Joe marched to the lighthouse, Jasmine on his back. He finally realised why the light was out. Jasmine was here to treat a Pokemon. It was at the top. The light of this lighthouse was sick and unable to fulfil its duty.
He observed the building. Chipped white and blue paint in alternating rings. This place needed a refresh. But more importantly he estimated it was ten-storeys. Hundreds of steps. He was worn out. He just wanted to lie down and go to sleep. Give his arms and legs a rest. But he refused to back down.
He climbed concrete steps. Opened thick, tall wooden doors. They creaked from age. The duo were finally out of the rain. The ground floor was a wide-open space. Rectangle lights lined the walls and released a soft orange glow. On the opposite side of the room was a treat to behold. Metal doors with a button next to them. An elevator. Joe was tempted to start a victory dance, but he held himself back. Walked like a normal human instead.
"By the way, where's the medicine?" Joe asked, no longer needing to shout. He had a rough idea of what happened, but he wanted to confirm it.
Jasmine stayed silent until Joe covered most of the ground to the elevator. Finally, she spoke. "...I dropped it." She started to sob quietly.
Joe had noticed her crying earlier. Was it not for herself, but for her Pokemon? If so then she was tougher than she looked. Even though the fall would've hurt, she cared more for someone else. He admired her strength.
"So, what now? Can we get the medicine from another shop?"
Joe felt hair swish on his neck. Jasmine was shaking her head. This wasn't denial, but Joe took it as such. Jasmine's point was that she didn't know where the nearest pharmacist was. She'd gotten the medicine from the PokeMart due to the contract between the companies. Amphy had only become ill in recent months, and she cared for the Pokemon deeply. It was a family member. She had her duties as Gym Leader, so her father offered to take care of Amphy, but Jasmine said she could handle it.
"Do we call for help then?" Joe didn't know what Amphy was. If he had to, he'd carry it to the nearest veterinarian. But just in case he wanted a backup plan. He might need to run to the nearest pharmacist and grab the medicine.
Joe realised it was a stupid question. Jasmine wouldn't have her phone because of the dress. And he assumed his own phone was now dead. It'd been hit by enough water to fill a swimming pool. If it survived then the engineer of the device deserved a raise.
"...I don't know."
"We'll figure something out." Joe hoped he could carry this Amphy Pokemon to the nearest Pokemon Center. He'd been on occasion. The nurses there did an excellent job caring for sick Pokemon.
Joe arrived in front of the elevator. Reached a hand out, pointer finger aimed at the call button. The exact moment the button sunk into the panel, the room went dark. Orange lights were replaced by a dim blue hue. Emergency power. Backup lights. Joe sucked air through his teeth. Silver lining. At least they weren't in the metal box when the power decided to call it quits. He assumed the backup power couldn't run an elevator. He was back to climbing the stairs.
"Well, end of the road. I don't think I can carry you to the top. You're heavier than you look. Must be the influence of all those steel-types." Joe had never told such a bold lie. Or half-truth. Jasmine did weigh something now. Not because she was heavy. Because he was worn out.
Jasmine started to wriggle free of his arms supporting her legs. Joe automatically loosened his grip. She pushed against his back and hopped off. Joe heard a sharp intake of breath behind him. She'd landed harder than expected on her bad leg.
"It was just a joke." He faced her.
"N- No… I can't keep relying on you."
Joe took a big step forward. Put an arm around her shoulders and bent slightly to put an arm at the back of her knees. He lifted. Some called it a fireman's carry. Others a bridal carry. "You're not going to get far on that leg. It's fine to rely on others. If you need help, just ask."
Jasmine covered her face with her hands. Her ears turned red. A muffled voice came from the woman. "T- Then, can you please help me get upstairs…?" She got quieter the longer she spoke.
"Gladly." Joe let the smile into his voice. He walked to another wall. He'd already spotted the start of a spiral staircase he assumed would take him to the top.
He ascended, light clanging ringing through the enclosed space from metal steps. Every step put further strain on his legs. To one side Joe could hear rain hitting the outer wall. The storm was subsiding, the rain getting lighter as Joe felt heavier and sluggish.
At some point Jasmine removed her hands from her face. Clasped them together in front of her chest. She'd calmed down somewhat. Still, she couldn't look up. Couldn't look Joe in the eyes. Joe thought she was cute. She reminded him of cute, skittish animals. Joe was surprised by how attached to Jasmine he seemed to be. He'd had casual flings. No deeper connections. For some reason he didn't want to be casual with Jasmine. It wasn't fair to someone like her. All of a sudden a proper relationship didn't sound so bad. Joe had been domesticated, just like that. He put the thought aside. Before he started a family, he had a personal problem to fix. He'd let it fester for too long. After today he was going to speak to someone about it.
Joe had reached the top of the lighthouse without realising. Zoning out did him some good. Took his mind off how tired he was. He looked around at his new environment. An open room. Smaller than his bedroom. Walls of curved glass to let light out. In the center was a podium to amplify light. And lying next to said podium was a yellow and white Pokemon. Plump belly like a guy that drank too much at the local pub. Red gem on its head and tail. Black stripes on its ears, neck, and tail.
"Amphy!" Jasmine called, scrambling out of Joe's arms. He assisted. Dipped low to let her down. Jasmine winced at her first step, pain shooting up her leg, but she ignored it and ran to her Pokemon. She really was tough. Could ignore pain for the sake of others.
Amphy had been a member of the family for generations. Of course she cared for it and was worried about it. It was like another grandfather to her. Amphy was old and becoming sickly but was determined to fulfil its duty. A stubborn old man.
Jasmine crouched next to the Pokemon. Her hands hovered over it. Shaking. Joe checked his phone. Sure enough, it was dead. He pocketed it and walked to Jasmine. Knelt beside her. Saw her face. She was too distraught. Didn't know what to do. Joe put a hand on Jasmine's shoulder to get her attention.
"Hey, look at me." Joe said. Jasmine turned her head but kept her eyes on Amphy for a bit longer. When she finally looked at him, he spoke. "Calm down. You can't help anyone when you're flustered. Take a deep breath and think. What next?"
Jasmine obeyed. Joe assisted, breathing in and out with her. Slow and steady. In and out. A minute later she seemed calm. She wasn't breathing erratically. There was a new light of determination in her eyes. It worked.
"W- We need to get Amphy to a PokeCenter." The medicine was a product PokeCenters stocked just in case of situations like this. Jasmine looked up at Joe. The thought crossed her mind again. She couldn't keep asking for help. "But…"
Joe shrugged. "Then that's what we'll do. Going down is the easy part. You hop on my back again. I'll carry Amphy in my arms." If they ever became friends, Joe was going to make something clear to Jasmine. Tell her to make a nuisance of herself. Joe liked looking after others.
Jasmine nodded. For the first time since they met, she didn't hesitate. She climbed onto Joe's back. The breathing meditation had aided her more than she expected. Her mind was always full of thoughts. It slowed her down. Too much information to sort through. Giving herself a reset cleared her mind.
Once Jasmine was secured, Joe reached out to Amphy. Put his arms under it. Hefted it up before letting it back down. Amphy was a little smaller than Jasmine but weighed more. Must be the beer belly. Or maybe Joe was just that exhausted now. His muscles were screaming at him. Just stop. Let us rest, please. He'd listen soon. Once he'd gotten Jasmine and Amphy to the nearest PokeCenter. For now he just had to force himself to put one foot in front of the other.
Joe tried again. Pulled Amphy to its feet. Let it lean against him as it stood. Amphy let out a tired whine. Joe wanted to comment, "Me too, buddy." but he stopped himself. No complaining. Joe adjusted his grip and lifted Amphy fully. Amphy curled its head into itself. The weight of Amphy hit Joe. He stood there for a moment, collecting himself. His arms were close to shaking from the effort. When Joe was ready, he started walking.
Joe was thankful for his decision to work out, even if it wasn't doing much right now. At first it was just a whim, but it'd come in handy over the years. He'd picked up camping as a hobby for vacations and wanted as much money as he could save. The fitness center was a cheap hobby where he could also watch television. From dramas to documentaries to Pokemon battle competitions, he got to enjoy himself while at the fitness center. Before he knew it, he'd gained immense muscle.
Joe noticed other doors on his descent. A kitchen. A bedroom for Amphy, hay sticking out from under a blanket. Joe was just confused. With technology as advanced as the modern world, Amphy was still in use. Surely it was easier to rely on technology instead of an ageing Pokemon. Maybe the mayor was lazy. Didn't want to renovate. But it seemed it was time for Amphy to move on. Having pride in one's craft was fine, but this was an important job. Thousands of people on ships relied on functioning light from land.
Towards the bottom of the stairs, Joe had a dumb thought. Chuckled to himself.
Jasmine peered over his shoulder. Curious. "…Why are you laughing?"
"Jealous?" Joe hefted Amphy with his remaining strength. Brought attention to the way he carried the animal.
It took a second but Jasmine eventually understood. She shrank away. Joe could imagine her embarrassed face. Cheeks red. He smiled at the thought. Reached the ground floor. Walked out of the building. The storm had passed. Only a light drizzle remained.
Joe marched through the streets, Jasmine pointing the way over his shoulder. He vaguely knew where the nearest PokeCenter was. Not good enough. Jasmine absolutely knew so he relied on her knowledge. They wandered through streets until they reached the Pokemon hospital. Three storeys tall with smaller, two storey segments on either side. Bright red roof, heavily slanted. The roof came down lower than normal, reaching the top of the third storey windows. Above the door was a massive sign. Bigger than Joe. A circle. Frosted glass lit by interior bulbs. Top half red, bottom half white. Joe entered through automatic glass doors.
The interior was comfortable. Joe was hit by a wave of heat. Orange tiled flooring filled his vision. Long leather seats in corners so people could rest as they waited. Small plants dotted about to add life. A cafeteria in a corner, the scent of coffee reaching Joe. Dead ahead was a desk. A nurse stood behind it. She had pink hair fashioned into buns. Big, kind eyes. A smile permanently etched onto her face. Beside her, half her size, was a rather rotund Pokemon with white frills. Joe at least knew this one. Blissey. One hundred percent maternal instinct. It carried an egg in a pouch and loved caring for others.
Blissey ran off when it saw Joe. Joe reached the desk. Blissey returned right on time with a stretcher bed.
The nurse moved to the bed. Gestured to it with a hand. "Please place the Ampharos on the bed."
Joe had to stop himself from laughing. He obliged. Put Amphy down. Amphy the Ampharos. Creative nickname. Although honestly if he had Pokemon he doubted he'd give them nicknames. He was the one that lacked creativity.
Jasmine hopped off Joe's back. Winced again. Walked by Amphy's side as he was taken away by Blissey. Taken to a room to be treated.
"I hope everything goes well." He said as he watched her go. She turned and gave him a smile. It was genuine. Reached her ears. Joe liked her smile.
A stranger approached. A lanky kid growing his first moustache. Had to still be in school. No doubt he was waiting for his Pokemon to be treated. He handed Joe a towel. Joe gave his thanks. Ran his hands through the towel. Dragged it down his face. Handed the towel back.
Joe yawned deeply. Stretched his arms. He should be getting back to work. Adults had responsibilities. But he was so tired. Hoped his boss would forgive this one selfish request. He went to a leather couch. Lay down, arm under his head like a pillow. He fell asleep in seconds.
Jasmine informed the nurse of what medicine Amphy needed. She was reassured that her Pokemon would be okay. She walked to the waiting room. Saw Joe resting. Walked over to him. Smiled to herself. She struggled with people. Didn't know how to thank him properly. But she pushed her anxiety aside because he was asleep. "Thank you…" She realised she didn't even know his name. He'd done all this, saved her and stuck with her to the end, and she didn't know who he was.
The nurse returned to her desk. Saw Jasmine hovering over Joe, staring at his face with a smile. It was a little creepy. The nurse could see the duo were still drenched. She went to a room and grabbed a portable heater. She may be there to treat Pokemon, but people weren't going to fall ill on her watch. She set the heater up between Joe and another seat. Helped jasmine into said other seat. Returned to her desk and awaited the next patient.
With the storm ending, emergency services visited the lighthouse as requested by the bespectacled receptionist. She feared for Jasmine's safety. Emergency services found nothing. Not even Amphy. The Gym was thrown into panic as Jasmine was considered missing. The confusion wouldn't be corrected for another few hours.
Eventually the Gym was informed of Jasmine's whereabouts, leaving one last mess to clean up. Joe skipped work. The manager liked Joe. A man that understood if he was going to get paid then he needed to do his job. But the manager felt he had no choice. Ditching his obligation to work was a sign of bad character. Thankfully, Jasmine stuttered and stammered her way through an explanation. Joe had gone above and beyond. This all could've been avoided if the delivery was on time. Jasmine would've missed the storm. Joe wouldn't have had to cover for the brat. So naturally, the manager fired the brat. The brat's friend quit in solidarity, as if Joe or the manager cared.
Joe recognised the effort it took Jasmine to explain what had happened. He praised her. Patted her head. She turned bright red again. Joe considered if he was overstepping, but it ended up being the right choice. The praise gave Jasmine some confidence.
From this point onwards, Jasmine would only deal with Joe. She essentially got Joe a promotion. The delivery was an extra service. The position earned more money. Joe researched what it took to be genuinely strong. He needed to not just gain muscle but also use it. He signed up for mixed martial arts and boxing and any other physical sport he could find. The extra money from the promotion was gone but his holiday fund was untouched.
Every Monday and Friday, Jasmine would wait for Joe in the Gym's reception area, a smile on her face. He was reliable. Always arrived on time. She slowly opened up to him and the Gym's receptionist. Managed to hold conversations with her two new friends. She spoke slowly. Always made sure to think about what she said before she said it. As time passed, she spoke more and more. Joe had helped Jasmine come out of her shell and fight her anxiety, if only a little. She struggled with others still, but she liked Joe and the receptionist.