Author's Note: ...I'm not dead... I've just been playing MapleStory a lot. Yeah... and my sophomore year is getting hectic. Having French 2, English 2 Honors, AP Euro, and Chemistry wasn't a very good choice on my behalf. -_-; oh well. At least I got this done. AND GUESS WHAT? You find out the main heroine's name. :D Enjoy Ch. 2 of Sweet, Hasty Dreams.
Disclaimer: I do not own any Pokemon characters, places, or plot lines. Time to explain the title. FunkyBake is the name of my semi-sweeper Mamoswine, female by the way. It all started with my obsession with those Marie Callender T.V. dinner Chicken Alfredo Bakes. At the same time, I had an obsession with AnCafe's Funky Fresh Days. Mix the two together, and FunkyBake the female Mamoswine was born. :3
Sweet, Hasty Dreams
Chapter 2
FunkyBake
"Have a great day, ma'am…"
"You're so kind." I smiled, waving my farewells to the woman carrying a plastic parcel full of baked goods, the woman moving away from the counter revealing the next customer.
"Welcome to the Little Bakery. How may I help you?" The customer wanted to ring some goods up, an easy task for my experienced skills. Handing the boy his goods in exchange for a few Pokedollars, I waved a farewell and attended to the next consumer.
"Licki…"
"You're already done vacuuming, Starf? If you don't mind, you can dust the rooms…" The pink monster standing in the doorway to the stairs nodded, disappearing into the stairwell. I handed the consumer a plastic parcel filled with the bought goods, revealing the next peon in line.
"Welcome."
"Hi, can you ring this up?" I examined the items placed on the counter, their prices appearing in my thoughts.
"Oh, a berry plant… Did Howl help you alright?"
"Yeah, this was high on the shelf."
"The total comes to seven Pokedollars." I carefully placed the plant into a plastic bag along with the Poffin that was beside it. Exchanging the parcel for the currency, I said my farewells and turned to the next customer.
"Sweetie, can you do me a favor?" I never left my attention away from the customer, but heard my mother regardless. Finishing the repetitive cycle of bagging the items and exchanging it for Pokedollars, I excused myself from the counter and poked my head into the backroom.
"Yes, mom?" My mother was dressed in a clean white apron over her black flowery dress, a white head wrap holding back her brown hair.
"Can you give Howl these samples?" My mother motioned to a large platter of various colorful tiny pastries and Poffin. Nodding, I lifted the platter into my arms, my mother following me out the backroom.
"Hello, how may I help you?" My mother's voice entered my ears as I passed through the front counter entrance. With the platter raised high, I cut through the crowded pie and tart isle, people stopping to stare at me. Reaching the entrance, I pushed though the door with my shoulder and the platter leveled with my elbows. I saw a few miscellaneous crumbs here and there as I entered the sunlight. Oh… Some are gone already… I looked to the front stand, crowded with people, spying my vine monster handing a girl a cute terra clay pot.
"How, mom wants you to pass out samples…" The plant faced me, taking the offered platter. People started picking at the tiny samples, a smile coming to my face. "I guess I'll leave and help mom…" My smile grew, turning to enter out workplace, sending a small wave to the idle vine monster. Blinking with wide eyes, I felt a harsh strike, bringing me to the ground, a medium weight fallen on my arm supporting form. Pain shot up my supporting elbows, my face wrinkling with anguish. Ouch…
"Sorry about th- Hey, it's you!" Opening my wincing eyes, I blinked, tilting my head. Choppy blond hair, vibrant orange eyes…
"Oh, it's you…" I looked up at the sky, squinting to see the sun high overhead. "It's almost lunchtime…" The boy from the day before stared at me with confusion, standing upright. "Do you want to join us for lunch…?" The boy screwed his face as if he was considering the question like a death wish while I stood, brushing off the dust and dirt off my white apron and skirt, the fabric making clicks and other metallic sounds.
"Uh, okay!" I smiled at his unsure, energetic answer, taking his hand, leading him into the bakery.
"Sorry, the only thing we have is leftovers from last night… I hope that's ok… I'm too lazy to cook…" I chuckled to myself at my last statement, standing over the warm stove, ladle gripped in my hand, stirring the simmering Mato Soup.
"It's ok. I'm just hungry." I smiled a cheerful grin in response. I'm hungry too…
"Sweetie, I'm going to deliver some snacks to the Pokemon Center!" Facing the backroom entrance, a confused look appeared on my face.
"Delivery… Mom doesn't make deliveries…" A slam of the entrance door made me shake my head and fetch two bowls and a plate from the cabinet above. Filling the bowls with the heated soup, I turned the stove off while peeking into the oven. A few loaves of Poffin were cooling on the racks, my hands picking up two random loaves, placing them on the plate. Fetching a few utensils from the drawer, I placed the food on the table, giving the boy a warm smile.
"Lunch is served…"
"Gee, thanks!" I happily nodded, retreating to the cabinet to fetch two glasses. "Hey, this is really good." I smiled even more to myself, filling the glasses with water.
"I didn't make it, my mom did." Setting the water on the table, I collapsed on the chair across from the unnamed trainer.
"Your family cooks really good!" I gave a grin in thanks, dipping my spoon into the soup.
"It's nice getting compliments, but I don't even know your name…" The boy gave me a confused expression.
"Didn't I tell you yesterday?" I shook my head. "Oh, well, I'm Barry." I nodded my head.
"Nice to meet you… I'm Cyan." The blond boy blinked before answering.
"Wait, like the color or the name?" I sighed inwardly.
"Yeah, pretty unique, huh? It's actually both. Dad wanted to call me Kaien, but mom wanted to name me after her favorite color… It got mixed in the end…"
"Oh, okay." I nibbled on one of the Poffin, tasting the sweet flavor of Pecha berries. A few taps entered my ear, a blink coming to my eyes. Facing the window beside the table, I saw that familiar giant dragonfly with a satchel buzzing outside. Smiling, I opened the window, the behemoth bug zipping into the room with a loud buzz.
"Wow, it's a Yanmega!"
"Welcome home, Charti. Help yourself to anything that isn't on the table…" Charti nodded, zipping to the pantry, taking off to the second floor with two berries. Charti and Starf, I believe…
"That's one of your pokemon?" I turned to the newly named boy, his eyes racing with curiosity.
"…Not really; he's a member of our family."
"Oh, but that still means the same thing…"
"I guess…" Taking the spoon that wadded in the soup, I popped it into my mouth, savoring the creaminess of the red confection.
"Licki…" Facing the backroom entrance, I saw a dust covered Starf gnawing on a Starf berry.
"Finished with the chores, Starf…?"
"Lick lick."
"Go and take a break. Mom will find you something to do when she comes back…" Watching the pink monster nod and retreat to the second floor, I nibbled on the sweet Poffin.
"Hey, are you a trainer?" I raised my brow at Barry's question before answering.
"Not really. I've been working at the family store ever since I could thank someone, so even though I got my license two years ago, I haven't caught any pokemon…"
"That sucks… Hey, I got my license two years ago too!" I grinned, ripping off a piece of my Poffin, a look of disgust coming to Barry's face.
"Is it safe to eat Poffin? I mean, it's mostly for pokemon."
"…Is it safe to eat pokemon food? The food we make is meant for anyone, human or pokemon." Barry gave me a look of skepticism before taking the sole Poffin on the plate and ripping off a piece.
"It's kinda tangy…"
"Mom must have made that from those leftover Wecan berries from her tart…"
"It's pretty good!" I spooned Mato soup into my mouth at a slow rate, a thought coming to my mind.
"Um, can I ask you a question…?"
"Ask away."
"…Why were you in such a hurry yesterday?" Why am I invading his personal space is a better question.
"I had to meet some of my friends in this city about a legendary pokemon." Barry's face remained unchanged, ripping piece by piece of the Poffin at blinding speeds to a mellow, slow girl like myself. Information about a legendary pokemon…? In Hearthrome? What ever happened to Canalave or Celestic…?
"Legendary pokemon…?" Out of the questions that formed in my mind, one was faster and shot out of my sluggish thoughts and mouth.
"Yeah! Do you know that rumor in Canalave City about the nightmares?"
"…The nightmares that can only be cured with a feather shaped like the crescent of the quarter moon?"
"Hey! How do you know about that?" I blinked, nibbling of what was left of my Poffin.
"I research about it in my free time at Canalave City…"
"You researched? Maybe you can help us!" I smiled at his energetic reaction, popping the rest of my Poffin into my mouth. "What do you know?"
"…The nightmares began at this place called the Harbor Inn in Canalave, where, due to some event, people started to get affected…" I dipped my spoon into the Mato soup before continuing. "…The source is described as unbearable and hidden in the gripping darkness. People sensed the danger and began to flee the city until a bright white light engulfed the decreasing civilization. Then, one by one, people started waking up and everything returned to normal…"
"How do you know this?" I looked at the blond haired trainer, shoveling the soup into my mouth.
"The Canalave library is filled with books containing history about the nightmares…" Barry scratched his head, nibbling on what was left of his Poffin.
"We searched the library and we didn't find a lot of books…"
"You have to ask the librarian. Or, maybe that's just a privilege I have…"
"What?"
"Don't worry; just say I sent you to get some books for me. She knows my situation so she'll understand…" I took my bowl and downed that was left of my soup, sighing as I put the empty bowl on the table. "I won't be able to go to the library anytime soon anyway with business booming so I wouldn't feel too bad lying to her…"
"Oh, um, thanks." I happily nodded, the boy finishing off his Poffin and soup, my gaze directed at the window next to the table. A few flowering bushes stood outside; reds, oranges, and purples coloring the green. I remember when Dad and Howl planted those when I was a kid and Howl was a Tangela…
"Oh, hey, what's with your Tangrowth outside?" I turned to Barry with a questioning gaze.
"You mean Howl? He's the gentlest creature on the planet…"
"Really? Because he gave me this weird look when I ran into you…"
"Oh, Howl's just overprotective. He doesn't like it if I'm around people he thinks that we harm me…"
"Harm you?"
"The other day, when you knocked us off the path, Howl didn't leave my side until this morning…"
"Oh, no wonder… Hey, thanks for yesterday!" I gave him a confused look. "Remember?" Barry rolled up his sleeve, a white bandage wrapped around his forearm. "You bandaged my arm and gave me those yummy buns!" A smile of realization spread across my face.
"Oh, that. It was the least I could do… I was in your way after all…"
"Well, you were in the way, but…"
"It doesn't matter… If we keep on talking about this, we'll argue all day." I chuckled to myself, sitting back into my chair.
"Hey, can I have some jelly buns after lunch?"
"Sure, I have much more flavors than yesterday…"
"Um, Cyan?"
"Yes..?"
"Can I have seconds?" I stared dumbfounded at the boy sitting before me with a clean bowl.
"Sure, Barry… Are you that hungry…?"
"I haven't had a home cooked meal in ages…" My face flickered with symphony before nodding.
"I guess that's what being a pokemon trainer can do to you…"
"Yeah, but it's better than being confined to my hometown."
"That's a valid point. I would go crazy if I had to stay in Hearthrome for the rest of my existence…" Grabbing Barry's bowl, I stood from the table and skipped to the stove.
"Tangrowth…" My hand wrapped around the pot's ladle, pouring soup into the bowl.
"Hi Howl, are you done planting those berries…?" I turned to the vine monster with a full bowl in my hands. I blinked; watching the walking plant give Barry a twinkling ogle, or may I say much more accurately, glare.
"Ah, he's giving me that look again!" Barry hid behind his chair in fright while I laughed.
"Oh, you mean that look…" I set the bowl in front of the hiding bow, retreating to the pantry in the corner. "If Howl gives you that look, it means he's going to kill you…"
"What?"
"Haha, I'm just kidding. It means he doesn't like you…"
"I can see that!"
"Howl, stop scaring him. If you're done with the gardening, go take a break before mom comes back from the Pokémon Center and starts ordering us around…" Howl shrugged as I tossed him a Kebia berry from a basket in the corner of the pantry, the talking plant catching the fruit and retreating to the second floor, most likely to join Charti and Starf.
"What a weird pokemon…"
"Yeah, but he tries to fill the void that a father who is never home can never understand…" The boy with the choppy blond hair gave me a stare as I shifted through the pantry shelves.
"So, what about those jelly buns…?" I poked my head out, attention turned to the trainer sitting at the kitchen table, jars of multi colored jam and jelly in my arms. Barry smiled, shoveling soup into his mouth as I placed the jars on the counter. Hmm… I want to make Coba and Micle jelly buns…
"The total comes to ten Pokedollars." Exchanging the plastic parcel filled with baked goods for the currency, I waved the customer farewell and leaned on the counter.
"I thought you said business was booming…" I turned my orange gaze to the Poffin isle, the owner of the statement popping his head out with arms filled with loaves.
"It is, but people tend to come in the morning and early afternoon. We close for lunch since we have such short staff and open after a few hours. By then, almost everything is gone, so people don't come as often…"
"But it's easier to get some Poffin when it's empty like this." The blond approached the counter, dumping the bread before me.
"That's a lot of bread… You know, you get a discount…"
"Huh? Really?"
"It's only if you buy in the afternoon… don't tell anyone though…"
"That's awesome! I'll go get some more bread then!" Barry skipped away from the counter, hopping into the cake and miscellaneous food byproducts. I chuckled to myself, picking at the wrapped goods before me. One, two, three… eight, nine, ten… Ten loaves of Poffin… I've seen pokemon trainers in and out of the store… but ten loaves…?
"This'll last us the rest of the week! Maybe even longer!" The orange-eyed boy was back and dumped even more loaves of Poffin on the table.
"I thought you disappeared into the cake isle…"
"Uh, the cakes look good and all, but they don't… seem good…"
"I know what you mean… Cakes aren't our specialty, but we make good ones regardless… So good that the good ones are taken off the shelves before noon…"
"Aww…"
"Well, at least there's Poffin left. Be thankful for that…"
"Yeah, I guess…" I turned my gaze to the good before me.
"Now let's see… one, two, three… nine, ten, eleven…" My hands pushed eleven wrapped loaves to the side as I paused. "twelve, thirteen… eighteen, nineteen, twenty… In all my life, I've never known a single person buy twenty loaves of Poffin in one sitting… Let alone ten…"
"Well, I have to feed my pokemon."
"…The discount is three Pokedollars on the Poffin, making each one two Pokedollars. The total comes to 40 Pokedollars." Pulling out a few bags, I stuffed them with the baked goods neatly while Barry pulled out his money.
"Here." The boy handed me two twenty Pokedollar bills, a curious look coming to my face as I finished stuffing the bags.
"You must battle a lot…" Barry gave me a confused expression while I placed the money in the cash register. "Usually trainers that come by pay us with one or five Pokedollar bills… We hardly give change to them…"
"You're really observant, are you?"
"I don't mean to…"
"Well, time for me to go!" I gave a pout, handing him the bags.
"So soon…?"
"Yup, but I'll stop by when I'm in the area." I smiled, reaching behind the counter, placing a container and wrapped parcel on the surface.
"I packed you some jelly buns and Mato soup since you like them so much…"
"…You're sounding more and more like my mom…"
"…Am I supposed to feel offended by that?" Our eyes locked for a silent moment before shattering it with our laughter. I stuffed the soup and buns into a plastic bag and handed it to the blonde boy.
"I'll see you later then."
"Yeah… Take care…" I waved to the boy who carried three bags in his left hand and two in his right as he approached the door leading to the setting streets. Suddenly, a thought popped into my head.
"Oh, Barry…!"
"Huh?"
"Do you have a Snorlax…?"
"Uh, yeah. How did you know?"
"Just a feeling…"
"You're really observant… Anyway, see ya!" I put up a hand in my farewell, watching him exit the warm Bakery, walking east to the Pokemon Center.
"Lickilicky?" I smiled to myself, feeling Starf's presence behind my figure as I leaned against the counter.
"No, Starf. Mom hasn't return yet…" The pink monster gave a grunt in acknowledgement, hobbling next to my tiny frame. Sigh… He's so nice… but he's also very hasty. Taking in the familiar scent of flakes, crumbs, and the sweetness of the baked goods, my smile deepened. When his eyes captured mine, they feigned seriousness so well that it was appraisable and so terrible that it looked like child's play… I turned to the absentminded Starf, blinking for a moment to get my thoughts straight. I wonder when he comes back… I wonder when I'll be able to go to Canalave… Hmm… I wonder…
"I'm home sweetie!"
"Welcome home, mom. What took you so long…?"
"I ran into Bebe, you know, that nice lady across the neighborhood?"
"Yes, your childhood friend…"
"She asked me if we could take care of a pokemon for her. Never mind that, help me with this flour and sugar!"
"Starf, get Howl…" I passed through the counter entrance and down the tart and pie isle. I'll just have to wait… I guess… But I would really like to see those orange hued eyes… one more time…
Author's Note: ...Must be motivated... MUST BE MOTIVATED... ok I lost it xD. I still write, so don't worry. I'm not just gonna give up due to my MapleStory craze. I just need to find the time to actually type up these chapters. 0_o Anyway, look forward to Ch. 3 of Sweet, Hasty Dreams!
