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

#094 Gengar

Gengar, the Shadow Pokémon. The evolved form of Haunter and the final evolution of Gastly. Sometimes, on a dark night, your shadow thrown by a streetlight will suddenly and startlingly overtake you. It is actually a Gengar running past you, pretending to be your shadow.

Ever since Ponyta joined the team, Nurse Isabelle rode from town to town on the back of her fiery steed. She would stay as long as it took Ponyta to rest up before leaving again for the next one. Yet again on the road, Isabelle was walking on the road, leading Ponyta by her reins for she was becoming a bit skittish again. It wasn't the first time they'd ridden in the evening, but it was becoming too bad to keep going. Still, it reminded her of when Ponyta sensed a Gastly a week ago.
"Return, Ponyta," Isabelle ordered, holding out the Pokéball. She'd have to continue on foot, though it might be time to set up camp. As she headed into the woods, she heard many things, including bird call and the rustling of leaves. What did not belong along those sounds was the odd beeping noise she heard. It was entirely mechanical and very curious.

Following the sound, Isabelle came to a cave. The sound echoed through it, much louder than before. Wrapping her hand around Ivysaur's Pokéball, she went in. Inside, she found a man on his back, unmoving. A device laid in his hand, making the beeping noise. It occurred to Izzy that this was an emergency signal. Immediately, she reached for her backpack to pull her cellphone out. The advantage of an emergency number is that very little reception was needed. With a call and a message to the nearest Officer Jenny, Isabelle called for help for the man.

Returning to the cave, Isabelle noticed he held an egg to his chest. It was too dark to see what colour it was. When reaching out for it, a Gengar materialised in front of her, slapping her hand away.

"Ouch! I wasn't going to steal it!" Isabelle called out, indignant, cradling her slightly stinging hand.

"Gen .... gar..." The man groaned, drawing the attention of both the Pokémon and the nurse.

"Is this Gengar yours, sir? I've called the police. You'll be fine in no time. You're lucky I heard your signal."

"Signal...?" The man only just seemed to notice the beeping. "Well done ... Gengar." The man smiled at the ghost, who nodded back at his trainer.

Sirens rang outside and Isabelle left the two to show the offers where the man was. He would be taken to the human hospital and it was now up to the police to figure out what happened. Taking a lift on the back of the police bike, Isabelle managed to sleep in town anyway.

In town, the man called her to the hospital. He looked barely better, but he still cradled the egg tightly to his chest, which was unhelpfully pink. Gengar still hovered around.

"Thank you so much for your help. I don't know what I would have done without you. I'd like you to have this." He stretched his arms out to give her the egg. Isabelle shook her head, however.

"I think you should keep it. You've protected it all this time, and even Gengar seems rather protective over it, don't you, Gengar?" Gengar nodded, looking rather grumpy at the idea of the egg being given away.

"You should keep it," Isabelle repeated.

Instead, the man offered her some money. For supplies, he had said. A well-stocked nurse is a useful one, he laughed.

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