Chapter 21
Mike accepted the clean towel Chansey handed him and gave her a grateful nod.
"Thanks, Chansey."
He rubbed the towel over his soaked hair until it stopped dripping, then followed Nurse Joy deeper into the Pokémon Center.
They entered a quiet treatment room, where Glameow lay asleep on a hospital bed.
Her injured front leg had been wrapped in thick layers of bandages, while an IV line ran from a bag beside the bed into her foreleg.
Even under sedation, her face remained tense, her brow drawn together as though she were still trapped inside a painful dream.
Mike quietly opened her status screen.
{Glameow}
{Type: Normal}
{Gender: Female}
{Ability: Own Tempo}
{Known Moves: Scratch, Growl, Fake Out, Hypnosis, Fury Swipes, Charm, Taunt, Slash, Sucker Punch, Hone Claws, Play Rough, Thunderbolt, Iron Tail, Shadow Ball}
{Mood: Shattered}
{Condition: No longer in danger of dying. Permanent damage to the front leg prevents normal running.}
{Description: She was taken from her mother by a Trainer, only to be abandoned later. Unable to accept what had happened, she crossed several cities in search of that Trainer and eventually found him with a new Pokémon at his side. The shock broke her trust in humans. Afterward, she became a stray and eventually wandered into Sandgem Town. She loves staying clean and running freely through the wild. Her greatest dream is to become a graceful, agile performer like her mother.}
Mike’s eyes lingered on the final sentence.
Then his gaze dropped to the heavily bandaged leg.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
"The injury was already very old," Nurse Joy explained softly from beside him. "She kept using the leg without receiving treatment, and part of the nerve tissue eventually died."
Her voice carried the tired regret of someone who had done everything she could and still wished she could have done more.
"We repaired what we could, but the damage had already gone too far..."
Mike looked at Glameow’s sleeping face. Even now, her brow remained tightly furrowed.
He gave a slow nod.
"You’ve already done so much for her. Thank you, Nurse Joy."
"It’s what I’m here for." Nurse Joy glanced toward the IV stand. "Stay with her for a while. I need to prepare the rest of her medicine."
She left the room with Chansey, gently closing the door behind them.
Once they were alone, Gengar looked up at Mike.
He still held his thin bamboo staff in one hand, but none of his usual playful energy remained.
"Gar?"
[Does that mean she’ll never be able to run like me?]
Mike hesitated before answering.
"Not necessarily. With enough treatment and careful training, she might be able to run again someday."
He looked back at Glameow.
"But even if she does, it probably won’t be the same as before. And judging by her personality... she may have a hard time accepting that."
Gengar’s shoulders drooped.
He lowered his head, staring at the floor.
"Gar..."
[If I had found her sooner, maybe her leg wouldn’t have ended up like this.]
"How could this possibly be your fault?"
Mike crouched in front of him.
"She had been injured for a long time before we ever met her. If you and Weedle hadn’t chased those Meowth away and come to get me, she might have..."
He stopped before finishing the sentence.
There was no need to say it aloud.
Mike reached out with both hands and gently pulled Gengar’s cheeks apart.
"Stop looking so miserable. Come on, give me a smile."
Before Gengar could respond, a new system window suddenly appeared.
{Miraculous Gracidea Tea: A sweet herbal tea made from Gracidea flowers with unusual healing properties. It can treat illnesses caused by damage to a Pokémon’s nerves. Price: 1,888 Viewership Points.}
{Exchange item?}
Mike read the description twice.
His eyes narrowed suspiciously.
’Why did this suddenly appear now?’
’Is the system actually trying to help, or did it just sense another chance to drain my points?’
The message changed.
{Would you like to exchange for this item?}
"Can you make it cheaper?"
{Would you like to exchange for this item?}
{Offer available for a limited time.}
"You greedy little—"
Mike released Gengar’s cheeks and looked back at the unconscious Glameow.
He remembered the wish written in her description.
She loved running.
She wanted to become a graceful performer like her mother.
Mike clenched his teeth.
"Fine! Exchange it! It’s only 1,888 points. I can earn that back by uploading a few more videos!"
Before confirming, he glanced at his current balance.
His eyes widened.
"Wait... over eight thousand?"
Mike stared at the number in surprise.
’Where did the extra three thousand points come from?’
He had not expected his balance to rise so much.
Perhaps his latest video was doing better than he thought.
The moment Mike realized he still had plenty left, his confidence returned immediately.
"Exchange it. Give me the expensive one!"
The system remained silent for a moment.
{...}
{Exchange successful.}
A small packet of flower tea appeared inside his inventory.
Mike looked around the room and spotted an insulated hot-water flask beside the hospital bed.
He turned toward Gengar.
"Gengar, let’s make Glameow some tea."
Gengar looked up as Mike smiled gently at him.
"Life has already been bitter enough for her. She deserves something sweet."
The sadness in Gengar’s eyes lifted, and he nodded again and again.
Mike turned an upside-down cup upright, slipped one hand into his pocket, and pretended to pull the packet from inside it.
He tore open the packaging and poured the Gracidea tea into the cup.
Gengar opened the hot-water flask and carefully filled it.
The moment the hot water touched the dried flowers, a sweet fragrance spread through the entire room.
Gengar leaned closer and sniffed deeply.
"Gar..."
[It smells so good... I want to eat it...]
"Don’t even think about drinking the patient’s medicine!"
Mike dipped one finger into the cup to test the temperature.
The instant it touched the water, he yanked it back.
"Hot! Hot, hot, hot!"
He shook his hand several times, then held the cup toward Gengar.
"Cool this down for me. Use your body temperature, but don’t freeze it."
Gengar carefully held the cup between his cool hands.
After a short while, he handed it back.
Mike tested the temperature again.
It was perfect.
He sat on the edge of the bed, poured half of the tea into another cup, and passed it to Gengar.
Gengar’s eyes immediately brightened.
(*σ´∀`)σ
He happily accepted it and moved over to share the sweet tea with Weedle.
Mike kept the other half for Glameow.
Supporting her head with one hand, he carefully raised it from the pillow and brought the cup to her mouth.
He poured the tea slowly, giving her time to swallow each small sip.
The moment the warm tea entered her mouth, the deep lines between Glameow’s brows began to fade.
Her tense face slowly relaxed.
Warmth spread through her body, sinking deep into the damaged nerves and aching muscles.
In her sleep, the feeling carried her back to a distant memory.
Before the human had taken her away.
Before she had learned what it felt like to be unwanted.
Rain fell outside a small cave.
She lay curled safely against her mother’s warm body, listening to the soft sound of water hitting the earth while watching the storm together.
Her mother’s tail rested gently around her.
Nothing could hurt her there.
’So warm...’
’So safe...’
"Meow..."
[Mom...]
Her voice was faint and broken.
"Meow..."
[Mom... Mom...]
Glameow called for her again and again in her sleep.
Her small body began to tremble beneath the blanket, and each quiet cry sounded more painful than the last.
Soon, the entire room was filled with her weak, desperate murmurs.
Mike gently placed one hand against her side and stroked her fur.
"I’m here," he whispered. "You’re not alone. I’m right here."
Glameow’s trembling slowly eased.
Mike continued patting her side in a soft, steady rhythm while humming a quiet lullaby beneath his breath.
"Rest now beneath the quiet sky~"
His voice was soft and slightly uneven, but the warmth behind it filled the room.
Outside the half-open door, Nurse Joy and Chansey stood silently listening.
They looked at one another.
Then both of them smiled.
As Mike continued humming, Glameow’s breathing became slow and peaceful.
A gentle purr finally rose from her chest.
Mike checked her status again.
The condition concerning her damaged leg was gone.
He released the breath he had been holding and carefully removed his hand from her fur.
Then he turned toward Gengar and Weedle.
"We should go. Let her sleep properly."
Mike stood and quietly led them toward the door.
He reached for the handle, opened it—And nearly jumped out of his skin when he found Nurse Joy and Chansey standing directly outside!
Mike quickly closed the door behind him so the noise would not wake Glameow.
Then he stared at them.
"Nurse Joy? Chansey? Why were you both standing out here?"
Nurse Joy smiled.
"You sing very nicely."
Mike flashed a bright smile, showing all his teeth.
"Thanks."
He glanced through the small window in the door at the sleeping Glameow.
"I’ll leave her in your care for now. I need to go back to the hotel, clean myself up, and change clothes. I’ll come and check on her again later."
His voice softened.
"Let her sleep as long as she needs."
"Of course." Nurse Joy nodded. "Take care."
Mike returned to the hotel with Gengar and Weedle, took another shower, and changed into clean clothes.
Afterward, he took them out for a good dinner.
Before leaving the restaurant, he ordered an extra meal from the Pokémon menu and had it packed for Glameow.
...
By the time they returned to the Pokémon Center, evening had already settled over Sandgem Town.
Mike had barely stepped through the door when he heard Nurse Joy’s strained voice coming from farther inside.
"No, you can’t move yet!"
A low, angry growl answered her.
"I won’t touch you, okay? Chansey can stay with you instead. But you cannot pull out the IV!"
Another sharp cry followed.
"No, I can’t leave without checking you first..."
There was a pause.
"All right, all right! I’ll step outside. Just lie down and stop moving. Your leg still hasn’t healed!"
Mike’s expression changed.
He quickened his pace and hurried toward the treatment room with Gengar and Weedle behind him.
"What happened, Nurse Joy?"
---
The grandma dex is the system scan, so technically Mike still doesnt have pokedex yet... also there will be some livestream here and there, some famous people like chyntia and the elite 4 gonna watch and comment on it.