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

#053 Persian

Persian, the Classy Cat Pokémon. The evolved form of Meowth. Persian has six bold whiskers that give it a look of toughness. The whiskers sense air movements to determine what is in the Pokémon's surrounding vicinity. It becomes docile if grabbed by the whiskers.

"Lady! Lady! Lady Nurse! Please! Lady Nurse!"

Nurse Isabelle Evergreen had been strolling through one of the richer villages around, admiring the gorgeous villas while trying not to be bitter that she could never afford such a house. The silence was interrupted by the voice of what sounded like a young girl, calling out to someone. Turning around, Izzy saw said little girl dash towards her. Crouching on the ground, Isabelle caught her and stabilised her before both of them would fall over.

"You're a nurse, right?" The little girl demanded to know.

"Yes, but..."

"You must come with me! Grandmother's Persian is very, very sick!" The girl looked in absolute panic from the way she shouted and kept tugging on Izzy's trousers, so Isabelle decided to come. Taking big steps, she could easily keep up with the running girl.

"So, what's wrong with Persian?" Isabelle asked, to gain some insight on the situation.

"He's been weak for a long while now, but this morning, he wouldn't get up anymore."

Isabelle made a humming sound in her throat; the situation sounded rather severe.

Grandmother apparently lived in one of the villas nearby. The guards bowed at the little girl, and allowed Isabelle to pass through, too. The butlers escorted them upstairs, where the girl was asked to wait in front of a closed door. 'Lady Nurse' was allowed to enter.

Inside the room, which seemed to be Persian's room judging from the fact toys were everywhere along with cat beds and scratching poles, an elderly lady knelt in front of a long chair on which laid the elegant feline.

As Isabelle approached, the rich lady, who obviously had been crying from the way her eyes were wet and the handkerchief she held, made room for her to approach the cat.

"Oh, poor darling," Isabelle whispered as she took in the normally gorgeous cat.

Persian looked terrible. As Isabelle ran her hand over his body, she could feel the bones of his ribcage. He also seemed to have trouble breathing.

"You do feed Persian right, don't you, ma'am?" Isabelle asked to confirm.

The lady nodded. "Only the best. Fresh fish, steamed meat. But lately, he has not been eating much."

Isabelle hummed again, nodding, and stroked Persian's snout while inspecting his eyes.

"I have good news and bad news for you, ma'am," Isabelle said as she kept stroking the Classy Cat Pokémon. "Persian is not sick. However, he is very old. I don't think he'll live until dawn." Isabelle finally looked at the elderly lady, who had begun to cry silently.

Isabelle stood up and placed her hand on the lady's arm. "Persian has had a great life. His fur might be thinning, but it's still groomed perfectly. Stay with him until the end. You should decide for yourself whether you want your granddaughter to be here, when he passes away."

The woman nodded and knelt again in front of the struggling feline. "Oh, what will I do without my poor Persian? I've had him ever since he was a starved street Meowth."

Isabelle sat down on the other side of the feline. "You could always adopt another one. So many Meowth out there long for love. You rescued this one. He knows how tough it was on the streets. I think he'll like it if you rescue another one. Think of it as his legacy."

Then Isabelle stood up again, watching over Persian sadly. "Keep him warm, and make sure he knows he is loved and will be missed. That's all you can do for him right now." Then Isabelle bowed her head to both the lady and the Persian and left the room.

As she opened the door to go outside, the little girl rushed by her to get inside, rushing to Persian's and Grandmother's side. By the time Isabelle was outside, the girl's wails were very clearly audible. Isabelle guessed Persian has passed away, surrounded by those who loved him.