"I dunno, but we can find out," Ithica said. She looked over when Nurse Joy came back out.

"There you two are," Joy said. "Your pokemon are just fine. However, I can't let unlicensed trainers walk around with pokemon. I can look after them for you for a day or so, to give you time to take the registration test, if you want."

Mel blinked before she nodded. "Yeah, if we can't keep them with us, that would be great. Thank you."

"My pleasure!" Nurse Joy responded, beaming. "You're more than welcome to stay here for the night. We often have trainers staying here when the weather is bad."

Mel smiled a bit at that. "I can definitely see why. Well, I'm exhausted, I think I'm gonna go pass out for the night. Ithica?"

"Yeah, me too," Ithica said, nodding. She looked at Nurse Joy for a moment. "I know you said we can't leave with them, but could we have our pokemon at least until morning? I mean, we didn't get much chance to get to know them, with everything, and I don't want them to think we're just going to abandon them here."

Nurse Joy smiled at that. "I'll bring them to you," she agreed. "Just for tonight, though. You'll have to leave them here in the morning."

Ithica smiled.

"Thank you," she said. "It means a lot."

Joy nodded and brought the two balls over, holding out one to each girl.

Without checking, Mel kind of knew which one was hers, and took that one. She was a little surprised to find she'd missed having the ball with her while she'd been bathing.

Ithica took her own pokeball without even glancing at the other. Somehow, she just knew which one had Dratini in it. With one more smile at Nurse Joy, she went to go settle in and let her Pokemon out.

Mel followed Ithica, settling down in her own corner and letting out Larvesta. "Hey there," she murmured to the Pokémon, holding out a hand.

Larvesta looked at her for a moment before inching forward and bumping her hand with its head.

Ithica sat a ways away and let Dratini out.

"Hey," she said softly. "Holding up okay?"

Mel smiled at that and rubbed Larvesta's head a little. "Still doing alright?"

Dratini trilled at her and settled across her feet contentedly.

Larvesta nodded and nuzzled into the head rubs.

Ithica grinned and leaned down.

"Come here, you," she said to Dratini, picking it up. "My lap is more comfortable than my feet."

Mel smiled and kept up the rubs for a few minutes before she gently picked up Larvesta and settled it in her lap instead.

Dratini trilled again and settled in there, curling up on her lap.

Larvesta cooed a bit and snuggled into her lap, getting comfortable there.

Ithica smiled and settled in, letting Dratini cuddle all it wanted.

Peggy just settled in for the bonding time, still giving Larvesta head scratches.

Dratini was just fine with staying there for basically the rest of the night.

Larvesta trilled and cooed happily as it enjoyed the head scratches.

Ithica ended up stretched out on a couch with Dratini curled up on top of her. They had both drifted off to sleep already.

Eventually, Mel resettled both herself and Larvesta so she could lay down comfortably, and drifted off to sleep. Hey, bonus, she didn't need a blanket with Larvesta.

Morning came far too soon for Ithica's liking. She was snuggled in nice and tight right up until the sun came in through the big windows and shone across her face. She scrunched up her face and groaned, trying to roll away from it, and then yelped when she fell off the couch.

The noise woke Mel, and she woke slowly, blinking rapidly to clear her vision. Then she shifted a bit and stretched without getting up.

Dratini peered over the side of the couch, making a questioning noise at Ithica.

"I'm fine," Ithica mumbled as she sat up. She stretched a bit and reached over to give Dratini some head rubs.

Larvesta grumbled a little at being disturbed and settled more firmly on top of Mel.

Dratini leaned into the head rubs, clearly pleased with how this was turning out.

Mel snorted quietly but didn't try to move again just yet. Clearly Larvesta didn't want to move.

Ithica couldn't help but grin when she saw how pleased Dratini was. After a few more moments, though, she made herself get up.

"Alright," she said, reluctantly stopping the head rubs. "Time to get ready. We have to go try to register."

Dratini blinked up at her and then slid over next to her, ready to go.

"Unfortunately she's right," Mel grumbled, trying to get Larvesta to move. "I've gotta get up and go do stuff."

Larvesta grumped and didn't move. Nope, its person wasn't going anywhere.

"Ah-- Sweetie, you need to stay here," Ithica said cautiously when she saw Dratini geared up to go. "I'm not a real trainer yet, I can't carry a pokemon with me until I am. But I promise I'll be back as soon as I can to pick you up again."