Chansey are Pokémon bound to the Joy family, and very seldom found anywhere else.
The Joy family is a remarkable one. Its women are beautiful, friendly, warm-hearted and honest; they care for sick or injured Pokémon, and they will also scold any Trainer who has not looked after his Pokémon properly. Its members look almost identical to one another, and an ordinary person has a great deal of trouble telling them apart.
Because they throw themselves into healing the sick and the hurt, and have spent so long on the front line of Pokémon medicine, they are held in high regard by Trainers.
At the Pokémon Center, Vance was given a good meal and a room, both free of charge.
"Not bad at all. This is what Ash and the rest of them eat in the anime, isn't it."
Vance said it quietly to his plate, once he had finished.
"How could you let this happen? Look at the state this Pokémon is in."
While he had been eating, a Trainer had come straight to the front desk with a Pokémon in his arms, and Nurse Joy's scolding had followed a moment later.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
The boy apologised in a hurry.
"A Trainer worth the name does not let his Pokémon get hurt this badly. Honestly. Every year there's a fresh crop of you new Trainers, all just as careless, all letting your Pokémon get hurt over and over. Work on yourself. Don't let your Pokémon end up in this state again."
With that, Nurse Joy carried the Pokémon away into the emergency room.
"I didn't do it on purpose."
The boy, whose hair stood up like a bird's nest, found a seat and settled in to wait.
"A new Trainer. Of course."
Vance looked at the boy and smiled. New Trainers of that sort were regulars at any Pokémon Center.
Beginners were bound to think highly of themselves and to take risks. If they were lucky they got hurt; if they were not, somebody would be laying on the funeral spread.
A few savage beatings later they would work out what actually mattered.
"Your Pokémon have made a full recovery. They're all in very good health — you've raised them well."
Nurse Joy said it pleasantly, at the front desk.
A Trainer who took good care of his Pokémon could earn praise from them as well.
"They're my partners. It's the least I can do."
Vance smiled and took his Poké Balls back.
The four of them had not been there for treatment so much as for a rest cure.
"How are you all feeling?"
Vance put the question to his four Pokémon in one of the Pokémon Center's training rooms.
"Wonderful, boss. My body feels much lighter."
The Combusken got in first, rolling his head round and bouncing on the spot a few times.
The Gyarados and the others said much the same: after all that, they felt very comfortable indeed.
"Comfortable is all I wanted. Let's get to training, then. Tomorrow we're going to challenge the Rock Gym in Pewter City, and the Gym Leader there, Flint, is an Elite-Four-class Trainer."
Back when he was new to all this, it was Pewter City that had given him his first undignified scramble for his life. He had come along that time to pick up an easy share of the credit and had walked straight into a disaster instead: the Gym Leader Flint was also an Elite-Four-class Trainer, and Vance had very nearly not come out of it.
Luckily he had his powers, and he could run.
Vance stayed in the Pokémon Center for the rest of the day, and it was the next morning before he arrived, as agreed, outside the Rock Gym in Pewter City.
The building was styled to match its name, piled up out of block after block of stone, and rough with it.
There were staff inside as well.
A Gym is a working institution of the League, so naturally there was none of that business from the anime where a place like it has hardly a single member of staff.
Once he had registered, Vance walked through to the battlefield, which was pitch dark; he was probably the first to arrive, and the lights had not been turned on.
"Thunk—"
The lights overhead came on all at once, lighting the whole arena and showing the rocky field at the centre of it.
On the far side stood a dark-skinned young man with hair that stuck out in all directions and eyes narrowed to slits, looking at him.
"Is that Brock?"
Vance recognised the man in front of him. He looked much as he did in the anime.
He had not expected the one coming out to take his Gym battle to be Brock rather than Flint.
"I'm Brock, acting Gym Leader of the Rock Gym. Pass my test and you may receive the Boulder Badge."
Brock spoke up from the other side, unprompted.
*Acting Gym Leader? Has Flint already made a run for it?* Vance thought, and then introduced himself in turn.
"Right. The rules are two Pokémon a side, and Trainers may not take the field themselves, to prevent injuries. Other than that... you're welcome to raise any other reasonable request. All right. Any questions?"
Brock laid out the Gym's rules properly and plainly.
"No questions."
A referee then appeared on the field, Vance and Brock took their places on either side, and the Gym battle began.
"It's on you, then. Geodude."
"Go, Combusken."
The Geodude and the Combusken appeared on the field together, looked each other in the eye and settled into their fighting stances.
The Geodude is a very common Pokémon in the Kanto region, Rock and Ground type, often found around mines.
One look was enough: Vance did not need the system to tell him this Geodude was weaker than the Combusken. Level 18.
The Combusken, over these last few days, had already broken through to level 20.
"Geodude, use Rock Throw."
At the order the Geodude flung stone after stone, and the Combusken dodged them all without effort.
"Combusken—"
The Combusken was in front of it in no time, and rose into a kick.
"Rollout."
Brock knew his business; he had the Geodude use Rollout at once.
Rolling, the Geodude went straight at the Combusken.
"Bang—"
It had only just begun to roll and had no force behind it yet, and the Combusken brought it to a halt.
"Combusken, Sky Uppercut."
"Combusken—"
Fighting-type power gathered over one of the Combusken's claws and slammed into the Geodude, knocking it through the air; it came down with a thud and struck the ground.
"Geodude!"
Brock shouted it. He had not been in the post long and did not yet have the steadiness he would have later; seeing his own Pokémon badly hurt, he could not help raising his voice.
"Geo—"
From the crater its landing had dug, the Geodude answered, got shakily to its feet, said something to its Trainer and then went down again with its eyes spinning. That one Sky Uppercut from the Combusken had left it unable to fight.
The Geodude was weak to Fighting types to begin with, and far weaker than the Combusken besides; that it should be knocked out after taking a Sky Uppercut like that was only to be expected.
"Geodude is unable to battle. The win goes to Combusken. Brock, quickly now, quickly, send out your second Pokémon."
"Oh — right. Yes."
Brock picked up a Poké Ball, recalled the fainted Geodude, then took up another and threw it.
"Onix, I'm counting on you."
"Roar—"
An Onix that had been very well raised appeared on the field in high spirits and looked straight at the Combusken.
"Combusken—"
The Combusken's face turned grave as well. This Onix was stronger than he was.