AN: Eyas ei! This is my first attempt to do a ficlet. I hope my desire did not sacrifice the quality of my writing.

Disclaimer: Never will I own Pokémon; though I own this story and its image.


In preparation for their baby shower, the Stone household had become busy. May was sitting at the living room, checking the list of her groceries. She made sure she did not miss any of their expected visitors' favorites and requests. Gratefully, to make her tasks easier, she had her Pokémon to assist her: Blaziken was in charge of the pots and the pans on the cooking range; Venusaur and Beautifly were tending the garden full of different flowers; Blastoise and Snorlax were cleaning the façade of their home; Delcatty was inspecting the tidiness of the interior, and Glaceon was taking rounds like the head of the house-maid.

May was thrumming as she caressed her belly, "Hey there Little Dipper! Are you excited for your event tomorrow?" she asked with a playful tone. She received a kick as a response. She continued to interact with the blooming creature inside her until the doorbell rang.

"That's absolutely your papa!" she rose from her seat. Her delight in touching her belly was matched by her happy steps on the way to the front door.

A light yet manly tone came from the door as she opened it, "I'm back!"

"Welcome ho – oh my, what happened to you?" her hands abruptly met the sides of his face. Shortly, her fingers came into contact with the cut etched on his right cheek. "What's with this cut!? And, why are you so muddy? Is there something wrong with the new airplane? You also –," her pitch caught up with the way she grasped her 'not so tidy' husband's face and arms.

Her expression turned horribly sour after sniffling his newfangled scent. "Oh holy rock…," she covered her nose. "I love you so much, Steven – but you really stink right now! Just where on earth did you get yourself so messed up?" she almost retched, courtesy of her sensitive hormones.

Steven closed the door before his baffled wife could cause ruckus in the entire Mossdeep neighborhood. He tried to stabilize her mood, slightly squeezing her elbows. "Relax, May. This is just one of the cuts I normally get when I explore caves."

She asked before opening the nearest window. "Caves? I thought you were testing the Devon Airplane?" She then called out her grass-type Pokémon, "Venusaur! Can you use sweet scent for a while?" Venusaur growled and released a fragrant odor, which Beautifly's light gust directed inside the house.

"Technically, yes. The airplane is functioning perfectly. It is ready to fetch our visitors tomorrow at Lilycove," he removed his suit, hanging it temporarily on the umbrella stand before he paced towards her. "However, upon my return here, I spotted a small cave I have not known of," he knelt on one knee and began rubbing her belly. "I gave it a try and look at what I've got."

"A cut," she bluntly stated. "Hold on, let us get it treated," she ambled her way to the kitchen. He followed her so she would not need to go back to the living room.

"Really, May. What do you think I've got?" he leaned back on the side of the kitchen sink, hands inside his pockets.

She was fishing around the first aid kit. "When there's a cave, there's a stone and Steven Stone."

He laughed at that fact. "When there's a Steven Stone in a cave, there's something for May. And for our baby."

The last statement made her grin from ear to ear at him. After a second, she set her focus again on the kit. "So, what stone did you manage to get, Big Dipper?"

He showed her two glassy stones of the same kind. "Ametrine."

"What about it? I won't let our baby play with your inedible stones," her voice sounded exhausted. Rattling noise cropped up from her place.

"We haven't decided about the giveaways. I thought ametrine stones will do. I just need to hew them." Steven sneaked a look at the kit she had been dealing with, "May, do you need help? You have been in a tough hide-and-seek game with the kit I suppose."

She regarded him with despairing eyes, "Your cut needs help but this kit doesn't give a hand. I can't find a band aid…"

He simpered at her trouble. Cute. He reached for her wrist, slowly pulling her and enveloping her within his arms. "Don't worry too much, May. I can just have a quick wash and cleanse this."

She raised her brows at his proposition. "Do you want to take photos with a clear cut on your face? The baby shower is tomorrow already!"

Her husband stood quiet. He did not mind his handsome face to be a little dissimilar with its original semblance. A band aid was a good backup; nevertheless, he knew what band aids May was keeping – those Pokémon-printed ones from Devon Co., and that would just seem as if he was endorsing their very own product fashionably. He would definitely become the teasing stock in the future.

Yet, he was witty as ever.

"May, I have an extremely favorable idea," his index traced the lineament of her chin. His other hand was gently drawing her onto his chest.

"Oh yeah?" curiosity filled her voice.

"Just kiss my right cheek in every photo opportunity," he proposed with jolly eyes and tone. His ears were as upraised as a perky Pikachu.

She visualized it and a simultaneous kick from her tummy prevailed. She let out a silly laugh, "How can I say no if our baby approves of it?"