The automatic doors of the Pokémon Center slid shut behind us, and immediately I could feel the weight of nearly a dozen eyes settling on us. The lobby was busier than the last time I was here.

  Every single one of them was staring.

  I kept my grip steady on Umbreon, who had tensed up the moment we'd entered. Her breathing was getting faster, and I could feel her heart racing against my chest. Too many people, too many potential threats.

  "Easy girl," I murmured, adjusting my hold slightly to make sure she felt secure. "You're safe here."

  The stares weren't all hostile, which was... something, I guess. A few people looked genuinely confused, like they couldn't understand why someone would be carrying a Pokémon like a baby. An elderly woman near the waiting area actually looked concerned? A couple of trainers were whispering to each other, one of the girls in the group looked concerned about something as she looked between the boy and the other girl.

  But there were definitely some hostile looks too. A man in an expensive-looking suit made a disgusted sound and pulled his young daughter closer to him, as if Umbreon might attack them from across the room. A trainer with a Beautifly perched on his shoulder gave us a wide berth, shooting dirty looks in our direction. Not sure why he's concerned bug types are strong against Dark.

  Mightyena padded along beside me, her posture alert but not aggressive. She was keeping an eye on the room, ready to step in if anyone decided to cause problems. She kept her head up and proud. She must be trying to give Umbreon some comfort in her own way. Smart dog.

  "Can I help you?" Nurse Joy asked as we approached the counter. Her professional smile was warm as always, she recognized me immediately and what I was carrying. Her expression shifted to something between concern and alarm.

  "She's injured," I said without preamble.

  Joy's eyes immediately went to where I was holding Umbreon, and her concern deepened. "You do realize that Umbreon have poisonous sweat when they're stressed or frightened? You shouldn't be handling one with bare skin contact."

  I blinked. "Poisonous sweat?"

  "It's one of their defense mechanisms," Joy explained, already moving toward the gate that would let her out from behind the counter. "When they feel threatened, their pores can secrete a mild toxin. It's not usually dangerous in small amounts, but prolonged contact..."

  Oh. Right. I vaguely remembered something about that from the Pokédex entries in the games. In my defense, when you find a collapsed, traumatized Pokémon, your first thought isn't usually about potential poisoning. Although I really should use the Pokédex more. It would be a good refresher for things I might not immediately remember.

  I looked down at Umbreon, who was watching the conversation with wide, frightened eyes. "I mean, she's been scared pretty much the whole time I've known her," I said. "But I don't feel sick or anything."

  Actually, now that I thought about it, it would be pretty hard for most mammals to sweat enough to cause serious poisoning. Cats, dogs, and foxes, they didn't really sweat much except through their paw pads. You'd need a lot of physical activity and stress to produce enough for it to be dangerous... Well shit... I did handle her paws when I checked her bandages at night.

  I don't know if a Pokémon sweats differently from the animals from back home. I give a glance at Mightyena who was finding the floor tiles appealing because she could see her reflection. I haven't seen Mightyena pant once. Then again I haven't really seen her battle seriously other than the beat down of those brats near Oldale. I'll have to see about that.

  "I probably should get checked out anyway," I admitted. "Just to be safe."

  Joy nodded approvingly. "That would be wise. Come on, let's get both of you looked at."

  She led us through a door marked 'Private Examination Rooms,' and I was grateful to be away from all the staring. The room was small but well-equipped, with an examination table, medical supplies, and a comfortable chair in the corner.

  Mightyena immediately claimed the corner, curling up for what looked like a well-deserved nap. She'd been on high alert for the past two days, watching over both me and Umbreon. Now that we were somewhere safe, she could finally relax.

  "You can set her on the table," Joy said, pulling on latex gloves. "I'll need to examine her paws."

  Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

  "Actually," I said, not moving toward the table, "would it be okay if I kept holding her? She's been pretty skittish and anxious."

  Joy paused, studying Umbreon's body language. The way she was pressed against my chest, how her ears were flattened against her head, the barely controlled trembling. "Do you know why?"

  I shook my head in the negative. "No, I can't say I do... I have a theory but without solid evidence I can't say for certain."

  Joy's expression hardened for just a moment before returning to professional concern. "I see... Yes, we can work with that. Please hold her steady while I take a look."

  The examination was thorough and gentle. Joy carefully unwrapped the bandages I'd applied, making soft, soothing sounds as she assessed the damage to Umbreon's paw pads. Umbreon whimpered a few times during the process, but she didn't try to struggle or escape. She found solice in burying her face in my arm.

  "These cuts are deeper than I'd like," Joy said, cleaning one of the wounds with antiseptic. "This is going to sting sweetheart."

  She wasn't kidding. The moment the antiseptic hit the wounds, Umbreon let out a sharp cry of pain that made my chest tighten. Her claws extended involuntarily, and she pressed her face deeper against my shoulder.

  "I know, I know," I murmured, stroking her head. "It hurts now, but it will make it better. I promise."

  "You're very good with her," Joy observed, applying a numbing gel to the wounds. "I heard from my cousin in Oldale about how you got Mightyena." Joy glanced at the big dog taking her nap in the corner. "Does she have a Pokéball?"

  "I don't have a Pokéball for her." I replied wipping a stray tear away from Umbreon's clamped shut eyes.

  Joy paused in her work. "You don't? But she's clearly bonded to you. Why haven't you caught her?"

  I thought about how to explain it. "I'd love for Umbreon to be my Pokémon," I said finally. "But I don't want to make that decision for her. Mightyena didn't really have a choice, it was either capture or die in a trap. I think Mightyena is happy enough with what happened but if I could have become her friend first instead? That would have been much better."

  I looked down at Umbreon, who was listening to every word. "If she wants to stay with me and Mightyena, I'd be more than happy to take her in and give her the care and attention every Pokémon deserves. I want her to make the choice on her own."

  Joy smiled as she began wrapping fresh bandages around Umbreon's paws. "That's very thoughtful of you. A large number of trainers don't consider a Pokémon's feelings when it comes to capture."

  "Most trainers are idiots." I clicked my tongue. "Sorry, that... Just came out."

  "But not wrong," Joy replied with a slight chuckle. "There, that should do it for her paws. She'll need to stay off them for about two more days to let the deeper cuts heal properly."

  Great. That meant we'd be stuck in Petalburg for at least the rest of the week. Not that I minded, Umbreon's health was more important than any halfbaked plans that I had cooking up.

  "Now, let's check you for poisoning," Joy said, pulling out what looked like a small scanner. "Hold still."

  The scan took less than a minute, and Joy frowned at the results. "Well, you do have trace amounts of Umbreon toxin in your system, but it's extremely minimal. We're talking about levels that would take hundreds of exposures to cause any real harm."

  "So basically, she'd have to be sweating constantly for days to actually hurt me?"

  "Pretty much. And given that she's been more focused on running and hiding than attacking, the levels you've been exposed to are negligible." Joy put the scanner away. "I'll give you a mild detox treatment just to be safe, but you should be fine."

  The detox was just a small injection that made my arm tingle for a few minutes. Even if Umbreon had been accidentally poisoning me the whole time, I would have done the same thing. No way was I leaving a traumatized Pokémon to suffer. I probably would have picked up a Deino even if they would have tried to bite my arm off.

  "There," Joy said, disposing of the needle. "You're all set. Just keep an eye on her paws and bring her back if there's any sign of infection. I'd recommend staying in town for at least three more days."

  "Right, would there happen to be a room available here?"

  "Of course," Joy said immediately. "Come with me and we will get you a key."

  A huff from my right had me looking down at Mightyena. It seemed she was done with her nap. As we made our way back to the lobby, Umbreon seemed a little more relaxed. The medication was probably helping. Without the constant pain in her paws she must be far less anxious.

  Joy showed us to our room, a simple but clean space with a bed, a small table, and enough floor space for Pokémon to move around comfortably. After getting settled, I realized it was getting close to dinner time. I was getting hungry, meaning these two would be as well.

  I spun around and made my way out of the Pokémon Center and round the back. It was a bit difficult but after a bit of positioning I got myself sat up against the center's wall with Umbreon in my lap. I set out Mightyena's bowl and filled it with her usual portion. She dug in immediately, tail wagging slightly as she ate. i fiddled around in my bag and managed to get her water bowl out as well. It was stuck between the two bags of food, and filled it as well.

  For Umbreon, I kept things simple. I pulled out a hand full of food and my water bottle. I'd feed her by hand, I wasn't about to put her down in a town. At least not until she was well enough to run away if she needed to or if I had a Pokéball for her.

  It was peaceful, and Umbreon seemed far less nervous back here. That and no one was within sight for the moment. So long as she felt safe enough to eat then that was good enough for me.

  "Better?" I asked as she finished the last bit. She made a soft sound that I chose to interpret as agreement. I grabbed another hand full of food and Umbreon started nibbling at it as I looked to the horizon littered with trees.

  The sun was starting to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink. It was peaceful here behind the Center, away from the noise and judgment of the main street. Hopefully, this quiet would remain.