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

#061 Poliwhirl

Poliwhirl, the Tadpole Pokémon. The evolved form of Poliwag. The surface of Poliwhirl's body is always wet and slick with an oily fluid. Because of this greasy covering, it can easily slip and slide out of the clutches of any enemy in battle.

The morning after she arrived in the town she'd been heading to when she met Wendy, Nurse Isabelle took a look at the folders of the citizen's comments on strays and wild Pokémon. They were basically quests and occasionally just as exciting. Starved Growlithe, Meowth stuck in a tree. Only file stood out. Sick Poliwhirl, who lived in the pond in the park. Taking that file with her, Isabelle headed out.

The pond was actually quite far away from the normal walking route. The path was less well kept here and the further she went, the worse it became. By the time she came to the water, Isabelle was already planning on calling the park rangers. There was filth everywhere. Teenagers apparently had held a party here. Bottles of Blastoise Bubble laid everywhere along with food wrappers. In the water, plastic bags floated everywhere. Nearby, a Poliwhirl got his left arm and leg stuck in one hole, leaving him unable to swim. He'd apparently been like this for a long while, because he was just floating around on his back, having given up the struggle.

Furious, Isabelle grabbed a Pokéball from her belt and released Wartortle. When the flash of light was gone, Izzy pointed at the Poliwhirl.

"Wartortle, go and push that Poliwhirl to the shore," she commanded. However, Wartortle took one look at the murky, muddy water and shook her head. She stepped close to the nurse, pressed on the button of her own Pokéball and went back inside.

"What the ...? For goodness sake, Wartortle! I am very sick of your attitude? Don't want to help? Fine, but I'm not letting you out either on vacation days!" Isabelle threatened in rage. Then she released both Ivysaur and Pidgeotto.

Fuming at Wartortle's insolence, Isabelle didn't speak much, aside from commanding moves to be used. Ivysaur dragged Poliwhirl close with his vines. Since Poliwhirl did not show any signs of recognition that he had been released once Izzy cut the plastic with a pair of scissors, Isabelle laid him on a cloth stretcher she'd attached to Pidgeotto, sending him off to the Pokémon centre with a little note attached that more could be coming.

While waiting for Pidgeotto to return, Isabelle stood up and took out her phone from her pocket. It was a neat gadget and rather simple. No video or anything. Just voice calling. It served her well, though. She called the central number of the Rangers.

"Hello. This is Nurse Isabelle. Please send a team over, for I have an entirely neglected corner of the park in Cerulean South. Thank you."

No patience for niceties, she merely did her job. Soon, people would come to clean this up. Until then, Isabelle would have to transport as many ill Pokémon as she could.

During the call, Ivysaur had found a Poliwag with an open cut on its back. It wasn't bleeding anymore, which was good, but it didn't look very clean either. So as soon as Pidgeotto was back, he was sent on his way again.

Luckily, those two seemed to be the only ones. The other Pokémon that lived here had left their pool, hovering in the reed nearby, hiding until the area was clean again. Stroking a nearby Poliwhirl's slimy head, Isabelle smiled wryly. She'd called back her Pokémon, which were exhausted from the amount of work.

After reporting this to the police station and checking in on the Poliwhirl and Poliwag brought in, Isabelle finally called it a day. That night, one bed was empty in their room. Wartortle's ball was still on her belt, under the bed. Pidgeotto, in the top bunk above Izzy seemed indifferent, but Ivysaur was abnormally affectionate tonight. It seemed the little Grass-type was fonder of Wartortle than she was of her team. Isabelle didn't sleep a lot that night, wondering why Wartortle must be this way.