Hi again! We find ourselves back at the daycare, where our young Champion, Ash Ketchum, is anxiously awaiting his first customer. The young man, still nursing the wound on his hand that he had obtained from Posy the Nidoran a couple days before, has yet to have any luck with his business, despite all those advertisements he had sent out. But perhaps a phone call from an old friend will finally get Ash's business going.
You know, I have half a mind to start all chapters with this whole narrator business. After all, I am trying to give this series somewhat of an anime feel to it. It's kind of fun pretending to be a narrator.
I found some time to write this, since the guests I have went with my folks to a wedding. So…Will Ash finally get his first customer? And who is this old friend that's gonna maybe help him? Well, read on to find out!
Disclaimer: The one known as WillowBlueJay17 claims no ownership of anything to do with the Pokémon franchise except the OCs that appear over the course of this story.
As Ash sat behind the counter, he adjusted the small display case, filled with copies of the pamphlets and business cards he had picked up the day before yesterday, that sat beside the register. Pikachu was sitting on the other end of the counter, which was directly under an air vent, enjoying the cool air flowing down onto him.
Once again, business was nonexistent at the Pallet Pokécare Center.
Ash had sent other copies of the pamphlets, cards, and posters to friends all over Kanto, who had agreed to distribute them. He had placed the remaining copies in the display case of the bulletin board that one could find in the center of Pallet Town. And he himself had seen the ad for the daycare in yesterday's copy of the paper when he had gone to Dr. Wright's to get the bite wound on his hand, which still felt pretty painful but was healing well, checked out.
"Is it supposed to take this long to get one customer?" Ash asked no one in particular as he scratched at the bandage wrapped around his hand.
"Pika-pika…" Pikachu responded, feeling content beneath the air vent.
When Ash started to consider joining his Pokémon in relaxing under the vent, the video phone against the wall started to ring. Ash practically ran over to pick up the phone and turn on the screen, hoping that it was a customer calling.
"Oh, it's just Gary…" he sighed when his old friend/former rival's face popped up on the screen.
"Well, it's nice to see you too, Ash," Gary Oak responded to the lackluster greeting.
"Sorry, Gary…How's your research project in Kalos going?"
While Gary started to explain about the work he was doing, Ash was only partially paying attention. The rest of his thoughts went back to the memory of when he had first told Gary that he was going to open a daycare.
At the Ketchum residence, the video phone was ringing loudly.
"Ash, dear, could you pick that up?" Mrs. Ketchum asked.
"Got it!" sixteen year old Ash Ketchum called back as he picked up the phone, "Huh? Hey, Gary!"
"What's up?" Gary greeted with a grin, "I heard Mr. Champion had come back to Kanto. Gramps said you told everyone some big news, but he wouldn't tell me what."
"That's cause I wanted to see your face when I told you myself," Ash said, trying to fight back a smile as he imagined how Gary would react to the news, "And I didn't wanna wait until you got back from Unova in a couple months."
"Alright then, what's so important that you couldn't wait to share the news?"
"I've decided…to start a business," Ash said in a casual tone.
Gary raised an eyebrow at that, the sentence catching his attention. Gary leaned in a little closer to his side of the video screen, picking up a cup.
"Oh?" he started, "Never thought I'd see the day when you'd consider running a business. So, what're you planning, Ashy boy?
"Well…" Ash waited until Gary had put the cup to his lips and had taken a mouthful of the liquid, "I'm opening a Pokémon daycare!"
Ash started laughing when Gary suddenly spit out brown liquid, most likely coffee, all over the video screen, blocking him from Ash's sight. Ash could hear the researcher coughing and moving around stuff on his end. After a few seconds, Gary wiped the screen with a handful of napkins, staring at Ash with a mixture of disbelief and concern.
"A daycare…" Gary repeated, trying to wipe some coffee stains off his white lab coat, dark blue shirt, and black jeans, "You want to open a Pokémon daycare."
"You got it!" Ash chirped.
"A daycare. You?"
"Yup!"
"…Seriously…?"
"I don't know why it's so hard to believe," Ash mumbled, remembering getting similar reactions from a few others.
Gary stared at Ash in silence for a few more moments before suddenly walking off screen. Ash waited, curious as he heard Gary moving stuff around. After a minute, Gary walked back across the screen dragging a suitcase behind him.
"Hey, what're you doing?" Ash asked as he watched Gary throwing things randomly into the suitcase.
"What do you think?" Gary answered, "I'm packing up and I'm booking a flight for Kanto as soon as possible."
"What? Why?"
"To find out what disease you have that's making you think about running a daycare."
"Hey!"
"And you're definitely not listening to me…"
Ash was snapped out of his thoughts by Gary's sentence. He saw his old friend staring at him with a smirk.
"No, I was paying attention," Ash replied, crossing his arms in front of him.
"Well, considering I spent the past five minutes recapping the Timegate Traveler movie series without you mentioning anything, I'd say you weren't," Gary retorted, causing Ash to scowl, "Plus, you were smiling like a moron. What's the matter, daycare not going well?"
"It's not going at all! It's been days and I still haven't gotten one customer…Not even after all those ads…
Gary looked thoughtful as Ash continued to mumble about his bad luck so far.
"Hey, Ash…" Gary began slowly, an idea coming to him.
"I had to finish building this place on my own," Ash went on, unaware Gary had spoken, "I got mistaken for a murderer, got poisoned, and nearly had my hand bitten off."
"Listen, Ash, I think I-"
"My monthly Champion's salary isn't gonna be enough to keep paying for the building and the land. Plus, I still need to pay off a bunch of the equipment…How am I supposed to run a daycare if I lose this place and have to move back in with Mom?"
"Ash…"
"Although I'd be able to eat Mom's cooking all the time again. Nothing I make is ever as good as-"
"ASH!" Gary shouted, causing the Champion to jump.
"No need to shout," he muttered.
"Ash, I think…I might be able to get you a customer," Gary said, "She's someone I know in Saffron."
Ash stared at Gary blankly before practically pressing his face against the video screen, his eyes wide and a giant smile on his face.
"You'll get me a customer?" Ash asked gleefully.
"Well, the best way to advertise is through word of mouth," Gary replied with a chuckle at his friend's excitement, "Especially if the mouth belongs to someone who's well known. I'll make the call and see if I can convince her…She's been calling and complaining for a while about that…"
Ash was puzzled as Gary mumbled to himself about stuff Ash didn't get. Gary then looked at the screen and gave Ash a thumbs up.
"Just stay put, Ashy boy…I'll get that business of yours going."
As it drew closer and closer to one o' clock, Ash was beginning to wonder if Gary had been pulling his leg about getting a customer. Though Ash dismissed that idea quickly enough, knowing that the two of them were long past pulling stunts like that on each other.
In order to pass the time by, Ash and Pikachu were playing rock-paper-scissors…Although, Pikachu's rather small fingers made the game much harder than it was supposed to be.
"Pikachu, I know you switched to paper!" Ash exclaimed, holding his own hand in a fist to symbolize rock. Pikachu shook his head, "C'mon, you were totally holding out scissors before!"
While the two argued, neither heard the door open or the bell above it ring. A figure entered the daycare and approached the counter.
"Ahem," the figure coughed.
Ash and Pikachu were totally oblivious, still very concentrated on their game.
"See!" Ash shouted, "You changed it again!"
"Pika!" Pikachu responded angrily.
"You know what you did! Alright, let's do best twenty out of-"
"A-HEM!"
Both trainer and Pokémon heard the figure this time and turned. The pair nearly fell backwards in surprise at the figure's presence.
The person was an old woman, dressed rather elegantly. Her appearance, from the fancy hat that sat atop her white hair to her designer shoes, gave off the impression that this woman had plenty of money to spend.
"When did you get here?" Ash asked under his breath before brushing off his clothes and straightening himself, "Can I help you?"
"I was told that this was a Pokémon daycare," the woman said.
Ash and Pikachu exchanged eager looks before facing the woman, their arms stretched out wide and broad grins on their faces.
"Welcome to the Pallet Pokécare Center!" Ash exclaimed, Pikachu saying the same in his own language, "You're our very first customer, so we're especially glad to meet you!"
"First customer?" the woman repeated, "I wasn't told that this was a new establishment."
Ash bit his lip, wondering if he had already gone and screwed things up. But, to his relief, the woman reached into her purse and pulled out a Pokéball that was encrusted with sapphires. Ash couldn't help but let out a low whistle at the sight of the ball, while Pikachu stared in awe.
"No matter," the woman sighed, though Ash still heard a bit of disappointment in her voice, "Young Mr. Oak spoke rather highly of you. Considering that I've been funding his research in Kalos for the past year, I trust the boy's judgment."
The woman released the Pokémon from its ball, Ash and Pikachu waiting eagerly to see what it would be.
"Cool!" Ash said, "An Abra!"
The rather rare and difficult to catch Psychic type yawned as it sat on the counter before looking around. Ash, his eyes still glued to the first Pokémon that would be under his care, reached under the counter and grabbed the form that trainers needed to fill out, attaching it to a clipboard.
"Please fill out the form, ma'am," Ash fished a pen out of one of his apron pockets and handed it to the woman, "I'll start getting your Abra all registered."
"It's my little grandson's Abby-poo," the woman corrected as Ash turned on his computer and started typing away. Ash held back a snicker at the nickname, while Pikachu went up to the Abra, eyeing it curiously, "Although it is registered to me since the boy is underage. It was recently hatched. Its parents are very finely bred."
"Wow, your grandson's lucky to have such a rare Pokémon," Ash smiled as he checked off that it was a baby Pokémon.
"'Lucky'?" the woman huffed, "I wouldn't say that. I have never seen quite a misbehaved Pokémon as this one."
Ash looked over at said Pokémon in surprise. It was sitting patiently on the counter…Actually, it looked as though it had dozed off. Pikachu was poking its side, but the Pokémon wasn't responding. The woman handed the clipboard back to Ash, who used the information to fill in the rest of the computer forms.
"Well, Mrs.…Armistead," Ash read off the written form, typing in the last bits of information on the computer, "Since it's a baby, the rate is 400 Pokédollars an hour. Are there any special conditions that I need to take care of? Keep in mind that those will cost extra."
"I thought you'd never ask," Mrs. Armistead stated, pulling out a list from her purse and handing it to Ash.
As Ash went over the list, Pikachu continuously poking the sleeping Abra in the background, he started to sweat and feel more and more nervous.
"Umm…" Ash began with a cough, "This is some pretty expensive stuff. Especially these berries…I only have Oran, Sitrus, Lum, Chesto, Cheri, Pecha, Rawst, and Aspear trees growing here. I guess I can find this stuff in the town markets but…"
"Just keep track of the amount and I'll pay you back when I come to pick up Abby-poo tomorrow at four," Mrs. Armistead interrupted, waving her hand, "I'll even add some interest for your trouble."
After negotiating how much the interest would be, Ash finished up the form. He checked to make sure everything on the form was filled in, including the necessary signatures. He also asked for Mrs. Armistead's identification so that he could verify that he wasn't dealing with an imposter. Once everything was in order, he took out a stamp from his apron pocket and marked the pages of the form.
"Pikachu," Ash called, detaching the form from the clipboard and holding it out.
Pikachu finally stopped trying to get the Abra awake and grabbed the form from his trainer, scurrying off upstairs to put the form away in Ash's room. The desk in the room had labeled drawers for things like registration forms, finances, trainer information, and other things. Ash, meanwhile, turned the computer screen towards Mrs. Armistead and held out a stylus.
"Please sign here as well."
"I must say," Mrs. Armistead began as she signed on the touchscreen where indicated, "You at least appear to be organized, young man."
"Thank you," Ash replied.
He didn't add that the only reason he was as organized as he was concerning the Pokémon and trainer files was because the teacher in charge of the class on daycare related forms, codes, files, and the like was the scariest man alive. Ash still had the occasional nightmare about that guy and how he enjoyed picking on Ash especially during those four years of studying…But at least he managed to get it through to Ash that, if nothing else, Ash needed to keep all of his forms neat and orderly.
"That's one thing in your favor," Mrs. Armistead added, eyeing the bandage on Ash's hand.
"Oh, this?" Ash raised the hand, wincing when he tried to wiggle the fingers to very little success, "It was an accident. Nothing major."
"It's major when you're the one raising my precious grandson's Abby-poo. I'm already wary enough using a rookie, but no other daycare has managed to get Abby-poo to behave. And Mr. Oak insisted that you would be able to pull off a miracle."
The way Mrs. Armistead said those lines caused quite an uncomfortable silence. Ash tried to concentrate on going over the Abra's information, which he had finished registering into the computer, trying not to acknowledge how Mrs. Armistead was watching him closely.
"Alright, it looks like we're all set," Ash said once Pikachu returned, "We'll make sure to take good care of your Abra."
"Abby-poo."
"Err…Abby-poo."
"You had better take good care of it," Mrs. Armistead told Ash in a warning tone, "And I am hoping you will have it trained properly by the time I pick it up tomorrow, or you do not want to know about the consequences."
Ash and Pikachu could only nod silently as the rather intimidating woman marched out of the daycare. Once they were certain she was far enough away from the center, the pair let out huge sighs of relief. Ash also mentally thanked his daycare management, trainer interaction, and public speech teachers for all their lessons. He even felt thankful towards that demon teacher.
Although now he felt even guiltier that he had spent a good portion of those classes sleeping in the back of the room.
"She didn't even write down what behavior problems we're dealing with," Ash muttered, having seen nothing written in that part of the form that Mrs. Armistead handed, "Then again, I should've asked her about that."
"Pikachu!" the Electric type said, pointing at the Abra.
"Yeah, you're right, buddy," Ash smiled, "We finally have our first guest!"
Ash and Pikachu went up to the still dozing Abra. Pikachu gave it a poke, which woke up the Pokémon. The Abra shook its head and looked at Ash and Pikachu curiously.
"Hi there, Abby-poo," Ash greeted gently, his eye twitching at using that nickname, "My name is Ash, and this is my best friend, Pikachu."
After Pikachu had greeted the baby Pokémon, Ash heard a little growl come from the Abra. He and Pikachu exchanged confused glances.
"Umm…Abby-poo?"
With a slightly louder growl, Abra reached out its arms and pointed them at Ash. The Champion was about to ask what was wrong when, suddenly, he found that he wasn't quite touching the floor anymore.
"Whoa!" Ash yelled, realizing he was floating a couple feet off the ground, "It's using Psychic! But I thought it was still a baby!"
Abra proceeded to make Ash move this way and that, seemingly amused as the young man let out shouts when he was almost smacked into a wall or a plant. Pikachu called out to his trainer worriedly before glaring at the Abra.
"Pikachu!"
Abra paid the Pokémon no mind, continuing to play around with Ash.
"C-c'mon now, Abby-poo," Ash said slowly, "Be a nice Pokémon and put me down."
Abra let out another growl and then Ash found himself being thrown upward…and having the top of his head smack against the ceiling.
"Ow!" he shouted as Abra released its hold on him, causing Ash to fall to the ground, landing on his feet.
"Pika-pi!" Pikachu cried worriedly as he jumped onto Ash's shoulder.
"Okay, I get it," Ash groaned, removing his hat to rub his rather sore head, "You don't like 'Abby-poo', so I'll call you Abra."
Abra nodded at that. Ash, after putting his hat back on, put his hands on his hips and stared sternly at the Pokémon, Pikachu giving the Psychic type a similar look.
"But that was a seriously rude way to let me know," Ash scolded, "You could have really hurt me or broken something, Abra!"
Abra shrugged at Ash's words before falling on its back. Ash rushed over to the Pokémon, worried that something was wrong with it.
"It's asleep," Ash moaned, hearing it snore.
Ash and Pikachu both shook their heads, Ash slowly picking up the Abra in his arms and carrying it into the nursery room. Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder and fluffed up a pillow, placing it in the center of the room. Ash carefully laid the Abra's head on the pillow, Pikachu covering the Pokémon with a cozy blanket.
"Hopefully, that was just a onetime incident," Ash whispered to Pikachu as the two tiptoed out of the nursery, Ash turning off the lights and turning on the large mobile hanging from the ceiling, which played a gentle lullaby and glowed a soft blue as it spun.
Based on the look on Pikachu's face, Ash knew that his partner didn't believe that was the only issue this baby Abra would cause. And, from what Mrs. Armistead had said, Ash didn't believe it either.
By three o' clock, Ash figured it would be the best time to go to the store and find the expensive stuff on the list of ingredients for Abra's meals. Ash and Pikachu went into the nursery room, knowing they couldn't leave Abra alone at the daycare while they went shopping.
"Hey, Abra," Ash called as he opened the door, "You awake?"
Ash turned off the mobile and turned on the lights, spotting Abra sitting up, staring at one of the shelves. Ash followed the Pokémon's gaze and smiled at what it was staring at.
"You like the leaf hoods, huh?" Ash asked as Pikachu jumped onto the ground. Ash reached up and grabbed one of the bigger hoods, around Abra's size, "My Leavanny made these. You wanna try one on?"
Abra stood up and nodded. Ash knelt down and was about to place the leaf hood on, when the Abra let loose a mischievous chuckle. Within a blink of an eye, the Abra disappeared.
"What?" Ash said, slightly confused. Then, when he realized Abra had indeed vanished, he started to panic, "What? What, what, what?"
"Pika-pi!"
Ash turned to Pikachu, who was pointing up at the mobile. Ash looked up and saw, sitting on one of the hanging models of a star and giggling to itself, was the Abra.
"Abra! Get down from there!" Ash commanded.
The Psychic type jumped off the mobile. Ash threw down the leaf hood and stretched up his arm to catch the falling Pokémon…only for it to disappear yet again. Ash scanned the room, spotting the Abra on top of a toy shelf.
"Oh great…Teleport," Ash groaned.
Teleport…The move that was the bane of Ash's existence. Ah, but that's another story for another time.
"Abra, come to Ash now," the trainer told it.
Ash saw Pikachu trying to sneak up on Abra out of the corner of his eye. To give his partner a fighting chance, Ash decided to distract the Abra by talking.
"Abra, I thought you wanted to wear this leaf hood," Ash picked up the leaf hood and held it out, wiggling it, "They're very comfy to wear. And they look cute too."
Pikachu was inching closer and closer but Ash definitely had Abra's attention.
"You know, we were supposed to go out and buy some stuff for your dinner, Abra. Do you want to come along with us, Abra? That sounds like fun, doesn't it?"
Pikachu was just a foot away. The Electric type pounced, only for Abra to teleport at the last second. Thankfully for Ash, Abra teleported right on top of Ash's head. Unfortunately for Pikachu, the miss caused him to dive face first into a pile of toys.
"You alright, Pikachu?" Ash called, petting Abra, who was clutching his head, with his good hand.
"Pika….Pikachu…" came a groan from the toy pile.
Abra wiggled its hands, reaching for the leaf hood Ash was holding. Ash frowned and put the leaf hood back on the shelf.
"Oh no," he said in a strict voice, "You've been bad so you don't get it. I'll let you have a leaf hood after you've shown you can behave."
Abra growled and jumped off Ash's head, landing in front of him. Abra raised his hands and aimed at Ash.
"Not again!" Ash shouted as he felt himself being lifted into the air, "Abra, cut it out!"
Abra just giggled before tossing Ash towards the toy pile. The toy pile that Pikachu had only just climbed out of.
"Pika!" the Pokémon yelled as Ash landed on the pile, taking Pikachu with him.
Once Ash managed to yank the Torchic bobble head that was stabbing him in the back out and sat up, he saw that little Abra sitting atop the shelf with the leaf hoods, wearing one proudly.
"If you act like that around Mrs. Armistead's grandson, then no wonder she warned me about you."
Ash kept grumbling, along with Pikachu who was riding on his shoulder as usual. They both looked behind them, at the little Abra who was happily wearing a leaf hood and walking right behind them as they made their way towards the center of Pallet Town.
"To think such a cute baby Pokémon could be so devious," Ash sighed, "Almost reminds me of that Teddiursa from back in Johto…"
"Pika-pikachu," Pikachu muttered, his back still sore from dealing with that toy pile twice.
Ash looked back over his shoulder to check on Abra once more…only to notice it wasn't there.
"C'mon, already!" Ash exclaimed, looking this way and that.
Upon hearing a very familiar giggle, Ash looked up at the top of a nearby tree. There was Abra, hanging out on top of the tree and laughing at Ash and Pikachu.
"Abra, no! Get down from there!"
Abra got a devious expression on his face before it proceeded to jump off the top of the tree. Ash panicked and ran forward, moving this way and that to make sure he caught Abra, which he did…with his face.
"Oof!" Ash grunted as the Pokémon collided with his face, sending the three falling back onto the ground.
Abra moved so that it was sitting on Ash's stomach, grabbing Ash's hat and putting it on its own head along the way, jumping a couple times and clapping its hands. Pikachu went up to Abra and began to speak to it angrily for its action.
"That was a terrible thing to do," Ash stated as he sat up. He grabbed his hat back from Abra, returning it to his own head, "Abra, what were you thinking? I keep telling you, you can really hurt someone by doing things like that."
Abra wasn't paying attention, looking away. Ash felt angry and placed his hands on Abra's face, forcing the Pokémon to look at him.
"Listen, Abra!" he pleaded, "You have to stop stuff like that. You could even hurt yourself, you know! I can't always be there to catch you. And you can't rely on Teleport to save you all the time."
When Ash let go of Abra's face, the Pokémon looked down. Ash briefly wondered if he might have sounded a bit too harsh. He got Abra off of him and stood up, brushing the dirt off his clothes as Pikachu jumped back on his shoulder.
"Alright, Abra, so you'll be-And it's gone again."
Ash and Pikachu stared blankly as Abra laughed at them from the top of another tree it had teleported to. Ash also noticed that, sitting atop Abra's head, was Ash's hat.
"When did it get that?" Ash asked patting the top of his head. He let out a frustrated noise, "This is the most energetic Abra I've ever seen."
Ash glared at the Pokémon for a minute before coming up with an idea. He gently took Pikachu off his shoulder and placed the Pokémon on the ground.
"Keep an eye on Abra, okay, Pikachu?" Ash asked, "It just likes to cause trouble, so it won't teleport too far away from you."
"Pika?" Pikachu said questioningly as Ash ran off down the road.
"I'm going to get a little help," was all Ash replied.
Ash took one more look at that Abra, giggling away atop the tree, before hurrying down the road to get that special help.
And done! What does Ash Ketchum have in mind concerning the misbehaving Abra? Who is this helper that he has gone off to get? Will the Abra ever act nicely? And what further mishaps await our young hero as he continues his adventure with his very first daycare guest? Tune in next time to find out!
Honestly, I had planned on adding the ending to this chapter. But I figured it was already long enough so I decided to end it here. Makes me wonder how long the next chapter, whenever that gets released, will be. Oh well, we'll find out soon enough.
Well, no matter what happens, we have Gary Oak to thank for all of this. Keep reading and reviewing!
