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

#148 Dragonair

Dragonair, the Dragon Pokémon. The evolved form of Dratini. Dragonair emits a gentle aura that gives it a mystical appearance. It has been seen making it wings grow larger in order to fly, but otherwise moves through the air unaided. Dragonair hosts a large amount of energy within its body, which it can discharge through the crystal orbs on its neck and tail. This causes its body to brighten and give off a different aura that changes the weather in its vicinity. – Nurse Evergreen

Over time, Dominic Whitewater had become good friends with Lance, a member of the Elite Four specialised in dragons and dragon-like Pokémon. Every time Dom planned a visit, he asked his girlfriend to come with him, if she had the time.

It wasn't that Nurse Isabelle minded the visits, but she sometimes felt a bit like a third wheel. She did not have the relationship with Lance that Dominic did. Of course she was happy he had friends and wasn't ungrateful that he brought her. She just felt unnecessary, and that frustrated her more than anything in the whole world.

As Lance and Dom laughed about something Izzy had not paid attention to, she wandered away to investigate the Pokémon lounging in the water of the natural lake, which lay nearby Lance's house. His red Gyarados swam nearby, moody as ever though not nearly as aggressive as when she had last seen him. Though she was trained to be able to treat all Pokémon, Gyarados were among those that were the trickiest. Izzy lacked the iron will to handle one. Her confidence was not strong enough to turn a Gyarados obedient.

The nurse's attention instead rested on Lance's Dragonair. She might be a little biased, but she found the creature stunning, along with both its pre-evolved and evolved forms. Dragonair's scales shone healthily and he was impressively long. While Lance's opinion of the superiority of dragons might be slightly annoyingly elite, Izzy could not deny he was talented at caring for his Pokémon.

Lazily, Dragonair opened an eye and approached Izzy, wrapping himself around her body three times with ease. Isabelle didn't resist, and instead stroked his serpentine body as he cradled her within his coils. Like that, Lance and Dom found her. The former laughed heartily while Dominic gave her one of those fond smiles that made her stomach flutter.

"Have you heard of the problems in Johto?" Lance asked, as he sat down to be on eye-height with the nurse. Shocked, the ranger paused in his seating, remaining in an awkward, kneeling position.

"No. What's going on?" He asked intently. The dragon tamer regarded him with a hint of sadness.

"There's been an all-time high of crime. The amount of Pokémon being poached has sky-rocketed. Rumour goes that an evil gang is behind this. They supposedly call themselves Team Rocket?"

Isabelle snorted at the silly name but Dom shut her up with a look. His home region was in danger. As a ranger, this was disastrous to him.

"I need to go back. I'll enlist myself. I must help stop this," he muttered grimly.

"I'll come with you," Isabelle suggested, only to be immediately cut off.

"No!"

The young nurse glared at her boyfriend. "You are not the boss of me. Do not forget for one moment that I am a certified nurse. I can do fieldwork. I've trained to be a medic, doing missions alongside rangers such as yourself. I've travelled this region for a year now. I am not a delicate girl that needs to be protected!"

Lance recoiled at the viciousness of Izzy's words but her anger was not directed at him. Her eyes, normally warm like the forest, now hard as jade, were fixed on the ranger, who met hers sorrowfully.

"It's not that you're delicate or incapable, Iz. I don't want you hurt. I couldn't stand seeing you in danger, especially not over something I dragged you into. If Team Rocket really are as dangerous as Lance suggests, this is not the pleasant trip the 10-year-olds get to see. People get injured fighting for Pokémon welfare. It would kill me if something happened to you."

Isabelle crawled out of Dragonair's embrace to kneel in front of her boyfriend who now looked so fragile. She cupped his cheeks and made him look at her. "It'd be an honour to fight alongside you to defend the region you love. Please allow me."

"You're not taking no as an answer, anyway. No matter what I say," he remarked, forcing away his tension with a light chuckle.

"Nope." Isabelle kissed him full on the mouth. Not hungrily, like other kisses had been. This was more a devoted kind of kiss. A declaration of love. "I love you, Dom."

"Love ya too, Izz."

The decision was never explicitly voiced, but all knew it. When Lance presented them with bus tickets to Goldenrod City, their plans were final. They'd go to Johto and fight Pokémon poaching together.