Joe marched to the lighthouse, Jasmine on his back. He finally realised why the light was out. Jasmine was here to treat a Pokemon. It was at the top. The light of this lighthouse was sick and unable to fulfil its duty.

He observed the building. Chipped white and blue paint in alternating rings. This place needed a refresh. But more importantly he estimated it was ten-storeys. Hundreds of steps. He was worn out. He just wanted to lie down and go to sleep. Give his arms and legs a rest. But he refused to back down.

He climbed concrete steps. Opened thick, tall wooden doors. They creaked from age. The duo were finally out of the rain. The ground floor was a wide-open space. Rectangle lights lined the walls and released a soft orange glow. On the opposite side of the room was a treat to behold. Metal doors with a button next to them. An elevator. Joe was tempted to start a victory dance, but he held himself back. Walked like a normal human instead.

"By the way, where's the medicine?" Joe asked, no longer needing to shout. He had a rough idea of what happened, but he wanted to confirm it.

Jasmine stayed silent until Joe covered most of the ground to the elevator. Finally, she spoke. "...I dropped it." She started to sob quietly.

Joe had noticed her crying earlier. Was it not for herself, but for her Pokemon? If so then she was tougher than she looked. Even though the fall would've hurt, she cared more for someone else. He admired her strength.

"So, what now? Can we get the medicine from another shop?"

Joe felt hair swish on his neck. Jasmine was shaking her head. This wasn't denial, but Joe took it as such. Jasmine's point was that she didn't know where the nearest pharmacist was. She'd gotten the medicine from the PokeMart due to the contract between the companies. Amphy had only become ill in recent months, and she cared for the Pokemon deeply. It was a family member. She had her duties as Gym Leader, so her father offered to take care of Amphy, but Jasmine said she could handle it.

"Do we call for help then?" Joe didn't know what Amphy was. If he had to, he'd carry it to the nearest veterinarian. But just in case he wanted a backup plan. He might need to run to the nearest pharmacist and grab the medicine.

Joe realised it was a stupid question. Jasmine wouldn't have her phone because of the dress. And he assumed his own phone was now dead. It'd been hit by enough water to fill a swimming pool. If it survived then the engineer of the device deserved a raise.

"...I don't know."

"We'll figure something out." Joe hoped he could carry this Amphy Pokemon to the nearest Pokemon Center. He'd been on occasion. The nurses there did an excellent job caring for sick Pokemon.

Joe arrived in front of the elevator. Reached a hand out, pointer finger aimed at the call button. The exact moment the button sunk into the panel, the room went dark. Orange lights were replaced by a dim blue hue. Emergency power. Backup lights. Joe sucked air through his teeth. Silver lining. At least they weren't in the metal box when the power decided to call it quits. He assumed the backup power couldn't run an elevator. He was back to climbing the stairs.

"Well, end of the road. I don't think I can carry you to the top. You're heavier than you look. Must be the influence of all those steel-types." Joe had never told such a bold lie. Or half-truth. Jasmine did weigh something now. Not because she was heavy. Because he was worn out.

Jasmine started to wriggle free of his arms supporting her legs. Joe automatically loosened his grip. She pushed against his back and hopped off. Joe heard a sharp intake of breath behind him. She'd landed harder than expected on her bad leg.

"It was just a joke." He faced her.

"N- No… I can't keep relying on you."

Joe took a big step forward. Put an arm around her shoulders and bent slightly to put an arm at the back of her knees. He lifted. Some called it a fireman's carry. Others a bridal carry. "You're not going to get far on that leg. It's fine to rely on others. If you need help, just ask."

Jasmine covered her face with her hands. Her ears turned red. A muffled voice came from the woman. "T- Then, can you please help me get upstairs…?" She got quieter the longer she spoke.

"Gladly." Joe let the smile into his voice. He walked to another wall. He'd already spotted the start of a spiral staircase he assumed would take him to the top.

He ascended, light clanging ringing through the enclosed space from metal steps. Every step put further strain on his legs. To one side Joe could hear rain hitting the outer wall. The storm was subsiding, the rain getting lighter as Joe felt heavier and sluggish.

At some point Jasmine removed her hands from her face. Clasped them together in front of her chest. She'd calmed down somewhat. Still, she couldn't look up. Couldn't look Joe in the eyes. Joe thought she was cute. She reminded him of cute, skittish animals. Joe was surprised by how attached to Jasmine he seemed to be. He'd had casual flings. No deeper connections. For some reason he didn't want to be casual with Jasmine. It wasn't fair to someone like her. All of a sudden a proper relationship didn't sound so bad. Joe had been domesticated, just like that. He put the thought aside. Before he started a family, he had a personal problem to fix. He'd let it fester for too long. After today he was going to speak to someone about it.

Joe had reached the top of the lighthouse without realising. Zoning out did him some good. Took his mind off how tired he was. He looked around at his new environment. An open room. Smaller than his bedroom. Walls of curved glass to let light out. In the center was a podium to amplify light. And lying next to said podium was a yellow and white Pokemon. Plump belly like a guy that drank too much at the local pub. Red gem on its head and tail. Black stripes on its ears, neck, and tail.

"Amphy!" Jasmine called, scrambling out of Joe's arms. He assisted. Dipped low to let her down. Jasmine winced at her first step, pain shooting up her leg, but she ignored it and ran to her Pokemon. She really was tough. Could ignore pain for the sake of others.

Amphy had been a member of the family for generations. Of course she cared for it and was worried about it. It was like another grandfather to her. Amphy was old and becoming sickly but was determined to fulfil its duty. A stubborn old man.

Jasmine crouched next to the Pokemon. Her hands hovered over it. Shaking. Joe checked his phone. Sure enough, it was dead. He pocketed it and walked to Jasmine. Knelt beside her. Saw her face. She was too distraught. Didn't know what to do. Joe put a hand on Jasmine's shoulder to get her attention.

"Hey, look at me." Joe said. Jasmine turned her head but kept her eyes on Amphy for a bit longer. When she finally looked at him, he spoke. "Calm down. You can't help anyone when you're flustered. Take a deep breath and think. What next?"

Jasmine obeyed. Joe assisted, breathing in and out with her. Slow and steady. In and out. A minute later she seemed calm. She wasn't breathing erratically. There was a new light of determination in her eyes. It worked.

"W- We need to get Amphy to a PokeCenter." The medicine was a product PokeCenters stocked just in case of situations like this. Jasmine looked up at Joe. The thought crossed her mind again. She couldn't keep asking for help. "But…"

Joe shrugged. "Then that's what we'll do. Going down is the easy part. You hop on my back again. I'll carry Amphy in my arms." If they ever became friends, Joe was going to make something clear to Jasmine. Tell her to make a nuisance of herself. Joe liked looking after others.

Jasmine nodded. For the first time since they met, she didn't hesitate. She climbed onto Joe's back. The breathing meditation had aided her more than she expected. Her mind was always full of thoughts. It slowed her down. Too much information to sort through. Giving herself a reset cleared her mind.

Once Jasmine was secured, Joe reached out to Amphy. Put his arms under it. Hefted it up before letting it back down. Amphy was a little smaller than Jasmine but weighed more. Must be the beer belly. Or maybe Joe was just that exhausted now. His muscles were screaming at him. Just stop. Let us rest, please. He'd listen soon. Once he'd gotten Jasmine and Amphy to the nearest PokeCenter. For now he just had to force himself to put one foot in front of the other.

Joe tried again. Pulled Amphy to its feet. Let it lean against him as it stood. Amphy let out a tired whine. Joe wanted to comment, "Me too, buddy." but he stopped himself. No complaining. Joe adjusted his grip and lifted Amphy fully. Amphy curled its head into itself. The weight of Amphy hit Joe. He stood there for a moment, collecting himself. His arms were close to shaking from the effort. When Joe was ready, he started walking.

Joe was thankful for his decision to work out, even if it wasn't doing much right now. At first it was just a whim, but it'd come in handy over the years. He'd picked up camping as a hobby for vacations and wanted as much money as he could save. The fitness center was a cheap hobby where he could also watch television. From dramas to documentaries to Pokemon battle competitions, he got to enjoy himself while at the fitness center. Before he knew it, he'd gained immense muscle.

Joe noticed other doors on his descent. A kitchen. A bedroom for Amphy, hay sticking out from under a blanket. Joe was just confused. With technology as advanced as the modern world, Amphy was still in use. Surely it was easier to rely on technology instead of an ageing Pokemon. Maybe the mayor was lazy. Didn't want to renovate. But it seemed it was time for Amphy to move on. Having pride in one's craft was fine, but this was an important job. Thousands of people on ships relied on functioning light from land.

Towards the bottom of the stairs, Joe had a dumb thought. Chuckled to himself.

Jasmine peered over his shoulder. Curious. "…Why are you laughing?"

"Jealous?" Joe hefted Amphy with his remaining strength. Brought attention to the way he carried the animal.

It took a second but Jasmine eventually understood. She shrank away. Joe could imagine her embarrassed face. Cheeks red. He smiled at the thought. Reached the ground floor. Walked out of the building. The storm had passed. Only a light drizzle remained.