Chapter 2: Friday Night Outing (Part 1)
After finishing their Friday classes at 18:00, the students of Lorfel Highschool went to different locations. Those in any sort of trouble went to detention, while those not in any sort of trouble went either back to their homes or out in town.
One of those students was Daniela. The Dragonite was in the group of students heading to their homes. A 15 minutes uneventful walk to the dark red block with a dark blue roof which acted as her house since she was adopted. The girl got adopted after her biological parents were killed in the violent takeover of Orbaj Town. In which they died at the hands of the rulers who ruled over them with iron fists, the same rulers getting overthrown. Since her hometown left the Social State of Ruinelia and became part of the Democratic Republic of Ilfev, said town had only known prosperity. Not meaning that their democracy wasn't flawed, like the democracies of many other places in the world Daniela and many others lived in. But it was a way better system of governance than the one the girl lived her childhood through.
"Hello there, sweetheart." A very familiar voice greeted Daniela from behind, right as she was about to search for the keys needed to unlock the locked door of her house. Making the Dragonite turn around to face the owner of that voice: Her adoptive mother.
The girl had to look down in order to greet the face of Salazzle looking up that had been her mother for almost a decade. Her fathers accompanied her mother, surrounding her while looking up at Daniela's face. Four Salandit, being part of the Salazzle's harem. All members of the family were currently walking on two legs.
"Hello, mom and dads." The Dragonite replied to her mother's greeting. "Looks like we arrived home at the very same time today."
"Indeed we did! Which is great, because we have a favour to ask of you!" The Salazzle spoke for both herself and her husbands. "You see, me and your fathers wish to have this evening to ourselves. And you don't have any work to do for school, do you?"
"Not at all. There are no projects for me to work on nor any tests I have to study for." Daniela truthfully replied. She also did not have any homework, as the school system of Lorfel Highschool did not permit for weekend homework to be given to students. Only sorts of work that students could be assigned over weekends were projects and studies they had to do for upcoming tests.
"Exactly! Therefore, we wish of you to go do the groceries this once!" The Dragonite's adoptive mother continued to speak for both herself and her husbands, while searching for something in her purse. "I already wrote a list of all the things we need for the following month or so." The woman then stated, while handing her daughter the thing she just searched through her purse for.
"I see." Daniela plainly replied, as the girl was reading the first few lines of the list she was handed. The names and desired quantities of different things that could be bought at the Junes Department Store. "Then, I guess we'll see each other later?"
"Indeed! I know you can do this, darling. You're all grown up now." The Salazzle stated, while continuing to look up at the face of her adopted daughter.
"Indeed you are!" One of the four Salandit then stated, agreeing with his wife.
"INDEED YOU ARE!" Another one of the four Salandit then stated, agreeing with the first one to speak and his wife.
"Indeed you are…At least for now…" Another one of the four Salandit then stated.
The fourth one remained quiet.
"Indeed I am…But I'll do it after I don't have a school bag to carry around." The Dragonite replied to her mother's statement through a statement that imitated the way her parents often started a bunch of their statements. "
"I can bring it in the house for you, darling." Her adoptive mother offered, while holding her right hand towards her adopted daughter. Who immediately put her backpack onto it.
"Thanks, and see you later." Daniela thanked and said goodbye in the same statement, before avoiding her parents on her walk towards the Junes Department Store.
The Dragonite was pushing a shopping cart between the isles of goods sold at the Junes Department Store. The cart was one of those meant to be used by larger species of Pokemon. It also already contained some of the goods she was asked by her parents to buy. As Daniela had been shopping for almost an hour now. Going through the shop in the search of specific goods, stopping whenever she spotted any of them. Before putting the quantities of those goods her parents desired into her shopping cart.
This sucked. That is what the girl believed. Instead of spending time together as a family, her parents sent her away to do grocery shopping so they could get all lovey-dovey. Daniela was not a fan of that. The Dragonite even considered that she'd appreciate seeing her parents get all lovey-dovey if it meant they would do so while spending time with her…Dunno, grocery shopping together as a family? Anything that would make her feel loved and part of her family, at that point. Being sent away to do chores also did not help with her feeling of being unloved by her family. Especially because Daniela already felt enough like a bother to her family's finances, considering that most of the goods the Dragonite put in her shopping cart were large quantities of food meant for her belly. If only she didn't have to eat this much...The girl didn't eat so much because she wanted to, but because she had to. Or else her body wouldn't have been able to work properly.
Either way, Daniela knew that being such a negativist would get her nowhere. So, the Dragonite decided to suck it up for now, finish grocery shopping, then go relax back at her house. Wishing to see what else she had to shop for, the girl glanced at the grocery list written by black pen on white paper by her mother. Which Daniela put into the grocery list holder of the shopping cart.
A lightbulb. Her parents wished for her to buy a singular lightbulb. Which the Dragonite found in the electronics department of the Junes Department Store. As she placed it in the ever growing pile of goods in her shopping cart, something caught her attention.
A TV. But, like, a massive TV. A beautiful 8K definition image of a treeless, hilly plain without flowers covered its screen. A screen which the girl mentally remarked that it was as tall as herself and twice as wide as herself. The curious eyes of the Dragonite then lowered their gaze to something placed on the stand on which this beauty of a TV was displayed. Its price tag, which was way bigger than herself. In the sum displayed, not its size.
Daniela considered just how much of a waste it was for this expensive beauty, clearly meant for the richer population of her world, to be brought in a town that capitalism reintegrated itself not even a decade ago. Maybe those in charge of what the Junes Department Store sold thought that some of the richer foreigners that came from abroad to live in Orbaj Town would buy it?
The Dragonite then started to approach the TV. Considering that, if one of those foreigners was going to buy it at some point, she might as well enjoy the pretty photos it displayed until that moment came. From as close as possible. After all, the girl didn't know on what other occasion she would get the chance to see photos in 8K definition.
Daniela's walk towards the massive TV was interrupted by Joina exiting through the TV. Passing through its screen just like a Ghost-type passes through a wall. The Nickit masterfully landed onto all fours while looking at the floor she landed onto. She then raised her grinning face to look straight ahead, her grin meeting part of the Dragonite's body. A sight which made the grin die as Joina jerked her head upwards to look at the dragon-type's face. The eyes of the Nickit being as wide-eyed as those of the Dragonite.
Then, a certain Riolu came into the electronics section of the Junes Department Store in an almost identical fashion as her ally. The only difference being that she did not look at the floor below her while, and after, landing onto it. The Queen of Battles met the dragon-type's face with a defeated look of 'Welp, looks like we got found doing paranormal shit.'.
The three girls stood in awkward, shocked silence for a few moments. Through which a very familiar Pokémon to Daniela made himself present by phasing through the screen of the massive TV.
The Eevee's presence was enough to make the Dragonite break out of the part of her shock that kept her quiet until then.
"What. The. Fuck?!" Daniela asked the three Pokémon who just phased out of a TV. A question that most who found themselves in this sort of situation would ask.
"Want for us to, erm…Explain everything over food and drinks?" The Nickit offered.
"Well- Preferably-" The dragon-type started, not knowing exactly how to respond to this 'meal first, explanation later' offer. Before realising that giving them the time to consider exactly how to explain everything would mean that these three would give her a better constructed explanation. Or have the time to construct a good lie. But although Daniela was sure that Joina and the Riolu were well-versed in the art of lying, the Dragonite was also sure that her BFF, Andrei, would be incapable of properly lying to her even if he tried. The only sort of lying that boy could do was attempting to hide information, but not replace it with lies. Daniela wondered if he would attempt to hide the reason as to why a black collar covered by a pattern of pink hearts was placed around his neck.
"Sure. But only if you pay and you also help me finish my groceries." The big dragon-type finished her statement, before using her right hand to point towards the shopping cart placed somewhere behind her. Making the trio that just leapt out of a TV look at it, before looking back at her face.
"I-I will, Daniela…" Andrei finally said something after returning to his world. "And I'm sorry…" He then said, while staring at the floor underneath him. Before starting to head towards the shopping cart. After hearing this, the Dragonite made a mental note to ask the Eevee exactly what he was sorry about later, over food and drinks.
"We do not owe you any explanation, but I'll still explain if it means getting free food and drinks." We're the first words the Riolu said after coming back to her world.
"You will, as I'll make sure to pay for everything that you eat." The ally of the Queen of Battles replied. Making the large dragon-type girl scoff at seeing such a clear display of how a rich foreigner acts. She would have had more respect for Joina's charitable act of paying the bill, if the money she used to do so was not her parent's. Yes, singular. The jewellery lover was raised only by her rich mother. And Daniela would have been ashamed to use that money if she was Joina, considering the shameful ways it was obtained through.
The trio did as they promised. After seeing what goods still needed to be placed in the Dragonite's shopping cart, they counted how many there were. They then split that number into three, each representing the amount of goods each one had to go and put into the shopping cart. After each wrote the names of the goods they each had to procure on their phones, the three individually went around the department store in order to procure them. But not before Andrei sent some messages detailing to his father that he is helping Daniela with grocery shopping. As a response to his three worried messages of not receiving the usual message of:
"I have arrived home." -18:20
Which the Eevee sent whenever he arrived at his home every day of every work week. As his workaholic father was not there to greet him. At least he made up for his absence by being overly present throughout the weekends, and using the money he received by working for the benefit of the family. His father responded with:
"Alr, have fun. You prob just forgot to tell me earlier." -19:10
Once all of the groceries were paid for with the credit card connected to the bank account of Daniela's parents, the Dragonite carried almost all of them back to her house. The other ones were carried by The Queen of Battles, Joina and Andrei. The Riolu carrying the most out of that trio, while the Nickit carried just a single bag. As all of the goods were carried around in reusable bags that the dragon-type just bought at the Junes Department Store. Which would join the collection her family had of reusable bags they have bought from places they bought groceries in, but never reused. Because they always forgot to take these bags with them whenever they did grocery shopping.
Back at her house, Daniela was helped by the Eevee and the so-called Team Bitches to put all of the goods she just bought into storage places dedicated to them. Except for the singular light bulb. Which the Dragonite left on the table in the living room, for her parents to use. Whenever they came back home, as they were not in it at that moment. Meaning that the Sallazle and her four Salandit husbands went to get all lovey-dovey somewhere else in Orbaj Town, a location that was not their house.
After locking the door of her house, their adopted large dragon-type girl looked at the normal-type, dark-type and fighting-type that just watched her do so. Looking down at these short Pokémon looking up at her face.
"Now, let's discuss over food and drinks about…Whatever the fuck you guys did with that TV." Daniela then stated. "I'll give you the freedom to choose a restaurant."
"Well, I know a place~" Joina replied, before her tail faced the Dragonite. "I'll lead you all there…And you're free to stare as much as you wish~" The Nickit then added, before raising her tail. Daniela looked away with a disgusted huff. Not wishing to look at the unwashed, and very used, ass of the horny beast that pretended to be a Nickit named Joina. The was how the Dragonite viewed the dark-type in front of her.
"You disgust me sometimes." The Queen of Battles voiced the opinion that she, Daniela and Andrei shared about the dark-type present.
"Yet you still consider me a friend~" Joina replied to the voiced opinion, before leading the way. Andrei, The Queen of Battles and Daniela followed her, while looking anywhere but at her. Being unable to lose track of the Nickit even without looking at her, because the sound of her jewellery clinging could be heard at any step she took.
Andrei also made sure to tell his father through text messaging that he was going with Daniela at some restaurant. The conversation went like this:
"Hey, I'm going with Daniela at a restaurant right now." -20:43
"Ohhhh, you asked her out?" -20:47
"Wait what NO it is nothing like that-" -20:49
"Gl, and use protection." -20:49
"Oh." -20:50
"Welp, have fun either way. See you home before tomorrow morning, alr?" -20:52
Eight minutes after that text conversation ended, the four arrived at the restaurant Joina led them to by using the clinging of her jewellery as a guide. Making everyone accompanying the Nickit regret the decision of letting her choose the place to get food and drinks at.
Because that place was a maid cafe. Which in its own words written in white on a part of the beige wall facing the street, marketed itself as:
"Cafe Emiko: A maid cafe for almost all tastes, except the necrophiliac and pedophiliac kind. Those with those sorts of tastes found in the premises of this cafe will be taken to the police."
"You better actually pay the bill or I will fucking kill you." The Queen of Battles threatened her Nickit ally.
"Now, that is not language to use with your friends, is it?" An Emolga told the group, her body covered by a maid dress as she held a menu in her right hand. Being one of those workers that have the sole job of attracting customers into a restaurant whenever said restaurant isn't full. And also a short stack, bearing a large chest and rear for those of her proportions. Yet they did not look out of proportion with her petite body, unlike the chest of a certain Diancie.
"Well, she won't be my friend for much longer if she keeps bringing me to places meant for incels." The Riolu growled back at the Emolga
"That's also not a good way to call some of our other patrons…Although some of them would enjoy being called that by The Queen of Battles herself." The 'maid' replied to the Queen of Battles herself.
"Grrrrrr- Joina, free fucking food, yes?" The Riolu asked her Nickit ally while growling.
"Anything you order, as long as you actually eat it~" Joina answered, while doing her signature grinning.
"Then I'll put up with the perverted freaks inside of this building, while trying to forget that you and Andrei will enjoy this experience." The wearer of two strips of white cloth concluded, her maws gradually stopping their growling as she did so.
Andrei's face visibly fell at that remark. Daniela couldn't care less. She knew that boys could be rather horny during their years of changing, and had no problem with the Eevee being as such. After all, unlike a certain Nickit, he didn't go around to hit on, or tease, anything with a pulse.
"I-I m-mean, I-I'm only here f-for the f-food…" The Eevee defended himself.
"Same here. I'm not even into girls, or whatev." The Dragonite added to his defence.
"That is good enough for me, Masters." The Emolga 'maid' told the four, now calling them masters because they confirmed to be patrons. As it is tradition to do in some maid cafes. At least in some Japanese light novels, manga and anime of the world of those reading this fic. Not the world of the characters those readers are reading about. But in their very shit world.
The shortstack electric-type then led the group into the maid cafe. Where they were surrounded by four pink walls, on which some posters were placed onto. Some of which contained depictions of Pokémon, as photographs or drawings, which were presenting something or another thing to the customers seated at the white furniture placed on the white floor of the establishment.
"Give me a bit to get you a table fit for your needs, Masters." The Emolga stated, before leaving the group at the doorway.
The Queen of Battles thought about how maybe free food wouldn't make up for the emotional and psychological damage this establishment would give her. Before and while she was being seated at a table by the 'maid' that was half her height. The Riolu, the Eevee and the Nickit had white chairs of the same size to sit on. The Dragonite, instead, was seated on a white chair for Pokémon of her proportions. Her head was closer to the white ceiling of the room than the white table its eyes were looking at. Andrei and Daniela sat on the same side of the table and Joina accompanied The Queen of Battles on the opposite side to the two friends since childhood.
The Emolga that seated them at this table then adorned it with the four menus she carried from the moment she fetched the group a second time. Everyone, except for Joina, started to look through these menus as the shortstack was leaving. To go back to her posting outside of the restaurant.
"Joina, are you sure that you're not pulling our leg with your promise to pay for everything?" The Queen of Battles voiced everyone's thoughts, after a few minutes of browsing the menus of the maid cafe.
"Yeah, all of these prices are above the prices most of the restaurants in this area show on their menus." Daniela continued to voice everyone's thoughts.
"So? There is so much that you can eat, and I'll only pay for what you end up eating." The Nickit replied to their comments.
"Then, I've decided." The Riolu replied, after hearing the response of her Nickit ally. As she was closing the menu between her hands, before placing it onto the white table in front of her.
"I have also made a choice." The Dragonite stated after The Queen of Battles, as she did the same gesture the Riolu did.
"Same here…" Andrei stated, joining the growing group of Pokemon that decided what they'd order by doing so. The Eevee then depicted that such was the case by recreating the same gesture the fighting-type Pokemon and dragon-type Pokemon did.
"And I decided on what I would get for quite a while now." Joina, who didn't even bother to look through the menu, revealed that she was the first one to join the group of Pokemon that knew what they would eat at the maid cafe. "After all, I am somewhat of a regular of this establishment." The Nickit then added, as a way to explain how she already knew what she could order at Cafe Emiko.
"You're a regular here?!" A very surprised fighting-type girl stated. "I thought you brought us to an establishment catering to incels because you wanted to mess with us, not because you actually like this shit!" She then proceeded to state what everyone at the table, except for the dark-type, thought.
"Having fun by messing around with you was one of the reasons why I brought you here, yes~" Joina admitted, her signature grin plastered on her face. "But I also simply enjoy the food and services offered by this establishment~"
"As, unlike in other maid cafes, the food that is served here is actually good." The jewellery lover made another point as to why she was a regular of Cafe Emiko.
"I very much hope that you're right…" Was the response of The Queen of Battles to that.
Seeing as her group was not ready to explain what it had promised to explain to her, Daniela started to look around the restaurant. Curious to see what sorts of Pokemon visited, or worked at, this sort of establishment. To see those Pokemon until someone came to take the orders of the group or said group started its exposition session, as a way to pass the time.
Most of the Pokemon the Dragonite spotted were exactly the sorts she expected to be either customers or workers. But there were also some surprises. The first being her parents being seated at one of the tables. The dragon-type considered just how odd a maid cafe made for a place for her parents to get all lovey-dovey in, considering what the main audience of such an establishment was. The dragon-type girl also felt betrayed at seeing her four Salandit fathers and Salazzle mother in the cafe. As it meant that they gave the dragon-type girl the task of doing grocery shopping in order to spend some of their free time in Cafe Emiko. Instead of spending time with her, their adopted child. Making Daniela feel like she was valued less than a fucking maid cafe.
Not wishing to look at her parents anymore, Daniela looked somewhere else. Spotting something which startled her a lot. A clearly male Leafeon wearing a maid dress, approaching the table of her group. The fact that it was male not being the fact that startled the Dragonite. But the fact that-
"Have you decided what you'd like to order, Masters?" Andrei heard a very familiar voice ask him. Confused as to why that voice would ask him such a thing, the Eevee looked up from the simple video game he was playing on his phone. A phone that was placed onto the white surface of the table in front of him.
Just as the Leafeon 'maid' raised his head, in order to meet the eyes of his current patrons. Meeting the shocked stare of a certain Normal-type Pokemon, who was looking at a stare becoming shocked.
"Son?!" The Leafeon shouted out, just as the Eevee shouted out: "DAD?!"
All of the patrons and 'maids' of the cafe were now looking towards the table the Andrei, Daniela, Joina and The Queen of Battles were sat at. The Nickit of the group laughing her arse off at what was happening. The Salazzle and her four Salandit husbands were surprised to spot their adopted daughter at Cafe Emiko, instead of resting back at their house, after having finished the grocery shopping they assigned to her.
"Don't-Ahahahahahahaha-" The Nickit tried to speak between her laughs. "Don't tell me he- Hahaha-"
"Don't tell me he never told you what his job was, ha!-" The jewellery lover finished the statement she forced between her laughs.
"Y-you told me that y-you worked at a cafe…" A bewildered Andrei told his adoptive father.
"Technically, I didn't lie…This is a cafe…" His adoptive father defended himself. "Look, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you…Just…I only work here because the pay is better than at other cafes and restaurants…And…It is not a job to boast about having…"
"I-I get it…Especially why you wouldn't say it…" The Eevee replied to the Leafeon's defending, understanding his perspective. "I was just, you know…"
"Yeah, shocked. I get it, son. Or should I call you…?" The 'maid' asked his adopted son.
"No, please don't. That'd be just…Weird, yah." His son replied.
"Yeah, I'll just take your order…Whenever you are ready…" Andrei's adoptive father attempted to get back into his job, after the shock of being seen by his own adopted son in such circumstances.
"Bring me some Omurice, with chanting! Alongside a Rawst berry flavoured Ramune soda!" The shameless, grinning Joina was the first one to order. Making the Leafeon's face drop at the thought that he would have to show his adopted son one of the silly chants done by some 'maids' whenever they serve Omurice.
"Wild Magikarp sashimi accompanied by a Normal Berry Ramune soda for me." The Queen of Battles was the second one to order.
"Wild Pidgey Ramen for me, no soda needed, mr. Lup." Daniela, who was acquainted with the Leafeon, was the third one to order.
"I'll have some wild Pidgey Yakisoba, with an Oran berry flavoured Ramune soda…" The Eevee ordered for his adoptive father to bring, as the last Pokemon of the group to order.
The Leafeon silently nodded, then left in order to take these orders to the kitchen of Cafe Emiko. Alongside the attention of those who watched the scene made by himself and his adopted son. Who went back to paying attention to their own matters, and not what was happening at the table where the son of one of the workers was apparently sitting at.
"Well…That happened." Daniela stated the truth. "But it shouldn't distract us from the reason as to why we are here, in the first place."
"To eat dinner and have fun?" The Nickit asked, grinning as always.
"Yes to the first one, no to the second one." The Dragonite replied, before scoffing. "You guys are supposed to tell me what exactly happened back in The Junes Department Store."
"Oh, we will…After we receive our food and drinks, that is." The jewellery lover replied, while flashing the dragon-type a grin. "We don't wish for Kenza to hear what we are talking about when he brings our food, do we?"
They truly didn't. So instead, each Pokemon waited for the Leafeon to bring their food, in one way or another. Andrei distracted himself from all the thoughts going around his head by playing a simple video game on his phone. Whenever he wasn't glancing at his crush, who was sitting right next to him. While reading a surprisingly well-written romance book on her phone, a thing which none at the table, but herself, knew she was currently reading. As Joina scrolled and scrolled through the social media feed present on her phone. Her Riolu friend looked at her feed, not so silently judging some of the posts that made a presence on it.
That was the case until their food and drinks were brought. Firstly, the drinks, then the food. The Eevee drank a quarter of his Oran Berry flavoured Ramune soda, while The Queen of Battles finished her whole serving of Normal Berry flavoured Ramune soda in one go. Joina kept her Rawst Berry Ramune soda to be consumed by her alongside her food, and Daniela did not receive a beverage because she did not order one.
The food then followed. Wild Pidgey Yakisoba for the only boy at the table. Wild Magikarp Sashimi for the so-called queen. Wild Pidgey Ramen for the biggest Pokemon of the group. And Omurice for the one who brought the group to Café Emiko.
Who received the Omurice alongside a chant sang by Kenza, a chant that promised to make the dish be tastier. He finished singing it at the same time he released a load of ketchup onto the Omurice. Before quickly scurrying away.
"Now that he won't come here until we are clearly done with eating…" The seemingly always grinning Joina started stating a statement, while watching the Leafeon walk away from her table.
"How about I start explaining?"
End of chapter 2: Friday Night Outing (Part 1)