Joe marched through the streets, Jasmine pointing the way over his shoulder. He vaguely knew where the nearest PokeCenter was. Not good enough. Jasmine absolutely knew so he relied on her knowledge. They wandered through streets until they reached the Pokemon hospital. Three storeys tall with smaller, two storey segments on either side. Bright red roof, heavily slanted. The roof came down lower than normal, reaching the top of the third storey windows. Above the door was a massive sign. Bigger than Joe. A circle. Frosted glass lit by interior bulbs. Top half red, bottom half white. Joe entered through automatic glass doors.

The interior was comfortable. Joe was hit by a wave of heat. Orange tiled flooring filled his vision. Long leather seats in corners so people could rest as they waited. Small plants dotted about to add life. A cafeteria in a corner, the scent of coffee reaching Joe. Dead ahead was a desk. A nurse stood behind it. She had pink hair fashioned into buns. Big, kind eyes. A smile permanently etched onto her face. Beside her, half her size, was a rather rotund Pokemon with white frills. Joe at least knew this one. Blissey. One hundred percent maternal instinct. It carried an egg in a pouch and loved caring for others.

Blissey ran off when it saw Joe. Joe reached the desk. Blissey returned right on time with a stretcher bed.

The nurse moved to the bed. Gestured to it with a hand. "Please place the Ampharos on the bed."

Joe had to stop himself from laughing. He obliged. Put Amphy down. Amphy the Ampharos. Creative nickname. Although honestly if he had Pokemon he doubted he'd give them nicknames. He was the one that lacked creativity.

Jasmine hopped off Joe's back. Winced again. Walked by Amphy's side as he was taken away by Blissey. Taken to a room to be treated.

"I hope everything goes well." He said as he watched her go. She turned and gave him a smile. It was genuine. Reached her ears. Joe liked her smile.

A stranger approached. A lanky kid growing his first moustache. Had to still be in school. No doubt he was waiting for his Pokemon to be treated. He handed Joe a towel. Joe gave his thanks. Ran his hands through the towel. Dragged it down his face. Handed the towel back.

Joe yawned deeply. Stretched his arms. He should be getting back to work. Adults had responsibilities. But he was so tired. Hoped his boss would forgive this one selfish request. He went to a leather couch. Lay down, arm under his head like a pillow. He fell asleep in seconds.

Jasmine informed the nurse of what medicine Amphy needed. She was reassured that her Pokemon would be okay. She walked to the waiting room. Saw Joe resting. Walked over to him. Smiled to herself. She struggled with people. Didn't know how to thank him properly. But she pushed her anxiety aside because he was asleep. "Thank you…" She realised she didn't even know his name. He'd done all this, saved her and stuck with her to the end, and she didn't know who he was.

The nurse returned to her desk. Saw Jasmine hovering over Joe, staring at his face with a smile. It was a little creepy. The nurse could see the duo were still drenched. She went to a room and grabbed a portable heater. She may be there to treat Pokemon, but people weren't going to fall ill on her watch. She set the heater up between Joe and another seat. Helped jasmine into said other seat. Returned to her desk and awaited the next patient.

With the storm ending, emergency services visited the lighthouse as requested by the bespectacled receptionist. She feared for Jasmine's safety. Emergency services found nothing. Not even Amphy. The Gym was thrown into panic as Jasmine was considered missing. The confusion wouldn't be corrected for another few hours.

Eventually the Gym was informed of Jasmine's whereabouts, leaving one last mess to clean up. Joe skipped work. The manager liked Joe. A man that understood if he was going to get paid then he needed to do his job. But the manager felt he had no choice. Ditching his obligation to work was a sign of bad character. Thankfully, Jasmine stuttered and stammered her way through an explanation. Joe had gone above and beyond. This all could've been avoided if the delivery was on time. Jasmine would've missed the storm. Joe wouldn't have had to cover for the brat. So naturally, the manager fired the brat. The brat's friend quit in solidarity, as if Joe or the manager cared.

Joe recognised the effort it took Jasmine to explain what had happened. He praised her. Patted her head. She turned bright red again. Joe considered if he was overstepping, but it ended up being the right choice. The praise gave Jasmine some confidence.

From this point onwards, Jasmine would only deal with Joe. She essentially got Joe a promotion. The delivery was an extra service. The position earned more money. Joe researched what it took to be genuinely strong. He needed to not just gain muscle but also use it. He signed up for mixed martial arts and boxing and any other physical sport he could find. The extra money from the promotion was gone but his holiday fund was untouched.

Every Monday and Friday, Jasmine would wait for Joe in the Gym's reception area, a smile on her face. He was reliable. Always arrived on time. She slowly opened up to him and the Gym's receptionist. Managed to hold conversations with her two new friends. She spoke slowly. Always made sure to think about what she said before she said it. As time passed, she spoke more and more. Joe had helped Jasmine come out of her shell and fight her anxiety, if only a little. She struggled with others still, but she liked Joe and the receptionist.