Ash brought the small, injured Floette to the Pokémon Center, where Nurse Joy had just finished treating a young trainer and was returning his Poké Ball.
"Thank you for helping my Stoutland! I shouldn't have tried to fight that Machamp with him!" the young trainer said.
"You're welcome, but be more careful next time," Nurse Joy replied with a smile.
"I will!" the young trainer said.
The trainer took his Poké Ball and left, and just after he did, Nurse Joy, who had already noticed Ash's presence, greeted him.
"Oh? What are you doing awake so late, guest?" Nurse Joy asked with a gentle smile.
"I went out for a night walk… I was so excited that I just couldn't sleep," I said.
Although I didn't really know this Nurse Joy, saying something like that wasn't a problem.
"And you happened to find that little Pokémon during your walk?" Nurse Joy asked, noticing the Floette in my hands.
"That's right. I found her injured on the ground and couldn't just leave her there," I nodded.
Floette looked at Ash curiously and tried to float toward Nurse Joy, who observed her more closely.
"Oh my… a Floette. That's quite rare," Nurse Joy said, slightly surprised.
"Is it rare to see a Floette?" I asked.
"Floette are originally from the Kalos region and can't be found in Kanto unless a trainer brings them here," Nurse Joy explained.
I see… just like in my previous life, where certain animals only existed in specific regions. The same concept applied here, but with Pokémon.
"Still… her flower is very peculiar. I've never seen one like it. Are you sure she doesn't belong to someone?" Nurse Joy asked.
"There was no one around. And when I asked if she wanted to come with me to be treated, she agreed immediately. If she had a trainer, she probably would've refused, so she's most likely a wild Pokémon," I said with a shrug.
In reality, her trainer is A.Z., but according to what I know from the games, Floette didn't forgive him until 3000 years after her resurrection, and I still don't know how much time has passed since the Kalos war, so I have no idea when they're supposed to reunite.
"Mmm… she may have been abandoned," Nurse Joy said with a frown.
She had seen many cases like that before, and it was always painful to witness.
"I don't know, but… could you treat her first? She's injured, and I don't think this is the right time to think about that," I said.
"You're right. I'll treat her first, and then we'll decide what to do," Nurse Joy nodded.
"Well, little one, go with Nurse Joy. She'll take care of you," I said, looking at Floette.
"Flo?" she tilted her head.
"Yes, I'll wait here until you're healed," I nodded.
"Flo," she agreed.
Floette flew toward Nurse Joy and gently landed in her hands, and after watching them leave, I sat down at the same table where we had eaten earlier that night, finally able to think calmly about everything.
"What is going on? Why is this Floette in Kanto?" I wondered.
Now that I was calmer, I couldn't stop thinking about it. This didn't make any sense. She should be in Kalos… or maybe not. I couldn't fully trust the game's story either. This was the real world, and the people here weren't NPCs programmed to follow a fixed script.
"Wait… I'll check my phone," I said.
I took out my smartphone and searched for information about the Kalos war, quickly finding that it had taken place exactly 2990 years ago.
"That means there are still 10 years left until Floette forgives A.Z… and probably not much longer until the events of the game begin," I muttered as I put my phone away.
As I kept thinking about it—about why Floette was here and whether the game's story could be trusted—my eyelids slowly grew heavier, until I couldn't keep them open anymore and fell asleep right there. The exhaustion hit me all at once once I finally relaxed, and the appearance of Floette had cleared my mind enough to let me rest.
While Ash slept, the tall man entered the Pokémon Center and, after looking at the sleeping boy, nodded before approaching the counter.
"Excuse me. Is there anyone who can assist me?" the man asked.
Hearing him, Nurse Joy left Floette in Chansey's care and came to attend him, only to be surprised upon seeing his towering figure, something she had never encountered before.
"Sorry for the delay, I had some work to finish," Nurse Joy said politely.
"It's alright. As a Nurse Joy, you must have a lot of work. Taking care of and healing Pokémon is not easy, but what you do is truly admirable," the man said calmly.
"Thank you very much for your kind words," Nurse Joy replied, slightly surprised.
It was the first time someone had praised her profession so sincerely, and his words felt almost energizing.
"You're welcome. I'm simply being honest," the man said.
"Very well, how can I help you?" Nurse Joy asked.
The man took out a Poké Ball from his pocket. At first glance it looked normal, but at its center, instead of the usual design, there was a small flower—the same one Floette carried.
"A Poké Ball? Is your Pokémon inside? Do you want me to heal it?" Nurse Joy asked as she took it.
"It's… different. Let me explain," the man said.
After hearing his explanation, Nurse Joy nodded.
"I understand… I'll do it. Don't worry," she said.
"Thank you. I would like nothing more than to take her with me, but I can't. My travels are too dangerous. Since I don't want to leave her alone… the best option is to let her go. Tell her A.Z. says goodbye for now, but don't tell the young trainer my name," A.Z. said.
"Don't worry. The fact that you don't want to put your Pokémon in danger says a lot about you," Nurse Joy replied.
"Now, if you'll excuse me… I'll be going," A.Z. said.
Before she could say anything else, he had already disappeared, as if he had never been there, leaving only the Poké Ball in her hand as proof of his presence.
"What a strange night…" Nurse Joy sighed.
With that, she returned to the recovery room to continue helping Floette.
…
Time passed, and little by little, Ash opened his eyes.
"Please wake up, sir," a gentle voice said.
"Mmm…" Ash muttered.
Still a bit tired, he rubbed his eyes, but as soon as he realized where he was, he woke up instantly. Nurse Joy was standing next to him, with Floette floating happily at her side.
"I'm sorry, I fell asleep! I guess I shouldn't have stayed up so late," I said.
"It's fine, that's normal," Nurse Joy replied.
"Flo," Floette said as she floated in front of me and gently touched my face with a smile.
"I'm glad you're okay," I said.
"Flo!" she replied happily.
"But there's a problem…" I added.
"Flo?" she tilted her head in confusion.
"What should we do with you? Do you want me to take you back where I found you?" I asked.
Floette didn't respond and instead turned to look at Nurse Joy.
"Flo," she said.
"That's right, this is for you," Nurse Joy said as she handed me the Poké Ball.
At first glance it looked normal, but in the center was the same flower Floette always carried.
"What is this?" I asked.
"While you were asleep, her trainer came and asked me to give you this Poké Ball," Nurse Joy explained.
I was completely speechless.
"He didn't abandon her. She simply got injured, and he's about to travel to a very dangerous region, so he can't take her with him. He entrusted her to you. He doesn't know if he'll be able to return," Nurse Joy continued.
"Me? Why me? He doesn't even know me. I could've been dangerous," I said.
"He said he saw how you treated Floette. That was enough for him to trust you," Nurse Joy replied.
"But… what about Floette? Maybe she doesn't want to come with me. I'm a trainer. She'll have to battle. What if she doesn't like that?" I said.
Pokémon aren't objects. They're living beings, and they deserve a choice.
"Flo," Floette said.
She picked up the Poké Ball and placed it in my hand.
"Are you sure? All my Pokémon are family. If you become part of that… I won't let you go, even if your trainer comes back," I said seriously.
"Flo," she nodded without hesitation.
"It seems she has chosen you," Nurse Joy said with a smile.
"Alright then… welcome to the family, Floette," I said.
"Flo!" Floette smiled brightly.
And that's how I obtained the Eternal Flower Floette, a Pokémon that never appeared in the anime, one that took more than a decade to become obtainable after Pokémon X and Y, a Pokémon I should never have encountered… and yet, here she was, ready to become my Pokémon.