A/N: By a good margin, the last one-shot is NORMAL. Thank you for your votes. It wasn't possible without you.
Shipping: ProtectShipper
One-Shot 12/Final: Joyful Dream
Ah, the Pokémon Center. A great break from an arduous length of travel and for the trainer from Pallet Town in the Kanto Region, the girl from the Village of Dragons and the Pokémon Connoisseur, it was their Pokémon in need of a proper checkup with the Center's operator, Nurse Joy, including a certain Alley Cat Pokémon abandoned by his team. "Hello?" Ash called. "Are you around, Nurse Joy?" No sound. It was odd.
"Apparently not," Iris sighed. Cilan didn't like the setting with no Nurse Joy.
"Talk about missing an ingredient in a culinary masterpiece," he observed. It's still unclear where Nurse Joy was but Ash was still willing to call for her.
"Hello!" he repeated. The calls did get attention...from an Audino. It casually walked in with three trays for the Pokéballs.
("I heard ya all the first time,") groaned the Hearing Pokémon. ("And I do apologize. Nurse Joy's exhausted and is asleep.") For Meowth, understanding Pokémon tongue was a snap.
"Must have been a lot of injured Pokémon in such a short time," he figured. Ash and Iris turned their heads to the former member of Team Rocket.
"I take it Nurse Joy's resting herself, huh?" Iris assumed.
"Pretty much." Accepting the brief fate of the helpful nurse, the trainers placed their Pokéballs, Pikachu and Axew on the trays. As Ash placed his balls down, something caught the foreigner's eye. A piece of a photo of the bill of a red baseball cap. He lurched his head forward. What he saw flabbergasted him. There were photos of him...in the different tops and different events. There was him and Snorlax in the Pokémon Sumo competition which they won by beating Feraligatr in the final round. There was him in the Indigo League with his Kingler after their shutout victory against Mandy. Another had him and Paul, not looking at the battle in front, in the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition. The side of the front desk was littered with photos of Ash. Someone was obsessed with him.
"What are you doing, Ash?" sounded Iris. Balking, Ash lost balance and spun to the Dragon Girl, nearly falling over.
"Sorry, Iris," he apologized. "I- Something caught my eye, that's all." Iris scoffed and shook her head.
"Of course things catch your eye. You're not from around here! What a kid!" Ash groaned at Iris' tease but Meowth chose to aid what was once his enemy.
"It certainly takes one to know one, Miss Dragon!" he hissed. Ash was startled to see Meowth defending him. Iris didn't appreciate the backtalk.
"You take that back!"
"Make me!"
"You wanna get stuffed into a Pokéball?"
"You're itching to do that, twerp! I just know it!" As those two bicker, Ash refocused on why this Nurse Joy was so fond of Ash. It even had Cilan wondering as well...and he's more local than Ash.
"So that's what caught your eyes," he realized. "Are these photos of you?" Ash was afraid to suffer embarrassment but he nodded to confirm that the boy in the pictures was the one standing aside the Connoisseur.
"That's me all right." Cilan didn't appear as flabbergasted as Ash, but very intrigued. Mainly because one of those had two extra people in the shot: Misty tugging away Brock by ear.
"Who are those two and what's going on?" He pointed to said photo which Ash peered at. It took a minute to remember that moment.
"It was my first tournament battle against Mandi and Team Rocket infiltrated the announcers' box to encourage me. The group of Officer Jennys came storming the box and arrested them. My traveling friends at the time were rather mystified that Team Rocker was cheering me on instead of going after Pikachu. Brock heard the Officer Jennys and recognized each Jenny with their corresponding city they were from, forcing Misty to drag him away." While clarified about who they were, Cilan had a question about Brock.
"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say Brock's easily infatuated with any Officer Jenny." Ash huffed at the humiliating truth.
"You don't need to be a detective to figure that out. Still, is it really Nurse Joy or Audino who has it out for me? I mean, thinking back to Krokorok for one..." Cilan knew better.
"I think you and Audino would not blend too well." Then it was Joy who liked Ash. "Why don't you relax? I'm gonna whip up dinner." Ash might need some food if only to reset his mindset.
"Yeah, good idea." As he joined with the rest...
("I need to see you, Meowth!") Audino called. Meowth gawked, a little surprised to have the Hearing Pokémon want him. Not even a Chansey had a desire for anyone from Team Rocket.
"Are you sure?" it wondered. With a nod from Audino, Meowth slowly pursued it into the back. With Iris and Cilan attended the loaned kitchen and the Pokémon getting checked out, Ash was alone, still wondering about why a Nurse Joy would have all these photos of Ash behind the desk. He observed the scene. There's only him. Not for long. A Joltik had crawled out from the other room. It's teeny-tiny legs were bandaged up. It was injured.
"Joltik?" he called out. Joltik scuttled up to Ash. "What are you doing?" That's when Ash felt a soothing vibration from Joltik's underbelly. "You're hungry, aren't you?" Ash got over to his bag and pulled out a canister of berries. "I think this Oran Berry should fill you up." Joltik nibbled through the Oran Berry quickly. "Wow, you're really hungry, Joltik." Choosing to return Joltik back into intensive care in the back. No doubt Iris and Cilan were wondering where Ash was. Ash was in the back and returning Joltik in the forbidden area. Placed back, Joltik gave a look passed Ash...and there she was. No, not the girl of his dreams. More of the girl who dreams of him. She's dreaming right now. Ash glared at her, pondering his next move. Approach her or stay back? The redness on her cheeks made Ash think she had a fever. He hustled over to her side and rested a hand on her forehead. This became strange. Core temperature's normal. It could be worse. He could be like Brock and play with the unconscious pink-haired girl's body. She did admire him so maybe a kiss from the boy she's been keeping pictures from. Or do you scoot out of there and leave? Joltik had to have seen all those pictures to come up with an idea that's literally shocking. The Attaching Pokémon used it's name well by attaching to Ash's head before...the Thunder Wave Treatment. Joltik zapped Ash who tried not to scream and wake Joy. But by doing so, Joltik shocked Ash into submission...and the lights went out in Pallet. THUD!
…
…
"Ash!" sounded a young angel. "Ash!" Ash began to wake up with Joy and a few Pokémon in his face. Audino, Pikachu and Meowth were concerned that Joltik's Thunder Wave did extensive damage.
("You all right, buddy?") Pikachu squeaked. Ash sat up, still pretty woozy from Joltik's attack.
"I need a minute," he murmured. Joy was happy to see Ash coherent...and lunged to hug him. Ash was taken aback if he could go back.
"You're here!" she cried. "My...My hero's here! In my Center! I'm the luckiest Joy, my dream's come true!" A hero? Well, Ash had saved plenty of Pokémon.
"Even now that she's mentioned the twerp as a hero to her, that still don't explain all those pictures by the front desk," Meowth shared his opinion. They may have been mortal enemies but even Pikachu wanted to side with the ex-Rocket.
("For once, I agree with you,") the Electric Mouse Pokémonacknowledged. Joy briefly broke her hug to relax.
"I'm sorry," she breathed. "It's just...you're always there to help the Pokémon. You've saved plenty of Pokémon like over in Castelia City and by Shamouti Island. You're also an exceptionally tough but caring trainer that I've grown fond over!" Fondness, huh? Guess when you meet your hero for the first time, you can't react normally and instead become verbally rampant.
"Boy, I didn't know I made an impact in Unova before even knowing about it," Ash stuttered. Joy laughed at Ash's oblivious humor.
"You're funny! And cute! I don't know why my sisters and cousins would just pass you off!" Perhaps they were too busy tending to the Pokémon to care. At least one Joy was happy to meet him.
"Guess not all Joys are alike." Nope. They look alike but they can be very different inside...and that's not under their cute nursing uniforms. Just saying.
"Not me, at least." SMOOCH! Brock was mostly a fan of the nurse Joys. Just imagine learning that Ash got some of the nurse's "medication." Iris and Cilan finally arrived to see Joy laying the smooch on the Kanto Trainer. Needless to say how stunned they were.
"Ash!" Iris snapped. Ash spun his eye to an angered Dragon Girl and Cilan who seemed to be taking it in stride. Joy didn't react, instead continued tasting the lips she so desired.
"Oh, my," he awed. "An unusual blend of sugar and spice." All they would need was everything nice and this would be perfect, Prof. Utonium! Sorry, Powerpuff Girl reference. Joy broke away from Ash's lips and continued her Joyful smile.
"Maybe after you compete in the Grand Tournament, you can come visit and maybe go on a date with me," she offered. Iris didn't want that to happen, even though she had no real purpose to back her claim.
"Oh no you don't!" she protested. "When he gets done, this kid is going back home to Pallet and never stepping foot on Unova again!" There's harsh and then there's...could vicious count. Joy got frightened by Iris' yell and clutched onto Ash vie the shoulders. That's when Ash came up with a solution.
"First off, Iris," he started. "Why are you still with me and Cilan?" Iris wasn't expecting a question like that, moreover from the subject himself.
"You know as well as I do! Such a kid!" While she was defiant in her saying, she also didn't answer his question.
"Which is?" He wanted Joy, Cilan and the Pokémon to know her reasons. That made Iris uncomfortable while that scheming Attaching Pokémon crawled up her back.
"To get you around the region! How much more do you really need?"
"Considering I never even asked for someone to help guide me around Unova? Plus, the Forest Voice in the Pinwheel Forest and guidance around Castelia City were less than impressive." Iris never wanted to be put in this position but it's suspected Joy's caring love somehow brought out Ash's composure.
"He does have a point," Cilan sided with Ash. "The only reason I find is to bitter the fresh taste of an imported fruit and ferment it with blame." Interesting input from the Pokémon Connoisseur.
"Quite a fancy way of saying to downgrade the twerp and his training skills," Meowth summed up. "Since he did finish in the Top 4 in the Lilly of the Valley Conference back in Sinnoh, he is no Spring Torchic. And besides, he's got a couple of Dragon Pokémon that could eat your Axew alive." Thanks for the input, Meowth, though some of it was rather exaggerated. Unable to take anymore of this, Iris stormed off in spite. She wanted to run to deafen her friends.
"You're all little kids!" she screamed as she fled. She'll be back.
"Sometimes even a juicy meal hides a fiery aftertaste," Cilan studied. Ash wondered if that was really necessary if only to get Iris to back off from them.
"Was it really needed?" he questioned. The Pokémon scoffed from that blank wonder.
("You started it,") Pikachu reminded.
"Yeah and we just backed you up," Meowth added. "After all, that breeder twerp will go through the roof when he finds out you were able to get Nurse Joy on your first try. Won't he be shocked." That's for sure. Speaking of...ZAP! Joltik shocked Iris who stumbled back, toastier than before. Joltik hopped off the downed Dragon Girl and hopped back to Ash and Joy, static...uh, ecstatic.
"Joltik wild?" he asked his girl-aid.
"Yeah, but I guess he saw my pictures of you, thinking you'll be here," Joy sighed in slight embarrassment. "Apparently, he knew you were coming more than I did." The two and Joltik laughed. There are all sorts of Nurse Joys in the world and while their job is to treat all the Pokémon, some have lives outside the Center. This was one.
END of NORMAL & the ELEMENTS
(Thanks to all who've read this year's version of the 12 Elements of AshMas. It was pretty tricky with the addition of Best Wishes/Black & White. So as you finish this, have a happy new year and I'll see you back in 2012.)