Liv’s Journey - A pokemon Fanfic Part 1

Liv franticly checked bags, making sure everything was in its proper place, as a short, inpatient monster stared at her from the doorway. Its large blue eyes were eager but understanding. She rechecked her backpack and the cooler, “Okay, I’m ready.” The monster flicked its wing-like ears, its stubby limbs unmoving. Liv tried to push through the urge but failed and checked her packs for the third time. Liv turned back to the monster, “Alright! Now I’m ready!” It was already opening the door. The sun blazed, and a fresh wind pushed through its pink and tan fur. Liv tightened her blonde Ponyta-tail three times and looked at her Audino, “Are you ready for one of our greatest challenges yet, Allie?” He smiled with a high-pitched chime, and they stepped out into the busy city.

The day was almost perfect; the sun was summer warm, but it was matched by a refreshing autumn breeze. After crossing the first street in her neighborhood and making her way down to one of the main streets near the Skyarrow Bridge, her P-pad rang. She answered without even looking at the ID, “Hey, mom!”

A cheerful voice answered back, “Hey, Hun! We just wanted to say that we’re so excited for you. Starting this adventure…” A crack broke her voice, but she quickly mastered it. “You have Professor Aspen’s letter of recommendation?”

“Yes, of course. Right next to all other documents and books, safe in my Poke-pad. I also packed my lunch and an extra set of clean underwear.” They giggled together.

With a sigh, Liv’s mom said, “Okay, okay. I get it. You’re off to college and all grown up now.” Liv could hear the smile in her voice but also knew she was close to tears. “Just be sure to keep us updated, and if you need anything, just call. Because no matter what, you’re still our little girl.”

“I wouldn’t change it for the world.” She hung up the phone just as her eyes began to water. Allie pulled off to the side of the sidewalk, making Liv laugh. She checked to make sure the letter of recommendation was still saved, one in an email, one in a file on the pad, and one in the Cloud. Satisfied, she threw the backpack back on her shoulder, and they continued on down the busy streets of Castelia City.

They arrived at their destination about thirty minutes later; a cooling breeze swept through the empty, shaded courtyard of the school. Allie pulled a small square cloth from the side pocket of Liv’s pack and handed it to her. After using it to wipe the sweat from her forehead, she glanced at her watch. “Dang, three minutes late… I shouldn’t have stopped to check for the letter. I knew it was there.” Allie let out a low mur, “No more, trying to arrive ‘on time’. Let’s go. If we hurry, we might still get a seat in the front row.” They proceeded through the empty courtyard to the large arching main door. Upon entering the old stone building, they saw a woman, maybe just a year or two older than her, sitting at a desk in the middle of the room. “Hel…”

“Finally!” The woman cut her off, “Everyone else is already here, and they’re about to start.” She stood, and before Liv even got halfway to the desk, the woman headed down the hall. Liv jogged, trying to close the distance between them, but the woman seemed to turn the corner just as Liv came around the last. The clicking sound from the woman’s high heels faded away as Liv stood, out of breath, at a four-way intersection. The three halls in front of her stretched longer than what she would have thought could fit in the building from the outside.

A small green and white creature glided up to her as she finally caught her breath. It rolled its large red eyes, twirled around, flaring its tutu-like growths, and proceeded down the same hall it came. Liv looked at Allie, and they both dashed after the thin Pokémon. A few seconds later, the three of them were in the presence of the woman again. The Kirlia, arms crossed, hip to the side, annoyance painted on its face, was a mirror of the woman. “Are you always so slow?” She popped a bubble of gum. “Be earlier tomorrow! I’m no errand girl.”

Liv smiled, panting, “No need! A left at the water fountain, two halls down. Then…”

Both the woman and the Kirlia held up a hand, “Spare me.” And with that, she swung the door open and strutted inside.

Liv just stood there blinking for a moment, unsure how to process their brief and rude interaction. As her daze cleared, she studied the classroom through the doorway. Over twenty people were sitting in the large room, each having their own Pokémon, with the exception of one guy in the back with at least four. The desks were lined in rows, with the row behind it slightly higher, making an extra wide staircase. Liv felt a gentle pat on her arm, and Allie let out a soft bing. She gave him a reassuring smile and whispered, “Just another first day of school, right? This is what we’ve been waiting for, what we’ve trained for.” Allie clenched his tiny fist and furrowed his brow. “That’s right! We got this!”

“Excuse me. I respect you mustering some determination before entering my class.” A deep voice said from the threshold. “But it is time to start. So, are you two in or out?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. We just needed.... uuuh.” Liv’s jaw dropped; in the doorway towered a regal Pokémon with a crown-like shell gripped around his head. 

“I’m always curious.” Its wide mouth moved, dazed Liv. It placed one claw on his chin. “Are you at a loss for words because I am a Slowking in Unova? Or because I am a Pokémon, that is a teacher?”

Liv looked to Audino, who clenched his fists again. She nodded and looked back to the Slowking, “I... I’m sorry. It’s just… I’ve only ever read about the intelligence of Slowkings. To actually talk to one…” Liv shook off the thousands of questions she wanted to ask. “So both, I guess.” The Slowking Gave a kingly smile. “And we’re definitely in!”

The Slowking let out two long, slow bellows and a laugh. “I appreciate the honesty.” He closed the door behind them and returned to the center of the room.

Liv and Allie grabbed a seat in the front row beside a girl not much taller than the pink egg-shaped Pokémon at her side. Liv leaned over to complement the girl’s fine brown hair, which hung in two large loops, but the Slowking’s deep voice carried through the classroom. “Hello, class! I am Pinnel, I am Professor Shale’s companion, and we both teach here at Castelia City University. Professor Shale will be your main teacher, but I will fill in for him on the days he is indisposed – which might be often as he is the best surgeon in all of Unova. Possibly the whole world. But feel free to come to me with any questions, concerns, or if you just need some extra tutoring. Now let me begin by...” Pinnel’s eyes lost focus, and his mouth drooped open. The room thickened with silence. Liv watched as the shell on his head tightened, pushing more of its poison into his brain. Liv had read much on this symbiotic relationship and was more than fascinated to get to see it at work. She couldn’t wait to discuss it with a Slowking themselves.

They waited.

And waited. 

Finally, he jerked back to himself, which caused half the room to jump. “Hmm... Where was I?” His claw scratched his chin. “Ah, yes! Please carefully read and sign all the paperwork in front of you. It will explain everything and more. Please hold questions till you’ve fully read the manual,” Pinnel said, eyeing the small girl beside Liv, who slowly lowered her hand. 

*****

After two hours, Allie and Liv finished reading every inch of the manual. It was surprisingly simple compared to some of the books her grandmother had left her. She closed it, signed the spin, opened it, placed the pen between pages 53 and 54, then walked it up and handed it to a very satisfied Pinnel. On her way back to her seat, she noticed that the room had thinned slightly. The girl and her Blissey sat staring at the manual in front of her. She was wildly fidgeting with the left loop in her hair. Liv couldn’t help herself; with a smile, she said, “Hey, there. I’m Liv. Is everything okay?”

The girl looked at her with wide hazel eyes and whispered back, “Did you read that.. that.. dictionary of warnings? I mean, come on...” She rolled the loop of her hair into a tight ball, then let it flare back out, over and over again. It was fascinating how pristine it all stayed through her constant fondling. Liv smiled and went to reassure her but was interrupted before she could start. “That thing was full of every possible thing that could go wrong. You know it said, Pokémon Will Die in Your Presence like a hundred times?” It was thirty-nine, but Liv kept that to herself. The girl cleared her throat, her face reddening at the attention drawn by her raised voice. “I just… I just don’t think this fits me as much as I thought it would.” She settled back into a whisper.

Liv grabbed the girl’s uncontrolled hand, held it tightly, and gave her a large smile. “Let’s try this again.” She flipped the girl’s hand over and grabbed her palm. “My name is Liv. What is yours?”

The girl stared at Liv for a long minute, her Blissey peeking out from behind her. “I... I’m Joyce.” She said, finally shaking Liv’s hand. “How did none of that affect you?”

Liv continued to smile and looked to Allie, who chimed and clenched his fist. “We learned the importance of staying strong from my grandma. She is actually why I’m here.” She patted Joyce on the shoulder, and saw her manual was signed on the spine, and the pen was placed within the book. “Take him the manual. Join the program. Don’t give up. Learn to save the ones you can.” The words of Liv’s grandma loosed something in Joyce, and her eyes began to flood. Her Blissey, who, sensing Joyce’s sadness even before the first tear fell, had already snatched up all their stuff and ran after her as she bolted out the door. 

Pinnel walked over to Liv and placed his claws on her desk. “Some just aren’t cut out, no matter how much you want them to be.” He grabbed the manual, either intentionally or unintentionally, left by the Blissey. Liv hoped Joyce would come back and that they would allow her back. She had read the instructions; she would’ve done it correctly if only she had walked up and handed the book to Pinnel and stayed in the room until dismissed.

Another hour passed, and the rest of the class turned in their manuals; some handed them to Pinnel and returned to their seats, and others placed them on his desk and left the room. “Congratulations!” Pinnel said, “You ten have passed the first exam of nursing school. Take a look around; these will be your fellow classmates.” Liv did so and noticed the woman with the Kirlia and the guy in the back with his four Pokémon were still here. “Now, I’m not saying that nursing is going to be as easy as reading and following instructions. However, that will give you a good advantage. But enough celebration, let me...” A small knock sounded at the door. Pinnel held a claw up and entered the hall, closing the door behind him. A long moment stretched with everyone watching the door until, finally, Pinnel returned. “Well, it looks like we will have eleven this year!” He said as Joyce and her Blissey scrambled to the nearest open seat. Liv gave her a thumbs up and a huge smile, but Joyce’s bloodshot eyes stayed locked on Pinnel.

As the rest of the day passed, Pinnel explained how the next four years would go, what books and supplies they’d need, and what would be expected of them. While he told them that the class was year-round and they would only get one day off a week, Pinnel had another zone out. During which, one of the students just up and left. When Pinnel came to, he either didn’t notice or didn’t care that the student was gone. A programmed bell rang out, but Pinnel continued on. He finally called an end to the class as the sun began to lower behind the trees out the window. “I expect you all to have all your books by tomorrow, digital or physical; doesn’t matter. Just have them.”

Everyone was gone by the time Liv finished checking her bags for the third time. “I guess we’ll have to meet everyone tomorrow, Allie.” She said, frowning. The walk home had an odd peacefulness to it, as the normally bustling streets were almost empty, and the cool night air swept through them. Even though the streets were less crowded, they still found it safer to go to the central plaza and down the main street toward the Skyarrow Bridge. With all the reports that had been in the news about a boy terrorizing locals, something to do with Poke slavery, it didn’t hurt to be safe. So, even though it took longer, she chose to walk home on the well-lit streets.

After arriving home in the light of the half moon, she gave a quick call to her parents just to let them know how her first day went. Without prompting, they wired her some money to be able to download the books she needed on her Poke-pad. With the scholarships paying for the tuition, they were happy to help her with any expense she needed. Allie got their salads with steamed Qualot and dried Pechas ready. The berries were fairly sweet, which Allie hated, but he knew she liked. After dinner, Liv went and opened the drawer-like compartment from under her bed, which housed Allie’s twin-size bed. That night, they got some of the last peaceful sleep they’d had for many years. 

*****

She arrived at the university thirty minutes earlier the next day, her preferred timing, and to her surprise, there were already two other students in the classroom. The woman and her Kirlia, and the guy who sat in the back with the four Pokémon. The woman sat in the far back corner. The guy was still in the same place but seemingly had no Pokémon with him today. The decision was easy; Liv approached the guy, “Hey there, I’m Liv. This is Allie. I can’t help but notice you’re missing a few friends today?”

His face drooped snapped to a smile, then leveled out, “Hey. Yeah. The Dean says it’s a rule. ‘You’re only allowed to have one following you at a time. They either need to be in an Apricorn ball or at home.’” His head bobbled in mockery. “They say it’s a distraction to myself and others. They only let me get away with it for the first day because I didn’t know.” His gaze drifted throughout the classroom as he talked. “Oh! Umm.” His focus snapped to Liv, and he began to squeeze the tips of his fingers. “Sorry. Liv was it? I’m Phenn. This is Spark.” He said, holding out his hand as a tiny furry spider crawled out of his breast pocket onto his shoulder.

Liv shook his unsteady hand. “Hello to both of you. You excited about all this?” she said, gesturing to the classroom.

Phenn snatched back his hand and began to squeeze the tips again, “I mean, I’m not particularly fawned of the fact that we’re the only program that’s year-round. I wonder if that has anything to do with the eighty-five percent fail rate.” His eyes began to drift again. “But with as short as the field is, I guess it makes sense. Did you know that currently, there aren’t even enough nurses for every town? Around twenty-one towns and cities in Unova, and, the last time I checked, only twelve nurses. Including our professor.” He focused back on Liv, his emerald eyes burning with passion. “Do you know how many Pokémon are lost on their way to or waiting on a nurse?” He paused long enough for her head to start shaking, “Too many!” His voice began to waver, and he slammed his fist on one of the desks. “That’s why I’m here. Failure isn’t an option!” The Joltik crawled up to his cheek and made small murs. With no other words, Phenn returned to his seat in the back of the room; Liv made her way to the front, both stunned and emboldened by Phenn’s determination. 

The other students slowly filled in over the next fifteen minutes. A large smile grew across Liv’s face as her short friend, and her Blissey walked through the door. “I’m so happy you came back!”

Joyce forced a smile. “I’m going to try.” She twisted her looped hair. “I… I have to, right? ‘To help those who need it.’ That’s what you said?”

Liv grabbed her hand and squeezed, “You can do it. We both can. I’ll help you in any way I can. Because,” Liv thought back to what Phenn had said, “we’re needed out there.” Joyce smiled back, worry still deep in her eyes.

“Alright!” something slapped down on a desk, “So you nine are the sad sacks that I have to put through the wringer, hu?” A man with salt and pepper hair and a weak chin stood at the front of the class; his tie was loose, and shirt only half tucked in. “Pinnel informs me we’ve already lost half the class for whatever reasons; boredom, fear, inability to read and/or follow directions.” He flipped open the suitcase, which made another slap ring through the class. “Well, it’s not going to get any easier from here!” He pulled out two books and a Poke-pad. “I just want to emphasize. This is no Trainer’s journey; you can’t just memorize a few type advantages, power train for a few days, and expect to win. This is Nursing; lives are on the line. You will have to memorize every word in every book. You will have to know every inch of every Pokémon, outside AND in.” He slammed a book on the desk, “And I mean that literally. You will have to know how and what every move does, where it comes from, what effects it has, vital organs, vital non-organs, Every Inch!” He took a breath and eyed the class. “But above everything, everything else. The Most Important Lesson to Learn!” He grabbed the two books off his desk and threw them out the open window, eyes still locked on the class. “Improvise!” His stare cut through the room. After a long pause, he continued. “I am Professor Shale! I do not care who you are, and will not until you pass the final exam. I have been in the medical field for thirty years, not including failing this same program. Twice! Listen to every word I say, and you will be some of the finest nurses out there.” And with that, he began, no personal introductions, no ‘this is what and when we’ll be learning,’ just the beginning of a long, challenging four-year program.

His teaching consisted of writing down a group of page numbers, six Pokémon names, and five questions on the board. He talked for about thirty minutes and then made them read for an hour. At the end of the reading, he expected the answers to the questions and an explanation of how the Pokémon were related in written form. He would then explain what and why the answers were. Then move on. This repeated twice before Pinnel entered the room. He placed two books on Professor Shale’s desk and announced it was time for lunch. Shale’s nose curled, but he agreed and dismissed the class. A decision he begrudgingly made every day.

Liv and Allie headed out to the school courtyard with promises that Joyce and Heerra, her Blissey, would find them after getting a meal from the cafeteria. Meanwhile, Liv and Allie found a bench well-shaded from the beaming sun. A cool breeze swept through the trees’ orange-tipped leaves as Liv opened up her lunch box. She handed Allie the large oval pastry she made spicy just for him. Doing her best to ignore Allie’s gaze, she counted the number of berry chunks in her salad. She trusted Allie to put exactly fifteen, but she just liked to make sure. “What?” She said, finally unable to handle his gaze anymore, “I’m okay.” The long tan feelers hanging from his ears twitched, and she let out a hard sigh. There was no way to hide her emotions from him, even if he lost his ability to sense it through those feelers. “Okay. Okay. I’m just a little worked up. This is way more intense than I thought it’d be.” She placed her bowl down. “I mean, it’s all basic stuff right now; type advantages and disadvantages, egg groups, and other things most Trainers learn about. But at this rate, he’ll burn through everything I already know. I’m going to have to start reading ahead.” Allie patted her arm and let out a small hum; she rubbed his pink fluff and smiled. Allie’s ears twitched, and Liv saw Heerra bouncing toward them. Allie gripped Liv’s arm and furrowed his brow. She furrowed back, “Oh, I’ll stay strong. I am just a little… intimidated.” She petted his head again, and they both picked up their food as Joyce planted herself in the seat across from Liv. 

“Oh, my gosh! Does your brain feel like it’s about to implode?” Joyce said after downing half a bottle of water. “I just... I don’t know why I came back. I don’t think I can do this... And this is supposed to be basic stuff??” As Joyce’s eyes began to fill, Heerra instinctively went for the egg in her pouch but stopped and enveloped her in a hug instead. Liv was reminded of the article she read about some nurses using Blissey eggs as antidepressants. If Liv had to make a guess, Joyce must be trying to wain herself off.

After a few seconds, Liv said, “You can do this, okay? Don’t give up. It is just the first day, after all. Give it some time.” Joyce nodded, gave Heerra a pat, and wiped her face clean. “My grandma used to say, ‘If you want to get something clean, you’ll have to get dirty.” Allie’s chime rang through the empty courtyard. Liv laughed and rubbed his head. “Allie’s a constant reminder for both grandma and her encouragement. She was a nurse for most of her life.” Joyce nodded, mouth full of some kind of steamed fish. “One of the days that she was working, this guy stumbled in.” Liv poked Allie’s nose. “She guessed him to only be a year old, and he was on death’s door. Half his fur had fallen out; he was near skin and bones and had clearly struggled through a bad fight. She assumes he was probably bred and then abandoned, not meeting some unknown standards of a Trainer. It took her all night to restore him to consciousness. And it took him a whole year of fighting to keep his life.” She smiled and petted him again. “But now look at him! Beautiful coat, right and plump, and stronger than ever!” Allie purred a chime and hugged Liv’s arm. 

They looked back to Joyce and Heerra, who both had mouths full of her large half-eaten boiled egg, smiles on their faces but tears coursing down their cheeks. “My goodness,” Joyce swallowed, “I... There’s... I mean, I just got Heerra as a birthday gift. That’s an amazing little guy.” Allie smiled and made tiny fists. Joyce let out a hard laugh. “You are a little fighter, aren’t you?” Allie gave her a loud bing. “We can do this. We will do this!” Joyce said as she sunk into Heerra’s soft, eggless belly. 

The rest of their lunch was filled with some personal small talk. Joyce told Liv about her three younger siblings and how much her life revolved around them. About how the only reason she wanted to go to college was to help her family. They weren’t hard on money, but her parents were almost constantly working, and Joyce wanted to give them a chance to relax. Liv asked her why she chose nursing, and Joyce said, “It just seemed right when they showed it to me during the tour.”

They returned to the classroom, where a pop quiz awaited them. Thirty questions, none of which were ones they answered off the board, and a forty-five-minute limit; gracefully, though, books were allowed. At the end of class, just as twilight was spreading outside, Professor Shale assigned three chapters in one of the books that they hadn’t even discussed today. “There will be a ten-question quiz in the morning. No books and it may be a review from today. It might be on the chapters you have to read or a mix.” He shrugged and swept them away with a wave of his hand.  

That was how it worked; quiz, discussion, reading, questions, lunch, quiz, reading, homework, quiz, repeat. Liv and Joyce spent lunches together, eating some but mostly quizzing one another or cramming in extra reading, in Liv’s case. They would occasionally see some of the other students out in the courtyard, but most of the nine stayed inside due to the cooling weather. Liv would ask them if they wanted/ needed help, as Joyce tried to hide from them.

By the third month’ anniversary,’ they had lost another student, and there were rumors two others were right on the edge of failing. The teachings had shifted from basic knowledge about Pokémon to learning about damage. “You can’t know how to treat an injury if you don’t know how the injury is made.” An opinion Liv didn’t quite agree with at first, but she made a note of the quote anyway.

“I don’t understand,” Joyce said at lunch one day, the courtyard full of other students now that the official school year had begun. She picked a yellowed leaf off her school tray, “How does eating dreams hurt the target?”

Liv smiled. “Again, you have to stop thinking of moves doing ‘Damage,’” she made quotes with her fingers. Remember, there are physical and special, so not everything is going to leave a mark you can see.”

“I know that, but...”

“But you also have to remember that not everything is measured by open wounds or even pain. Think of it like this:” Liv picked up her bottle of water. “The bottle starts off full, but,” She popped the cap open, “If I punch it.” She squeezed the bottle, and water spurted from the top. “Not only is the outside ‘deformed, ‘but it also lost water inside.”

“Right. Physical damage, physical signs.” Joyce nodded along, waiting patiently for the answer like usual.

“Yes, and if I sealed it up and put it next to a fire, the bottle would expand and burst. Special damage, physical signs. Now,” Relaxing her grip, the bottle popped back into shape, “the bottle is patched up but still clearly lost some fluid.” She pointed to the beads of water still sliding down it and her hand. “It’s probably tired and needs to recover; it falls asleep. If someone just happened to...” She poured the water into her mouth, taking a big drink. When she stopped and looked at Joyce, “That Pokémon is not going to recover if it can’t get any rest. We both know how awful we feel when you wake up from a night of tossing and turning; you’re fatigued, weakened, and all you want to do is faint.”

Both Heerra and Jeanine were nodding, “Special damage, special signs. If a Pokémon is too fatigued to even fight.”

“Then the fight is won.” Liv smiled, wiping her hand dry.

“Great! That makes a lot more sense now,” Joyce said, followed by a sigh. Now I just need to learn how they eat dreams.” Liv laughed, which put a smile on Joyce’s face. 

After a few more mouthfuls, Liv held up a piece of lettuce, “Okay, so imagine this is the Pokémon’s mind...”

*****

Unlike Joyce, Liv didn’t go home to a house full of younger siblings and distractions. Of course, she stayed in touch with her parents, who were the ones that came up with the idea of her living alone. So most of her nights were spent reading the assigned reading, reading at least two chapters ahead, rereading all those chapters, and then cross-referencing them with books not required by the school that she had bought or was left by her grandma and was lucky to get four or five hours of sleep. Allie, never too far away, was, more often than not, the only reason she would eat, cook, and/or bring her food when she was too engrossed to do so herself. He also made sure to cover her when she inevitably crashed. But seeing Joyce’s face when things finally clicked after Liv explained something in full detail made it all worth it.

At one point during their fourth month, Shale ‘slipped’ that there'd be a quiz in the sixth month worth fifteen percent of their grade. During lunch that day, Liv sat through Joyce's flustered rant. "Fifteen?? That’s crazy! That could throw you a whole grade down." Heerra and Allie sat on either side of her, rubbing her back. Allie had learned that determination and bravery weren't what worked on Joyce and had adapted. 

"Or a whole grade up." Liv smiled, placing her half-eaten wrap to the side of her Poke-pad, displaying an impractical formula for damage. "Look, he gave us two months heads up. That means we’ll just need to study harder."

Joyce placed her face in her hands. "I don't know about you two, but I already feel like all I do is study, " a smooth voice said from the end of their table. 

Liv turns to look at the tall, thin man. "Oh hey. Tyrese right? You're the one always answering questions in class." 

He grinned, "Only if I'm able to get my hand up before you." Liv laughed and moved around her spread of papers and notebooks. "Thanks." Tyrese sat down beside her. "So, and excuse my forwardness, I just feel like we're already friends. You know, like a bond formed in the trenches." Liv nodded, but Joyce and Heerra both tried to subtly hide behind the other. "Anyway. So Phenn, the guy in the back, the one that has a different Pokémon with him almost every day of the week." Liv chuckled. "Well, he came to me. Apparently, he is one of the ones on the edge of failing. Anyway, he mentioned he has seen you two working together A Lot. And wanted to know if I'd be willing to do the same with him. Of course, I said 'yes!' What kind of guy you take me for?" He placed the tips of his fingers on his chest in a mockery of an offended posh pose. Both girls just stared at him; he waved it off and continued, "So, I got to thinking, there are only eight of us now. Why don't we all just get together and form a big study group? Bounce some ideas off each other, share our strengths, hear someone else's perspective on something we're stuck on." He looked back and forth between the girls, eyes perked with expectation. 

"I think that is a wonderful idea. I was just about to suggest to Joyce that we start meeting on our day off to do just that." Liv said, looking toward a wide-eyed Joyce; she gave a big smile. “We're doing it!’ Failing because you're too scared to try means you've failed yourself twice.'” Liv eyed Joyce. It was another of Grandma’s sayings that always seemed to work on her.

"As long as you're there..." Joyce nodded. Allie clapped and patted her back.

Liv turned her focus back to Tyrese with a smile, "Just give us a time. We'll be there."

He chuckled, “Glad to hear it! I still have to ask the others in class. I'll get back to you by the end of the day.”

Tyrese returned, as promised. “Around noon on Saturdays, sound good?” Liv agreed and asked about the other students. “One other guy, Wint, said he would try his hardest to make it. Said Saturdays he has to work, but he’d try. A girl named Opal respectfully declined. The other one didn’t even bother to take out their headphones when I asked.” He glanced over his shoulder in both directions, “But Dayna, Wow! She said I quote now, ‘If you guys aren’t good enough to make it by yourself, you don’t deserve to be in the field at all.’ I thought she was going to slap me. For real!” He shrugged as Liv shook her head. "But apparently, she is one of the top students. I don't know how when she sleeps through most of the lessons."

"She could do a lot of studying at home," Liv suggested, thinking about how there were a few times she had nodded off during one of Shale's lectures at repeated things she had covered two nights prior.

Joyce leaned over, her voice shaking, “Do either of you know about her?” They shook their heads almost in sync. Joyce blanched, clearly regretting that she asked, “She’s a Plint. Well, I guess The Plint is now.”

“Oh wow,” Tyrese said. Liv shook her head, blinking. “Not from around here, hu? They are… or were one of the biggest families around from old Castelia. No Gantetsu or Stone, but still big that everyone in the city knows the name.” Silence hung over them as a long, cool gust of wind passed. “There was a big fire at their mansion just last year, I think.”

Joyce was shaking her head, eyes cast to the ground. Liv spoke up, “That is terrible, but it doesn’t give her the right to be so rude.”

Tyrese chuckled, “Yeah, except that’s just how Plints are. I’m surprised she’s even in school with us. I thought they did everything privately. But what do I know? I’m just some trashy farmer boy.” He shrugged, “Anyway. So, where do you think we should meet?”

“I might know of a place.” A deep voice sounded from behind them. Pinnel towered before them with a large smile. “Why not right here?” He held out a key, “Just promise me you’ll keep it clean, and you’ll leave these extra studies open to everyone. And you’ll use every resource available to you.”

Liv gave a hard nod, “Of course! I promise to help everyone I can to pass this class.”

*****

That first Saturday, she felt the weight of her promise as the other students showed up. Teaching Joyce one-on-one had been one thing, but teaching all of them, all their problems at once, Liv was beginning to understand why Shale taught the way he did. He was straightforward and unquestioning – it was just easier on him. But she wouldn’t take that road. She would take the time to make sure everyone understood whatever they needed.

Liv pushed hard to get everyone to show up for their Saturday cram sessions. But over the course of the next month, the only ones that consistently showed up were Liv, Joyce, Phenn, and Tyrese. To her disappointment, the other students seemed just fine to learn the one thing they were having trouble with and be done with the group. Or decided that they didn’t want to spend their one day off still in school. So, Liv did what she could with those who did show up. After all, it wasn’t possible to force her fellow students to stay in the study group.

Yet still, it ate at her. Wint, the other student close to failing aside from Phenn, was only ever there for an hour or two on the few days he even made it. So, she simply pushed more and more to get everyone to pass. Decreasing the already little amount of sleep she was getting, she began reading books on how to efficiently teach, and once or twice, she even went to Pinnel for help. In fact, she was able to even get Pinnel to join their Saturday meetings when he was available.

But even through all the extra work, all the lectures Liv and Tyrese had given, and all the help Pinnel provided, they still lost another of their fellow classmates after the quiz. Phenn was kind and respectful enough to wait until Wint had packed his bag and left the room before cheering and thanking Liv and Tyrese.

“Well done! To all.” Professor Shale said, after Phenn returned to his seat at the far back of the class, “You have managed to get through the Basics of nursing. We can now move on to my favorite area, which we will be covering for the next year, Anatomy and Physiology. Now, you might ask, 'A whole year? Just on Anatomy? That can't be right. When will we learn everything else we need?' And I would respond," He threw back his head, letting out a hard laugh. Thencleared his throat and returned to his normal stoic self. "We will start with the simple. Moves, where, and how they are used. For example, how does a Muk, a Cunbone, an Octillery, create a flamethrower?" Liv resisted the urge to raise her hand to answer the question.  "How does a Wooper punch?” Shale raised his eyebrows, his intellectual challenge to the class that they had grown used to. “Glands! Organs! And sometimes, Literal nothingness! The inside of these little critters is fascinating and unbelievably complex! Today, we will just be scratching the surface." And like that, he dove straight into the normal rhythm of the class, with more of a self-satisfying smile than normal.

The first few weeks were focused on Normal, physical moves: Scratch, double slap, tackle, leading into simple status moves. Despite covering these easier things in class, they all still got together on Saturdays, either to re-cover what they went over during the week or to try to get a head start on the coming week. Liv was surprised at how much Joyce and Phenn still struggled, even on the Normal moves. Still, she made sure to give them the time they needed.

***

"I still don't quite understand," Joyce said, a few months in, still addressing her questions to Liv yet not curling in defense when one of the guys talked to her. "How does Teddiursa use Metal Claw? They, and the move, is normal type. Where does the metal come from?” The five students sat in a semicircle on the lowest row of the desks in the classroom. Liv stood in front of them, just returning from writing examples on the board.

"Think of it more like their claws use Harden," Phenn said as he watched out the window, "They secrete out an extra layer of keratin that quickly dries, leaving them harder, stronger. But the extra thickness is uncomfortable to them, like having your fingers trapped in wax, so they shed it after the battle. That's why I like Pawnie to use Hone claws after. It shears off some of that bulk and makes it easier to actually meet your mark." He said, tapping his Pawniard affectionately on its head.

Joyce nodded slowly, glancing to Liv for confirmation. “What I don’t understand is that it’s called Metal Claw. But we don’t have a metal type.” Tyrese said, “Like, isn’t it weird that Pawniard is made of complete metal and even equipped with blades, but he is a Ground, fighting, in egg group mineral?” Liv cleared her throat and gave him a stern look. “Right… Right. Sorry, theories and conspiracies at the end of the study hall. Sorry, sorry.”

"I’m still confused about how a normal type uses Shadow ball," Phenn said, pulling his eyes away from the window. Rough spring rain had canceled the other classes at the college for the past two days, but not the nursing class. ‘Would you let this stop you from getting to a patient in need?’ Shale said when Phenn had complained. “Or how anything uses a ghost-type move.” Phenn looked to Liv.

Tyrese let out a loud sigh, "We've already talked about this last week. They pull shadow energy from the surrounding area." 

"But how?! And what is 'shadow energy'?"

"It’s like the dark equivalent of photosynthesis. And for how they concentrate, unlike some humans, I know!" Tyrese snapped. Phenn stood up grimacing, but a glance from Liv quieted both of them.

"Let’s try to move past this, for now, Phenn. I will explain it to you again, in more depth, when we stop for lunch, okay?" Liv said. They both sat down, Phenn’s eye drifting back to the windows. "For now, I'd like us to go over the twenty-five sections of Alakazam's and other psych types' brains along with the different brain waves they can control. And then after lunch, I'd like Phenn to cover more on the mechanical side of mineral types. I feel like Professor Shale will be starting us on an Engineering section tomorrow." Phenn nodded, still not making eye contact. 

"Before you start," Tyrese stood and turned to look at Phenn, "I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I... We're all under the same pressure, and I shouldn't have gotten so frustrated." He looked to Liv, "I'll cover it with him during lunch." He looked back to Phenn who was wildly tapping his pen on the desk. "If that's cool? I don't want my stress to ruin your chances of passing." 

Phenn nodded, "I'm sorry too. It's just... I... I'm riding on a D minus… Again. And I don't know what to do. Shale says that if I can't get my grade up in the next few weeks, he's going to have to let me go. Despite my passion." Phenn punched his desk twice, his face turning red. "I wasn’t good enough to be a Trainer. Now I'm not good enough to even help Trainers. I just…” He huffed and punched his desk again.

Liv was only phased for a moment, unlike the other two, who just stared at him. She cleared her throat, "I wish you would've come to us sooner. You've been doing so well..." She sighed, "I'm sorry to hear that. We'll be sure to cover whatever areas you need us to. Is anyone else riding a C or lower?" The fifth student, Opel, and, to Liv's surprise, Joyce raised their hands. “Please, speak up about these things. I wouldn’t have had us moving forward so fast had I known. More reviewing then.” She made a note in her pad and circled it three times.

Phenn spoke up in the silence of Liv rewriting the note to herself. "The workings of mineral and electric types make sense to me. They’re like cars or computers, you know? They have wires, resistors, and gears, even if they are made of stone and conductors; hell, even though Pawnie is a human-like type, he still has panels and plates that you can remove and replace before you get to the gooey bits. And those are the bits that confuse me, but what confuses me even more than gooey bits, is bits of goo. Ghost types and the entire amorphous group. How do you work on something that's just one big mass of… Muk or something isn't even really there!" 

Liv put out both her hands, easing him like a bucking Blitzle. "Look... I know. And we'll get there. Again, I’m sorry I pushed so far ahead. However, I don't think it’s something we have to worry about right now. I only mentioned those types last week for us to keep an eye out for them, but I don't think he'll be covering them until after the next quiz. He is tough but not unreasonable. We are going to focus more on things Shale’s already covered. We’ll get to the amorphous groups later. Okay?”

Phenn slammed his head on the desk but flashed a thumbs up after its echoes fell silent.

When the feelings of the class returned to normal levels, Liv continued with the lessons. Doing her best to step back and allow others to explain or teach when it was in a subject they knew best. Joyce had turned out to be a wiz at water types, no matter which egg group. ‘Once you memorize which ones have ink/poison sacks, and which ones are capable of Bioelectrogenesis... I promise they are some of the easiest anatomies to understand.’ She had said once in an oddly heated back and forth with Phenn. Tyrese, on the other hand, seemed pretty well-rounded but definitely preferred the simplicity of normal and field types; the closer it was to just being an average animal, the happier he was. The other two students who seemed to come and go as they pleased from their study groups were Dallas, who was about the same age as Joyce and had an affinity for bug types, and Opel, who was a year older than Tyrese and Liv, loved fire types and the human-like egg group.

Liv, without question, was the most versed; she was who they defaulted to when they didn't know something, and it killed the whole discussion if she was unsure of an answer. Though one way or another, she would always find it. One time, much to everyone’s entertainment, she corrected Professor Shale when he misspoke about the components that Vanilite was made of. She was a Ninjask in a race against a pod of Shuckles; at least, that's how the class saw it.

Allie saw the truth, though, her struggles; the desk at home full of books, her Poke-pad so full of notes, apps, and more books that she only had room for a few messages at a time. The nights that she read till she fell asleep, her neck and back ached from sleeping at her desk, the nights that she didn't get sleep at all. Doing this to herself not to be the very best but to be there for others when they needed help. To be their Flash and illuminate the dark mysteries of these new and confusing lands.

She was their guide, and Allie was hers. His determined eyes were over her shoulder as she read. He brought her food and water when she was too focused to notice she was hungry, threw a blanket on her when she fell asleep at her desk, and, most importantly, he gave her that look that made her keep going when she wanted to give up, tiny clenched fists and all.

It was all about seeing the enjoyment on the faces of the other students when they were finally able to answer one of Shale’s offhand questions, Joyce’s determination as she scribbled answers for their after-lunch quizzes, and Phenn raised his grades. It made her miss her grandma. Hearing her mom say, “She would’ve been so proud of you, " during one of their weekly phone calls, truly helped her pull through the long nights.

Even when others rejected their ways…

"With as smart as you are, I can't believe that you’re encouraging them." A voice said from behind Liv as she walked through the empty halls of the school. "You're little ‘get-togethers’ are just hurting them. You know that, right?" Liv turned to see Dayna and her Kirlia strutting toward her. "They will be, or more likely already are, too dependent on you. You think in the middle of a crisis, they'll have time to dial you up and ask you for advice?" Dayna stood in front of Liv now, with those auburn eyes peering through her. 

"I disagree." Liv snapped, back more than she meant. "If anything, we are increasing retention. Like I’ve been telling you, I am helping them help themselves.” She gained control over her tone. “Join us sometime. It won’t hurt to have another brain to bounce off of.”

Dayna cocked her head to the side and readjusted her Purlion-eye glasses. "I am too busy running an entire estate by myself. I can’t waste time sitting around studying with your little group of potential failures." Dayna brushed past Liv. "Plus, I'm already the best in class. Shale told me it was like, ‘I always know the exact answer he is looking for.’" She flipped her brunette braid over her shoulder and leered at Liv one last time before turning into the classroom and laughing. “Good luck, though.”

"Excuse me, Professor Shale," Dayna said, dripping his title with an over-dramatic sense of respect. Shale cocked his eyebrows at her. He was still laying out the books for today’s lesson. It was rare enough for her to even speak in class, much less have a question. "I was just wondering; we all have a fairly good grasp on everything so far. And I think most of us have read a bit ahead. So, I was just wondering if we could move on to Ghost types? I am very interested in them, and with them being some of the harder to understand, I don't think a head start would be that bad of an idea, would it?" Her long lashes batted behind her glasses. 

Shale's brow twisted, untangled, and twisted again. "I... hmm... Well, I usually wait and cover Ghosts and the harder lot until the next six-month stretch... But if it'll keep you awake during class. I don't see why I can’t touch on it." Liv's heart dropped; she gave a glance back to Phenn, who was quietly banging his head against his desk. Tyrese grabbed her attention, shook his head, shrugged, and gave her a thumbs-up with a sarcastic grin. Liv went to say something, but Shale jumped straight into his lesson, as usual. 

They met at the usual spot during lunch. "It's like she knew! I'm telling you!" Phenn said, taking a huge bite out of a meaty sandwich. The Pokémon behind him stared with sharp golden eyes through thick, curly hair. The warm sun glittered off the rings around his large horns as he huffed out his nostrils.

"It is very odd that it was specifically ghost types, but at the same time, I'm not surprised that she'd be interested in them. They probably have a lot in common; dark soul, no heart, likes to feed on pain." Joyce looked up from the notes she was reading to a mass of wide eyes. She clapped her hand to her mouth, "I'm sorry. It just came out. I… I…"

Phenn busted out laughing, spitting some of the food out of his mouth. "No! Don’t you even think about taking that back." The Bouffalant stomped and let out a hard breath as Phenn refilled his mouth with the sandwich. "Tyrese, tell Benidict to relax. It's pulled-Pignite, and I got it from the cafeteria, so it's probably imitation anyway. Please, I just want to enjoy this. I can't eat this Buneary food like Liv, and I’m so tired of fish!" 

The Bouffalant stomped again, "Sorry, man. I still don’t think he is okay with it." 

"Fine!" Phenn put his sandwich on the table and grabbed a plain puffin from Liv's communal tray. "Here, will this make it better?" Benidict bucked its head with an eager look in his eye. "Alright! But you got to... Go! Get It!!" Phenn threw the puffin as hard as he could. As soon as Benidict charged after it, Phenn crammed the rest of his sandwich in his mouth. 

Tyrese shook his head. "He's gonna notice… But back to the matter at hand. I know it’s going to be rough, but I propose we stay after class each day; maybe an hour or two would be better. But I know I’m already asking a lot. Just so we can be sure to re-cover everything from that day." 

"That's good in theory, and I would be okay with that. However, we can't expect that out of everyone. I mean, I know Joyce has her brothers to get home to. Their mom leaves them an hour by themselves already."

Joyce nodded, clearly still embarrassed by her earlier comment. "And I have the rest of my group I have to get back to. My roommates always forget to feed them. On the rare occasion they’re even home," Phenn added.

"Then we make it day to day? And/or longer on Saturdays?" Tyrese looked to Liv for backup.

"I agree that everyone needs extra time on this, but I just don’t think we can stretch any more time out of the day. We may just have to commit to having discussions over messages or something. I won't give up on any of you. But as for extra studying, you’ll just have to do it yourself…" They all gave a slow, worried nod. 

Benidict trotted up to them with satisfied eyes and a mouth covered in crumbs. He looked toward Phenn, and his jaw dropped. "No, you see, I already threw it away. Buddy, I'm..." The Bouffalant wrapped the point of his horns into Phenn’s shirt and flung him right out of the bench. The group laughed as Phenn brushed the dead grass and dirt off himself. 

That night, when Allie and Liv got home, as usual, Liv jumped into her books, reading and rereading all the sections about amorphous and Ghost types. It wasn't that she didn't know the material. She just wanted a simpler way to explain all the nuances to the others, especially Phenn. With as much trouble as he has with just Ghost-type moves, Allie patted her back. Liv let out a heavy sigh. "How do you explain the conversion of souls into energy to someone who still doesn't even understand shadow energy?"

Allie chimed, pretended to pull something from his chest, slumped over like he was dead, sprung up and moved to face the place he just was, pretended something entered his chest, then hopped and flexed, re-energized. Liv gave his soft, pink head a rub and the best smile she could muster. "That was good, but I think he still needs a little more detail than that."

Allie looked right through the smile and gave two low chimes. "I know, I'm sorry. I do still love your little shows, I just... my mind is still studying, you know? I'm sorry." She gave him another rub and turned back to the paper-filled desk. Allie gave a low wurr, nodded, and walked down the hall to cook up some dinner. An hour later, when he came back, papers were scattered all over the room, and Liv was curled up in the bed.

Allie stretched out one of his feelers and lightly touched her, deep sleep, frustration, worry, sadness. He took the two plates of food back to the kitchen and then began to clean up and reorganize all the notes. He finished up just as the sun was beginning to peek out from the tree line. He nodded a few times, rubbed his eyes, lightly slapped his cheeks, and headed back to the kitchen. Where he reheated their dinner, and walked back into the room just as Liv's alarm went off. Liv rolled over and opened her eyes to see Allie standing there with a big smile and two plates of steaming vegetables with a side of peanut butter toast and a few berries. It wasn't till after they ate that Liv noticed that the room was spotless, and she enveloped him in a hug. He let out a low hum.

The group decided that on the few days that Shale let them out 'early,' an hour or two before the sun crawled behind the horizon, they all would just stay over and study together. After two weeks, Shale noticed Dayna had begun to sleep through class again and gracefully decided to return to his previous lesson plan. However, this left them to question if anything he had touched on would be on the upcoming quiz or not. Phenn and Liv messaged as much as they could outside of class, and every Saturday, they focused mainly on Ghost, minus an hour or two at the end to cover any of the other areas of question. Thankfully, by the time the quiz rolled around, Phenn was feeling fairly confident about Ghost types, not perfect, but a lot better.

The quizzes were handed out, and a slow and painful realization washed over Liv as she answered each question. Upon finishing, Liv took the quiz to Shale's desk and opened her mouth to protest, "Ah, ah, aah." Professor Shale waved a finger at her without even looking up. "Any talking during a test can lead to an automatic failure." She opened her mouth again, and he sighed. "I am not going to change the questions on a quiz just because I covered something four weeks early. If anything, I’d change it to make it harder. You got to be prepared for everything." His challenging eyes met her, but he shrugged, returning his gaze to the book in his hands. "What can you do?" Liv whipped around and walked back to her desk; as she did, she saw Phenn softly bang the back of his head against the wall. 

The group met up after the test. "This is crap! He didn't put even a single question on there about ghosts!" Phenn's shout rang out through the classroom. "Not that I think he has ever heard of it, but he should've at least put some on there for extra credit. It is Crap!" Phenn flipped one of the desks. 

Joyce and Heerra hid behind Liv, shaking as the echoes from the clattering desk stopped. "Phenn, please. Did he say anything to you at the end of class?"

"No."

"Have you gotten a message from him about the test?"

"No."

"Then let’s just all relax, and we'll try going over the questions together. We can try to decide for ourselves if you passed or not. And if you get a message from him in the meantime, then we'll all go out for Casteliacones to commiserate." Heerra's eyes grew wide and hopeful. 

"Thank you, Liv. Now I'm gonna have to go get ice cream after this." 

Liv gave Joyce a big smile, "And if you don't get a message by nine o'clock, we'll go get Casteliacones in celebration." Heerra let out a squeal, and the tension loosened.

Like clockwork, when nine rolled around, they all received a message:

One fail. The Rest Pass.

Even though Phenn’s moans and groans, Liv smiled. Based off the way he answered the questions he could remember, and based on the fact that Shale didn’t message him directly. She knew it had to be one of the others. She hoped it wasn’t Opal. Though she never came to their study groups physically, she was a part of their group message, and Liv knew she had been struggling with some of the recent material.

So, they went get the promised frozen treats, celebrating their first year of college. For a moment, they were able to relax, enjoy, and forget. Joyce wasn’t comparing herself to Liv and Tyrese. Phenn was able to forget about his C- that hung just above a D, which, to Shale, was a failure. Tyrese didn’t have to worry about trying to keep up with Liv and her seemingly unlimited fountain of knowledge.

Liv herself was taking this moment to enjoy the feelings of accomplishment. With a year down, she was still happy and more relaxed than she thought possible.

But even through their nice time, still she worried for the others. The struggles they all faced, behind and ahead of them. No, she could not relax, not until they were all truly across the finish line, till they were graduated and headed into the field together. Unfortunately, this dream, what pushed her through all her cram sections, would never come true.

*****

As winter shifted to spring, once again, the school became crowded. This made little difference to the seven students in the nursing program. Even during the normal school year, their classes began just as the halls were being populated, and they usually were the last to leave. The only time Liv really paid it any attention was during lunch; when the courtyard was full and loud or, thought forbid it, that 'their' table was taken. Those students came and went but the nursing student remained.

To her and the rest of her classmates, all attention they could devote was devoted to their work. The main study group expected only the best out of each other. They all had made it this far, so none of them could be left behind. And, as it was, things were looking great. Joyce spoke out, often unprovoked, during their Saturday meeting and even had back-and-forths with Shale during class. After his discovery of being able to use his Pokémon as study partners, Phenn happily held a B minus. And Tyrese was beginning to answer questions during the study group quicker than Liv could. Stress ebbed and flowed with the season, and before they knew it, it was time for another test. 

“This will not be like the other quizzes. This is comprehensive. A…” Shale searched the air for a word, “A mid-program test if you will. A test as you shift from the theoretical to the Practical.” He grinned as he took in their nervousness. “You will only have five hours to take it, but it is worth double the normal. However, if you pass this, you are on the Home Stretch. If you pass, you'll have just a year and a half left, another comprehensive test, then you'll be out into the field, where you will Shadow a current nurse for a year." Tyrese gave a fist pump, and Joyce squealed uncontrollably. Shale cleared his throat, "But that's not important now! No need to get your little, fragile hopes up. Hmm…” He groaned. And looked to Liv, who had her hand up.

"What do you mean, Practicals? Do you mean..."

Shale thrust his palm out, "There will be no questions right now." But before continuing, he gave her a large, confirming smile.

In the rhythm of the classes, the study group, and cramming at home, the nursing program was surprised at how quickly the Comp-Test came and went. Unfortunately, it took two more students with it, leaving the class with only six: Liv, Tyrese, Phenn, Joyce, Opal, who still joined in on their study group once in a while, and Dayna. And with, arguably, little preparation, they were thrown into Practical.

*****

"The next year and a half is your true test. It will change you; it will be grueling and disturbing, but making it through is a testament. However, I cannot stress this enough, It Compares Nothing to the field.” And in classic Shale fashion, with those words only – he jumped into the biggest challenge of the students’ lives so far.

He walked to where the wall of the blackboard and the wall of the entrance met, unlatched two metal clips that Liv had never noticed, and pushed with all his might. The entire wall slid on unseen tracks, disappearing into some hidden space on the end opposite the room where Pinnel stood. The wall stopped just a foot short of disappearing completely, and Shale's face dropped. Pinnel made two low grunts, "Losing your touch there, old man." And pushed the wall the rest of the way until it made a hard-latching sound.

But Liv's focus was dazzled by the room that had just been revealed. It easily doubled the size of the classroom; however, on that half, there were no windows or the large steps that kept their desks at layered heights. Included in the room there were seven beds; one against the right wall, the six others in a semi-circle around it. On the right side of each bed, there was a small metal table; on the left was a large cabinet-like cart. Liv's eyes lit up, and she snapped to exclaim something to Joyce but stopped herself when she noticed the frantic twisting of her loops.

Liv grabbed her shaking hand and gave her Allie’s famous look of determination. "You got this, okay? Just think of where you started; you’ll get through this, too. And I'll be right here with you." 

Shale always knew how to hit his mark, "As a helpful bonus, your tables are assigned!" Joyce gave Liv the look of a kicked Lilipup, but Liv tightened her fist and kept her face strong. "Please make your way to the lab and find your tables." Liv gave Joyce a smile and patted her hand before making her way into the new room. Professor Shale took his place at the center table; Liv's table was to his left. He had essentially isolated Joyce by placing her between Dayna, who wouldn't allow Liv to pass a message through to her, and Opal, who never seemed to talk to anyone - even Professor Shale.  

"Now!" Shale began, "For the first week or weeks, we will be getting familiar with each instrument." He flashed a standard scalpel, then two other devices. Liv knew they were higher tech but wasn’t familiar enough to know what they were for. "Then we will move to placement. I am not saying that this is the end all be all of placement. When you get into the field, you are allowed to have your station set up how you like. However! In this class room, you will have it set up this way and no exceptions. Because, in a few weeks, when we are getting to the heart of Practicals." He gave a look that showed the pun was intended, "If you mess something up, I have to fix it. And if I don't know where something is, I can't work efficiently. Get me?" The class nodded, "Very well then. Let us begin!"

*****

Liv knew something was off the moment she got into the classroom; over the past few weeks, the wall to the lab would be already open, their workstations waiting for them. But today, there was a large curtain hiding the area. Phenn walked up to her, Spark on his shoulder, "Today has to be the day, right?" His gaze bounced between her and the curtain. "What do you think we'll start with? Normal types? Probably normal types, right? I mean, he isn't going to throw a Vanilite at us first thing, right? Or a..." 

Liv grasped his shoulder, "Phenn. It'll be okay. We just have to wait and see. I'm more interested in if they'll be alive or not." Phenn's face lit up, but before he could spout whatever he was going to, Joyce walked into the class. Liv and Phenn went over to meet her frozen at the door, eyes transfixed on the mysterious curtain.

"Oh, man... I... Am I ready for this?" She said, fondling her loops.

"It is make or break time," Phenn said, thinking he was being helpful. 

Joyce turned and grabbed Liv's hand, "You know, Shale. What if he starts me off with something small and adorable. How am I supposed to deal with that?” A hard, unkind laugh sounded from the back corner of the class, but the three of them payed it no mind. 

"It'll be okay. I don't think we're to that stage yet." Liv said, "But we'll get through it, one way or another. We will all get through it." She hoped aloud. 

Shale and Tyrese strolled into the class right as the hands shifted to the hour. Shale began before Tyrese made it to his seat. "Well, class! I believe you all know what is just beyond this curtain, or at least have some theories. I just want to say before we start..." His mouth flexed, making his lips a single line. He cleared his throat. "No throwing up in the cadavers!" His face 'relaxed' to its normal state as he turned to fling open the curtain, where their tables lay, each occupied by lumpy, white sheets.

As they filed into their respective tables, Shale continued, "Now, this is never ideal. We, the school, never get enough of the same Pokémon for everyone to work on the same one at the same time. Despite popular belief, most Pokémon deaths happen due to wild on-wild fighting, not because of Trainers fighting wild Pokémon or each other." He took his place in the center of the semi-circle, in front of his table – though it was empty and pushed against the wall. "We, humans, know or see the limits of both our and the opponent’s follower and usually end the battle before things get fatal, or if one is critically wounded – so the Pokémon can be taken and healed. But Pokémon, by themselves,” Shale shook his head. “They really are just beasts with superpowers." Shale's eyes focused back to the class, brushing away a memory that Liv would have loved to hear. “So, we take/find what we can, and is still useable.” A shiver ran through him again. “Therefore, I cannot teach a broad lesson. So instead." And with a grin, Shale yanked a string, and everyone's sheets were torn away at the same time.

Liv stood staring at the pale, glazed-over eye of the small, scruffy, mustached dog. The dead Herdier stared, uncaring, back. Her heart stood stiff when a scream rang out through the class. When Liv looked to the ear-piercing sound, she saw Joyce on her knee over a pool of vomit. But the scream was coming from Opal, who promptly dropped to the ground. Tyrese grabbed her limp body just before it hit the ground.

Liv went for Joyce, but Dayna stood in her way. Her resting smug face was still there, but for the first time, Liv saw earnestness in her eyes. "You can't help her with this," Dayna whispered. "This, everything in the Practicals from here on, is hers to learn how to deal with. If you caudal her…” She cleared her throat, “She won’t know what to do when you’re gone. Let her fight for herself now rather than later." Dayna cocked her thin eyebrow. Liv nodded, taking a few steps back, watching as Shale walked over to Joyce and lifted her to her feet. Pinnel walked in moments later with a mop and bucket.

By the time Phenn was done cleaning the vomit up, Opal was awake to respond to questions. Shale and Pinnel whispered to the two girls for a moment that stretched on. After which, all but Shale left the room, Pinnel pushed Opal in a wheelchair and Joyce stumbling – her head seeming too heavy for her tiny frame to carry. 

"Guess we had two this year!" Shale joked, “There’s always at least one.” He locked eyes with Liv but still addressed the class: "You can be freely excused for the first day. But if it continues," he shrugged. If you can't do the work, you can't pass."

In a blink, he moved on. "As I was saying, no broad lessons. So, for those who want to, I will give you a list of organs, and you can spend the class retrieving them and give me a written explanation of why the Pokémon is dead. Or you can come and hover over a classmate as we do the same thing with me, explaining things along the way." To no one’s surprise, Dayna took the former and was out of class by lunch. The other three, however, wanted the experience of each of the different specimens.

To Liv's joy, Joyce returned by the time they had finished with the first dissection. After Liv cleaned herself off, and Shale approved a five-minute break before they'd started on Phenn's specimen, she and the guys ran over to talk to the still sickly-looking Joyce. "I'm sorry," She said as they all crowded around her. "I just saw that poor little Deerling with its sunken eyes and its purple tongue..." Her face paled again. Phenn took a few steps back, but she got a hold of herself and swallowed hard. 

"It’s okay, Joyce. But you have to figure something out. Shale said today is excused, but..." Tyrese said.

She nodded, “I think I'll be okay. It was... It was just my first time, you know... seeing something dead..." Joyce watched the floor. The other three looked at one another, remembering, seeing the recognition in the others, and quickly casting the memories away. Not the time. 

Liv was the first to gather herself. "We understand. But this next part is going to be just as hard. Shale said he wouldn't make you do one today, but if you’re here, you are going to have to watch...” Liv took a deep breath. “You can get through this, alright? But you have to steel yourself. I can’t do it for you." Joyce nodded again, and Shale clung two metal trays together, calling for the class to return. Liv left Joyce behind as they headed back to their tables. Making her take each step herself.

Even Joyce watched in amazement as Phenn cut, unscrewed, and extracted with perfect precision. Within a matter of minutes, he had deduced that the Klang had passed due to three of its internal gears being removed. “Or, more likely, shot out in defense but not returned to its body. Even one missing gear in these guys is harmful. Three would be… Well." He pointed to the lifeless metal slab.

Shale clapped, and it startled the whole class. "Very good, sir. And if fainting girl would have done hers, she would have found at least one of those small vital gears lodged in her specimen." He shrugged, "Maybe I went too easy on you, guy." Phenn cleaned up, and they all were dismissed to lunch. Opal would never return to the class, either by choice, force, or fear – the others never learned. All they knew was there were only the five of them from then on.

The courtyard was thin, almost empty, due to the blazing sun. "I heard there is a gang of Maractus in the woods on route four, making this sunny day." He said, wiping away the beads running down his face. “Damn cactuses sunbathing on the most populated route and so close to the city...”

"They're good for it at least once a year; they just keep migrating closer," Tyrese said, seemingly unphased by the heat. "One time, when a gang of roughly twenty took over our farm. Wooo! You talk about a miserable time; they were there for five days. Just bathing, dancing, and happy as can be. Killed over a fourth of our crops, but the crops that did make it.” He grinned.” They were doubled their normal size. My old man said he guessed it made up for it. But wasn’t willing to risk it again. Ever since, we've put out feed to attract Fletchinders and Talonflames." 

Liv smiled with a cocked brow. "Firebirds are better than intense sun-bringing cacti?" 

Tyrese bobbed and weaved his head, unsure. "Well, we did have to have an… adjustment period. Those who burnt our crops were... persuaded to leave, and those who stayed knew when and where we put the food. It’s been working fine for the past few years."

"Are you going to finish that?" Phenn asked, pointing to Joyce's sushi. 

She pushed it to him, "I'm not really hungry." Heerra continued to rub her back. "I'll be okay, guys.” She said to all the eyes on her. “I'm just... Dealing with it, or trying to at least." 

They all nodded. The lunch finished in silence. 

When they returned to the classroom, all but Tyrese's table was emptied and clean. The Liepard sprawled on his table, emaciated to the point it made you feel your own skin's tightness. "Are you ready?" Shale asked, "Death on this one isn't too hard, but that's not the challenge today." He gave an odd, knowing grin. Spreading his arms as if he were presenting a reward on a game show. "Begin any time you'd like." 

Tyrese's face scrunched, and Phenn patted him on the back. "Show him what you're made of..." Phenn paused and chuckled. "I mean, show him what it’s made of." Tyrese whipped a piercing glance at Phenn, who raised his hands, surrendering.

He shrugged it off and approached his table without taking his eyes off the almost mummified cat. He dawned on his apron, mask, and face shield. Finally, he pulled his eyes away to peel open and, without touching the outside of them, put on his sterile gloves—a process all of them could do in their sleep now.

He exhaled hard and fogged up his face shield. Liv tapped his shoulder and tightened the thin metal part of this mask to fit around his nose better. "Make sure you test your mask before putting on your gloves. Of course, it doesn't matter as much with something already dead. But like I've said many times before, practice like it’s real. Alright, let’s start with with abdominal incision. I would like for you to remove its stomach." Tyrese's cut was perfect, clean with no hesitation, one smooth drag. But when the tight skin loosened, and parts gleamed in the light that they should never be exposed to, he lost himself. His thoughts became like the tangle of tube-like organs before him. "So?" Shale prompted, "What would be next?"

"I... uh..." sweat soaked into the spongy pad of the face mask on his forehead. "I mean... Of course, the next step would be to cut out the stomach." 

Shale cocked his brow, "Just with a snip, snip, huh? You wouldn't want to move or secure anything?" 

"Oh! Well... Yeah. I'll need to push the intestines out of the way."

"Yeah! Just push them down with your elbow, right? That wouldn't have any repercussions on a living patient. Come on, boy, think! You've answered this right, a hundred times on paper." 

"I... I need to..." His eye strained as a bead of sweat rolled into it. "I... Clamps! I have to clamp off the... the... parts that flow through the stomach." Shale shook his head as Tyrese grabbed two clamps and placed them at the base and top of the stomach. He then grabbed a scalpel and sliced just below the base clamp. The minimal but potent contents of the stomach poured into the Liepard's body cavity. Liv caught even Shale gagging slightly. Tyrese panicked and reached after the spilling sack, forgetting the scalpel in his hand, dicing through a few intestines and even the stomach itself, doubling the potency in the air. Managing to get to the sink just in time, Liv threw up. Followed by Joyce in the safety shower not far away. Phenn seemed unphased. Shale carefully grabbed Tyrese's arm, making sure he didn't slaughter the dead thing more or, worse, manage to turn the scalpel against himself in his frenzy. 

Shale excused the class for a quick break in order to clean and freshen up the classroom. Before the group even got a chance to stop from gagging from the smell, Tyrese was out of the classroom and down the hall. So the three just stood outside the door as Shale grumbled and moaned inside. Liv was honestly surprised that he hadn’t made one of them clean it up. Shale latched the door open just under twenty minutes later.

The smell still hung in the air, now mixed with disinfectant and a light flowery scent. Shale stood at his desk with the lab wall closed off. Tyrese entered a few minutes later, taking a seat ways down from the others, all sitting in the front row. "I'll say again, today is a pass. Do not beat yourself up over not being able to perform.” His eyes stayed focused on the class, but the words were aimed at Tyrese. “We will have plenty more opportunities for you. But be prepared, those to come will be counted against, or for, you." He spread open his hands and frowned. "I get it. More than most, believe it or not. Sometimes it just doesn't click, or you just can't get over that hurdle." He paced in front of his desk, a thick air of honesty fell over the room. One that, to Liv, felt oddly familiar. However, this time, it wasn’t about anatomy, or energies, or power, but of life. Just another lesson to be taught. "It wasn't till the accidental evolution of Pinnel that things started to fall into place for me. I finally had someone to study with, someone who got me, and I know that this isn't the case for you. You have excelled far beyond what most students ever have." He cleared his throat, "Even so much that I had to up the difficulty of my lessons and tests. But! As I've said before, this" He gestured to the wall hiding the lab. "This, as students, even as full-fledged nurses, is the highest hurdle you have to get over. It is scary; it is different. Seeing these pets, these friends, these family members under the knife... It will get under your skin and into your mind if you let it. But don't!" He slapped his desk, "This part, everything we do in there. It’s only to teach you one thing." He showed a strong index finger around the class. "That one thing is to learn how to steel yourself. Become mightier than the emotion ruling you." He scanned the room again that brow cocked and loaded as always. "Now, get out of here. Get some rest. We will return to this type of lesson in one week. At that time, I don't care how much of a soft and squishy bug you are on the inside. I need you as hard and sturdy as a mineral type on the outside." And with that, he shooed them away. 

The next day at lunch, Tyrese was finally able to bring himself to talk to the group. "I don't know. My brain just locked up, you know. I wasn't disgusted or grossed out or anything. I just... I couldn't think. Of course, I know that you need four clamps, two at the base of the esophagus and two just after the duodenum. Followed by placing absorbent gauze under the clamps, and... See, I know. I just..." He dropped his head, "I just froze for some dumb reason. I won’t let it happen again! It’s simple. I’ll just study harder, really lock it in there. I won’t freeze again!" The group cheered him on and helped him study, as always.

The next week rolled around, and the days of the sheets came once again. To everyone's dismay, Tyrese stumbled and froze once again. He didn’t get as far as dicing this one up. But that was half the problem; he only got as far as the incision. After opening the beast, he just stood there, staring, like a Xatu – unmoving from sunrise to sunset. Finally breaking his trance, Shale took Tyrese out into the hall. They returned a moment later, both ready to move on.

Despite the tense air of their unknown conversation, everyone was excited for Joyce to have her first attempt. Shale must have been having a good day, for he gave her a simple Field type. Though seemingly unable to control himself, he did still saddle her with a Pachirisu. Its thick furry tail and large cheeks were a reflection of Patches, one of Phenn’s five Pokémon they all had grown so close to. After a few moments and long, deep breaths, she began. With only a few gags and two minor errors, she discovered an Oran berry seed lodge in its throat. Even pulling Tyrese out of his mopping, everyone cheered. Joyce smiled, bowed, and then proceeded to walk over to the large sink and vomit until lunch. 

After spending the whole night transferring, deleting, and finally downloading, on Saturday, Liv presented the study group with a state-of-the-art app. It was a virtual simulation for performing surgical procedures on different Pokémon; it currently only had about twenty different species, but they spanned different types and egg groups. They spent the first half of the day with Tyrese performing all twenty surgeries with surprising ease. Getting a 90-100 percent on all of them. After proving himself on the app, Joyce and Phenn took a few tries. Both did fair but couldn’t come close to Tyrese in speed or accuracy.

Yet still, when Monday came back and the sheets were lifted, Tyrese froze once again. When he broke out of his trance, he pushed himself, giving an honest yet cringe-worthy effort. After Shale forced him to stop, Tyrese threw his dirty apron and gloves on the ground, washed up, and stormed out of the class to the terrible chorus of Dayna and her Kirlia laughing. The other three in the class looked at one another, fearful, hurting, and guilty.

Another Saturday rolled around, and the day was humid and muggy from the rain of the prior day. Tyrese held the attention of the group, his tone serious but unsteady. "Now, I've already made up my mind. So don't try to convince me otherwise!" His bloodshot eyes glared at Liv. "I am... And I hate using these words... But!” He pushed the lump in his throat down. “I am dropping out of the class." 

"What?!" 

"No, you can't!" 

"Are you sure?" Liv tried to hold her tongue, but the inspiration of her grandma ran too deep. "You've made it so far to... end your journey with the finish line in sight. That's... I just don't want you to regret it."

Tyrese nodded, "I know, but I don't. And won't. Shale and I had a long talk about it." He wiped his face with his sleeve, managing an honest smile. "Despite what he said at the beginning of all this, he knows us all very well. He really does want what’s best for us. And he's pointed me to a path that I never would have considered, but I do think that it’s much more fitting for me." 

Even though the class was silent, the question hung loudly around them. 

He smiled, squeezing out some of the tears he was fighting so hard against. "I’m going to become a professor! Shale told me with my grades, he hasn't put in my performances these past few weeks, that I'll be able to cut out almost three years of schooling. And! It's mostly research and observation, no cutting required." 

Again, a long pause rang out. Then, one of the three started clapping, and the others quickly joined in. Phenn let out a deep, hard "YEAH MAN!!" And the dam broke, not only in Tyrese's eyes but in all of theirs. Though Phenn would never admit to it. 

No one studied that Saturday; instead, they all left their home away from home and went out for hot cocoa, a walk across the Skyarrow bridge, and finally to the Cafe for some of Tyrese's favorite food. Eyes were dry, except for the time when they laughed. It wasn't extravagant, expensive, or anything that they couldn't have done any other day, but it was what they needed. The only reason anyone brought up school was to remember a joke or the few... many happy accidents that had happened through their almost two years there. As the sun lowered, Phenn caught Joyce beginning to sob. Without thought, he scooped her up and ran down the pier with her, carrying her off toward the sunset. When they returned, Phenn was completely out of breath, and Joyce's face beat red; the night proceeded tear-less and full of laughs once again.

But, as with everything, it did have to come to an end. They parted ways with not just promises but knowledge that they wouldn't lose contact. Just because he'd be on a different schedule and busy studying his new work, there was no excuse for their friendship to end. And that friendship would be tested sooner and harder compared to anything Shale had put them through.

*****

Liv reminisced on her way home, taking the long way past a large company building as usual. Her dream had failed—not all her friends would be graduating together. Yet, it still felt good. Tyrese seemed truly excited about this change. Well, as long as he is happy.

A subtle flick of Allie’s feelers snapped Liv back to herself. Looking around a corner, she saw the rare sight of an officer detaining someone. The young lady officer stood lecturing a pale-green-haired boy. The boy, probably in his late teens, stood with hands cuffed behind his back, frustration burning his face to a bright red. The officer frowned and turned to address the radio clipped to her breast pocket.

The boy yelled something, and from nowhere, a Scraggy came flying out of the bushes and knocked the officer to the ground. Liv began running over to the scene, but she was just too far away to stop the boy from fleeing. As they disappeared over a thick hedge, the boy yelled something about the freedom of Pokémon slaves. 

Liv checked on the cop with teal-colored hair and made sure she was okay. She was truly worried for her, being that she was the only cop she ever saw around the city. There were most likely other officers, but clearly ones not as passionate at this one. The officer and Liv shared questions – Liv making sure she wasn’t hurt and Tina making sure Liv wasn’t the boy’s accomplice.

Finally making it home, Liv spent the rest of the night in Allie's arms, dampening his fluffy fur. The stress, fear, and guilt finally break her. She was happy for Tyrese, yet still, her dream was broken. She had failed him and the group. As she drifted off to sleep, face buried in Allie’s furry stomach, she had one thought. ‘Once you fail at something. Push it to the side. Don’t waste energy on it anymore. Instead, use that energy to push success on your other goals.’ Her grandma’s voice echoing in her head pushed her into a deep sleep.

The alarm went off, and Liv opened her puffy eyes. The smell of Tamato soup and fresh bread filled the house. Liv walked into the warm kitchen. To her surprise, Allie was not there alone. He and Joyce stood together near the stove putting the finishing touches in the soup as Heerra was gracefully setting the table. The sunrise beamed in through her third-story window.

"Well, you're awake awfully early, aren't you?" Liv said, watching everyone from her bedroom door. 

Joyce jumped, slopping some of the soup out onto the counter. "Don't Do That!"

Liv laughed so hard that a few accidental snorts came out. "OH! I'm sorry. Scaring the intruder in my apartment is a mean thing to do now?" She said once, being able to breathe again. "What are you doing here? Not that I'm complaining, of course." She walked to the table, grabbed the paper towels, and tossed the roll to Allie – who was facing the opposite way. With a flick of his feelers, he turned and caught them.

Still flustered, Joyce said, "Well, after yesterday… I wanted to make sure you were… okay. And Allie and I talked it over, and we wanted to make you your favorite!” She beamed an almost hollow smile. “You know, just because... I wanted you to be okay." Her eyes began to grow red and full. 

It wasn’t hard to see through Joyce. Liv smiled. "Well, thank you very much." She walked over to Joyce and gave her a big hug. "I really appreciate you doing this for me. It means a lot. And you're welcome over here anytime, okay?" Joyce hugged her so deeply that Liv thought her eyes were going to pop. "Now, I'm going to get dressed really quick. Don't eat it all without me!" She said, running into the bathroom. 

The soup was as perfect as always, warming Liv's stomach and her heart, reminding her of when her grandma used to make it. After, she packed her bags, checking and rechecking them, and hoping that when they came home, the apartment would still smell the lovely soup and crisp bread. The four of them walked together, making their way through the busy streets to the Central Plaza. Normally, if she had left the house this late, she would have cut through the main street that led to and from Route 4. It cut about twenty minutes out of her walk, but she didn’t want to drag Joyce and Heerra across the crowded street or through the alleyways.

Finally arriving at the class, just minutes before Shale, they were greeted by Phenn at the door. Spark sounded comforting chirps on his cheek. "What the heck, guys!" He paced five steps at a time in front of the door. "I... I thought... And if... You guys!" Spark made tiny strokes with its legs. 

"Hey! It’s alright, Phenn. Sorry, we're a little late. We should've sent you a message." 

"Yeah, you should've!" he scolded. "If I had to finish this class with just me and... Dayna." He brought his voice down to a whisper for her name. "I don't think I could have done it!" Joyce moved in slowly, making sure he noticed and was willing, before giving him an enveloping hug. 

"Hey there, it’s going to be okay. Just remember, he's not gone. We'll still see him around, right? We can still message him. And we'll always have each other!" Liv grinned, not caring that Joyce was repeating the same thing Liv had told her over breakfast. 

Phenn held her in the hug for much longer than Liv would've expected. And Spark made little claps as a slight smile grew on Phenn’s face. 

The first few weeks without Tyrese stretched painfully by. Those weeks turned into months, and soon, their two-year anniversary came and went. At least once a month on Saturday, they would all get breakfast together at the Café and have their normal study group. Liv bragged about how well Phenn and Joyce were doing, and Tyrese shared some of the research his classmates were working on. All to ease the stress of Morgue Mondays, as Phenn grew to call them, became harder and harder.

*****

Spring rolled around once more as the nursing class came upon their two-and-a-half-year anniversary. And there was an odd feeling as they entered the room. Everything was where it should be; the wall to the lab open, the half circle of surgical tables. However, this time there were no sheets, no visible thing deceased, and a lack of fragrance permeating the classroom. Joyce let out a sigh of relief, but Phenn and Liv eyed each other. If they were right, this was no time to relax.

Shale entered the class fifteen minutes later with an odd smile. "Good morning, class! Today is a very special day. So I lied. Practicals were merely a test to see if you could make it through this moment. For today, you get real experience!" With a gesture, four Pokémon enter the class; Granbull, Breloom, Wartortle, and Delibird, all seemingly in good health. "Now, these friends have willingly consented to lay their lives on the line for your education." His eyes challenged the room, as always. "In return, you all will lay your education on the line. If even one of these friends, or the others to come in the future, fall under your knife, You Will Fail! Immediately. Do I make myself clear?" He pointed to each person in the class. "NO, Screw-ups!" And with that, he and the four Pokémon made their way to the tables. The class quickly followed, with the unphased Dayna leading them. 

Dayna 'claimed' the Wartortle, Phenn chose the Delibird, and the Granbull picked Joyce. Liv was good with the Breloom; they were pretty simple to work on. The real danger was more to herself. One wrong cut could lead to a face full of toxic spores, but maybe that would be better than failing out. 

The class sanitized and gowned up while Shale described the lesson. "You will pull out a procedure from the hat. Some of these procedures we clearly won’t be able to complete due to not having replacements but you will still run through all you can. Got it?" Each student nodded. Liv finished wiping down her tools and table for the third time. "Who wants to begin?" Liv's hand blasted up, beating Dayna by a mere second. "Very well." Shale waved to the class to follow him to her table. Shale put the 'hat,' a metal wash bowl, in front of her. She drew. 

Vein replacement – Leg.

This is it… The real thing.

Liv helped the Breloom on the table and put it to sleep. She had to make up a completely different anesthetic due to the normal one being based on the sleeping spores that grass types produced and were often immune to themselves. The main problem is going to be the 'veins' themselves, she thought, while watching the clock, waiting for the anesthetic to fully kick in. Being closer to a mushroom than anything else, they don't really have 'veins' but more along the lines of nerve bundles that pass glucose and oxygen through their system rather than true blood like we think of it. She wiped down the unconscious Breloom's 'muscular’ thigh with a cleaning solution. "Not only are they more sensitive than a vein would be, but they are larger and thick as well. There for harder to clamp off. You would need to spray another anesthetic on and around the bundle itself. Before cutting into it." Liv indicated to the exposed thick, white tube. "Also, having the patient exposed to as little sunlight as possible at least two days prior to the surgery, and even performing the surgery itself in low light, would decrease the amount of flow through their system. To help the patient lose the least amount of fluids." Liv said with a large smile, making the last stitch to seal her incision up. 

Shale nodded with a smirk. Dayna scoffed loud enough that it pulled Joyce out from her horrified, yet fascinated, trance. Without even looking, Phenn gave her a thumbs up. "Very good! As I'd expect from Miss Know-it-all." Shale said with a smile, already moving on to Dayna, who stood away from the small crowd – at her own table. She pulled from one of the small metal bowls Shale held out. There was no need to pull from the second. 

“Heart transplant.” Dayna read the strip of paper with an almost feral grin.

"Ah!" Shale said, "One of my specialties! I love heart surgeries; you really get to get your elbows in there." They laugh together, an uncomfortable harmony that makes Joyce shiver. "Please, proceed."

Dayna, of course, had a flawless performance. She was even so transfixed that Shale had to stop her before she actually cut out Wartortle's heart. Still, without a single word, she perfectly put everything back into place. Liv couldn't lie; it was exhilarating to see her work. Her laser-like concentration had her eyes almost glowing. It was one of the few reasons Liv and the others were kind of scared of her; with determination like that, she seemingly could do anything.

Joyce went next, and though Liv could tell she was squeamish through it all, she did her appendectomy wonderfully. Even when she made her first incision on the wrong side, without anyone correcting her and without panicking, she quickly stitched it up and moved to the correct side. An uncontrollable smile grew across Liv's face, seeing how pleased Joyce was afterward.

Finally, it was Phenn's turn; a gastric bypass, something even Shale said that he didn't do that often on Pokémon. "Most of these critters don't even have stomachs and intestines, like you and I think of. So, they don't have anything you can bypass. Gulpin is, basically, just a stomach. It even 'eats' air, absorbing oxygen through the stomach lining. Grimmers and Solosis, they are their own stomachs, dissolving their food within themselves." Liv loved the passion of Professor Shale, seeming to never miss an opportunity to teach or spread facts, even when they, the class, already knew most of what he was saying. "Anyway! Please." He waved to Phenn to begin.

Phenn got everything ready and administered the local anesthetic. It was never ideal not to put a patient completely under during such surgeries, but when the patient literally couldn't fall asleep, local numbing was your best option. Phenn took a deep breath and made the first cut, slow and careful, being sure to cut through only the fat layers of the short, wintery bird. On the second of the three cuts that would form a straight-edged U, Phenn hesitated. He blinked furiously, shook his head, blinked, frowned, then continued. On the third cut, he went even slower, eyeing the splitting flesh every inch of the way, but he didn't stop. Next, he peeled back the layer of fatty skin. Making sure there were no major veins or, more importantly, arteries that were cut. After drying the area softly, there was another clear, confused hesitation. 

"Everything okay there?" Shale asked. 

"I... It's just..." Phenn shook his head again. "Yeah. Yeah! I'm good." Phenn continued again. But when he placed the scalpel at the next location, Liv saw it. A subtle but clear shiver through the Delibird's abdomen. And there, again! Was it glistening with just a hint of pink? "Alright! Something is going on!" Phenn finally exclaimed, slamming his scalpel on the metal table with a loud clang.

"Please proceed. Your grade is on the line." 

"Did you not!.."

"A minor illusion of stress, I'm sure. Now, you can't leave a patient exposed this long for no reason. Proceed!"

Phenn did so, but once again, when he placed the blade down, a ripple went across the bird's abdomen. This time so strong even Joyce saw it, jumping slightly in response. 

"Damn it, Flink!" Shale shouted. "We practiced this!" He slapped the table next to the Delibird's head. The splayed open red and white bird, mushed and squished, forming together into a pink blob about half the size. In response, the other three Pokémon deformed into Dittos as well. Shale flicked up his glasses and squeezed his nose. "I'm sorry, Phenn. Flink here is… ticklish. And can't seem to control themselves." Shale then explained that this was the safest way to get any real experience, and they should try to still think of them as real. "I mean, they are real Pokémon. I just mean, think of them as the real Pokémon they are when they’re in front of you. These guys only have a few vital nerves so they are fairly hard to kill, on accident. But they recreate other Pokémon’s bodies perfectly. And especially Shandra." He pointed to the one that was the Breloom. "They will get dramatic if you make even the slightest misscut. A real blood bath, just to teach you a lesson." Shale laughed. “But honestly, this is the easiest and safest way to give you real experience.”

"So, were you not going to tell us these weren't real surgeries?" Dayna took the words right out of Liv's mouth. 

Shale shrugged. "I would have in a week or so. When I felt like it.”

“You know Tyrese has been telling me that one of his classmates is researching cloning. Couldn’t we just do that?” Phenn asked, getting help from Joyce to change his bloody gloves out for clean ones.

Shale laughed, if Liv knew him better, she would have said it was a nervous laugh. “Even if that tech was currently available, do you think your tuition would be as cheap as it is if we used that kind of technology? Do you think it would make a difference? You think it’d be okay to just kill a clone just because they ‘aren’t the real thing’?”

Phenn opened and closed his mouth, his fist tightened. Liv knew how much he valued the lives of Pokémon. Shale more than likely knew as well. A dirty trick twisting his words like that… But to her surprise, Phenn didn’t punch anything, didn’t even huff. His fist relaxed, and he took a deep breath. Shale smiled.

“Flink!” At Shale’s call, they stretched, molded, and transformed into a Delibird once again. “Let’s begin again!” Starting from the top, Phenn proceeded with the procedure. This time, there were no ripples, no pink sheen, just a 'normal' locally numbed bird going through a surgery that Phenn performed perfectly.

The Ditto surgeries took place every other day, with normal lessons in between. On the surgery days they manage to get out of class at a reasonable time. But the normal classes still spilled over into the twilight hours. Having the Dittos was a wonderful resource that Liv never considered. Even though they were each limited to a single Pokémon each day, they were able to transform into Pokémon that, according to Shale, you might only ever see once in a lifetime, much less actually get/have to work on. One of Liv's favorites was a Jellicent. With its body being essentially salt water, there were so many extra steps she had to do; harden the areas she needed to cut into, keep it in a 'solid' workable state, and, most importantly, make sure that the Jellicent didn’t just diffuse into the water. She thrived under the pressure of all the checks and balances. When she was done and climbed out of the water tank, she thought that Shale's jaw would never close again. 

"I... I even gave you Shandra... In hopes she would overreact to you... That was..." But he regained himself, tightened back up. "That was good. Next!"

There was a new pleasant vibe to the whole class; Liv even saw Dayna smile a few times. The study group was still meeting up for breakfast on Mondays, including Tyrese. And, to all of their surprise, Shale was finally letting the class talk about where/who they'd want to shadow during the next year. Even going as far as giving them the ability to contact those they decided on. "After all, with only a couple of months left till the Final. It would be best to see if they are even willing to take you." He said to Joyce when she had finally decided on the nurse’s center on the beachfront of Undella Town – a haven of water Pokémon.

Still met on Saturdays, although now they tended to only study for about half the day. Spending the rest of the time talking about how to stay in touch after they graduated and how excited they were about their shadows. Then, often, they would leave early to meet up with Tyrese at the pier, usually having to get Casteliacones due to Heerra's insistence. The young lady at the stand got so used to them that she would give Allie his small cup of little red candies, without Liv even needing to ask. Once, despite Liv’s warnings, the group decided to try a few of these fiery red pellets.

Liv and Allie literally collapsed laughing, watching each member react to their mouths burning due to the spicy candy. Of course, Phenn was the quickest to recover. His eyes red and sweat covering his forehead, he smiled at Allie, winked, and ate another. Tyrese calmly ate his ice cream until his eyes stopped watering. But poor Joyce and Heerra. Overcompensating for the heat, they gobbled down their Casteliacones which gave them both massive brain freezes.

"My mouth is still on fire," Tyrese said, holding his temples. The sun was about to set, and Liv and Allie had managed to stop laughing at the miserable group.  

"Even if Liv clearly hates us," Joyce said for the embrace of Heerra. Both of their cheeks streaked with the sign of tears. “I don’t want this to end.”

Liv snorted again, looking at the miserable girls. "Hey, I said, 'Try them at your own risk!' Don't be mad at me."

Once everyone’s mouths and brains returned to normal temperatures, the whole group was finally able to laugh at each other—and, more importantly, themselves. This was the moment they knew their friendship would stay, no matter the distance, time, or amount of contact—through the good, the bad, or even the tragic. And, as with all relationships, those terrible times would come.

*****

"Now you know," Shale said. It had been a relaxing, rainy spring day, and now the evening sun twinkled through the windows. Liv and Allie hung back as the others left the room. She had triple-checked, researched, and checked again. And was ready to meet any arguments on where she wanted to Shadow. "Being posted at Opelucid City you'll have to do a lot of traveling. You’ll hardly ever get help. You'll be covering the most area compared to any of the other posts." He gave her his challenging eye. But before she could make her stance. Shale laughed, a good, hard, honest laugh. "It's exactly where you belong, Liv." His face was softer than she had ever seen it before, and his eyes smiled at her. "Gylese will love to have you as her shadow. Just… Don't allow her to make you soft!" He passed her a slip with a phone number and an address and dismissed her. His face hardened again. "And don't forget to read the next three chapters on Gabbro's theory."

Liv stood blinking for a few moments, opened her mouth, closed it, and beamed. "Of course, sir. And thank you." She left the classroom, wondering to herself when he had started calling them by their names. She practically skipped down to the courtyard to have lunch with the others.

Twilight came, and the class was dismissed; the group said their goodbyes and headed their separate ways. Liv had ordered the newest research book written by the up-and-coming Samuel Oak. She enjoyed his thesis paper and was excited to read what his plans were now that he was a professor. So, despite Allie’s trepidation, they hurried through the back allies, cutting their walk home in half. 

Before entering the alley that led back to the main street, Liv subconsciously registered the tiny twinge in Allie's feelers. They froze, and the cool night’s air stood still around them. Allie's ears flicked again, and they turned to each other. A flash of purple light glimmered from around a corner a few streets down. A yell followed – a command. A fight. And not a friendly one, by the sounds of it. Another flash, white light, and a small rumble. 

Without a word, they both took off toward the rumble, hoping no one was too badly hurt already. Liv slid around the corner, and, to her horror, the fighters were familiar. Though one of them was much stronger than the last time she had seen him.

The Scrafty was high in the air, dust trailing below him from an attack he had just dodged. The young, pale-green-haired boy cried out to it. Black energy began to form around its head. Instead of falling back down, it seemed to propel itself at a blinking speed. The normally sassy, uncaring Kirlia was huffing, exhausted, but eyes focused. Half of her skirt-like flares were thick with crimson.

Dayna yelled something, and Kirlia twirled just as the Scrafty buried its head into the ground where it would've been. "Kim, Psychic now!" The air around her Kirlia began to glow a hazy pink. 

Liv looked at Allie. "Let's give them a Helping Hand." His feelers flicked and began to glow a soft white; Kim's tiny hands glowed in response. A deep purple wave began to grow in her hands, doubling in size as Allie’s own power was added to it. Kim reared back and loosed the massive pink-purple shimmering wave. To Liv’s horror, it seemed Kim’s aim was way off; it was going to miss. The Scrafty immediately jumped to the left as Kim released the wave – thinking that she would be aimed directly at it. Instead, the massive psychic wave blasted him mid-air.

A lucky throw? Or is she just that good at battling? Liv thought as the Scrafty was hurled backward, crashing into a dumpster. 

"You think your slavery can beat our friendship?” The boy screamed, running to his Scrafty. "None of you deserve the honor of Pokémon!" Liv ran over to Dayna. Allie joined Kim. The Scrafty stood, wincing but seemingly untouched.

"Damn." Dayna said, "No matter what I throw at it…” She said almost absent-mindedly. “How can it be that strong?” A bell-like chime came from Allie, and the bleeding on Kim's side slowed. She clenched her eyes tight as the gashes sealed – healing slightly.

Even as the chime from Allie still echoed through the allies, the Scrafty was on them again. Jumping, it threw a high kick. Even with her eyes closed, Kim started to dodge, but her pain made her too slow. The kick connected with her tiny ribs, and she was flung away from Allie. Smashing against the brick wall, feet away from Liv and Dayna. Blood flowed from her mouth when she landed on the hard ground – unmoving.

"They don't belong to you!" The boy screamed, with an air of resolve Liv had trouble seeing even in herself.

"You should Play Nice!" Liv yelled back, distracted as the distraught Dayna ran to Kim. Allie's eyes glowed, and the Scrafty stumbled back. Its eyes relaxed, and it even smiled. Allie smiled back, his eyes unflinching as Dayna cried out from Kim’s side. 

The boy smacked the back of the Scrafty's head. His smile dropped, but his eyes were still soft. "Focus! We gotta get out of here! Plan Delta. Go!" The Scrafty's body flexed back into battle-ready, and it closed the distance toward Allie in a mere blink. Liv moved faster than she thought possible and stood in front of Allie as the Scrafty blasted out a small white cloud?

Liv tried to remember the name of the move or what it did. Then she tried to remember what she was trying to remember. Then everything went black.

*****

Liv opened her eyes, but she was still surrounded by darkness. A terrible sound came from behind her. She blinked a few more times and looked around. Two large brick walls stretched up to the black sky on the other side of her. Not a hall... Not a street... But an… "An alley!" She nodded a bit with satisfaction. There were a few small pokes at her side. She jumped and whipped around. An odd animal stood, staring at her. Its fine tan and pink fur looked so soft she just wanted to hug it. For some reason, a tear rolled down her cheek. The animal's large eyes questioned her, and it made an unnerving ringing sound. "I'm sorry. I... Do you need something?" The animal's eye doubled in size, and it cocked its head, then turned and forcefully pointed at the source of the terrible noise she'd been hearing. 

There was a very pretty but completely distraught girl howling over some... Liv blinked, focusing. Then ran over to the nearest wall, heaving out her stomach. This alerted the crying girl, and she was on Liv in seconds. "Help! Help Her! Please! Please... She's..." The girl collapsed. Her hands, her clothes, and even her face were covered in blood. Liv's stomach twisted again, but she held it down. "She's All I Have! PLEASE LIV!" 

Liv turned, looking around, and focused back on the gory girl. "Am I… Liv? I'm sorry lady, but I have no idea how to help with..." Liv's stomach jumped, looking at the small mangled body. This time, she couldn't hold it down. When Liv was finished, she looked back at the girl. Her eyes were hollow, her face bleached, body limp. Liv noticed the adorable pink and tan animal at the small broken body – shaking its head.

Red and blue light flashed in the distance but were growing closer. In moments, Liv and the pretty girl were wrapped in blankets in the back of the source of the flashing lights. Liv thought it was odd that the pink animal was in the large vehicle with them, but she found its soft fur rubbing against her comforting as they were driven away. 

After spending most of the night being looked over, tested, and retested, Liv was released from the hospital. For some reason, the cute pink animal came with her. But it seemed many people had animals following them, so she just assumed this one was hers. Someone, who the other doctors had called a ‘specialist’ had told her he was her professor, drove her to her home. Where they met up with a petite girl with fine brown hair, strung in large loops. This girl was accompanied by a pink and white animal that was barely shorter than the girl. It held a large egg in a pouch on its stomach.

The girls’ eyes were full of pity, but they focused on the animal holding Liv's hand. She opened her mouth, but tears streaked down her face as the pink animal shook its head. "Your hair is so cute," Liv smiled at the crying girl, hoping to cheer her up.

"Thank you." She wiped her eyes and hardened her face. "We'll get through this, Liv." She forced a smile. "I guess we're going to be roommates after all." 

Liv's eyes brightened. "Will you show me how to do my hair like that?"

The fair-skinned girl nodded, and another tear rolled down her cheek. "We’re going to have to show you a lot." Liv’s animal opened the door to a small yet very tidy apartment. "Don’t worry. We won’t give up on you, just like you didn’t on us."

Liv instantly fell asleep in a room toward the back of the apartment. It was full of books and papers, all of which Liv had trouble reading, much less understanding. When she woke up the next day, feeling like it was the first sleep she had gotten in years, she stepped out into the main room of the apartment. To her surprise, it was now full of people and animals. "Oh, hello, " she said, rubbing her eyes. Do you all live here?"

A tall, thin man walked over and gave her a big hug. "We'll get through this, okay." She was getting used to the saying as much as she was growing used to the furry companion at her side.

The other man walked over, his eyes sunken behind his glasses and danced around the room. "Yeah, umm. We'll... uh. We should probably introduce ourselves, right?" He glanced at each person for just a moment and shrugged. And tell her what happened? I mean… This has got to be strange for her. Right? Has anyone explained anything to her?" 

Liv smiled and nodded. "I agree with him. Thank you all for being here for me, but it would be nice to at least know what to call you all.”

With a collective heavy sigh, they all sat down.

*****

“But what of the other girl? Dayna, you said her name was. Her and her Pokémon, how are they doing?" Liv asked after the study group spilled everything to her. Their names, the nursing program, the attack, that she was given amnesia – and how even Shale was still unclear exactly how bad or how long it would last.

They each eyed the other, deciding the careful words to use. Finally, Tyrese nodded, "Well... Dayna's Kirlia. She… didn't make it. She took a critical hit in a weakened state from a Pokémon much stronger than her." Tyrese cleared his throat, searching. "Dayna, herself… It isn't in the best shape, either. Physically, she’s fine, but…” Tyrese cleared his throat again, looking at the others.

Phenn locked eyes with Liv; he held a familiar pain in them. “Kim was the only family she had left. She’s beaten and broken down. Professor Shale went to check on her earlier this morning.”

“But if we’re such an outstanding group of students,” Liv spoke up through the gloom of the room. “Why couldn’t she help Kim? At least enough till someone else more qualified came.”

Tyrese cleared his throat again, but this time, Joyce spoke first. "She admitted to Shale after she calmed down some... She, they, had been... basically cheating the whole class. Not out of malice, she says she planned on studying, but with everything... She said the only way she could keep up was with Kim's Telepathy. So, with your mind wiped and no one else around… She was basically in the same state as you are. Even despite that… Kim’s condition was… There was nothing she could have done, nothing even Shale could have done." The room was a void.

The thought couldn’t be avoided. That could have been any of them. Would they have been able to do things differently? Could they have brought themselves to even try to work on their friends, their family, their Pokémon? 

There was a sudden pounding at the door, causing everyone in the room to jump and almost all of the Pokémon to hop into battle-ready poses. Joyce looked to Liv, expecting her to know who it was. She shook her head, hiding the shame in her eyes. "I'll get it, " she said. The whole room stood still when the door opened, no one sure of what to say. 

A woman with sharp-cornered glasses and long black hair stood, shaking, "Oh..." She spoke with an uneasy voice. "Guess I should have figured." A forced chuckle, "I... Well..." Her body jerked into a bow. "Shale told me your plans." Liv saw two tears drop onto the carpet. "Please. Let me join in as you re-teach Liv." Still holding her bow, the room looked around, unsure. "Please! I've always wanted to help those in need, honestly. But now..." Her whole body slumped. She lifted herself upright, "Now... I can’t have what’s happened to me happen to others." She whispered as Allie and Heerra helped her to a seat. 

***

The room was dead for a long time. Finally, Joyce spoke up, "Well! Let's get started!” The two boys cocked eyebrows at her as the other girls beamed with hope. “We only have two weeks, at most, until Shale starts class again. And the final was only six weeks away." She stood up, fist on hips, brow narrowed. "So, no time to sit around and be sorry." She looked to the boys, "Come on! We, basically, have two new students joining us very late in the year. I don't know about you two, but Liv taught me everything I know from scratch. It’s only right that I return the favor!" Tyrese grinned and stood with her; Phenn shook his head but smirked and meandered over. "Alright, girls!" Joyce pointed at them, "Get ready for the crash course of your lives." She shrank slightly but quickly regained her confidence. "And Dayna! If you need someone to help you through this time. Talk to Phenn. He’s safely on the other side of the rough seas you are going through." She smirked and whispered, loud enough that everyone could still hear though. "He is a bit awkward and quick to anger, but he has a very kind ear when you need it." Joyce and Tyrese laughed; Phenn stared at the ceiling, clenching his fist – but still wore his smirk. 

Over the next few days, they all met at Liv's house. Well, it was the boys who came to the house; Joyce, Dayna, and Liv stayed at the apartment together. Joyce's parents had hired a nanny, and Dayna could no longer handle being in her mansion—‘not with the memories that hang there.’

Either due to her situation or because she was finally open to it, Dayna's walls quickly broke down. And she fit into the group almost instantly, growing closest to Tyrese.

The group struggled through the teachings together, starting from the very beginning of type advantage and what types there were for Liv. To even her own surprise, Dayna actually knew more than any of them expected. "I mean, I did study. When I had the time… But between taking over the business and... everything. I definitely didn’t, and don’t, know as much as I should." She told the girls one night. Joyce and Heerra teach them how to do their hair like hers.

Between Allie and Joyce – who had apparently written many of Liv's grandma's quotes down in a notebook and used them regularly – things were going very well for Dayna. She seemed almost caught up with the rest of them, or at least could stumble her way through things. However, unfortunately, Liv hit roadblock after roadblock. She would start to make progress but seemed to regress. By the time Shale’s allotted time was up, Liv was still on moves and their sources, while Dayna was muddling her way through surgeries on the app.

On the first week back to class, Shale went ‘easy’ on them; no surgeries, no quizzes, just review after review. The class spent every moment they could pushing and re-teaching Liv, who was still having trouble holding on to memories. Memories were starting to come back to her more and more, yet still, she had trouble with the more recent things. Both as a blessing and a curse, the events from the night of the attack would never return to her.

Shale decided to continue to take it easy on her during the next week, giving her quizzes while giving complete comprehensive tests to the others – the difference being about thirty questions – almost every day. By the third week, he moved the others back into doing Ditto surgeries. Still not confident in Liv’s skills, he allowed her to practice on the app – which apparently was designed by a good friend of his.

The first day they had surgery, Dayna wasn't able to participate; her body shook violently, she threw up, and she cried in the back corner of the class for the rest of the day. Liv stayed by her side through it all, comforting and trying to encourage her. Shale allowed three days before making her try again. And, albeit shakily and with a tear or two, or nine, running down her face, she did it. With more practice and more encouragement, her shaking stopped, and her tears ran dry. And before any of them knew it, it was almost time for the Final. Yet still, Liv struggled to keep what the class continued to teach her, day in and day out, locked within her head.

Much to their dismay, the last week of school was upon them. Shale laid out a surgery for every day of the week. “There are no tricks, no jokes, here. These are some of my own real patients. People who have come to me for honest help and have trusted in my word that you will be able to do as good a job as me.” He said to the class the Sunday proceeding the first surgery. “I say again; this is the real thing. So, no mess-ups! Simple pass-fail – if I have to step in at all, that’s a fail. That includes asking me any questions. Accuracy is fifty percent of your grade. Two missteps, and that’s a fail.” He eyed each of them. “Now go get rested up! Big day for…” He checked a clipboard, “Liv...” He eyed her in subtle but definite concern for just a moment. “Figured Fidget Fingers would’ve been first.” He gave a playful grin to Joyce, who released the tight ball of hair that sprung into her large loop. “Remember, only come on the day you signed up for. These are solo tests, just you, the patient, and me to silently judge you.” Pinnel cleared his throat, and a few whistles and chimes came from around the room. “And your Pokémon, of course.”

The halls were empty and hollow as she and Allie winded through them. Allie grabbed hold of Liv’s sweaty hand, clinched his other hand into a tiny fist, and furrowed his brow. She giggled, “You’re right. We got this.” Shale opened the door and stared at the two of them.

“Are you sure you want to follow through with this?” He cocked his eyebrow. “It’s only pass or fail here… If you… There’s nothing I can do.”

She smiled and winked. “I feel like I have to. For everyone.” He shrugged and guided the way in with a wave of his hand.

A Furret that stretched out longer than she was tall lay waiting on the table. Liv approached it, its large round eyes following the whole way. “Hey, little guy,” She said with a smile, “Let’s get you prepared.” An hour passed and she had bathed and shaved the Furret with little thought, but if that’s all it took to be a Pokémon nurse, everyone would be one. She made her first cut, clean – one fluid motion, she pinched off the veins and arteries as needed. Then just stared at the crimson and pulsing insides of the creature. This was someone’s loved one, a best friend, someone cared about this Pokémon and he cared about someone – just as much as Allie cared for her. She looked over at him; he stood holding a tray of clamps and a large gauze draped over both arms. They smiled at each other and she went in, cutting and trim, careful, exact. Doing what she thought was best.

Shale pushed her out of the way. The anesthetic would be wearing off in just over fifteen minutes if she had even gotten the formula right, to begin with. Shale mutters nonsense under his breath, but Liv understands when she is being cursed out. Ten minutes later, the Furret was stitched back together; surgery was complete and successful. But not done by Liv. Shale agreed to not tell the others until the end of the week. Liv and Allie spent the rest of the week mourning and alone in her apartment.

Despite her shortcomings, with each passing day, the group grew happier and happier – each telling about their success over their P-pads through messages or voice chats. Phenn’s surgery went perfectly. He had had to remove a swollen Gallbladder on an overweight Hippopotas. Joyce’s surgery was pushed back a day because, apparently, Dayna’s patient was having unforeseen complications. But, with a perfectly done C-section, the Umbreon successfully gave birth to the rare sight of twin eggs. Dayna was inconsolable with a mix of emotions – ‘mostly happy,’ she managed to say through her sobs.

Joyce almost failed due to being misinformed by the Lopunny’s owner. He had failed to mention that she could currently use Thunder Punch. Joyce had managed to cut just above the charged bundle of nerves. The shock would have knocked her across the room and would have been fatal for the patient. “Just goes to show, don’t trust the owner’s word. Be cautious, and expect anything and everything.” Shale told the class over a voice message.

Even Tyrese’s finals went wonderfully. Shale had given them Friday off, knowing that the Professors’ exams were going on as well. He had passed with outstanding marks on everything but a few written questions on types. Apparently, he had been reading a paper where a new Professor was arguing the current types were wrong in many ways. Tyrese took a similar stance, but only because he knew he could still pass even if his professor didn’t agree with those answers. However, just like the others, he wouldn’t ‘graduate’ until a year later. Because while they were all job shadowing, he would be writing his thesis.

The new week started, and Liv told the group the hard truth as they sat in the classroom, waiting for Shale to arrive. Joyce burst into tears, Dayna stood dumbfounded – her ‘rival’ flunking out was not the win she wanted. Even Phenn awkwardly stood by, patting her shoulder. But she didn’t let them wallow for too long, she reminded them of their successes, that they were moving on to the next step. That they were almost nurses. With much convincing, they finally let out their pent-up excitement. After Shale explained how the next year would go for them, they even went out for Casteliacones and reminisced on the last three years together.

As Shale dismissed the class, he called for Liv to stay behind. “I don’t believe this young lady…” He stared at her and her at him. A moan of paper between them, her quizzes and homework over the last five weeks. “Did you really think I wouldn’t notice? Did you know?” He pointed to a strong figure.

Allie shrugged, and Liv giggled. “Look… It’ll work out for the best. And this way, we know it they themselves that were good nurses, not me.”

Shale shook his head, squeezing the bridge of his nose. “But why... After a few weeks of it, I could understand, sure. But why throw away these last three years?”

“Because now I can help everyone in the next group.” She beamed. “We all know your way of teaching isn’t… for everyone.” He smirked behind his hand – still gripping his nose.

“When did your memories come back? Because I know you did have amnesia.”

“By week two, I was basically back to normal, despite that night.” She eyed him, “I’m curious what gave it away?”

He leaned forward. “I had my suspicions from grading your tests. But during the Final… It takes true skill to intentionally botch a surgery while keeping the patient completely safe.” They nodded at each other. “See you next year.”

“Count on it!” She furrowed her brow, “And I don’t want you going easy on me.”

“I would never.”