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

#071 Victreebel

Victreebel, the Flycatcher Pokémon. The evolved form of Weepinbell and the final evolution of Bellsprout. Victreebel has a long vine that extends from its head. This vine is waved and flicked about as if it were an animal to attract prey. When an unsuspecting prey draws near, this Pokémon swallows it whole.

Half-hidden underneath a mop of unruly curls, Nurse Isabelle sleepily watched the sun rise as a chipper Erika was baking pancakes in the kitchen. As Izzy took a sip of her herbal tea, she mentally cursed the fact that Grass-types woke up at dawn, so, naturally, trainers specialised in them did, too. As Erika brought a huge stack of the pancakes to the breakfast nook, Isabelle suppressed a huge yawn.

"Oh, come on. It's not that early."

"Ye-e-e-es, it is," Isabelle said, yawning again.

As the girls ate their breakfast, Weepinbell came along, nibbled Izzy's toes for a moment, before hopping off again. Isabelle merely watched it with a raised eyebrow. Erika barely even looked.

"Something tells me you're rather used to the weird things Pokémon can do," she said.

Isabelle laughed. "Yep. You can't begin to imagine the trouble they can get into."

When the two girls got to the gym, they were greeted by the gym's trainers with a respectful bow. Izzy felt a little uncomfortable, but Erika seemed used to it.

"Mireille, how's your Oddish? If still a little weak, plant her in the special soil today. Avabella, section three needs care today. Uma, harvest the herbs. Joliet, you work in the perfume store today."

The girls took the commands obediently and took off to do their chores.

Because everyone was busy, Erika and Isabelle had the middle of the greenhouse to themselves. As Erika released Weepinbell, Isabelle let all of her Pokémon out. Pidgeotto to fight, Wartortle to swim around in the little canals through the greenhouse, and Ivysaur because Grass-types loved greenhouses the way Flying-types loved the open air and Water-types loved the sea.

As Ivysaur leapt in and out of the fragrant foliage, Isabelle and Erika readied themselves to battle. Pidgeotto seemed very confident, having type advantage. Isabelle wasn't so sure. She wasn't an experienced battler, at all, and Erika was. Surely, she had fought against type disadvantage more often than Isabelle could imagine.

Luckily for her, Pidgeotto knew his trainer and didn't rely on commands much. He flew when he needed to dodge, he knew when to attack, and he knew which attacks to use. Izzy merely needed to sit back and watch the show. She would wince whenever either Pokémon took a harsh hit, but the fight was amazing to see. After a while, they seemed to have reached an impasse. Both Pokémon were exhausted yet still standing, panting hard. If Isabelle wasn't so worried for her bird, she would have chuckled at the sight of a Weepinbell panting. He looked rather ridiculous. However, the desire to laugh disappeared when Weepinbell lit up, swiftly evolving into a Victreebel. With renewed energy, he wrapped his vines around Pidgeotto and slammed him into the ground. When her bird did not get up, Isabelle ran onto the field to gather her courageous Flying-type in her arms. She pressed her lips against the glorious comb on his head.

"You did splendidly. I'm proud of you, Pidgeotto," she whispered.

Meanwhile, Wartortle and Ivysaur were a bit deeper into the greenhouse. Ivysaur had discovered some sweet scent somewhere in the greenery, a delightful fragrance he longed to find the source of. However, whenever he got close, Wartortle would Water Gun his behind, forcing him to growl at her. By the time the turtle had gone away, Isabelle called out for him, claiming it's time to leave. With much reluctance, he left the sweet scent behind.