[Evening – Pokémon Center Dining Area]
The clean hum of overhead lights filled the air as Mia sat at her usual table near the window, slowly turning a spoon in her half-finished bowl of vegetable soup. The smell of warm broth and steamed greens filled the room, but her appetite had wandered elsewhere.
Outside, the sun dipped behind the rooftops of Viridian City, painting the sky in deep orange. She exhaled through her nose, then muttered to no one in particular, "I really can't keep doing this forever."
Her voice sounded tired, even to her own ears. Not because she hated the job—far from it. Working at the Pokémon Center gave her stability, peace, and most importantly, purpose. But she didn't come here to settle.
She stared out the window as she stirred her soup. Since that dream she's been thinking of going on a journey.
'I want to go. See the world. Do some battles or join some contest or whatever…'
She poked her spoon into a chunk of soft potato.
"I want to meet new Pokémon. Learn how people live in other regions. Taste food I've never had—well, as long as it's not Pokémon meat." She made a small face at the thought. "Vegetables are fine. Dairy's fine too."
Her stomach grumbled softly, but the soup still didn't seem interesting.
She leaned into her palm and sighed. "This place is nice. Quiet. Safe. But I wasn't meant to stay in one city. I want to walk through flower fields in Kalos. Help wild Pokémon in Johto. Visit the snowy clinics in Sinnoh, and maybe even stop by Alola for the beach. "
She smiled faintly.
"And if there's a Pokémon Center in town, I could offer to help. Even just a day or two."
She mumbled daydreaming of her future.
A soft voice broke through her daydreams. "You spacing out again?"
Bea, Nurse Joy's upbeat assistant, popped around the corner holding a clipboard and a tray with two bottles of Berry Juice. She slid into the seat across from Mia and placed one bottle in front of her.
Mia gave her a half-hearted smile. "Just... thinking."
Bea took a swig of her juice. "About leaving?"
Mia blinked. "That obvious?"
"Girl, you've been mumbling about leaving just now."
Mia laughed quietly, setting her spoon down. "It's not that I don't like it here. I really do. It's just... I don't want to work in one place forever. There's more to see."
"Then what do you want?" Bea asked, not teasing this time—just genuinely curious.
Mia glanced down at her Pokéballs clipped to her belt, then back at the window.
"I want to travel. Just me and my team. I want to meet wild Pokémon and maybe have new Pokémon so Audino and Chansey have some friends, learn about new places, new medicines. Try regional food. Maybe stay at a different Center every few week. Help, learn, move on."
Bea leaned back in her chair. "Honestly? That sounds kinda amazing."
"That's what I want."
"Well, you are pretty good at helping. Even Joy says you've got steady hands," Bea said with a smile. "I swear, you wrap a sprained paw better than most interns."
Mia froze for half a second but quickly covered it with a sip of juice. "I've read a lot."
Bea raised a brow. "Right."
She always had that feeling—like nurse joy and bea were watching her a little too closely. Like they knew she wasn't just some regular trai. Of course they didn't know. How could they?
She medical training. Years of it. But that part of her life was buried. She'd sworn not to talk about it—not until she figured herself out.
"I'll probably head out in a few weeks," Mia said softly. "Once I save a bit more. I want to travel light."
"Good time to do it," Bea said with a shrug. "League's off-season anyway. No Gym battles, no tournament buzz. Not even a lot of trainers around right now."
Bea stood, stretching. "Well, if you do leave, don't go disappearing on us. Joy would be upset."
"I'll call," Mia promised. "Whenever I pass through a town with a Center, I'll stop and help out for a bit. And there i would call you guys."
"Deal," Bea grinned. "Just don't ignore us whem u get famous."
As the assistant disappeared back into the hallway, Mia sat in the silence that followed.
She glanced down at her hands. Calloused but steady. Tired, but capable.
Now she just wanted to travel.
Her thoughts goes back when she ask Audino and Chansey about leaving.
[FLASHBACK - Yesterday night]
Later that night, long after the last patient had been treated and the halls of the Pokémon Center had quieted, Mia sat cross-legged on her bedroom floor. Her Pokéballs rested in front of her, and the soft hum of the heater filled the silence.
With a gentle tap, she released them.
In a warm flash of light, Audino and Chansey appeared, blinking at the sudden change in lighting. Audino tilted her head, curious, while Chansey rubbed her eyes sleepily.
"Sorry for waking you," Mia said softly, scratching the back of her neck. "I just… I wanted to talk."
Audino stepped forward, ears perking up as she leaned close. Chansey let out a sleepy coo and waddled over, resting her stubby hands on Mia's knee.
"I've been thinking about leaving," Mia continued. "Not because I don't like it here. You know I do. But I want to see more of the world. And I don't want to go without you two."
Audino's ears wiggled at the word leave and she gave a delighted trill, clapping her paws. Chansey blinked once, then smiled gently, her bell jingling as she nodded.
"I knew you'd be excited," Mia chuckled. "Audino, I think you were born for adventure. You always perk up when a trainer walks in talking about their last battle."
Audino twirled on the spot with a happy hum, her feelers glowing faintly with excitement.
"And Chansey… I know you're more about healing than fighting, but… I thought you might like traveling. Seeing different Centers. Maybe helping wild Pokémon, or visiting towns that don't have nurses."
Chansey gave a soft, enthusiastic chirp and bounced lightly in place. Her eyes sparkled with the idea of helping Pokémon across the regions.
Mia smiled, feeling warmth bloom in her chest. "So you'd come with me? Even if it means traveling light, sometimes camping out, maybe battling trainers or helping during emergencies?"
Audino raised her paws like fists, clearly thrilled at the idea of battling. Chansey gave a more reserved nod, then mimed patting heads and handing out berries, as if to say, only if we heal after.
"Fair enough," Mia laughed. "You fight, and we'll patch them up. You and Audino will. Probably better than me, honestly."
They stayed like that for a few moments—three companions sitting in the soft glow of a bedside lamp, united by something more than routine or responsibility.
Then Audino let out a chirpy Diiino! and tapped her foot eagerly, looking toward the door.
Mia tilted her head. "You want to train? Now?"
Audino nodded fiercely. Chansey let out a little whine, clearly not as enthusiastic, but after a moment of watching her teammate bounce with energy, she gave a quiet, agreeable hum and nodded.
Mia stood, grabbing her coat from the chair. "Okay, okay. Just for a little while. Let's see if any trainers are still hanging around outside the Center."
As she stepped into the cool night air, her partners flanking her, Mia felt something in her chest loosen. This was more than a passing daydream now. It was a decision.
And she wouldn't be making it alone.
[FLASHBACK END]
She closed her eyes, listening to the distant sound of Audino humming from the treatment room and Chansey's little bell chiming down the hall.
"We'll go soon," she whispered, resting her hand on their Pokéballs.
To be continued…