The Hippocratic Oath (6/29/24 Chapter 53 is up!) (2024)

@Dragontiger357 -Thank you for attending the birthday party of Comet's Fury :)

@Dustox -Yeah this chapter definitely had its ups and downs. Agatha did have it coming, although perhaps Comet did lose his 'doctor' forever because of it! I'm glad you enjoyed the birthday party, that was a scene I was really excited for. When I started this run, I didn't think marshmallows would be symbolic of shared trust and friendship and yet here we are lol Unfortunately our buddy BW was not in attendance for this party but I can promise we will be hearing from him again before the story's end!

@Wastelander Nick - I'm glad Gale's phone guidance helped you like her again :) I really loved writing that scene and I really wish I could have fit in more Gale/Comet interactions in this story.

Aw, Helping Hand would totally be Crystalpool's signature move if it wasn't a nearly completely useless move in a nuzlocke.

Comet only wishes Lapras would use Perish Song on him after the clinic was destroyed yet again. As for Marowak, I don't remember if I said this or not but her injuries are pretty serious- she was in the Safari Zone for a long time before she was found and the stab wound to her abdomen is old and infected.

I think I just really love the dynamics between Comet and old sassy ladies lol.
Oop, I forgot those trigger warnings used together would be a dead giveaway for what's about to go down.
Lol your internal thoughts for Spirit Gengar watching Comet puke is so perfect.
Howie is loud and proud about his negative IQ. I will say, I did have a lot of fun with Cat during the Game Corner scene. She's like Jessie from Team Rocket mixed with a Disney Villian who's semi-competent. Unlike Cat, Spikepelt has had Character Development and will be keeping his ass-kicking under control <3

Jenny 6 was another one I wish I had more space for in this story. I feel like I need to make a sequel where Comet has to guide all his grumpy counterparts on an adventure.

I love me some Star Wars, but I actually have no experience with Metal Gear besides Smash Bros lol. Actually the reason why the Poke Ball blocking technology didn't work on Comet's team was because he left their Poke Balls at the clinic instead of bringing them with him when he ran away.

Ahh I was excited to see your reaction to the Goldie reveal :) Words cannot describe how thrilled I was to find her in this run and actually catch her. Oh God I'm so sorry about your Girafarig, that really sucks. As for Growlithe's Pokedex entry, I actually didn't realize that while I was writing this but it's very fitting! I imagine Goldie as a serious dog who thinks she's above typical goofy dog behavior but she's really not.

Lol thanks for the birthday song!

I'm glad you like the transitions between gameplay plotpoints. That's something I got a little more creative with in the second half with Comet straying away from the linear gym challenge plot.

Comet is a hipocrite about nicknames~

Several days went by with no word at all from Agatha. And, as Comet had no inclination to seek her out himself, their treatment sessions seemed to be at a standstill. Despite that, Comet did not let his guard down. He had not forgotten that Agatha was not above breaking and entering to catch him off guard in the name of 'healing', and he had a feeling that her extended absence might be another one of her schemes.

Then again…Comet thought back to the memory he had seen during their last treatment session. Agatha's own memory, and one she had clearly not wanted Comet or anyone else to see…Maybe she really was done with him forever. Comet wasn't sure how he felt about that.

He was so preoccupied with thoughts of Agatha that one day, when Mama Maria announced that there was a visitor at her house to see him, he was certain it must be finally time for another session. Though he wondered how she could have found out Mama Maria's address.

"Do you want me to tell him to come back later?" called Mama Maria from downstairs.

Him? "No, mama, I'm coming down now!" Comet pulled on his green jacket and looped his necklace and his new goggles from Kessie around his neck. He pocketed his Xtransceiver-now sporting a hot pink case bedazzled with rhinestones. He ruffled the fur behind Goldenflame's ears, and declared himself ready for the day.

He was not ready, however, for the person who was waiting for him at the door, and he nearly slipped down the last few steps on his way downstairs.

"Gym Leader Koga?!" Comet exclaimed.

Koga inclined his head in a polite bow. "I hope the morning finds you well, Comet's Fury."

Uneasy that Koga was aware of his true identity, Comet slowly descended the rest of the stairs with Goldenflame close at his side. Mama Maria was also watching the gym leader warily. Since Brio's death, she had harbored a slight mistrust of anyone who would specialize with Poison Type Pokemon. They weren't exactly Comet's favorite either, and he had never paid much attention to Koga as a gym challenge fan. The only thing comet found particularly interesting about Koga was the ninja schtick. Though it apparently wasn't just an act for the cameras, as Koga had showed up on their doorstep wearing his traditional ninja attire.

The one thing that did surprise Comet was the cane Koga was holding in one hand. It was not the sort of cane someone uses to keep their balance while they were walking. Rather, it was the long, straight cane used by the blind.

"There is something I want to discuss with you if you'll spare me the time," said Koga. "It's about your career at the Viridian City Clinic."

Comet and Maria glanced at each other. She looked from Comet to Koga and said, "If it's okay with you, I don't mind if he comes in. I'll start the kettle for tea."

"I have time," said Comet, trying not to stare at Koga's cane. He never knew Koga was blind- he never used a cane on any of his televised matches.

Thanking them both, Koga settled inside at the table with Comet while Maria bustled in the kitchen. He rested his cane in the nook between his chair and the table. Goldenflame gave it a cursory sniff before laying down next to Comet's chair, seeming to be satisfied that there was no immediate danger for the moment. Seeing Goldenflame relax made Comet feel less tense, and he waited patiently for Koga to begin the conversation.

"Before I get to the main point of my visit, I'll start by addressing the Donphan in the room," said Koga, tapping his cane. "It is a little known fact about me that I do have a significant visual impairment. It's not exactly a secret, per se, but it's just something that doesn't come up very often in my public career. I don't need a cane in familiar environments like my gym or my house. But I always keep it with me when I go somewhere new."

Comet nodded. Then he began to panic internally, as he wasn't sure if Koga could even see him nodding. So Comet said, "I see." Then, realizing that was also the wrong thing to say, he opened and closed his mouth a few times in an effort to recover, but no words formed. Even Goldenflame was now glaring up at him from under the table like he was a particularly dopey Slowpoke. Mama Maria, who kept stealing backward glances at them as she poured the tea, had now overfilled one cup and had accidentally dropped an extra three sugar cubes in the second.

To Comet's great relief, Koga chuckled and waved a hand. "Please, don't be embarrassed. I understand what you meant. I am quite a bit harder to offend than that. And I think I speak for most of us when I say I have bigger problems to solve than splitting hairs over words. In particular, I wanted to talk to you about the overall treatment of Pokemon with disabilities."

Comet leaned back in his chair, surprised. This was not the direction he had expected the conversation to go. Not that he had any notion at all as to what Koga could possibly want with him. "Do you mean my clinic Pokemon?"

"Not necessarily," said Koga, "although that is the reason why I sought you out in particular. The gym leaders have been talking about you and your remarkable Pokemon. But it wasn't until you spoke to Sabrina that you used your true name and I was able to set up a meeting with you. Am I correct in saying you did not battle Sabrina when you visited her gym?"

"That's right."

"And so you do not have the Marsh Badge?"

"No."

"Do you intend on returning to her gym for a challenge at some point?"

Mama Maria set down their teacups in front of them. Comet sipped carefully from his overfull cup and Koga briefly wrinkled his nose at the sweetness of his own tea, but continued to drink it out of politeness. Comet thought for a moment before responding. He was certain he couldn't return to Sabrina's gym until he was no longer possessed by Mewtwo, but he dare not talk about that to Koga. Instead, he went with another truth. "The gym challenge has really been on the back burner for me recently. I was mainly doing it to raise money for the clinic. But… circ*mstances have changed for me, and I'm not taking any new cases. Most of my Pokemon are either fully healed or are stable with medication. So I haven't really needed the money anymore."

Koga slowly swallowed another mouthful of sugary tea and coughed. Mama Maria set a glass of water down next to the tea, grinning sheepishly. Koga thanked her and felt carefully along the table for the glass. It didn't take him long to find it, and it made Comet wonder how hard it would be for him to find his own drinks if he closed his eyes. "That being said," Koga continued, "the main reason why I'm here is to ask if you would challenge my gym in a televised match."

This time, it was Comet's turn to choke on his tea. A gym leader went through the trouble of seeking him out to personally invite him for a match? Comet remembered the Saffron City gym and how busy it had been, to the point where he almost didn't even get in to talk to Sabrina at all. Granted, the Fuschia City gym probably wasn't as busy since the city itself was much less populated, but it still seemed like a lot of effort to put forth just to invite a challenger to a battle. "Why a televised match?" Comet asked.

"In a word: to educate," said Koga, "You see, Comet, I have wanted a long time to improve the way we as trainers treat our Pokemon. I'm sure you have seen first hand during your clinical work that our system as a whole is quite flawed?"

"You can say that again," said Comet dryly.

Koga gave a rueful smile. "And so I will: our system is flawed. Something needs to change. And so I decided, years ago, that I would try to start a Pokemon Rehabilitation Center, where we would raise money to heal sick or injured Pokemon that didn't have anyone else. They would then be sent back to the wild or they would be adopted out to other trainers."

Comet looked appraisingly at Koga. He had no idea that Koga was so involved in Pokemon philanthropy, and he had never heard of this rehabilitation project before. And he had a feeling he knew why. "It didn't work. It failed."

"Exactly," said Koga, "And I'm sure you know why that is."

"Because nobody gives a sh*t," Comet exclaimed, growing more animated now that he realized Koga was someone who understood a part of the struggles of being a clinician, "Why spend time and money on a sick Pokemon when there's no stopping you from just going out and catching another one?"

"You hit the nail on the head. And though we-that is, my daughter Janine and I-were happy to help whatever Pokemon we could, it is impossible to ignore the sheer magnitude of the problem."

"You're just one person. You save one Pokemon but you know there's a hundred more just like them that aren't being helped. And you can't save them all."

Koga raised his teacup as if in a toast. "And so I came to the conclusion that true progress would only be possible on a wider scale. On a legislative scale."

Comet groaned.

"I quite agree," said Koga, and there was humor in his voice, "I have never enjoyed politics myself, but I can no longer deny its importance. I've made my excuses of being too busy with my gym duties, but hearing of your gym challenges has renewed my interest in this project again."

Comet frowned down at Goldenflame, who seemed as skeptical as he felt. "I still don't understand what we could do. It's not like we could force people to pay for Pokemon who aren't theirs. And we can't force people to keep Pokemon they don't want."

"Correct. But my proposition is to get more to the root of the problem. We need stricter limits on how many Pokemon trainers are allowed to catch. For example, say trainers are only allowed to catch twenty Pokemon total. That includes catching and releasing. And additional details can be worked out in the future, but my goal for the time being is to raise awareness of this issue. I think a good start is a televised match with you and I showcasing our Pokemon and the adversity they've overcome. Show the people that you don't have to scour the land for the 'perfect specimen' to have a strong team. Maybe then, more people would realize how far a little effort and love could take them."

Comet finished his tea thoughtfully. It did make sense. If trainers had a limit…if they had to make due with what they had…maybe Spikepelt's trainer would have put a little more time into fixing his eye. Maybe Gloom's trainer would have paid for her seizure medication. Sure, it wasn't a perfect solution. But it was a start, and it was definitely better than nothing. There was only one problem. "Are you sure you want to do this with me? My reputation isn't exactly what you'd call 'pristine' lately."

"I will admit, that is something I had worried about," said Koga. "Not in my own opinion- I try not to dwell on the deeds of the past, as long as the person makes efforts to do better. But in the public eye, you are somewhat of a pariah. I won't pretend like I think this match would do your reputation any favors. But it would certainly garner an audience, would it not?"

Comet tried not to feel sick at the thought. People would watch, alright. And televised matches typically included a physical audience as well. After all this time using his lesser known birth name for gym matches, it would be a huge step out of his comfort zone to introduce himself publicly again as Comet's Fury, disgraced ex-hero from Professor Oak's Kanto Bough. A memory surfaced in Comet's mind of begging on the doorsteps of Viridian City for donations with Bravewhisker, being spat on and cast out.

But this wasn't about him. They could hate him all they wanted, and maybe he deserved it. But if this could help the Pokemon species as a whole…

He stood up from the table. "It's a match, then…Can I play music?"

Comet and Koga's battle took place later that afternoon. Comet stood in the hallway leading to the arena, becoming more and more panicked as the seconds passed. The announcer called Koga's name, and the stadium erupted into cheers. Comet would be next. And he was running out of time. He had no plan, no ideas…

"I can't believe I didn't pick a song," he muttered frantically to himself, swiping through his Xtransceiver. "Something by Poison? Every Rose Has Its Thorn? Ugh, but that doesn't have anything to do with poison besides the band name, and it's more of a Grass type song…"

"Okay time's up!" Crystalpool leapt up and snatched the Xtransceiver from Comet's hands.

Comet winced at the sound of Crystalpool's claws scratching against the rhinestones. Maybe a case was a good idea after all. "What are you gonna pick?" he asked warily.

"You'll see!"

The announcer's voice boomed from in the arena. "Aaaand on the other side, our challenger representing the Viridian City Clinic…"

"Can't we talk about this first?" said Comet in a strained whisper. The Alolan Sandslash ignored him, tapping gleefully on the screen.

"...Comet's Fury!"

Comet held his breath and jogged out to the battleground. A song began to play.

With a taste of your lips, I'm on a ride
You're toxic, I'm slippin' under
With a taste of a poison paradise
I'm addicted to you
Don't you know that you're toxic?

"Oh Arceus," said Comet to himself, mortified. "She skipped right to the chorus and everything."

There was a confused reaction to Comet's entrance: some of the crowd applauded, some made disgruntled remarks to their neighbors, and some of them outright booed. Crystalpool didn't seem to be bothered by their lukewarm reception- she was too busy shaking her tail to the pop song blaring from the little box in her claws.

The announcer continued. "This will be a three on three match featuring some very special Pokemon, folks. We'll give you the rundown on each of them as they come out to play! Here comes Koga's first battler now: Crobat!" The Pokemon in question left Koga's Poke Ball and took to the air, wings beating furiously as it let out a screeching battle cry. "To give a little background on Crobat here, Koga hatched this little guy from an egg, where it seemed like a normal Zubat at first. But when it evolved and gained its eyes, it still relied on its echolocation to see. Turns out, Crobat is completely blind. But that doesn't stop this battler!"

As if to prove the announcer's statement, Crobat made a headlong dive toward a section of the audience, who gasped collectively as it soared toward them. But Crobat stopped short of crashing into the audience and flew upward, making a victorious circle around the gym's ceiling.

"And on the other side, challenging Koga…" Comet, recognizing his cue, threw his first Poke Ball, "Is Spikepelt the Nidoking! That's right, folks. Our first match is a poison versus poison showdown! This Nidoking was forgotten by his trainer as a Nidoran because of an injury to his eye, but just look at what a little TLC can do!"

Spikepelt grinned, clearly enjoying his first televised match. He lashed his tail and stomped one powerful foot into the ground, shattering the arena's turf around him.

The announcer counted to three, and the match began. Crobat was far faster than Spikepelt, but Comet had expected as much. The plan was to avoid Crobat's attacks, get an idea of what moves it knows, and then surprise them with a new coverage move they had been working on. For the first move, Crobat was going for a Wing Attack.

"Dodge, Spike!" Comet commanded.

Spikepelt sidestepped the oncoming bat with a swiftness not often seen in his species- he may be younger and smaller than other Nidoking, but it only made him faster. But rather than shooting past Spikepelt, the Crobat abruptly swerved and whacked Spikepelt with a wing before turning around and flying out of arm's reach.

Comet clenched his fist. Clearly the Crobat had mastered compensating for its blindness in battle. Time for a different approach. This time, when Crobat got close enough in another Wing Attack, "Now, Spikepelt! Thunderpunch!"

Electricity crackled around Spikepelt's raised fist, and he swung at Crobat. But, once again, the bat moved too quickly and dodged out of his reach. "Try again, Spike!" This time, it looked like the move was sure to hit. But an invisible wall went up around Crobat and protected it from damage.

The battle went on like that for some time, and Comet wondered if he had failed Spikepelt by sending him out against Crobat. Thunderpunch was really the only move he had that Crobat didn't resist, and Comet found himself sorely wishing for a ranged attack so Spikepelt didn't have to wait until Crobat was almost on top of him before striking. Comet couldn't help but to think of how well Bravewhisker would have been suited to this particular fight.

But then, an idea occurred to Comet that could turn the tide of the battle. "Spikepelt, listen! Go on the defensive again!"

The Kidoking glanced back at Comet and opened his mouth with a defiant expression. Then he paused, thought for a moment, and slowly crouched down in a defensive position, arms crossed in front of him.

Koga urged his Crobat on. "They can't defend forever, Crobat! Wing Attack again!"

The poison bat swooped at Spikepelt, rapidly approaching from the front. Comet clenched his fists. "Hold…" he said, watching intently for the right moment. Spikepelt was true, he stayed rooted to the spot despite the opponent's incoming assault.

And then, when the Crobat was a mere inch away, "Now!"
Spikepelt did not attempt to punch or even to move at all. He simply coated his arms in electricity as he always did when he prepared to use Thunderpunch. And he did it right as the Crobat struck.

Electricity coursed through the flying Pokemon, and it cried out in surprise. Its wings beat more slowly as static crackled throughout its body. Comet's plan had worked; the Crobat was paralyzed.

Though the tide of the battle had certainly moved in their favor, it was actually a few more minutes before the match was fully declared to be over. Even paralyzed, Crobat was still able to fly, and it took more than one hit to finally bring it down. Comet had never thought much of the Zubat line, being so common and, quite frankly, annoying. But he couldn't help but to be impressed by just how sturdy such a light, speedy Pokemon could be. By the end of the battle, Spikepelt was breathing hard and his muscles were trembling with exertion.

"Way to kick ass, Spike," said Comet as he returned him to his ball. The Nidoking raised a fist in solidarity before fading to red light. It had been a struggle of a battle, but Comet was grateful that it was tough because of the strength of the opponent rather than Spikepelt's willingness to listen to directions for once.

And Koga was smiling too, clearly impressed. Definitely a far cry from the last time Spikepelt made a gym appearance.

The next two battles were equally as difficult. Kessie was pitted against Koga's Venomoth, who had sustained an injury in battle that had blasted a hole straight through its wing. According to the announcer's introduction, Koga and the clinicians at the Fuschia City Clinic had mended the wing with a silken prosthetic patch.

And then the introduction of Kessie and her sad story: "She also had a tough road to recover from a broken wing she received after trying to save her trainer, who died at the hands of Team Rocket's thugs." There was a sympathetic murmuring from the crowd at this. The announcer continued "But as you can see, with a little time and lots of practice, her wings are working just fine now!"

Comet pulled his own goggles onto his eyes from their usual place on his neck in solidarity with the flying Pidgeot. Watching Kessie fly around the stadium seemed to warm the crowd to Comet, or at least to his Pokemon, and she garnered a modest applause.

The battle itself was not as difficult or as drawn out than Spikepelt's had been. But it was still closer than Comet had anticipated, given the type advantage. Venomoth had Toxic and Protect, so it became a race against poison to finish off the battle. Plus, though Kessie was a strong enough flier that she no longer needed to stop for breaks on Comet's shoulder, it was still hard to keep up with the long-recovered moth.

Finally, the last battle was up to Crystalpool, trembling with excitement over her gym debut. The announcer gave her introduction. "You might recognize this exotic beauty from the Alolan region! She was taken from her snowy home in Mount Lanakila to live as a pet on the beach, a climate change that nearly resulted in her death by Melting Fever."

Crystalpool threw up her hands, making a puff of snow that sprinkled into the air like confetti. The crowd cheered, making her blush and twist her foot modestly.

Then Koga sent out…a Pokemon Comet had never seen before in his life. It looked like a sentient puddle of water with eyes. Was it some kind of big, shiny Ditto?

The announcer answered his question. "And Koga's final Pokemon is Muk! That's right, folks, you heard me correctly. This is Koga's one-of-a-kind, never before seen Muk that has a condition called Detoxification. It's what happens when a Pokemon that's supposed to be toxic becomes purified. It's not fatal, it doesn't hurt, but this particular Muk cannot use any poison moves!"

A ripple of surprise ran through the audience and within Comet's own mind. A Muk that can't use any poison moves? He stared at the Pokemon's clear, gelatinous body. He had never heard of such a thing.

Muk's disability actually worked against Comet, as he had chosen Crystalpool for this match because of her immunity to poison. The variety of moves Muk had at its disposal was remarkable: Thunderbolt, Rock Slide, Shadow Ball…and its trump card.

Just when it was starting to look like Crystalpool would gain the upper hand, Muk took a deep breath in. Mercifully, when it exhaled, it did so in such a way that the ensuing Flamethrower did not hit Crystalpool directly, but pummeled into the ground in front of her instead. Koga had made his point. Though he had lost the previous two matches, this one belonged to him.

"I'm sorry, Commy," said Crystalpool, tears brimming in her green eyes.

Comet patted her head with a smile. "Don't be sorry, Crys! You did great. For your first gym battle, that was awesome! If you really want to feel better, ask Spikepelt how his first gym match went."

With two matches won and one lost, Comet was declared the winner of the match. Technically they didn't even need to hold the last battle, but they had agreed ahead of time to push through regardless of the outcome to showcase more of their Pokemon. Comet and Koga strode across the battlefield to shake hands.

Koga smiled warmly at Comet. "Thank you for this. Sincerely. I will update you on my progress with the legislature on catching laws when I can. It might take some time. But this is a great first step."

Looking around at the cheering crowd, Comet couldn't help but feel the same way.

Once exchanging congratulations was done, all that was left was to walk back out into the hallway where he entered and head back to the clinic. Only there was one final obstacle waiting for him there.

In the hallway, beaming with his cheesy fake smile, was the reporter from Sabrina's gym. The fluorescent hallway lights reflected off the gel in his hair, giving the impression of a puddle of spilled oil. He thrust a microphone forward. Comet flinched backward as if he were brandishing a knife.

"Congratulations on a battle well won! Now it's time for that interview you owe me!"