Nurse Isabelle and the Kanto Pokédex: the Diary of a Travelling Nurse

#025 Pikachu

Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon. Pikachu sometimes travel in groups. It raises its tail to check its surroundings, and is occasionally struck by lightning in this position. Living in forested areas, Pikachu is found foraging for berries it roasts with electricity to make them tender enough to eat. It has been observed eating and sometimes destroying telephone poles, wires, and other electronic equipment.

Pikachu is able to release electric discharges of varying intensity. Pikachu has been known to build up energy in its glands, and will need to discharge to avoid complications. It is also able to release energy through its tail, which acts as a grounding rod, as well as recharging fellow Pikachu with electric shocks. Pikachu can also electrify itself to use its signature move, Volt Tackle. When threatened, it looses electric charges from its sacs, and a group can build and cause lightning storms. It is found mostly in forests, where a sure sign that Pikachu inhabits a location is patches of burnt grass.

It always saddened Nurse Isabelle when people look down on Pokémon. Every case like that was one too many. Regretfully, a discarded Pokémon case found her in Vermillion city.

Isabelle was actually in Vermillion City to check on the Pokémon aboard the S.S. Anne. Being confined on a cruise ship didn't do much good to some Pokémon. However, in the Pokémon centre, a sailor approached her. He was the jolly kind of sailor. He was a bit chubby, but his face was made for laughing. His eyes were serious, though, when he approached her.

"Hello, miss Nurse. Do you do house calls?" He asked her solemnly. Isabelle nodded, a bit too surprised by the question inside a Pokémon centre to answer. "Good. Could you come over to the Vermillion Gym? I'll meet you there." After saying that, the sailor nodded his head and waddled off.

Curiosity got the better of her, so Isabelle found herself in front of the tackily decorated Gym. Massive thunderbolts were attached to the building, to make clear it was an Electric Type Gym. To be honest, it looked like a child designed the building, Isabelle thought.

In front of this building, the sailor stood, cradling something in a blanket against his body with his short arms. When Isabelle approached him, he nudged with his head to follow him elsewhere. They did not travel far, to a small house near the Gym.

Once he was sure the door was closed, he laid the bundle down on the table. The care he took not to shake it too much and to lay it down softly suggested something of value, or something living. This behaviour was suspicious to Isabelle. What was so important in this bundle that such secrecy was required?

He then folded the cloth away, revealing a yellow rodent. Something terrible had happened to it, because it shied away from the sailor's hands, flinching at every sound.

Upon being gestured to check it out, since she was a Pokémon nurse, the sailor began to talk, softly.

"This Pikachu belonged to Lt Surge, from that Gym. I am a trainer there, with a Pikachu of my own. This one hatched from an egg laid in the Gym, so the Gym is all he knows. As you might know, Lt Surge looks down on unevolved Pokémon. This Pikachu does not want to evolve. Lt Surge tried to make him by forcing a stone onto him often. This morning, he was fed up with him. What he did exactly, I don't know, but this is the result."

The Pikachu seemed to be most scared of men, since it did not flinch from Izzy's soft hands. Sitting down on a chair, the young Nurse moved slowly and carefully so she wouldn't spook the poor Electric-type. She rubbed his cheeks, checked for internal injuries. A tiny relief was that the Pikachu had no physical injuries. However, it did not explain what had happened.

"I think that this Pokémon is wary of humans, now. Lt Surge is probably the only man he knows and all he had done was force this mouse to do stuff he did not want to. You have a Pikachu, you said? I suggest you have them meet. If you are a good trainer, this Pikachu might see not all men are forceful like the lieutenant. If Pikachu does not recover, it's a good idea to release him." Isabelle stood up from the chair, rubbing the Pokémon on his little head. He was so skittish. It broke her heart. While Lt Surge didn't abuse the poor thing, being kind was entirely different.

The sailor sighed and nodded, thanking her for her advice. Isabelle touched his arm in consolation.

"Don't worry. If your heart is in the right place, he might see that too. Don't give up on him." She smiled softly at the chubby sailor.