Beta stood outside the Viridian City Pokémon Medical Center, heart pounding, Aurora coiled elegantly around his shoulders.
The building was attached to the main Pokémon Center but somehow felt entirely separate—quieter, more serious, with cleaner lines and fewer people. Through the windows, he could see figures in white coats moving purposefully, charts in hand, Pokémon on gurneys, the quiet hum of dedicated work.
"You're sure about this?" he whispered to Aurora.
The Dratini's head tilted. Her expression clearly said of course I'm sure. The question is whether you are.
"I'm sure," Beta breathed. "I just... this is real. Actually being a doctor. Treating real patients. I've trained my whole life for this, but training isn't the same as—"
Aurora's tail tapped gently against his cheek. Stop overthinking. Go.
Beta took a breath. Pushed open the door.
The Medical Center lobby was calm and professional. A receptionist sat behind a curved desk, typing on a computer while a Chansey beside her organized files with surprising efficiency. Soft lighting. Comfortable seating. The faint smell of antiseptic and something herbal.
"Welcome to the Viridian City Pokémon Medical Center," the receptionist chimed. "How can I—"
The door burst open behind him.
"Sorry I'm late! So sorry! The Pidgey flock decided my hair was nesting material and—" A girl stumbled through the entrance, slightly out of breath, with tufts of feathers still stuck in her auburn hair. A small Pokémon that looked like a green dinosaur with a plant on its back trailed behind her, looking equally flustered.
The receptionist sighed. "Testarosa. You're early, actually. By twenty minutes."
"I am?" The girl—Testarosa—blinked. "Oh. Oh! Well then. I'm not late. I'm... efficiently early." She spotted Beta and her eyes lit up. "New face! Are you here for the junior doctor program too?"
Before Beta could answer, she'd crossed the room and grabbed his hand, shaking it enthusiastically. "I'm Testarosa Avrik! Everyone calls me Tess. This is Chikorita—she's my partner and my emotional support and also the reason I'm always covered in plant matter. What's your name? Is that a Dratini? That's a Dratini! Oh my gosh, it's gorgeous!"
Aurora's head lifted slightly. Her expression shifted from neutral to pleased. This girl recognized excellence.
"Beta," he managed. "And yes, this is Aurora. She's... she's my partner."
"Beautiful name for a beautiful Pokémon!" Tess beamed. "We're going to be friends. I've decided. You don't get a choice."
Beta felt a smile tugging at his lips despite his nervousness. "Okay. Friends."
"Excellent! Now let's go find Dr. Octavian before I lose my nerve." Tess grabbed his wrist and pulled him toward the inner doors. "Chikorita, keep up!"
The small grass-type hurried after them, making a sound that might have been exasperation or affection. Possibly both.
---
Dr. Octavian was not what Beta expected.
He'd imagined someone grandfatherly—warm, patient, with kind eyes and gentle hands. Instead, the man who greeted them in Examination Room 3 was tall and sharp-featured, with silver-streaked hair pulled back in a severe ponytail and eyes that seemed to catalog everything in a single glance.
He was also currently elbow-deep in the mouth of a very large, very irritated Pokémon that looked like a purple crocodile with massive jaws.
"Krookodile, hold still," Dr. Octavian murmured, his voice calm but firm. "I'm almost done. Tess, Beta, don't just stand there—observe. This is a dental impaction. Crocodile Pokémon are prone to them. Note the swelling along the gum line, the discoloration of the affected tooth, the way the patient is favoring one side."
Beta stepped closer immediately, his medical mind engaging. Aurora adjusted on his shoulders to give him a better view.
"The tooth is cracked," he observed. "Near the root. That's what's causing the impaction—food particles are getting trapped in the fracture."
Dr. Octavian's eyes flicked to him briefly. "Correct. Treatment?"
"Extraction or repair, depending on the severity. If the root is damaged, extraction is safer. If not, a dental composite could—"
"Could fail within weeks with a Pokémon this powerful." Dr. Octavian nodded. "Extraction it is. Tess, the anesthesia."
Tess scrambled to a cabinet, pulling out supplies with practiced efficiency. Chikorita helped by holding things she pointed at, its vines steady and careful.
Beta watched, fascinated, as Dr. Octavian worked—precise, calm, utterly in control. The Krookodile, despite its size and obvious pain, trusted him completely. Its eyes, though pained, held no fear.
That's what I want, Beta thought. That trust. That skill.
The extraction took fifteen minutes. Dr. Octavian worked in focused silence, explaining each step as he went. Tess assisted. Beta observed. Aurora watched with those ancient, knowing eyes.
Finally, the tooth was out—massive and yellowed, with a clearly damaged root. Dr. Octavian held it up for them to see.
"Root fracture. Extraction was the only option." He placed the tooth in a sterile container. "We'll keep this for study. Now, post-operative care—Tess?"
Tess stepped forward, suddenly serious. "Keep the area clean. Soft foods for three days. Antibiotics to prevent infection. Follow-up in one week to check healing."
"And if the patient refuses medication?"
Tess hesitated. Beta spoke without thinking.
"Crush the antibiotics into strongly flavored food. Krookodile are carnivores—use something with intense smell to mask the medicine. Meat-based broth, maybe with a little blood to make it appealing."
Dr. Octavian's eyes flicked to him again. Longer this time.
"Where did you learn that?"
Beta flushed. "I... I grew up with plants. Carnivorous ones, actually. They're picky eaters too. The principle seemed similar."
A long pause. Then, slowly, Dr. Octavian's severe expression softened into something almost like approval.
"Observant. Adaptable. Willing to extrapolate from limited data." He turned to Tess. "This one's interesting. You chose well."
Tess grinned. "I didn't choose him. He just showed up. But I'm keeping him."
Beta wasn't sure whether to be flattered or alarmed.
---
The morning passed in a blur of patients and procedures.
A Pikachu with minor electrical burns from overexertion. Tess treated it, gentle and reassuring, while Chikorita offered berries to keep the patient calm.
A Growlithe with a sprained leg from rough play. Beta handled the examination, his touch careful and thorough, while Aurora watched from his shoulders like a reptilian guardian angel.
An elderly Meowth with arthritis. Dr. Octavian showed them how to administer massage therapy and prescribed supplements.
Through it all, Beta felt something he'd never quite experienced before—purpose. Every patient, every procedure, every moment of connection with a creature in need—it all felt right. Felt true.
During a rare lull, Tess found him in the break room, nursing a cup of tea that Chikorita had somehow helped prepare.
"So," she said, dropping into the chair beside him. "Thoughts?"
Beta considered the question. "I've never worked so hard in my life. And I've never been happier."
Tess smiled—a genuine, warm expression that transformed her face. "Yeah. That's the feeling. That's how you know you're in the right place."
Aurora made a soft sound of agreement.
"Your Dratini's amazing, by the way." Tess leaned closer, eyes shining. "She's so elegant. So poised. Does she always ride on your shoulders like that?"
"Always. She has... standards. About where she's seen."
"Fair. Chikorita's standards are about plants. She judges everyone's gardening skills. It's humiliating."
Chikorita made a sound that definitely meant as well you should be humiliated, given that cactus you killed last month.
Beta laughed—a real laugh, surprised out of him. "I think I like you, Tess."
"I think I like you too, Beta. Now drink your tea. Dr. Octavian runs afternoon rounds like a military campaign, and we'll need our strength."
---
Afternoon rounds were indeed intense.
Dr. Octavian led them through the recovery wards, checking on every patient from the morning and several from previous days. He quizzed them constantly—on symptoms, on treatments, on recovery timelines, on potential complications.
Beta answered when he could, admitted ignorance when he couldn't, and absorbed everything like a sponge.
Aurora remained on his shoulders through it all, silent and watchful. But occasionally, when Beta got an answer right, he'd feel her tail tap gently against his back. Approval.
Tess was similar—enthusiastic, eager, occasionally wrong but never afraid to learn. Chikorita helped wherever it could, its vines gentle and precise.
By late afternoon, Beta was exhausted. His brain felt full to bursting. His feet ached. His eyes burned from focusing so intently.
But when Dr. Octavian finally dismissed them with a curt "Same time tomorrow," Beta found himself smiling.
"We did it," he whispered to Aurora. "We survived."
Aurora's expression clearly said of course we did. I was with you.
Tess grabbed his arm as they walked out. "Dinner? There's this place near the Pokémon Center that does amazing berry blends. My treat—consider it a welcome-to-the-medical-family gift."
Beta hesitated. He should check in with the others. Make sure they were okay. Compare notes about their days.
But Tess's eyes were so hopeful, and Aurora was already nodding—go, socialize, you need friends who aren't me—and honestly, Beta couldn't remember the last time someone had just... wanted to have dinner with him.
"I'd like that," he said. "Thank you."
Tess grinned. "Excellent! Let's go. Chikorita, you're paying attention to the route this time. I got lost three times yesterday."
Chikorita's expression suggested that getting lost was entirely Tess's fault and always would be.
Beta laughed and followed them into the evening light.
---
Dinner was wonderful.
The café specialized in Pokémon-friendly food as well as human meals, so Aurora could sample berry blends while Beta ate something approximating actual cuisine. Tess talked endlessly—about her family, her training, her dreams of opening a clinic that served both Pokémon and people. Chikorita interjected occasionally with sounds that seemed to comment on Tess's storytelling.
Beta found himself talking too—about his greenhouse, about his friends, about the strange journey that had brought him here. He didn't mention the other dimension or the gods or the energy surge. Just... his life. His hopes. His fears.
Tess listened like everything he said mattered.
"You're really lucky," she said at one point. "To have friends like that. People who'll travel with you, explore with you, build something together." She stirred her drink. "I've always been kind of alone. Even with Chikorita—she's amazing, but she can't talk about feelings the way a person can."
Chikorita made a sound that might have been protest.
"Okay, she can talk about feelings. She just judges mine."
Beta smiled. "My friends judge me too. But they also stay. That's the important part."
Aurora's tail tapped his shoulder. Including me.
"Especially you," he murmured.
Tess watched the exchange with soft eyes. "You two have something special. I can tell."
"We're learning," Beta said. "Every day, we're learning."
---
Back at the Pokémon Center that night, Beta found his friends gathered in their usual corner.
Gamma was still vibrating with excitement about her day. Alpha was nursing a bruised ego and a Kangaskhan with fresh bandages. Omega was surrounded by books and notes, Gastly floating patiently beside him.
Beta sat down, and Aurora immediately coiled into her favorite position around his shoulders.
"How was the Medical Center?" Gamma asked. "Make any friends? Save any lives?"
Beta smiled. "I met someone. Tess. She's also a junior doctor. We're going to train together under Dr. Octavian."
"That's great!" Alpha clapped him on the shoulder. "See? We're all making connections. Building our lives here."
Omega looked up from his research. "This Tess person—is she trustworthy?"
Beta considered the question. Thought about Tess's enthusiasm, her kindness, her genuine love for Pokémon. Thought about Chikorita's steady presence, the way they worked together seamlessly.
"Yes," he said. "I think she is."
Omega nodded. "Good. We'll need allies in this world."
Gamma leaned over. "Is she cute?"
Beta turned bright red. Aurora's eyes narrowed dangerously at Gamma.
"Relax, scarf-snake. I'm just asking."
"She's not a scarf—" Beta started.
"She's literally wrapped around you like a scarf, Beta. It's not an insult. It's observation."
Aurora's expression shifted from narrowed to considering. Fair point, it seemed to say. But watch yourself.
Gamma laughed. "I like her. Your Pokémon, I mean. She's got attitude."
"She has standards," Beta corrected. "There's a difference."
"Sure there is."
They bickered gently into the night, four friends from another world, building new lives in a place they'd never expected to call home.
And Beta, for the first time, felt like he truly belonged.