Misty is excited to meet the latest in a line of Nurse Joys who runs a Pokemon Center specializing in treating Water Pokemon. Unfortunately her dreams are shattered when she learns that this latest Nurse Joy, while able to do her job, is so terrified of Water Pokemon that she can't physically touch them.
Tropes:
- Face Your Fears: Cooperating with Water Pokemon to stop Team Rocket is not enough to cure Nurse Joy of such a deeply ingrained phobia of them. In fact, she passes out for a second once the experience is over. She doesn't let it stop her from doing her job, though.
- Hard Truth Aesop: There is a difference between conquering a fear and putting a fear, especially a phobia, aside, and it's very possible to never overcome it, based upon how deeply it's ingrained. Misty praises Nurse Joy at the end of the episode for overcoming her fear of Water-type Pokemon, but Nurse Joy corrects her and says she's still scared of Water-types and likely will be for the rest of her life, but she won't let that stop her from caring for them.
