Chapter 5 - Monday

A/N: While I understand how the average pokemon center works the clinic Lily works at is somewhat low budget and lowtech although equally effective.

Monday passed slowly for Lily, working for hours in a haze of distractions and a myriad of small injuries to take care of from trainers and there Pokémon alike. Nothing really important happened until noon time when a half conscious trainer being supported by a battered charizard stumbled into the clinic.

He spun an elaborate tale as she treated his injuries of fighting off a nest of beedrill single handed but Lily saw right through it. He had no sting marks or bites and wasn't suffering any form of poisoning commonly associated with beedrill stings. In truth his wounds looked more consistent with a fistfight he'd clearly lost and he seemed somewhat inebriated, smelling of alcohol suggesting he'd been in one of the local bar at the time. Lily didn't argue, so long as he didn't steal anything or hurt anyone while he was at the clinic it was none of her business to pry and she was obligated to treat him either way so she might as well keep this pleasant if possible.

“Ok sir you don't appear to have a concussion or any major injuries, just take one aspirin before bed and get some rest. You'll be fine in the morning your charizard on the other hand will be needing treatment. For the most part he's fine but he will need some antiseptic in those cuts to make sure they don't get infected, I can apply it to them in a few minutes or you can handle it yourself at home if you'd prefer.” She said politely to the man as he got off the examining table.

“Oh I can handle it myself, me and him have been through a lot together. Wouldn't feel right letting someone else deal with the cuts he's taken for me, no offense.” He said smiling as he stretched while behind him the charizard was nodding slightly in agreement.

“None taken sir, I may not have any Pokemon under my care but I've seen how protective people can get with there companions especially when they've been together for such a long time. I'll get you an antiseptic kit from the storage room and ring you up.” she said stepping off into the back room to collect his supplies.

She pulled the small plastic box with a handle labeled “Antiseptic Application Kit” from one of the higher shelves in the store room, checked the price on the box, and started back toward the door when she heard an unusual noise from the front room. The voice of the trainer whispered “Not now, wait till we get home alright.” which was met by a firm but at the same time non-hostile rumble from the charizard.

Peering around the corner and out the storeroom door the sight that greeted Lily so surprised her that she dropped the small plastic case to the carpeted floor with a muffled clatter. The Trainer was pressed up against the charizard who appeared to have one clawed hand on the boys stomach and the other at the boys lips. He was sucking on the large creatures claw sensually blushing red and panting slightly.

Lily had heard of people who where attracted to Pokemon in the past. Her search into the fantasy’s of kirlia not so long ago had turned up images which probably counted as what was referred to as pokephilia. Even so, knowing that people did this (technically legal) act of sexuality somewhere in the world and seeing it happen in the front room of her clinic where two vastly different things which she didn't really know how to handle.

Fortunately for Lily she didn't need to make a decision either way at the moment, the noise of her dropping the case had apparently snapped the boy out of his aroused haze and he gently pushed away from the charizard who seemed disappointed but understanding as his trainer told him off for his rash behavior.

“I know your eager Baas believe me I am to but we can't get caught, that nurse will be back any minute now so just act natural we'll head home, clean you up, and then I'm yours for the night ok?” he said.

The charizard just nodded and gently whipped the saliva covered claw on the boys shirt cleaning it off. Lily took this moment to stoop down and grab the case walking out to the front desk to finish dealing with the two and get back to her normal day. The boy looked nervous as she totaled out his purchase, reasonably so given he'd just committed a fairly big social taboo in a public clinic in broad daylight with a creature twice his size.

“So for the antiseptic kit and the aspirin that comes to a total of $325 and make sure you apply this before the end of the day, cuts can be disinfected but dealing with infected wounds is expensive and difficult under the best of circumstances let alone in a small clinic like this one.” she said passing him a paper bag with his purchases and a receipt after he'd given her his money.

“Thank you, I'll make sure I do.” he said quickly before making a haste retreat out the door with the charizard Baas right behind him.

Lily sighed with relief once the two where out and she was once again alone. She had nothing against the boy or his companion but she honestly had absolutely no idea how to handle situations like the one she'd nearly been faced with, if they hadn't stopped how would she have gotten there attention or dealt with the award aftermath.

She slumped slightly in her chair hoping the rest of the day would go smoothly or at the very least not involve interspecies couples making out infront of her. Luckily for Lily the rest of her afternoon shift went smoothly until Angela showed up at 6 to take over for the evening. They talked for a moment sharing some gossip and generally being friendly until Lily had changed out of her uniform, clocked out, and stepped out into the cool evening air. It wasn't particularly chill that night and the moon was hanging low in the sky as she walked home.

She was nearly there when she passed a thick patch of woods on the side of the road and heard a rustle in the undergrowth like something moving slowly. Pokemon wild or otherwise generally avoided people at night so she only slowed for a second at the sound pausing to feel for the can of repellant she kept in the pocket of her coat, small meant for temporarily clearing a small area of Pokemon.

As she walked the rustling noise fallowed along in the bushes next to the road keeping pace with her but never approaching almost as if what ever was on the other side was simply curious about the noise which had disturbed it, common behavior for smaller bug Pokemon like Caterpie when woken up at night.

In a single moment though everything changed. Slowly the noise fell behind until it was behind her just as the bushes ended leaving nothing to hide it from view, as whatever it was paced along behind her on the grass just out of sight she realized that the sound of foot falls could only match something with two legs not an bug Pokemon as she had originally surmised. Even so there where many harmless creatures that fit such a description which could simply be curious about her.

Then the situation changed again as the sound of feet meeting grass was replaced with the sound of feet on pavement behind her. This was rapidly becoming unnerving as Lily continued on unwilling to turn around and see what exactly was fallowing her so long as it kept it's distance, which for the moment at least it was. She fingered the cap on her repellant can again wondering if she should turn and spray whatever it was in hopes of driving it off. Then again this was only rated for fairly weak Pokemon and in a small area, much smaller then the distance remaining between her and her home. If whatever it was wasn't friendly she wanted to save her repel until the last moment so it would hold until she got home.

The sound behind her increased just a bit until it was moving ever so slightly faster then her, gradually closing the distance until it was right behind her. Then suddenly the noise stopped altogether replaced with total silence save the rustling of the wind and Lily's own footsteps much to her relief. Feeling far more comfortable to be alone once again Lily walked on in silence taking her hand off the can in her coat pocket and listening to the sound of the wind as she walked.

...

But that's wasn't right, there was no wind except the small gust coming from behind her. She suddenly felt a light tap on her shoulder and slowly she turned her head to see... something, she couldn't describe it even if she wanted to. What happened happened so quickly she didn't get a good look, all she caught of the thing fallowing her was a glimpse of a pair of glowing red eyes then it was gone. She felt shaken and stood frozen for a moment in the dark before starting off at a flat out run toward her home.

Standing in the doorway Lily quickly turned the locks on her door bolting it shut behind her effectively sealing her home off from the outside, then she turned on the living room lights and sat down on the couch trying to slow her heart. It was pounding against her ribs both from running halfway home and, for reasons she couldn't fully explain, fear of whatever it was that had been fallowing her.