(Jenny Pov)
Hearing the train call out the stop for Viridian, I couldn’t keep the frown off my face. Ever since leaving that place called “Helpful Hand” and Celadon, my mind kept going back to what I noticed. I really didn’t want to leave, I lingered for so long, but I had to. Looking down at my side as we walked, I spoke to Growlithe.
“What do you think?” I asked her. Seeing her shake her head with a light whine, my frown deepened. “Yeah. I caught the smell and the lie too.”
Walking off the train, I made my way towards the Pokemon Center, it was around seven at night but I knew she’d still be there. Her passion for caring for Pokemon has never ceased, even after all these years. I remember when I was child and she was still in nursing school to become an official Nurse Joy, me and my best friend, her sister, always talked about how we couldn’t wait to fill in our roles next.
“That is, until we noticed everyone who surrounded us only wanted us for our family connections and money.” I thought with a sneer. Heading into Viridian, my thoughts drifted back to where I had just left Koal.
Joy wasn’t lying when she said us Jenny’s have something like a built in lie detector. It must have been from the countless generations before me going through trials and tribulations that made us get better at noticing them. I wouldn’t call it an evolutionary trait, but it was something close to it alongside something else.
The thing we inherited came from our bloodgift.
The thing the masses rarely know about because only people who have been beside the same species of Pokemon from countless generations can acquire it. While some people with clearance know about this strange ability only a handful of people or families can gain, generally, it isn’t common knowledge. If it was, people would start to actively set their sights on getting them, and in turn, try to compete with Jenny’s and Nurse Joy’s, among a few others. It’s not like we don’t fear the competition, it’s just that if too many of the wrong people find out about it, there could be problems and deaths leading to over the thousands. Maybe more.
“My heightened sense of smell from my bloodgift definitely caught the scent of another person on her body, and once I focused, I could smell that same scent coming from the office.” Narrowing my eyes, I ignored the guys who waved at me as I walked through the city. “It smelled like sex.”
Now while I could say that my bad mood alone came from that lewd smell coming from the director, that would be a lie. In all honesty, I couldn’t really do anything with my non officer status and even if I did have it, I would only be able to issue a warning. It was very unprofessional sure, but something to downright get mad about, even if it was because I was dropping off someone I was interested in there? No. The reason I was upset was from another reason entirely.
“She lied about the reason she wanted Growlithe balled.” Clenching my fist, I tried to give Growlithe a reassuring smile after hearing her give another whine. Looking in the distance, I saw the familiar glow of the PokeCenter.
Why was that such a thing for me to get upset over? It’s obvious she just didn’t want Growlithe to smell the scent of sex on her, hell, I even said that the smell of sex being the reason would be a lie, so what other reason could there be? Well, I didn’t notice it while I was there, but Growlithe made sure to let me know once we left.
She had smelt blood. A small enough amount that I couldn't detect it even with my bloodgift, but it was there.
“There could be plenty of reasons for that.” Clenching my eyes shut, I ground my teeth. “Jumping to conclusions has led so many Jenny’s and other officers to being shamefully discharged and ridiculed. They could have an old wound, the way they were having sex could have been rough and someone had accidentally gotten hurt.”
“Or there’s something nefarious going on that she didn’t want discovered.” Trying as I might, I couldn't stop that thought from creeping in.
Heading inside the Pokemon Center, I noticed with some levity that Joy was currently leaning against the counter with her chin in both palms, trying her hardest not to doze off. Hearing the doors slide open she looked up, brightening at my arrival.
“Don’t let me stop you, go ahead and pass out.” I said to her with a small wave of my hand.
“Oh hush. You know if my husband wakes up and sees me not in bed at home again he’ll throw a hissy fit.” Features becoming more awake, Joy let out a groan.
Smiling at her words, I took a glance around and noticed it was one of the rare times that there were no patrons in the center. Letting my eyes go to her Chansey who was standing right by her side wide awake with a smile, I motioned towards her.
“You think you can take over while we talk in a room Chansey?” Asking gently, I got a firm salute and a “Chans!” in reply.
Tilting her head to the side in curiosity, Joy walked around the counter and followed me to the room in the back I was walking towards. Motioning for Growlithe who was following us to stand behind and stay with the nurse Pokemon, soon it was just the two of us standing in a room. Closing the door behind her, Joy crossed her arms and looked at me with some humor.
“What? Going to tell me you managed to seal the deal already? Should I expect a swollen belly soon?” Giggling a little with her eyes closed, when I spoke up, all giddiness left her.
“Zia.” I said seriously.
Hearing that name, she froze. Slowly, her eyes opened into a mask of stern attention, fully focused on listening.
The name I called was hers. More accurately, her first name. While Jenny’s and Joy’s are called by their surname by most people, and even by each other in front of others so that we could limit the familiarity some of the more scheming people would try to use to act as if we were closer, we all knew the names of each one. At least the ones who were already stationed at a job or we had grown up with. We obviously limited the amount of times we would use it so that someone wouldn’t accidentally hear it, but when we did, if we weren't in a casual setting, more often then not we knew when our name was said it was about something serious.
“Are you sure that Helfpul Hand is totally on the up and up?” I asked, staring into her eyes.
“When I searched them up in the database, I couldn’t find anything that stood out as malicious.” Shaking her head, Zia’s eyes met mine. “The closest thing I found was that some of the people who had been helped by them, both girls and boys alike, have been locked up eventually after leaving, but it wasn’t enough to raise suspicion.” Crossing her arms, she studied me. “Why are you asking me this? We already did some research on them long before Koal came into play, I thought we were going to see how this played out? Do you truly have feelings for-”
“Growlithe smelt blood.” Cutting her off from finishing the sentence that we both knew the answer to, I explained in detail what happened, what I smelt, and what Growlithe told me after we left.
Bringing a hand up to her forehead, Zia tried to rub away a coming headache.
“And you just left him there?” Continuing before I could retort, she held up a hand. “I know that wasn’t enough evidence, and I know that telling your suspicions to Koal would only serve to paranoid him further, especially when he was sexually assaulted and almost fully raped, but I would've expected you to bring him back anyway, even more so since you found a person you actually like.”
Shaking my head, I bit my lip. The reason I didn’t bring him back here to let him get a start in a fully certain safe space was simple. I was scared I was going to push the one person I’ve liked in my life away at coming off as too clingy or weird. Sure I could tell him my worries, but if they came out as unfounded, he would surely think I had some weird ulterior motives.
“I didn’t want to risk that.” I thought, looking down in shame.
Seeing my expression, Zia walked over and put a hand on my shoulder. Giving it a gentle squeeze, she talked in a soft voice.
“Don’t do anything rash, you know who’s-”
“I know.” Turning my head away, I cut her off again. “I know I won't be able to do much. Not until I finish the academy.” Gaining a bout of inspiration, a scheming look appeared on my face. “I can’t do anything there…but it’s not against any law to find those that had left that institute and ask them about it.”
“That’s a good idea.” Nodding her head, Zia suddenly gripped my shoulder extremely tight, causing me to let out a wince. “There’s something else I just remembered. Something that if anyone else found out, it could cause a lot of problems for you if you’re serious about this.”
Leaning forward, Zia whispered quietly in my ear. Flinching back, causing me to stumble out of her grip, I looked into Zia’s eyes, my own widened at what I just heard. Face going pale, my voice echoed in my mind.
“This…is not good.”