I'm here, right here

Taking the clean towel Chansey handed him, Chen Yan thanked her, accepted the towel, and dried his hair.

After drying his hair, Chen Yan followed Nurse Joy to the bedside and looked at Glameow, who lay fast asleep on the hospital bed.

[Glameow]

[Type: Normal]

[Gender: Female]

[Ability: Own Tempo]

[Known moves: Scratch, Growl, Fake Out, Hypnosis, Fury Swipes, Charm, Taunt, Slash, Sucker Punch, Hone Claws, Play Rough, Thunderbolt, Iron Tail, Shadow Ball]

[Mood: Shattered]

[Condition: Life not in danger; suffers from a leg ailment (unable to run normally)]

[Description: Taken away from her mother by a Trainer, then abandoned. Refusing to believe it, she crossed many cities and eventually found that Trainer in one of them. Seeing the new Pokémon by his side devastated her, and she began to hate humans. She later became a stray Pokémon and wandered to Sandgem Town. She likes being clean, loves running freely in the wild, and longs to become a nimble, agile performer like her mother.]

Chen Yan stared silently at her tightly bandaged paws.

"The injuries to her paws were too severe. They went untreated for so long that some of the nerves died. We did everything we could..."

Nurse Joy spoke softly beside him.

Looking at Glameow, whose brow remained furrowed even in sleep, Chen Yan nodded gently.

"Thank you so much for your hard work, Nurse Joy."

"It's my duty. Stay here with her for now. I'll go prepare the rest of her IV medication."

With that, Nurse Joy left with Chansey.

After Nurse Joy left, Gengar looked at Chen Yan, the slender bamboo cane clutched in his hand.

"Gengar?"

Does that mean she won't be able to run like me anymore?

"No. With some exercise, she should still be able to run. But with her personality, it might be hard for her to accept."

At those words, Gengar lowered his head, dejected.

"Gengar..."

If only I'd found her sooner. Maybe this wouldn't have happened.

"How could this be your fault? Her injuries had already gone untreated for a long time. If it hadn't been for you and Weedle, she might already have..."

Chen Yan left the sentence unfinished. He reached out with both hands and tugged Gengar's cheeks. "Don't look so miserable. Come on, give me a smile."

[Miraculous Gracidea Flower Tea: A flower tea made from Gracidea with miraculous properties. Sweet in flavor, it can cure ailments in Pokémon caused by nerve injuries. View Count: 1,888.]

[Redeem?]

Chen Yan carefully read the text that suddenly appeared, strongly suspecting that the system was specifically trying to swindle him out of his View Count.

Otherwise, why would it be so kind as to suddenly offer an item like this?

[Would you like to redeem?]

It had added a few words.

"Can you make it a little cheaper?"

[May I ask, would you like to redeem?]

[Offer expires soon.]

Chen Yan let go of Gengar's cheeks and glanced back at Glameow, lying unconscious on the hospital bed. Remembering the wish described in her profile, he gritted his teeth.

"I'll take it! It's only 1,888, right? I can earn that back with a few more videos!"

Chen Yan glanced at his current View Count, and his eyes lit up.

Huh? Over eight thousand? How did I suddenly get so much?

The extra three thousand or so View Count gave Chen Yan a start.

Seeing how much he still had, Chen Yan waved his hand grandly.

"Redeem it! Give me the most expensive one!"

[...]

[Redemption successful.]

Looking at the small packet of flower tea that had appeared in his inventory, Chen Yan scanned his surroundings and spotted an insulated flask beside the hospital bed. He turned to Gengar.

"Gengar, let's brew some flower tea for Glameow. Life's been so bitter for her. Let's give her something sweet."

Gengar's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly.

Chen Yan turned the upside-down cup upright, reached into his pocket, and pretended to pull the flower tea out of it. He tore open the packet and poured its contents into the cup.

Gengar opened the flask and poured hot water into the cup. As the water soaked through the Gracidea Flower Tea, its fragrance instantly filled the ward.

"Gengar..."

It smells so good... I really want some...

Chen Yan dipped his index finger into the cup, then hurriedly pulled it out when the water scalded him. He looked at Gengar and had him hold the cup, using his low body temperature to cool it down.

Gengar handed the cup back to Chen Yan, who tested the temperature again. It was just right. He sat on the bed, poured half the flower tea into another cup, and handed it to Gengar.

(*σ´∀`)σ

Gengar happily accepted the cup and shared the delicious Gracidea Flower Tea with Weedle.

Holding the cup, Chen Yan lifted Glameow's head and gently fed her the Gracidea Flower Tea.

The moment the flower tea entered her mouth, Glameow's brow, which had been furrowed in her sleep, instantly relaxed.

The warmth spreading through her body reminded her of the days before she had left with the human, when she and her mother would shelter in a cave on rainy days, and she would lie in her mother's arms, watching the rain outside.

So warm... So comfortable...

"Meow..."

Mo... Mommy...

Glameow kept calling for her mother in her sleep.

Her body began twitching involuntarily, her voice broken.

Glameow's sleepy murmurs filled the ward.

Chen Yan gently laid his hand on her, stroked her fur, and whispered:

"I'm here, right here."

Glameow's body began to settle.

Chen Yan gently patted her while humming a song.

"The dark, dark sky hangs low~"

Standing at the doorway with Chansey, Nurse Joy listened to the song drifting out of the room. They exchanged a glance and smiled at each other.

To the sound of the song, Glameow slowly began to purr.

Chen Yan checked Glameow's panel and found that the "suffers from a leg ailment" condition was gone. Breathing a sigh of relief, he withdrew his hand, then looked at Gengar and Weedle and spoke softly.

"Let's go. Let her get some proper sleep."

With that, Chen Yan stood and carefully walked to the door with Gengar and Weedle. He reached out to open it and was immediately startled.

Chen Yan gently closed the door, then looked at Nurse Joy and Chansey. "Nurse Joy, why are you and Chansey standing at the door...?"

Nurse Joy smiled. "You sing very well."

"Thank you." Chen Yan flashed his white teeth. "Nurse Joy, I'll leave her in your care. I'm going back to wash up, then I'll come check on her again later."

Chen Yan glanced through the glass in the door at the still-sleeping Glameow. "Let her get some proper sleep."

"All right. Take care."

Chen Yan took Gengar and Weedle back to where he was staying and had a shower. Then he took them out for a delicious dinner before heading to the Pokémon Center with some food packed to go from the Pokémon restaurant.

The moment Chen Yan entered the Pokémon Center, he heard Nurse Joy's voice.

"No, you can't move yet."

"I won't touch you, all right? How about I have Chansey stay with you? But you mustn't pull out your IV."

"No, that won't do. You want me to leave the room? I need to examine you..."

"All right, all right, I'll leave. Stay lying down and don't move around. Your paws haven't healed yet."

Chen Yan hurried over.

"What's wrong, Nurse Joy?"