backroom and grabbed a portable heater. People weren't going to fall ill on her watch. She went and placed it next to Joe and Jasmine to warm them up, helping Jasmine into a seat too.

It was around this time that emergency services visited the lighthouse under recommendation from the bespectacled Gym assistant. She feared for Jasmine's safety. Joe seemed like trouble. Emergency services found nothing. Not even Amphy. The Gym was thrown into panic at the news as Jasmine was considered missing. The confusion wouldn't be corrected for another few hours.

After the Gym was informed of Jasmine's whereabouts and the situation calmed down, there was another mess to clean up. Joe had skipped work. The manager liked Joe, but he felt he had no other choice. He had to fire the young man. Adults had a responsibility to commit to tasks like work. Ditching obligations was a sign of bad character. But when Jasmine stuttered and stammered her way through the story, the manager instead fired the two useless employees. The pompous brat and her worthless friend. Joe was only away from the shop because the brat didn't do her job. If the blame went to someone, it was definitely her.

Considering how much effort it took, Joe praised Jasmine and stroked her head, causing her to turn bright red again. Joe wondered if he was overstepping, but it ended up being a good choice. The praise gave her some confidence.

From that point onwards, Jasmine would only deal with Joe when it came to the PokeMart and the League's business relationship. She essentially got Joe a promotion. The delivery was an extra service that helped Joe earn more money. He researched how to be genuinely strong and used the increased income to enter a handful of martial arts clubs. It turns out the solution was simple. Instead of just gaining muscle, he needed to actually use it.

Every Monday and Friday, Jasmine would wait for Joe in the Gym's reception area, a smile on her face. She opened up to him and slowly managed to hold conversations. She was still slow to talk. Wanted to be sure about what she was going to say. But overall she spoke more and more as time passed. Joe helped Jasmine come out of her shell and fight her anxiety.