Chapter 6: The Mighty Protector

Joy led the way to the garage behind the center where an ambulance waited for them. "In here," she told the young man as she hopped inside.

Ash just barely got buckled in when Joy took off at top speed down the road. Obviously this was normal for her as the bystanders walking along just moved slightly out of the way. Ash gripped the panic handle tight enough to turn his knuckles white, screaming until his throat was sore.

"Which way?" Joy asked.

"Ahh! The...the w.w. .l.l.l..." Ash replied.

When they reached the waterfall and was unable to go any further, Ash hopped out. "He's this way! Hurry!" He shouted, jogging impatiently in place.

"But that's just a waterfall," Joy argued. "There's nothing here."

"Just trust me okay, and we might need a stretcher," he informed her. Joy just shrugged and got the stretcher from the back and indicated for Ash to lead the way. Ash led her through the waterfall and prepared to hear the same reaction he'd had the day before.

Joy looked around the valley in amazement. "I never knew this was here. All these wild pokemon."

Ash nodded. "And you can't tell anyone. Can you imagine what would happen to this beautiful place if others knew? And that goes for EVERYTHING you see here and everyone."

Joy was surprised at how serious the young man before her sounded. "I understand, I won't tell a soul."

"Good," Ash said as he led the way to Reenie's tree.

So many psychic types lay by the trees, all of them unconscious. Joy gasped and fell to her knees and began getting out her pokeballs.

Ash went to the entrance of the hollow tree. "Reenie, help's here," he called as he entered.

MewTwo looked even worse than before. His complexion was completely white and wet with persperation. His breathing was shallow and told Ash that he was in pain despite being comatose.

Reenie was crying as she looked up from where she was nursing her sick papa. "Ash you're back!"

"Yes, I'm back. You need to come out here and meet Joy now," he told her. At her anxious hesitation, he said soothingly. "Don't be afraid, she's very nice and she's here to help." He offered a hand for her to hold.

She hesitated, but took briefly took his hand before jerking free. Nurse Joy was using her pokeballs to capture her friends! She ran to the woman; only Ash's speed and strength prevented her from attacking Joy.

"What are you doing? Stop it!" Reenie ran forward and smacked away the pokeball from the nurse. "You can't catch these pokemon." She grabbed the small Meditite that Joy was about to capture in said ball.

Joy only barely contained her shock at the presence of the little girl defending the pokemon. Maintaining her professionalism, she smiled kindly at the little girl. "I have to dear, if I'm to help them."

Ash stepped forward. "These aren't regular pokeballs Reenie." She looked up questioningly at him, a little betrayal in her eyes. "They are temporary balls used by Pokemon Nurses to transport sick pokemon to the center safely. She's not going to keep them. When they're better and able to care for themselves again, she'll bring them back here and release them. Isn't that right Joy?" he asked her.

"That's right sweetheart," Joy stated. "See, they even look different than normal pokeballs," she offered to let Reenie have a closer look.

Although she clearly didn't trust the nurse, Reenie accepted the ball and looked it over. "It's pink, Papa says normal balls are red and white, although there are others, but I've never heard of a pink one before. It's like my hair."

Joy smiled. "It's a Healing Ball. Will you let me help them sweetie?"

"Only if you promise to bring them back after you've healed them," Reenie said. "This is their home, and it's my responsibility to make sure that they're safe. If you keep them, I won't be able to stop the other pokemon here from coming after you. I wouldn't want to."

"I promise," Joy said solemnly and slowly Reenie finally let her take the Meditite from her.

As if an afterthought, Reenie then chimed in. "And you can't put papa in a pokeball. He won't like that at all."

Joy looked confused as she gave Ash a few of the balls to put pokemon in. "Your papa? Dear, pokeballs are just for pokemon, you know that right?"

"Yeah," Reenie said in a tone that said she was put out that the nurse thought she was stupid. "And Papa's a pokemon."

Ash came over with the bag of pokeballs filled with the sick pokemon. "Don't worry, we brought a stretcher for him."

Joy had many questions of course but knew it was not the time to ask them. She could ask on the way back to the center. "Alright, take me to your papa," she told the little girl. "The sooner we get them back to the center the better."

Reenie took them into the tree and indicated where MewTwo lay. "You can help him right? You help pokemon so you can help my papa, right? Ash wasn't able to."

"That's because Ash is not a nurse like I am," Joy practically repeated what Ash had told her earlier. "What kind of pokemon is he? I've never seen one like him before," she said as Ash helped her to get MewTwo carefully onto the stretcher.

"He's MewTwo," Ash replied. "You wouldn't see any others like him, he's the only one. He and she are the main reasons I swore you to secrecy. He's a psychic type, a strong one and can sort of talk like humans can."

Joy nodded somewhat in understanding. This was the mighty protector of the forest. She had heard tales of people coming into the forest and coming back out without any memories after they reached to the waterfall. Those people must have found what was beyond the waterfall and he, being a psychic type, was able to use his powers to erase their memories and teleport back outside. Now that mighty protector was sick. She hoped she was able to get him well fast, not just for his sake but also for the sake of this beautiful place and the pokemon who lived there.

"Come on, we must hurry him back to the center," Joy said.

With the child seat-belted upfront in the ambulance, Joy drove much more carefully.

"So, tell me, how old are you?" Joy asked.

Rini looked around the bus in amazement at the strange device. She still wasn't sure if Joy was safe either. She had so little experience with humans.

Ash poked his head out of the back (where he was keeping an eye on MewTwo). "Tell her how old you are, Rini." He encouraged her.

Rini looked at Ash before shyly answering. "Papa says I'm ten because it was ten years ago that he found me."

Joy thought back. Ten years ago was when the visits first started. She inwardly wondered why she never said anything about them to the authorities. "Found you? What about your biological parents? Do you know anything about them?"

Rini shook her head. "Papa told me that I was left outside the waterfall. He found me and adopted me."

"Well, don't you worry. Everything will be okay now," Joy assured her. "We'll take care of your papa and get you a check up at the same time. We'll find your parents, your mother and father."

Rini frowned. "But Papa is my father! I want to stay with him!"

"Rini, you're a human," Joy told her. "He's taken really good care of you this long but you can't stay hidden away. Your Papa is too rare of a Pokemon to be able to do right by you for much longer because one such as him is better off away from humans."

Rini shook her head. "No! I want to stay with Papa! You can't take me away from him! I won't let you!"

Ash looked at Joy. "How about we focus on getting MewTwo and the other Pokemon better before we go planning her life." He made a note to himself to talk more in-depth about the situation with the nurse later.

Joy acquiesced. "You're right. But you must at least let me check you over."

Rini looked at Ash. "What does that mean?"

"She means that she wants to make sure that your body is healthy," Ash explained.

Rini nodded. "Okay. And I can stay with Papa until he's better?"

Joy nodded. "Yes. Having someone he cares about close by might give him a better chance at fighting whatever this is."

Finally, they pulled into the garage of the Pokemon Center. Covering him a blanket to conceal him, she led them into the emergency entrance.

Soon, MewTwo was safely ensconced in a private room hooked to a number of different monitors. Rini sat by his side while Joy ran test after test. Ash sat by Rini, Pikachu sat on her shoulders, both offering her some much needed support.

"Papa, please be okay," Rini begged.

"He'll be fine," Ash told her. "Won't he Nurse Joy?" He asked as the pink-haired nurse entered. He didn't like her expression as she looked at the test results.

Joy looked up from the papers. "Um...yeah." She agreed. "He's just caught a bit of a bug. He'll be alright after a few days rest. I just need to talk to Ash about some temporary living arrangements for you while your papa gets better." She motioned for Ash to join her out in the hall.

"This is bad," she said when they were safely out of earshot of the room. "This illness is like nothing I've seen before. How can I cure a disease I know nothing about?"

Ash sighed. "Hmm, what can you tell from your tests?"

"Only that it appears to attack the immune system. The more white blood cells in the count, the greater the number of harmful virus cells," she explained. "What's worse is, it seems to be mutating some of the healing cells into bad cells."

Ash looked down. "What should we do? Maybe an antidote?"

Joy shook her head. "We're just going to have to wait, keep an eye on him and the rest. I'll talk to Professor Tomoe and see if he can't help. In the meantime, Rini will need a place to stay."

Ash looked back towards the private room. "I'll look after her," He promised. "MewTwo's a good friend of mine. She's my responsibility until he can care for her himself."

"Are you sure?" Joy asked. "You have a gym back at your home right?" She remembered getting to know the young man. "Won't it be hard to raise a child too?"

Ash was reminded of Brock who had cared for several children in addition to being a gym leader. But, "Oh, I'll be staying here with her until he's better. I'm not going to take her from him."

Joy clearly did not agree with this choice. "She really should be with a human family."

"I know but he's worked so hard to care for her. He's looked after her this long. He'll do right by her," Ash said. "I know he will."

Joy was astonished by the young man's insistence at this fact. "Alright, I'll leave it alone for now."

"Thank you," Ash said. "Believe me, if I think it would be harmful for her development to stay with him, I'll say something to him."

Joy nodded. "I would appreciate that. A child like that should either be in school or on her Pokemon journey."

Ash agreed. "Yes she should be. But I'll take good care of her. Don't worry."

In the hospital room, Reenie sat worriedly holding onto her father's hand. "Please Papa...please get better..."

AN: What is this strange illness. Will Reenie let Ash care for her in MewTwo's place? Will MewTwo be okay? Find out next time on Pokemon Pink Crystal Evolution!