Pokemon Daycare (UNDER EDITING)

by CGMayra

A new twist on Daycares! Inspiring Adventures where children and pokemon learn to get along and be better friends! But chaos threaten the kindergarten-like Daycare as many adventures take dangerous turns! Do the future trainers have what it takes to tackle these problems and create lasting friendships? Candy will make sure of it! (SERIES) CONTAINS: Cute feels!

1. New Beginnings & The First Day

Pokemon Daycare

Ch.1

New Beginnings

By: Cutegirlmayra (Before I go on my mission, I want to try and write the first chapters to stories that I want to do when I get back. This way, I can't possibly forget them! :D So, hopefully, my future self will be able to pick up where I left her off ;) You're welcome, and welcome home! :D Some extra stuff like plot points and arcs are being made up as I speak, so stay tuned! EDITED: I'm just reviewing my story, combining Chapters 1 and 2 due to their short lengths. I hope to edit all my stories in the future! I have so many notes about where this story's going and what to do next, that I want to make sure I never forget the tone of the original work! Please enjoy the edits :)b)

A young girl, wearing a pink dress with a white fluffy rim on the end and around the choker neckline, rushed through the snowy streets of her home city and dashed through the forest as quick as she possibly could. Her matching hat had a white pokeball-logo upon it that was also found on her gloves and the chest of her dress. The logo was of two white arches and an added white center dot. This design was placed just above the white rim of the hat that looked like bundled clouds, having two thin strings the size of wires hanging down and holding two cotton balls that matched the snowy apparel jingle at her bouncy pace while she raced by in her snow shoes.

One could say it matched the look of Driftloon or Tentacool.

"They're coming!" She screamed, rushing by an old couple as the man and woman had to hold onto their coat and hats.

Her gloves were fingerless, which was an odd choice but matched the designed logo and pink with white colors of her hat, even having the dangling cotton balls on both sides. Strangely enough, this ensemble resembled the dangling accessories found on her dress and corresponding choker-collar as well. She skidded along the icy road to make a sharp turn, as though a skater or car bracing for the swift turn to win a Grand Prix. As she did so, snow sprayed up like foam from the sea, bundling to instantly melt on her dampening black, knee-length leggings underneath that kept her warm but exposed the bottom of her legs. Again, an interesting choice, but this was her look for any day of the year, and so it had some sporting chance in the summer as well.

An odd girl, her boots matching the overall theme,... Wait, another set of bouncy cotton?! This turns out to make the grand total of puff balls around 14 sets on the sides of her hat, dress, gloves, choker—that was attached to the dress—and boots. Crazy girl, out in a child's outfit like that?! It all certainly gave her an almost silly look but her expression remained flawlessly serious as she raced in whatever direction she was heading for.

"My, that seemed to be Candy." The old woman stated, blinking her wrinkly eyes off to see the neon, bright blonde girl charging towards some direction off an old beaten path.

"Seems to be heading towards the old, run down Daycare center. You know, the one that used to be famous for raising Pokemon and Children together. Learning to get along and be friends, something along the lines of making the next great generation of pokemon trainers, I believe." The old man responded, recollecting the information while holding his cane up and shaking it a bit as he thought out loud, before offering his arm again to his wife.

She dusted herself off, showing a bit of annoyance at being startled with snow from the girl's vigorous run by them, but also a warm smile to show she understood the brazen youth, remembering a time when she had such energy. "Ah, I believe Pearl's grandmother first started that, before her family ran out of money. Oh, bless her heart." The woman took her husband's hand and began their pleasant stroll along the snowy path again. Before they fully walked off, the old woman turned a few times to call behind her shoulder, "Here, Delcatty! Here, girl."

The old man then called out, "Purugly! Let's go, ol'boy."

The two pokemon bounced out of the bushes, pawing as though playing tag in the snow before their ears lifted up, innocently unaware of what had befallen their elder trainers as they were playing. Happy to be called, they cried out in their usual sounds and lovingly followed their older couple on their daily scroll. Their tails were up in a friendly gesture that they truly did enjoy this time outdoors with them.

It had just ended snowing the night before, and though it was cold, the city was sparkling with winter delight! Candy was in her usual winter attire, but never bothered to change it up much for the other seasons; meaning that, unfortunately, this was her chosen look. Her warm and comfy beanie hat was to her liking, even with the signature, childish puffballs on the ends of them. They were everywhere on her, but she thought it added a cute, wintry spring in her step, a charm to her spirit... but could have been interpreted by some onlookers as maybe stupid. The dress looped out around her feminine sides like a hula-hoop—well, slightly. Enough so that it still showed off her growing curves, but not enough to take her beyond her age. She tried to leave her straight, 'rectanglely' hair down to keep the rest of herself warm, taking pride in that the length of her hair could come darn near close to her elbows. She wore the normal length boots to protect the rest of her legs that were exposed by the black leggings.

But enough about her baby blue eyes and looks, or those darn, scrunchy balls of soft material that dingle-dangled all about her! Ehem... It's clear that this young girl seemed the stereotypical kind that could blink her big eyes and possibly receive the world, but that was not the case for Candy Kitsuné... T-that's not her real name, is it? Is it metaphorical for her potentially great abilities to be refined with added age and maturity of wise thoughts into something grand and mystical? ... Regardless, her nature was not one to ever seem to attain 'true victory' over anything she did, despite her ambitions to become a Pokemon Trainer that could create stunning movies and epic, creative battles. Mostly, her greatest desire was to connect well and beautifully with the endlessly populated and popular creatures upon this world known as Pokémon.

More than anything, she had come to this path for a grand purpose. To hone her teetering skills at bonding with pokemon, managing to either ingeniously succeed or pathetically fail when it came to such things as understanding and working well with them. Private Trainer School stated she only 'just barely' made the quota to actually graduate, with one of the wildest ranges of grades to date. However, with all these setbacks and some raw talents she couldn't seem to muster an adequate understanding for and of, nothing was going to stop her from connecting to that goal of reaching her biggest dreams!

In a world... of Pokémon!

"Ohhhh! I'm gonna be late! They're gonna be there, but I won't be!" she panicked, "Where did my positive thinking training go!? Ohh... Umm... They're gonna be late! And then I won't be the first to be late!" As she started to huff and puff and slow down, seeming to lose her way, her comical pep-talk seemed to wane as well. Panting as she finally bent to clutch her hands to her knees, she looked around and shouted out again, startling some flying-type pokemon in the nearby woods. "Oh no!" She straightened her back up, and then threw her head back, placing her hands on her head.

"Where did the Daycare goo-oh-oh-oooo!?"

Seeming to fall to despair at her hopelessness in getting lost, she fell on the path and sat in the melting snow, sniffling and gripping her head in her distress.

...A Short Distance Away...

An old woman, having a bit of a hunch in her back, simply from old age had stepped out on the porch of a rusted old building, completely in shambles with a rusty old jungle gym and playground that used to host pokemon and children alike. Completely unlivable… but Pearl wasn't going to give up on her and her grandmother's dream… not just yet, anyway!

She wore an Asian throw-over dress that suited her nicely, with her added decorated cane that matched her small stature. Her hair was up in a neat bun, with a strange reddish orange-... w-what is that?

"Octavius? My poor eyes can't see well with all this beautiful white snow… to bright for my old eyesight. Tell me, can you see my young friend? She was supposed to show up for work before the new shipment arrived." The old woman looked up, holding a string of pearls around her neck, fiddling with them as she removed her thin lines that were his eyes from the blinding view outside. A sweet old woman, wearing a traditional Japanese get-up, very light in color, showing some faded silk pink.

The thing in front of her bun, angled slightly to her left suddenly wiggled and tentacles uncupped from having suctioned around her head.

The Octillery, apparently holding on with his Suction Cups ability as to not fall off her head, lifted one of his tentacles to her nose, letting her know he heard her and tried to use his other arms to shield her delicate eyes from the glare of the sun on the snowy landscape. He then squinted his own eyes after tenderly responding to her, and seemed to begin looking around and searching for the girl. It shook it's head, "Octi…" and seemed depressed it couldn't identify anything.

"Hmm… Maybe Nevermore can help us." She reached into her long sleeve, deep into a pocket that was sowed-in there, pulling out a pokeball. She placed her eye to it and her thin line suddenly parted only slightly to reveal a wrinkly old eye, but beautifully shining now exposed fully to the light, "No, no, that's not quite right." She put that one back, and then took another pokeball out to scrutinize. "Ah, here we go. Come on out, love!" she threw the pokeball up and into the air.

"MURKROW!" the pokemon flew around and slowly flapped its wings down to hover in front of his master, the light of the pokeball fading after bringing his corresponding life energy out into the world again.

"I'm sure there's a young girl stuck in the forest somewhere. Would you be a dear and help her here, please?" Pearl nodded her head forward, and her Murkrow nodded in agreement, and flew off.

She leaned a moment, adjusting the weight on her head she was so accustomed to by now, and straightened up her back. The hunch left and she stood, regal and refined, as though another woman suddenly...

"I sense we are to be presented by a great presence..." she stated boldly, but Octillery blinked and turned his head, curious at her words as he also looked to see when this 'greatness' would arrive as well.

...Still on the path, but not quite out of the woods...

"Hello Miss Pearl, I'm here to be—yet again—greatly disappointing!"

To conquer her fear of the increasing danger of the woods getting scarier and scarier as the dark settled in upon the shades of the many snowed-covered trees… Candy's 'positive thinking' tried to get her to rehearse her greeting to her new employer. It was hard to take the technique seriously when she knew wild pokemon were in the woods... And the stories she heard about humans turning into ghost-type pokemon had scared her without fail as a younger child. She put her fingers together, looking around and deciding that she'd better look confident and brave or else...

So she puffed up her chest, and filled her cheeks with air, about to stomp and look bigger and better than any scarier pokemon before she heard a 'hooting' and 'slight, grumbled roar' off in some unknown direction from her she couldn't identify.

She gulped, deflating. "You know, maybe self-deprecation isn't everyone's favorite style of humor... It's not really working out for me right now, so why would it work for a potentially stronger wild pokemon that could be out here lookin' for a snack that thinks it's funny..."

She only had two pokemon accompanying her. Her father, being a trading breeder who traveled internationally to breed, train, and deliver desired pokemon to his clients, gifted her a Pichu who had hatched in her baby's cradle was her first lifelong companion. Her mother, who owned her own jewelry and rare stones shop, had watched in horror as Candy accidentally knocked over an Everstone... to which the Pichu swallowed but was still miraculously able to hold other items... just unable to evolve as it so desperately desired to get stronger. This was Zippity,... the name's I have to endure... anyway, the other was a Chikorita she received along with a pokedex as presents upon graduation for that particular class... This was really why she wanted to at least barely pass her pokemon training school. All the pokemon were given as slots, randomized according to the brand new trainer's graduation level... Since Candy didn't exactly get the best spot in the class, she received a lesser pokemon starter which was described as 'difficult, as in high-maintenance, but a grass-type, which meant easier to raise.' ... she didn't find that 'easier' part very true. She named this one Flower... Alright, I'll live that. At least it's sensible...

Candy wasn't very knowledgeable about pokemon, even with her studying… which she didn't do very well at either. But she had a natural ability to be creative in battles with pokemon, and her inspiring sparring matches with unbelievable comebacks led the teachers to believe she wasn't as naive and foolish as her grades may have suggested… It was this particular sporting grade that ended up giving her the overall 'okay' to graduate, after a serious debate in a council with her teachers.

"H-hello?" Candy shivered, not out of being cold, but out of fear.

"Kaw! Kaw!" something in the shadows flew down at lightning speeds to her.

"AH!" she jumped back, pulling out her pokeball and cowering slightly, "Zippity, you like fighting, save me!" she threw her pokeball, as a feisty young Pichu came out of it, and glared the unknown pokemon down. It was itching for a good battle, a worthy opponent, and one that could make it stronger. Even with it's... sadly 'unable to surgically remove due to dangerously small body size' Everstone tragedy, it was still motivated to become the strongest Pichu ever. It stepped forward boldly, tightening with a sure tug on it's Focus Band around it's head, and pouncing left and right as it dropped to all fours, excited to finally get some action again!

Even if her trainer was pathetic… she still felt at least she had potential in being amazing.

She still was never fully over that incident, traumatized that her future was canceled out by a klutzy Candy who accidentally tripped at her Mother's jewelry store and forced a bunch of evolution stones off the table, making it impossible for Zippity to ever get stronger by evolving… She was still enraged by such a memory, so overcome with a deep-sitting hatred that laid like a literal rock at the bottom of her stomach..! If a Pichu could learn Spite... Zip-Pity was more like it—Y-you know what? l-let's just get back to the battle at hand, shall we?

Zippity sparked her cheeks, ready as ever with all those emotions spiraling around her in little angry electric surges before the pokemon stopped charging them. "Kaw, Kaw!"

It then slowly lowered itself down, landing, and bending it's head down as it approached non-threateningly. Candy, now peeking up from her shielding arms after seeing Pichu stop sparking and tilt her head in confusion, which was common for Pichu's but she knew this was definitely a different circumstance. She noticed it was one of Pearl's pokemon, though. She pulled out a picture of Miss Pearl and noted the black, bird-like pokemon on her shoulder. "Wait… Murkrow?"

"Ka-ow!" Flapping it's wings joyfully, the pokemon seemed to be happy with the picture she turned to present to him. "Murkrow! Krow, krow!" apparently, in the forest, it's sound was buffered by the trees, resulting in the distortion of it's cry. But even still, Candy was just happy it wasn't a hostile, wild pokemon.

"Oh phew, I thought I was gonna die!" Candy leaned her head back, pouting with her bottom-lip quivering, and appearing as though she was about to cry. "I just wanted to get there before-"

Her Pichu, realizing their wasn't going to be a battle, ran up to it's trainer and jumped. Flying through the air at such incredible speeds, she drew her paw back as though preparing for a huge attack, before slapping her across the face.

"OW! I'm sorry! I really did think you'd have to battle for me!" Candy rubbed her cheek as her Pichu landed and folded it's arms, looking upset at her as it pouted and brooded over the fact that it was so excited to fight and now couldn't.

It then turned to hold up a tiny fist and shout at her, "Pichu! Pichu, Pichu!" As though saying to not call it out unless it was actually going to do something.

Candy rubbed her face, accepting the harsh scolding, and looking in the spirit to agree but more so... wanting to make up and be friends again like they were when she was a baby. "Come on… forgive and forget?" Candy bent down to the snow, giving Zippity the best puppy dog face she could, "I'm really sorry... but hey! The bright side is-" she held up a cheery finger, full of optimism, "We aren't gonna die!" Before Zippity zapped her and then had swirls in her eyes from the getting confused by the electric move. She shook it off quickly though, giving Candy a pretty ticked off look, before slowly softening into something Candy couldn't understand, and looked away.

"Hmmmmm?" Candy shook off the ash created from the electric move and leaned in closer. "Friends again?" Her eyes sparkled and grew bigger.

Zippity had a sweat drop slide unwillingly down the side of her face, continuing to not look at her.

"HMMMMMMMMMMMMM?" Candy spoke louder as the Murkrow's eyes bent slightly as though not sure what was going on, but kindly remaining patient as the two 'talked it out'.

However, the interaction skyrocketed to another drama induced scolding as the Murkrow flapped its wings back in surprise as the Pichu's awkward sweatdrop then was exchanged with a huge anger mark. "Pichu!" it seemed adamant about never forging a deep bond with her again.

"HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!" Candy strained her face to continue the sound.

"PPPPPPPPIII-" Pichu began to charge electricity by it's cheeks again, having it zap around it's body as though warning her that the next annoying sound out of her mouth might deliver her a more intense shock then before...

Pearl began to walk up the path towards the front of the Daycare, having taken the initiative to go out and have Murkrow lead her to the young girl. "I could have sworn I heard his call this way... oh?"

A huge thundershock was seen in the distance, as Pearl looked worried. "Oh dear."

"CHUUUUUUU!"

"IIIIIII'MMM SORRRRRRRYYYYY!" Candy was electrocuted, blasted towards—ironically—the correct path. However, she ended up having to walk in the soot of her clothes from it all, leaning over and dangling her arms out in front of her as her Pichu marched ahead, following the Murkrow as it led them a bit perplexed by their relationship to Pearl.

Nevermore turned back to make sure they were following, seeing Pichu huff out puffs of smoke from it's nostrils at every powerful stomp forward after the Murkrow, and Candy's stream of animated tears showing her true skin color underneath the grey ash. "Will we ever be friends again..?" she mumbled as the sad train wagon's caboose.

Pearl stopped her advance, seeing them already arriving and deciding it wasn't necessary to travel too far from the Daycare now. "Ah, Nevermore! I saw a lightning attack and got worried." Pearl extended her arms out and the Murkrow happily landed in her embrace, cawing his reassurance to her that he was quite alright. "Oh my goodness, deary! What happened to you?" her squinted, lined eyes opened once again, a sort of creepy look but her eyes were pretty intense under all that wrinkly skin...

Candy flinched back, unused to that look, but nodded apologetically, scratching the back of her head as she gave her humble explanation, "I got hit with the lightning." Candy stated in monotone, and let her mouth puff out some smoke, "Guess I need to enroll as a kid in this Daycare thing more than anyone. I don't think I could manage running this Daycare without at least having some mastery over my own pokemon first..." she admitted. "I understand if you don't want-" she started to speak, getting down before suddenly hearing the engine of a Mail Truck coming over the lane.

She gasped, growing in excitement and shook off the grey from her sorry-self and jumped to the creaky fence. As she tried to peer over, the fence leaned and she freaked out, her mouth wincing back and toppling into the road. Pichu's face seemed to be zapped into horror as she leapt over the small wooden, creaky fence to look down the road, seeing the truck still a ways off and quickly turned back to nudge and push her head up against her own and get her out of the way of the on-coming car.

"Pearl! Pearl, it's here! The Eggs are coming!" As Candy was shoved with tiny, battering ram Headbutts, she gestured back to the truck as the Pichu looked exhausted. Waddling over to the fence, seeing as Candy was out of harm's way, Zippity tapped her little paw to steady herself against the bottom of the fence. Panting hard, Zippity turned her back to the fence and dropped down, letting it catch her head as she slumped against it. Her little, chubby belly moving up and down as Zippity tried to calm herself down and rest from the seemingly impossible endeavor of getting Candy out of the icy, but mostly muddied road.

"Splendid! Once Phil fixes the place up, we'll start letting the pokemon play here. Then it's the task of getting children to come." Pearl was also excited, just more controlled about showing it then Candy was. Looking over to see the blue mail truck arrive, a boy with short blonde hair down to his upper neck, pulled up with a brown box on his lap. He wore a blue, one-piece jumpsuit with the Pelipper mail service logo on the side, a tiny badge to show his career choice. He also wore a matching hat and some boots for the job, looking like a true warehouse mailman. He jumped down and out with his Pelipper flying to be beneath him, and his tiny Ralts lifting her arms up to psychically catch the box and help her trainer with the weight. "Ah! No thank you, Gail. I got this." He spoke with a kind smile to her, seeing her aid and appreciating it, but seeming to want to do this independently.

"Raaalts…" She seemed worried, not sure whether she should let him do it on his own...

"It's alright! Really! I got this!" he assured her, pepping up, and getting a better grip on the box.

"…!" She seemed to trust him, her mouth looking surprised by his sudden cheeriness in his confidence. "Ralts!" She let her influence over the box drop, happily. When she did so, the boy stumbled a bit but got his bearings when his Pelipper nudged his huge beak to his back, helping to steady him and not have his trainer fall on him.

"Ah, thanks,... Seamour." He looked a little embarrassed that he needed so much help, but the Pelipper looked thrilled to be praised.

"Pelipper!" it chimed, flapping it's wings a bit to help steady the boy back to his feet to stand properly on his own with the large box. It had barely fit between the boy's lap and the mail truck's steering wheel, but he would always support his trainer from behind. On that note, Seamour took his duty by the boy's rear to make sure another little trip-up wouldn't happen again. The boy made it over to the house as he looked around the corner of the brown packaged box, before seeing Candy, probably for the first time while on this route.

"Hiya!" she beamed, waving her hand.

He immediately froze, foot in mid-step. His mouth tried to form a reply to the greeting, but his face flushed bright red at the sweet girl's appearance. He was under the impression that only the older woman worked here... While his mouth continued to squiggle while dangling open, his foot stabilizing him suddenly sent a message to his brain about the box in his hands, which for some reason, began to weigh more than it should...

"Uhh… the box.. the box with eggs!" Candy started to flip out, seeing his one-leg balancing act start to slowly tilt in exhaustion and the box begin to fall.

The boy snapped out of it and shook his head, straightening the box out and stomping his foot back down. "A thousand apologies! I'm William. But my friends call me WiiiillllLLL!" he started to lean too far backwards and his Ralts caught the box while his Pelipper caught him.

They were very well coordinated, it didn't look like this was the first time... Seamour flew to catch his shoulder, pulling the suit up to keep Will somewhat upwards. Will's hat was tilted slightly, and while Gail had caught the box, she used it to also adjust his hat and pat his head lightly as though making sure it stayed on.

There seemed to be a lot of love within these two pokemon for their little mailman...

Looking a little frustrated by his lack of focus, Will blew some air up to get his hair and hat out of his eyes. "Thanks guys…" he didn't seem too thrilled about his footwork as his Pelipper's happy-go-lucky face seemed to delight in praise, not realizing he was actually upset a bit with himself.

"Pelipper! Pelipper!" it let him go once he got situated on his feet again, and rubbed ecstatically against him. He looked happy to know that he was doing his job right by keeping the mail and his trainer safe for delivery.

Candy quickly went over to the box, and the Ralts let it fall to her hands. "Offph!"

Surprised by the girl's obvious lack of strength as well, Gail put a dainty hand up to her mouth, tilting her slanted view from her green helmet shaped head to reveal her eyes blinking in apology at having underestimated her. Apparently, many humans were like her trainer... not able to manage a simple package with eggs.

"Is everything quite alright, Will? Candy?" Pearl came further down the lane to where the mail truck was parked, and seemed to chuckle at Will when he fell once again on his butt as Candy tried to comply with his desire to try yet again and hold the box alone. "A tricky dismount again, I see?"

"No, ma'am. A rocky first step." He responded, and slowly got up to a knee, balancing the weight properly this time and using his arms and spine to hoist it up correctly. Candy, unable to watch someone else struggle, took one end of the box and smiled around it's corner to him. He blushed, but decided to allow the girl's help. It was beyond making a good impression now... so might as well. He dusted himself off and adjusted his hat with one hand holding the box and then looked to nod and smile to Candy again, who was giddy to get the box inside.

"Hmm? Oh yes, Candy? This is Will. He'll be delivering the Pokemon Eggs from the other daycare center, for just pokemon raising." She explained. "Trainers that don't want the eggs tend to sometimes donate them, so they come from far and wide, all sorts of different places." She gestured about, before putting her hand lightly back to her cane, letting it tap the ground again. "He's also, obviously, in charge of mail here." She beamed with a tilt of her head towards him. "Now, since introductions are done, heh heh, will have these eggs hatch into pokemon that will be lucky enough to attend this place. Teaching, not only us, but both children and pokemon to learn and grow up together in co-existing beautifully upon this wonderful, big ol'world." Pearl's eyes sparkled with the future, as Candy nodded and looked to Will.

"Pleasure to meet you!"

He fumbled yet again, apparently not used to such a stunning and genuinely joyful soul like hers before. "O-oh! The pleasures all mine! M-Miss Candy…" he took his hat off and squeezed it, before someone got out from behind the truck.

"Eh, Brother. Why didn't you wake me up, huh? I got a date at that old lady's run down Day-" a man stepped out, clearly older than Will, rubbing his head and yawning while jumping down from the back of the truck. He seemed to have been sleeping in the back with all the mail and packages, before seeing Candy and smiling at the new, sweet face. He smoothly transitioned to leaning against the truck, "Oh. I'm here. Hello, ladies." He winked.

He was tanner than Will, and had a bit of a thin beard going on. He had hair that sleeked back into a ponytail, and he wore a player's grin...

"I'm the construction worker. I'm here to hear your plans for this old dump." He straightened himself up, and honed in on Candy. "You new here?"

"Oh, um… well…" she really wanted to get the eggs inside. She looked to Pearl, who understood the look of a child wanting to open the first present on Christmas Eve.

Pearl couldn't address that look just yet, she had manners, after all. She nodded to Phil, who she had known for many years now, "This is Candy, she lives up in the city."

"Past the forest? No way! I work up there most of the time, but I don't think I've seen you around…" He rubbed his stubble, letting it get a good scratch against his finger.

"I was down in another town for a while, training at a pokemon trainers school." Candy explained, leaning away but still holding one side of the box as he loomed a little over her.

"Ah, high class kid." He took out a pick and put it in his mouth, and then pulled out some blue, grid paper for graphing. "Well, the snow should melt soon, and we'll have this place up and running in no time. Okay, lady. Let's get to work." Taking the charm a notch back, he saw the sweet girl turn nervous and decided it wasn't worth spooking her for, plus he was only playing, probably a couple years older than her anyway. He took off towards Pearl and they started to walk off into business talk before Pearl looked back to Candy.

"While me and Phil discuss plans, why don't you and Will take those eggs in to get warm, hmm?" She waved her approval, and that was all Candy needed to start sprinting, forcing Will to try and desperately keep up while the box jumbled from the different speeds.

"Octi!" her Octrillery waved Candy goodbye as well.

"AH! That's a pokemon!" Candy flipped out a bit as she passed the two, heading inside, but earnestly did not notice the strange accessory was an actual pokemon.

Will looked to her a bit awkwardly, still trying to keep up. "W-w-what did you think it was, then..?"

"Goodbye, dearies." Pearl watched the funny duo enter the rundown daycare facility.

"Hey, Will! Don't go making any moves on a customer, ya hear? Haha! No matter how cute!" Phil teased his younger brother.

"..!" Will blushed and looked away from his brother, as Candy's Pichu had made her way up Candy's rushing self and hung out on her shoulder. Not liking the comment the human male made, she gave Will a stink eye, not liking the implication…

As they hurried into the old building, Candy raced to the table, and gently set the box down. "Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!" she loved pokemon, but she just adored baby pokemon. "Maybe I won't screw this one up!"

"H-huh?" Will blinked, his mouth hanging down and his body slightly lowering at hearing something like that. "W-what do you mean..?"

"What do you think will pop out of it!?" She asked, excited as ever and ignoring his confused expression.

"Uhh… I don't know." Will had a sweatdrop on the side of his head, but decided it best to not push. After all, she was new... and maybe he'd have an opportunity to get to know her better through delivering things to the Daycare. "I hear these eggs are from the other Pokemon Daycares, meaning these pokemon are from all sorts of different trainers, from all over the world! I wouldn't have the slightest idea…" Will scratched his head, examining the box. "I hear some eggs look different than others... but most are just white with green spots on them... but I mean, we'll never know unless we open them up! R-right?" he tried to smile well, but it was more-or-less a nervous optimism. Maybe he just didn't want to embarrass himself again...

"Ohh… when will they hatch?" Candy looked impatient, ripping the packaging tape off in a straight line down the box.

"Give it time." Will comforted, before helping her carefully remove the safety foam and other precautions all within the box, making sure it's precious contents would be safe. "Ah! There they are!"

"Wow..!" Candy's eyes sparkled as Zippity leaned down from her shoulder and then gripped her hat for support, making sure not to fall as her curious eyes also lit up with awe.

The eggs were certainly different, but a few had that infamous white and green spots still. Though, you could tell they were unique in their different ways. One had some scratches on it, another some foreign dirt and mud, and one... began to wiggle and squirm.

They both gasped, Will in surprise and Candy in outrageous joy.

Gail leapt onto Seamour as he flew over the four eggs to see which one was supposedly hatching, and the world seemed to pause for a minute.

Candy and Will saw the egg rock back and forth, hitting another egg as it did so, before finally a beak pecked it's way through the outer shell, "Tor…Tor..!" it began to speak.

"Woah! Who's that pokemon!?" Candy said excitedly, holding her hands up to the sides of her face as Will quickly looked at the other egg.

"C-Candy, it's-!" He pointed to the other egg, seeming a bit nervous as it started to crack. He moved and gripped the edge of her cotton-end sleeve as her sparkling eyes turned excitedly to the next egg. A little brown paw started waving around, trying to get further out, as though stuck figuring out how to get it's body through the small hole made from the cracks it had created. "They're all starting to hatch!"

"This is so… so… Ohhh!" Candy was very much in the moment, as was Will, till he took a second to see her face flushed with joy, her hands still up by her cheeks in the thrilling scene.

He took that next second to admire her again, suddenly feeling his nervousness fade as though they never needed to be there with this girl. 'She's so sweet,' he thought to himself, 'It's like she's watching her new family members being born.' He smiled, closing his eyes. 'This daycare... may have a future yet.'

"What's going on in there?" Phil and Pearl had already discussed many new business plans to renovate the old place, heading back to the rusted building and peeking in. Turning around, Will was shoved back into being surprised and spooked at every little thing, but saw his brother and sighed. "Everything alright, kiddos?"

"They're hatching! Oh, Miss Pearl! They're coming out!" Candy rushed to the door and poked her head out fully out, wanting to reach for Pearl's hand but practicing her self-restraint. "Come see! Come see!"

"Haha! So much energy, that can be put to good use." Pearl tenderly pointed out and looked to Phil, who nodded at the subtle goodbye as Pearl walked in. Will quickly put a hand to his head when he heard and then saw the third egg start chipping with each punch of a pokemon inside…

"This one really wants to get out…" he mumbled, as he saw another egg lay perfectly still. "Hmm? So what's with this one?"

It wiggled… and you could tell the pokemon inside was pushing upward on the egg, but it just couldn't get out.

"…Need help there, little guy?" He poked the eggshell, and suddenly the egg burst. Chips flew everywhere, and something curled and pink suddenly spun out in enthusiasm. "Igglybuff!" It had caused that burst, seeming to wait for the right moment, and looked to see everyone's reactions as it landed on the table as a big finisher. When it blinked it's eyes open, it looked around, and then to Will.

It tilted it's head at him, seeing no immediate reaction to it's grand debut, it instinctively wanted to be held immediately. Moving its teeny-tiny feet towards him, it started jumping up an down, associating him to be 'mamma'.

It seemed to greatly want to be adored, a happy little spirit.

"Uhh… C-come here, I guess." Will nervously held the baby pokemon, feeling it's soft round body before flinching as another egg hatched with a powerful kick.

A Riolu looked around, stepping out of his shell and seeing Will holding the Igglybuff. It stared at him and then pouted, seeming to feel 'mamma' wasn't going to hold him. He glared, puffing up a cheek with a slight jealous blush at having not successfully emerged sooner. It started to tear up, but held in a cry, and just shook it's fist as if upset.

Will jolted in fright and panicked, quickly grabbing the other pokemon, "No, no! Don't cry! I'll hold you too! I'll hold you too!"

Gail and Seamour looked to each other as they came up beside him, realizing their clumsy friend was about to be in over his head if all 'four' children imprinted on him. He only had two hands, what would happen if all the pokemon saw him and wanted to be held too..?

As Candy ran back in, she was shocked to see Will holding all four pokemon,... With Seamour and Gail having animated sweatdrops on the side of their 'I knew it, he couldn't resist' faces that looked like the life had been drained from them. An Eevee, bundled up in the slight gaps of his arm, seemed scared of everything that moved. It flinched with its ears straight up at Candy's entrance before burying its head back into Will's chest. Will also held a Torchic that was kicking it's legs in protest at being held with three other pokemon, seeming to want all the attention.

Candy glared, upset with the idea that Will was hogging all the adorable, baby pokemon. "So… that's how it's going to be… is it?" her tone changed completely, as an aura of rivalry sparked in her.

"W-wh-what!? N-no! Wait! I can explain!" Will started jumping from one leg to another, completely overwhelmed, and looking at the pokemon he couldn't resist entreating in his arms. "It's just an misunderstttaaanndddinggg!" he ran off, as Candy bolted after him at the speed of sound.

"Give me the BABIES!"

Pearl and Phil quickly shifted to make room like western bar doors swinging back as the two dashed by and Candy chased Will around as he desperately tried to not drop the baby pokemon. While out in the front of the building, rushing over a worn-down play area and rusted playground equipment, both Pearl and Phil let sweat trickle down the sides of their faces.

"Well, they seem to get along just fine." Pearl turned to Phil, and smiled, as though slightly embarrassed by her new employee.

"Yeah, maybe a little too well…" Phil made a sarcastic comment too, just to show her she wasn't the only one and rubbed the back of his head, "Will's easily embarrassing me. But I am his older brother, it's part of his job."

Pearl chuckled at that, seeing the brotherly love Phil obviously had for him.

"Oh, come now, Phil. We're all young at heart." She teased, showing to not worry so much about it. "The scene before you must be somewhat humorous to you, no? Well, it reminds me quite a bit of how my childhood was." Pearl looked to the two as Will's pokemon joined in the frenzy, chasing after them, and Candy's Pichu was holding her shoulder for dear life as Candy was still charging after Will, hollering in her jealousy that he wasn't sharing the cute cuddles.

Later that day...

"Come one! Come all! The Pokemon Daycare is finally open! Come on down!"

Candy and Will were out on the streets, spreading and stapling flyers for the new Daycare center for pokemon and children. Candy swung a paper high into the air, stomping down on a hydrant by her as she spooked a Lillipup trying to tinkle. Startled, it bolted away.

"C-Candy... it sounds like your trying to sell something…" Will looked nervous, yet again, and shyly kept his paper until someone returned the gesture of reaching out for it. "O-oh! Thank you!" He handed it off to passersbys and kept a low-profile. "P-please read it thoroughly!"

"…So, it's like a normal child Daycare… except with pokemon?" A mother, holding her child's hand to the side of her, inquired of Candy after having scanned the paper briefly and pausing in her walk with her kid.

"That's right, ma'am!" Candy held up her arm like Rosie the Riveter, showing total enthusiasm as Will felt self-conscious because of her, holding the stack of flyers in his hand over his face.

"Hmm.., so.., a kindergarten type of atmosphere?" She also asked, blinking her eyes.

Candy wondered if she was interested, 'Could this be..? Our first sign-up!?' her eyes beamed and she smiled widely. 'Ah! I should be as sincere as I can! Miss Pearl said something about that...'

Candy adjusted herself, stepping off the hydrant and coming down to be level with the woman both in height and in calmness. "Well… um, I guess you could say that. But we teach kids how to properly handle, train, and battle pokemon. They also learn valuable life lessons that will help them to co-exist peacefully with pokemon too! Miss Pearl says this will help them, so they know a little before they set off on their own adventure when they're much older." Candy explained, and then lifted up a finger as if she was acting like she knew everything with complete confidence. However, it was clear that she just admired Miss Pearl, but Will wondered why since she seemed to have just met the woman.

'She does have a particular air about her... as though she once was a pretty impressive trainer.' Will thought to himself, having conversed with Pearl a few times during his route. As he thought, his eyes turned up to the corners of his vision, wondering if Candy just naturally picked up on that trainer's spirit within Miss Pearl.

"After all, you wouldn't want your kid pulling the tail of a Liepard and upsetting it into a 'Bite' now, would you?" Candy winked as though trying to be charming to the woman, but her face turned to a sickening distaste, as she left Candy and pulled her son away, who was looking curiously at the flyer before being yanked away.

Candy's confidence suddenly dropped drastically, she didn't think she did anything wrong... "W-what happened?" She turned white in the face and seemed to sink in her stature as well.

"Bye, bye!" the little boy waved as he followed his mother, and Candy tried to hold back her disappointed tears as she summoned a smile and tried to wave back to him.

"…What did I say wrong?" Candy looked after them with a sad expression, "It's like I scary everyone I try to comfort." She pouted slightly, "Why is everyone so against the Daycare, anyway?"

"Candy..!" Will gripped his papers, shaking a moment at wanting to explain but not wanting to crush her natural energy either...

"You can't just make people scared like that!" He finally decided that if he wasn't direct, she might not get it... "That's bad marketing!"

Will tried to explain, but was hoping this would be a good way to whisper his concerns to her as well. He sweated profusely, not wanting to upset her further, but noticing Candy's innocence in not realizing what she had said made him feel responsible. He couldn't just leave her in the dark of her thoughts like that...

"…It didn't sound all that insulting to me." Candy slightly narrowed her eyes, as though turning a bit defensive. "I wasn't judging her kid's behavior, just that he could get hurt if he doesn't know how to handle pokemon correctly…" She went back to being down in the dumps, her shoulders falling and her eyes drooping as she gazed at the street's scuffed up surface.

Her boot added to it's wear, deciding to skid it a bit against the ground in her frustration at herself. "I also didn't know much about pokemon... nor even talking with people for that matter." She sighed, "The pokemon school I went to did help, but it was expensive. What if he had a safe place for children to learn what I never did? Wouldn't that be important..?" She turned back to Will, her hands now bundled fists in renewed determination towards her goal. "We've just gotta get children into that daycare! For the pokemon to learn people and for people to learn more about pokemon! Isn't that worth fighting for!?"

Will's eyes slanted a bit at her earnest plea, "Candy..." as a man walked up behind him, looking well-off in a nice business suit.

"Is that so?" He took his hand out of his pocket and reached over Will, taking a flyer from behind his shoulder as Will felt like his heart was struck by lightning at this sudden shock. "I've been meaning to get my son into a kindergarten with pokemon lately. But sadly, all the kindergartens in the city don't really have pokemon suitable for children to play with or learn from." He examined the flyer a moment, before nodding in approval. He formed a large smile, almost overtaking his square like face, making him look quite like a father-figure. "You know, the teachers here were once trainers too, but their pokemon are too strong to be playing with small children. Something about power levels,... but I say they're too large for the small kindergartens anyway! Hahaha!" He explained, giving off a large laugh to match his stature as well. "What pokemon do you offer?"

Candy's face lit up, as she looked to Will, who shared in her amazed expression. "They're all babies, sir!" He stated, his eyes finally matching her enthusiasm. "Just hatched a few months ago… the building has been newly refurbished and there's even a small playground built for both the safety of children and pokemon! We even installed a small battlefield for the kids to practice pokemon battles." Will's spirit surprised Candy, as she looked to him and blinked her eyes, barely able to say anything with how precise he was stating everything.

She smiled, 'So there is hope for you after all, timid!' she teased in her head, and then returned her gaze to the man, "He's right! And I'm a trainer that will be watching the children and helping them too! I recently graduated from a private trainer's school and got my very own pokemon to help them understand! It's honestly what we believe will give them the proper introduction to this wonderful world and all the creatures that live in it!"

"Is that really so? Why, that's something!"

Will and Candy both turned to one another again, seeing this may actually be going somewhere. Candy realized Will was somewhat right, and that by not shouting out a storm of points, just finding the right level of excitement to talk about something you're passionate about got the job done in a lot less intimidating way. Will, in returned, gained some voice from Candy's strength of character, unashamed to throw her whole heart and soul into something, gave him the confidence to speak up and fight for what he felt was important too.

The two immediately synced up and bowed to the man, and together asked, "Would you like to sign your kid up for Pokemon Daycare!?"

The First day...

"Now listen up, recruits!" Candy paced back and forth, holding a teacher's stick like an army instructor and having Zippity, her Pichu, walk as if mimicking her attitude as well. "We have brand new children coming today! And this ain't no babysitting service! We're here to teach, love, and learn respect for both pokemon and humans to get along!" She army-marched to the front and stood perfectly straight. "Is that understood!?" pivoting to the baby pokemon, she held a firm line before...

The baby pokemon we're already wandering off… only Igglybuff remained, blinking her eyes in curiosity at what Candy was saying.

She tilted her body in defeat, "Uhh..." twitching her arm up out of it's 'perfect military alignment' and hanging her head down before stomping herself back upright. "Hey… you-you guys! Ohhh! How am I suppose to watch a bunch of kids when I can't even get you guys to listen to me first!" She bolted after them, trying to round them up. "Where'd you all go!?" She scrambled around the play room, directly next to the small entrance where shoes were placed, a small table where the package with all the eggs was placed, and a tiny kitchen beside it. The kitchen was blocked off so the little ones couldn't enter, including any pokemon that wanted to jump on the counters. With all the sharp cooking knifes and what not, it was best to keep that child—and pokemon—proof.

Igglybuff watched Candy disappear behind the corner, peeking by leaning her body back to see her take off towards the neatly placed and open shelves of colorful, cubby-hole baskets with kid and pokemon toys like blocks and squishy balls to pull out and play with. She then looked to Pichu, and reaching out cutely to touch her cheeks, pulled and tugged on them, wiggling for good measure to watch her electric patches spark up lightly by the kinetic energy.

Zippity didn't like the touch, her cheeks being swung around it felt like before mushed together as Igglypuff as exploring the strange pokemon's face. Finally losing patience, Zippity used Thunder Shock in agitation, wanting to get the point across that you don't mess with your commanding officer's electric cheeks.

The attack didn't hurt Igglybuff so much, which could indicate that her special defense was high, but she just took the hit and blinked. Impressive for a little puff ball, the little Pichu suddenly lost all it's moxie and sat down, it's face looking like it was contemplating life and if it'll ever be strong enough... after all, technically, it would remain a baby pokemon for life now...

Some harsh life thoughts to know you're best move didn't even tickle a normal type, but that fairy addition might have given it a boost.

Igglypuff puffed out some smoke before giggling and rolling away, leaving Zippity to her blank expression of defeat.

Riolu was causing mischief, as Will and his pokemon left to continue their jobs, he had jumped to the edge of the mail truck's back sliding door and grabed something quickly before they were to take off. Will shut the back and patted Riolu's head, "We're off then! We'll be back to check up on you soon, though. Alright?"

Riolu had hidden the stolen object under the van, kicking it firecely to have it slide against the ice that was melting into mud as he held his hands behind his back and nodded as though the reassurance was what he wanted. As the truck took off, Riolu waited till the package was in sight again, a large package but just the right height to not get hit by the bed of the mailvan. Rushing back into the Daycare, he jumped expertly up to the table beside the protected kitchen and started unwrapping it. Seeing a neat book, he opened it up before gleefully ripping it up, papers flying everywhere. Candy rushed over as she was trying to catch Torchic, and gasped, "What are you-? No!" she snatched him up, looking at the mess he made as she held him over her head and to the side.

"Wha? What are you doing!? We're going to have to pay for that now! Ah! No! Eevee!" she quickly turned back to see the small Eevee looking up curiously at a ball of yarn that Pearl had placed on her rocking chair in the play area. This was strategically placed so Pearl could observe the children playing while relaxing, since Candy would mostly be left in charge of activities with Pearl supervising and approving. Though, she couldn't help wanting to join in on some of the planning, so being around the future trainers learning environment was too good to pass up as well. She couldn't dare be left in an office, it just wasn't in her spirited nature to be so cooped up and away from the action.

Wigging it's butt, Eevee jumped and was being rocked by the chair, carefully trying to maintain it's placement of it's paws, and not lose his balance. Candy's eyes shook as the white of her eyes became more apparent, "Don't do it..." she whined, seeing him begin to fall with the yarn before Candy raced like a baseball player, sliding into the homestretch to catch him with her other free arm. "Safe!" Candy cried out, and then sighed, seeing as she had successfully pulled off a perfect catch.

"That was close… let's see… 1… 2... 3... Uh-oh, where's the firebird?!"

"Torchic, Tor!" the little feathered fire-type ran around the room, having figured out how to turn on the robots perfectly lined up for the children to play with and have them all march out in different directions. Their sirens blared off as others let out metallic noises that rang painfully in Candy's ears. They did their programmed actions told them too, but Torchic seemed to be playing around with the idea that they were 'chasing' her. Giving off such a illusion, Torchic jolted in fear for a moment as it seemed two were heading straight her way. "Tor?" she turned behind her, it was quickly approaching, "Torchic?!" She looked ahead of her, another marching robot goon. She then narrowed her eyes, a shine to the side as a plan was formed, and she expertly jumped with a talon out. The two robots walked towards each other and hit against the others, then falling over as Torchic landed like a hero to the ground, before delightfully running off and loosing that 'cool' edge.

"No, wait! Get back here!" Candy charged after the little guy as Pearl walked in the room just then, holding a hand to her ear as her Octillery held one tentacle to her other. Her lined eyes suddenly squinted slightly open, as her wrinkles parted to see the chaos and seeming surprised by it all.

"O-oh dear… Candy? Candy, I think you may need to calm yourself a bit." She chuckled, and stomped her walking stick to the ground.

Torchic immediately stopped and looked to Pearl, as did Candy... then the other pokemon in her arms and Igglypuff stopped rolling around in a little pink ball. She halted and uncurled to blink at the sudden harsh noise, as everyone had their attention on her.

"Little dears, please sit in front of me." She stated, kindly but with authority as she walked around and individually clicked the robots off, then looked to Candy to help clear it up. A bit lazily, Candy scrambled to just clear the area before also obeying quite immediately as the other pokemon had and zipped over to all sit together in front of the elder woman.

Riolu and Eevee sat down on Candy's lap before Riolu smirked over at Eevee and tried to push him off, looking innocent as if he hadn't done anything when Eevee growled and retorted to laying on his head, his leg twitching off of Candy's leg as Eevee puffed up it's fluffy chest and tried to pin him down with a prideful vengence.

"Ah!" Candy picked the Eevee up, not seeing what had happened, and placed both back upright. "Mind your manners..." she worried Pearl would stomp the stick on the ground again, and for some reason, just didn't like the effect it had over her. Eevee rubbed his head and looked to Riolu with a pout as he snickered, but at least they both shared an equal spot as she situated her legs to keep them comfortable.

"I want you all on your best behavior. You must greet these children as if they were your brother and sisters."

The pokemon looked up and seemed curious as to what Pearl was meaning, but also intriqued a bit by her suggestion.

"These are your future friends, whom you may know for half your lives. You must be kind, gentle, and at all times, understanding. I know you are young as well,… but I must ask of you to not cause any injury to any child, nor show any malicious-" Pearl looked down to Riolu, who shrunk in shame into Candy's leg space, his eyes unable to help but look over to the book he had been destroying previously. "Behavior." Pearl continued, before looking around and seeing Igglybuff come up to Pearl and rub her head gently against her.

"Iggly~" she chimed, as if saying she understood, and wanted to be friendly and adored.

The other pokemon smiled and also chimed their own noise to Pearl, even Riolu looking guilty and wanting to change it's actions, but Eevee looked nervous… It shook its small frame and lowered itself back into Candy's creases in her dress, as though scared of what was coming...

Not too long after...

The bell rang as the group turned their gaze to the door, and saw the same man from before. This time he looked about ready to get to work, but there seemed to be others with him, smaller in stature. Candy recognized him right away as the man that her and Will had met a few days earlier out on the city streets, and tossing her broom to the corner of the room, she excitedly went to greet him. "Mr.-!" she paused as she noticed him walk in with a boy who had his arms folded, looking away, and seeming very upset.

She stared at the boy a second before he noticed her gaze and stuck his tongue out at her.

"Candy! Good to see you again. And... is this Pearl? The Supervisor?" he asked, gesturing behind her as she turned her frustrated, puffed up cheeks and saw Pearl walking up behind her. She lost her expression immediately, remembering what Pearl had said to the rowdy baby pokemon and trying to be on her best behavior too.

"Tha...That's right!" she scratched behind her head, then gave another annoyed look at the boy as grinned wickedly her way and then swiftly turned his head from her, making a subtle noise of victory out the side of his mouth.

"Ah..!" Candy had to play it cool, and just huffed out of her nose before turning back to the boy's obvious father, "Yes, Mr. Johnson! This is Pearl Mackel. She's also the teacher and my boss." Candy was growing nervous at her behavior, sweating just a bit, seeing the little boy and his clear disapproval of being here through his body language.

She put on the best smile she could though, and gestured to Miss Pearl as she walked up.

"How do you do." Pearl bowed her head.

"Ah, very fine, thank you. I hope your well. My grandfather once told me about a daycare he went to once. He said it was the most enlightening experience he ever had with pokemon, I wonder…?" he looked curiously around and then raised an eyebrow to Miss Pearl.

"Yes, that was my Mother's school." The old woman seemed to beam when she heard the man speaking of the Daycare center her mother used to run. "I hope to continue the legacy she left behind."

"I am very hopeful then." The man bowed again, politely and moved his son forward. "This is Jake. My Daughter is a bit too young to come here, but he may be a bit too old…" he seemed worried, as he should be, since the boy looked maybe 7 or 8 years old.

"As long as he's not 10, he fits the requirements." Pearl smiled, reassuring the man that it was completely alright. Even if they were expecting a younger age group, the boy would still be taken in and cared for.

"Thank you." he smiled, as though that calmed his fears somewhat. "I work at a pokeball factory, and my wife has a talk show. I hope it's not too much trouble if he stays the full set time..?"

"Not at all." Pearl still had her gentle smile on her face, as she looked down to the boy. "How do you do?"

The boy just gruffed, and looked up at her. "Why don't your eyes open?"

"Jake!" The father scolded, his body bending at the rudeness of the boy's comment.

"That's alright, Mr. Johnson. Hmm…" Pearl turned back to the boy, and then quickly opened her eyes as wide as they go and moved down to scare him.

It worked, and he jumped back, bumping into his dad, his head hitting the man's stomache as Jake clung his hand back to his father's arm.

Her eyes were like small, beady jewels, glistening in the light... but her wrinkly eyes unfolded from the thick line of her usual look looked like an ancient witch had risen from her eternal slumber, making anyone wonder how her eyes were so small compared to her sideways oval shape of her face. It did contrast well to the her straight-ways, circular bun that held an Octillery to the side and in front of it... but I digress, who wants to hear the proportions of an old ladies face structure?

"Hehe~ That's why." She closed her eyes again, letting the folds encase around and slump over her eyes...

"Can you even see?!" The boy exclaimed, blinking in terror. In actuality, they were just squinted so much you couldn't tell they were open.

"I wouldn't be able to see if they weren't, would I?" she played back with some sass, and the boy frowned with untrusting eyes, but anyone could tell he wasn't as wildly rude to her as he was before. "Now then, have a good day, Mr. Johnson. I'll introduce the pokemon to Jake."

Jake's face changed slightly again, as he looked awestruck by hearing that he could see pokemon, but quickly shook his head and folded his arms again to keep up his grumpy appearance. "They're probably all lame! I bet you don't even have a Charizard!" he complained.

"What a whiny-" Candy was about to spit out an insult when Pearl glared back at her with open eyes, and Candy swore she heard something screech against a chalkboard as though her mind put sound to the scolding death-glare.

Candy freaked out, shaking her arms about a moment before jolting back with horror at possibly being about to disappoint Miss Pearl. A leg shot up to the right as though she attempted to step completely away from Pearl, but the old woman turned around with a sweet face again to Mr. Johnson and Jake, eyes closed yet again, and nodded to the man. "Good luck today at your work."

"T-thank you." Johnson smiled. "Alright, Jake. Be good, and make sure you learn all you can about pokemon. I know that we live somewhat far from most trainer battles and tall, grassy areas… but even in a city as small as ours, you may still find some exciting friends." The father had bent down and put an arm on his son's shoulder, showing a unique closeness between the two as he squatted down to say his goodbyes. It was a tender moment, but his son still continued to be rebellious.

Jake stuck up his nose, not even opening his eyes, and snottily replied, "Still not as exciting as a Charizard."

"You haven't even seen the little tikes yet..!" Candy's fiery aura showed again as she muttered to herself. Riolu dashed from around the corner into the small entrance area, jumping to Candy's back and climbing up to her shoulder as fast as he could. He could sense her aura, and started acting upon it, not trusting the boy very much now as he barked a little towards the boy. He was fueled with a fighting spirit now, but also just wanted to make sure Candy wasn't in danger. "That bratt… A Charizard would eat you up for breakfast!" she whispered her insult, before snapping out of it and starting to realize that her feelings were affecting Riolu. 'Oh no… I can't act like this! I have to take care of the kids! Even this rude one... the Pokemon are counting on me too, and Miss Pearl, and their parents... I have to remain in a teaching, loving, and understanding mood…" she took a deep breath, and let it out like a kung fu master would with his arms moving up with the inhale and down with the exhale.

"Okay! I'm ready~" she smiled more genuinely then, ready to take on the challenge! "Jakey~" she slid over to his side, as the boy twitched, not liking her sudden friendliness and finding it strangely spooky...

"What's with you, ugly lady?" he didn't like her sudden new attention towards him.

She flinched to a white shock, and then pushed his head down to force him to sit. "First lesson, respectfully meet your new classmates…!" She had already lost her temper and calmness, now blazing with an aura of fire around her, and her frame was silhouetted in shadows of evil hatred.

Riolu called a few times again to the boy, juiced off her aura, but then jumped down and moved away from the boy, picking up the yarn and throwing it to Torchic, wanting to play instead of interacting. It was clear Candy wasn't going to battle, so why bother with it? He dashed with great agility to grab the yarn before Torchic could, watching Torchic jump headfirst towards it only to grind her little face against the play room's floor and watch as Riolu scooped and tossed it once more for her to try and get it before him again.

"Hmm…" Pearl watched as her eyebrows bent down sorrowfully, seeing that this might take time for everyone to learn to trust each other.

"…Hey, you!" The boy pointed directly to the Eevee, who jolted in fright, and shook in fear. It was sitting on Pearl's rocking chair, hoping to maybe nap or watch from a distance but now was trembling at being spotted. "Come here! Let me pet you!" he patted the ground harshly, scaring Eevee as it's fur stood upright. Eevee quickly used his 'Run Away' Ability to dash as fast as he could down the rocking chair and squirmed his way under the cabinets with play toys and books for children and pokemon all stacked on it.

"Ugh…you can't treat them like that." Candy looked appalled and shocked by the boy's idiotic and cruel behavior towards Eevee, seeing him dart and stick his hand under cubby-holes to try and reach for it.

"Jake..." His father looked guilty, but Pearl just shook her head and fanned the air.

"Don't you fret, now, Mr. Johnson. It's good to have a starting point, then we can see the distance of how far our children have come." She encouraged, and helped escort him to the door, seeing him out. "Trust in us, this Daycare has a special way of refining young, future trainers into something worthwhile."

"Like Masters?" Mr. Johnson looked down and over his shoulder as she helped him on his way.

Miss Pearl nodded, a secret in her tone, "Like true champions."

"Don't you know they feel just like we do?! You have to treat them with respect and kindness!" Candy blurted out as she tried to get the reigns on this rambunctious boy. Finally stopping her pursuit, she looked to her Pichu, who was sitting down away from the drama, not really wanting to join in what's happening.

"Watch." Candy stated, and bent down, moving her pointer finger to the side and wiggling it for her to come. "Come here, Zippity." She called, kindly, as you would an animal or pet.

Zippity raised an eyebrow, having found a book about strong pokemon battles and wanting nothing to do with anyone anymore.

"Come on, Come 'ere~!" she chimed even louder.

"…Pi." Pichu turned her head, completely disinterested in whatever she wanted from her.

"Ack!" Candy felt her heart get stabbed and her loved betrayed all in one action. "Zippity!" she started to have a bundle of exaggerated tears form around her eyes before Jake rolled on his back and hugged his stomach, pointing and laughing at her.

He had given up on the Eevee, and had caught the Torchic as it was running in the air to get away but let it go once he saw the hilarious interaction between Candy and her Pichu.

"Zippity, why!?" Candy cried out, her eyes gushing as though giant pools of sorrow.

Zippity turned back and opened her mouth, pointing a paw in it as she gestured she was hungry.

"Oh… y-your hungry… Ah! That's it!" Candy snapped out of her pity-party while also literally snapping her fingers, running to the kitchen, and jumping over the child-safety doors that went up to her waist. She pulled out a few apples, and then ran back, her limitless energy at it's max with her new tactic formulated and ready to try out! "Zippity! Look! Yum-yums!"

Pichu didn't like her 'yum-yums' ordeal but she did want that apple, so she got up and bounded over to her, taking the apple and starting to nibble on it.

"See? Sometimes they get mad at you if you forget to take care of them. It's all in building trust and-" Candy turned around, feeling she had recovered from her poor first try, before she dropped all the apples and saw Jake chasing Igglypuff, who was surprisingly too fast for him to catch.

"Come here, you little puff ball!" he cried out, bending down and trying to grab her.

"Iggly, Iggly, Igglybuff!" Poor thing wasn't even scared, she thought it a game of 'keep away' and didn't realize the danger if he got a hold of her.

Candy's mind raced with images of him tugging on her little hair, pulling on Riolu's ears, opening and closing Torchic's beak against her will, pinching Eevee's tail, and traumatizing the rest of the pokemon from humans ever again...

The Igglybuff jumped from one building block to another that had been previous stacked by Candy to look nice, floating slightly as she went while Jake followed suit. She had climbed all the way up, reaching the top to turn and look down at the boy, smiling and waving her pudgy little arms to him that only made the boy looked up, frustrated and feeling taunted. He looked at the bottom of the stack… as Igglybuff was slowly already losing her balance.

Candy gasped, "Don't you dare…" she breathed out, gripping her hair. "You wouldn't be that cruel..." But the boy grinned...

He kicked the blocks down, watching them tumble as the little pokemon drifted in it's lightness but was still falling down...

"Now your mine!" He called out, as the baby pokemon was headed straight to his outstretched hands from the tower of ABC blocks.

"Noo!" Candy called out, racing to try and make it in time as everything turned slow motion.

Then there was a flash of light,...

"I choose you, Nevermore!"

"Murkrow!"

"Now's the time! Save the little one!"

"Murrrrkrroww!"

Nevermore dived in and caught the Igglybuff on his back, before all the blocks were about to fall on the boy, he turned his eyes to it and Pearl swung her arm out, one hand still firmly gripping the top of her cane. "Wing attack!" Pearl called out, swishing her arm again at the angle she wanted the attack. Nevermore spun in an acrobat twirl and knocked the blocks that were to falling on Jake away. "Murk-krow-Murk-krow-Murkrow!" with every hit, the blocks were tossed aside as the boy gasped and ducked with his arms over his head.

He peeked up to see the Murkrow's wing glowing white and wind spraying back the blocks from injuring him.

A feeling overcame him at seeing the pokemon save him, and how cool the old woman had handled that whole situation.

"W-…woah…" he let out only a faint moment of appreciation as the Murkrow looked to him for a moment, and he suddenly felt like he knew what it was saying... it was telling him he shouldn't have created so much risk, but how did he know that?

Nevermore's eyes were fierce, serious about the danger but also looking like a truly skilled pokemon. He flew down to the ground and extended his wing out, letting the Igglybuff, who was ecstatic to have a ride on the Murkrow's back, roll down it to safety.

It cheered as it landed safely on the ground, giggling and waving its tiny arms about at how much fun it just had.

Eevee squirmed it's head out from under the shelves and blinked in curiosity, wondering what all the noise was, and had its ear flick slightly as though it wanted to know if it was safe to come out and play again.

"P-Pearl…" Candy looked to her boss, who only spoke to her and didn't turn to address her.

"Make sure you clean this up before any other visitors arrive." She stated, as though a true trainer, leading in a way that gained respect from others. There was a power in her stride and elegance in every movement as she walked over to the boy, leaving him slightly mesmerized. "Come, deary. Let me show you how to pet a pokemon."

The boy looked up to the old lady with eyes shining, and held in a feeling of wanting to cry at being afraid before, but he also felt he hadn't done anything wrong either. "There just blocks..." He rubbed his arm against his nose, not wanting to look pathetic in front of these two.

Candy was about to scold further but Pearl quickly spoke out before she could, having Candy lower her hands that were about to be placed on her hips in an authoritative manner.

"To such a tiny pokemon, with barely any resistance to damage yet, such a tumble could lead to it fainting. Then, it may be too afraid to ever climb such stepping stones again." She explained, calmly and without blaming the boy. "Though it may have just bruised you up a bit, I still didn't want any harm to come to you either. You want to learn about pokemon, right?" she lowered her head down, waiting for his response.

Too embarrassed to really talk back, he just looked away and nodded.

"That's a wonderful ambition. Did you know there's a proper way to introduce yourself to a pokemon?" She waited again, as though not letting him off the hook.

He slowly... shook his head.

Candy wondered why Miss Pearl was being so nice after everything he just did, throwing the Daycare into chaos on it's first day, but remembered what his father had said. The boy wasn't used to pokemon being around him, living in the city where there weren't many trainer battles or wild areas for him to explore, and besides that could be dangerous without a pokemon to protect you or at least a trainer with one.

Pearl walked over to Torchic, still pecking the backs of robots to try and turn them on, running away or in circles around them as they moved and danced for their brief moments when she did peck the right buttons or switches.

"…Ehem." Pearl tapped the boy's feet with her cane, as though to follow her. "You should sit down, being at a smaller height makes you look less threatening to a pokemon, at least, one that is incredibly smaller than you." she stated, as the boy blinked in amazement and quickly did as he was told.

Crawling to his knees, he sat down in front of the racing Torchic, and then frowned up at Miss Pearl. "It's distracted." he argued.

"Yes, that's why we speak to them. They may not perfectly understand us, but they do feel what we have to say." she kindly spoke to Jake before turning to the Torchic, who was kicking a robot that had toppled over her, having a fun time batting it with her tiny wing too. "Torchic, I have a new friend for you to meet. He's nice now, so come on." Pearl encouraged, stepping at an angle to the boy and pokemon as she placed both her hands on her cane.

"..Tor?" Torchic tilted her head, as a robot rolled on it's skates by her, marching on with it's wheels as feet. She powerfully kicked the robot over as it danced on it's side and she sat upright, puffing herself up and looking pleased that the chaos had quieted down. "Tor!"

"…Uhh." The boy looked to Pearl, wondering if he should extend his hand now to pet it.

Pearl smiled down to him, "Go on. Call her over to you. Make her feel like you're a fun and gentle young man who'd only like to give her some affection."

"…Em." The boy nodded, and looked at his hands, before holding them out and spreading his legs. "Come on… I won't hurt you." he seemed very honest as he patted the space between his legs on the ground, the gesture he had down while squatting and slamming down near the entrance of the Daycare, which spooked them with its force. Now, it was softer and lighter, as though he was barely touching the ground, "I, uh… think your feathers are pretty."

The small bird pokemon slowly moved it's head up again, and then it's eyes lit up, as she raced and flapped her very small feathers to move faster towards the boy. It almost looked like she was skipping and slightly hovering in the air with her flaps to hurry and get to the boy, "Tor, Tor, Tor!" she jumped into his chest.

"A-oh..! I was going to say let her sniff her hand first, but it appears she wanted to meet you all along." Miss Pearl was taken aback by how quickly Torchic warmed up to the boy, but was glad to see it and happily let the moment continue.

"Wha-ah!" Jake fell back a bit, but gently held the little fire-type as she rubbed her big head against his chest, wanting some affection.

"Aw, hehe." Pearl smiled, "She's awfully cute when she's not afraid, don't you agree?"

Jake was holding a pokemon for the first time in his hands... and when Candy saw the boy's whole face lit up with wonder as he began to stroke the little bird, she grumbled grumpily and continued to stack the blocks, but her heart was smiling. 'I could have taught him that if he'd listen to me...' but she was just happy to see he was enjoying himself, and Torchic was happily turning on his stomache and kicking her feet out for more pets.

It was, after all, a precious learning experience for the two...

'How'd she get him to be so nice?' Candy wondered, then sighed aloud, "Will I ever be as good with pokemon and children as Miss Pearl is?"

Riolu came and picked up a block, stacking it for her as she turned to notice his efforts. Her eyes lit up as she seemed about to cry, "Oh, Riolu! You believe in me, don't you, kiddo?" He looked up to her, then smiled towards the blocks...

And knocked her whole pile down with a powerful kick.

"Rai, rai!" he placed his hands up to his mouth, as though laughing at his mischief.

"Ah! Riolu, why?!" Candy felt another heartbreaking betrayal today. Her head lowered and her arms hung from reaching for Riolu before she just finally gave up, exaggerating her cries with streams of blobby sadness raining from her eyes.

Eevee poked the rest of his body out from underneath the open cabinets with no doors to keep the precious play things out of hands reach from any children who wanted to play. He saw the boy look up to Pearl, who gestured how to pet the Torchic, as he did so and she kicked her legs in utter joy at the belly rubs.

Eevee looked saddened, her ears bending and her tail curling up to loop around the front of it's legs, wanting to be pet as well but too shy and scared from before to venture over and be hugged too.

When Jake saw the Eevee again, his face lightened up, before dropping down to a guilty frown again as he remembered why it was hiding in the first place…

"What do we say…?" Pearl looked down to the boy, understanding the mood shift, and smiling at seeing where his eyes had gone off too.

Jake looked to her and back at Eevee, then took a deep breath and tried to muster up the best apologetic voice he could. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to frighten you. Want to play?" he picked up the yarn that was thrown earlier and rolled it to the Eevee. Torchic's face jolted, a spark igniting in her as she jumped up and went off to chase after it too.

The Eevee's tail flicked, swooping under the cabinet and tapping wildly in its excitement and joy in wanting to engage in fetch. He wanted to jump out and lunge for it, so he took one final look to the boy again, judging him to not be scary anymore, and then fixated its eyes on the yarn. With a wiggly butt, and his tail still thumping the underside of the cabinets, he bolting out and tackled into it, rolling around and pawing Torchic's open beak as she wanted to get it too. Eevee nipped at Torchic, watching her lose balance and then grabbed the yarn with his mouth to bring it back to the boy. He stopped bounding over and slowly approached once getting closer, sniffing to inspect him a little further once again. With his ears bent back, he cautiously leaned down and away from his reaching hand, sniffing it carefully.

"All pokemon are different, some may need extra time to get to know you. By outstretching your hand, be slow and let it sniff you, getting used to your smell. Pokemon can sense our emotions very well, and if you pay enough attention to them, you can sense how they're feeling too." Pearl instructed, as Candy nodded in unison with her Pichu, who finally dropped the book to help Candy out.

Although trying to seem like she was indifferent to helping her out, it was clear Zippity was naturally familiar with taking care of Candy, probably since she was small.

Eevee gently lowered his head to Jake's lowered hand, but he was slightly too still, worried that he would mess up again and the pokemon wouldn't like him. He bit his lip, "Miss Pearl..." He worriedly looked to her but she just shook her head, winking.

"Give it time." she encouraged, as Jake went back to looking at the Eevee examine his hand while still protectively holding the yarn in it's mouth. By this time, Torchic had charged over and jumped in furious injustice at Eevee taking the yarn away, and kicked to jump, headfirst once more, into the boy's lap for more pets. If it couldn't get the ball of yarn, it'd most certainly get the boy's love.

"Tor!" it chimed, blushing as it sat happily on it's back and rested in the gap of the boy's lap.

Jake smiled down at it, and while taking his eyes off of Eevee, made Eevee want to be the center of his attention again. So, it soon gave in and tossed the yarn to his hand. "Ah!" Jake picked up the yarn and smiled, "Thanks! Here!" he placed the yarn by the Eevee as it sat, not sure why he wasn't throwing it, as Jake lightly petted its head.

Still uncertain, it looked uncomfortable before Jake moved his hand instinctively to its back, and immediately the Eevee surrendered to the feeling of being petted, and rubbed up against the boy's leg, wanting to be pet more. "Hey! Old lady, it worked!" Jake exclaimed, but Candy almost fell on her own tower of blocks at hearing him call Miss Pearl that.

"Hey! Her name's Miss Pearl! You got that!?" Candy called out, but Pearl just chuckled. "Eh? Miss Pearl! You can't let him get away with that!"

"He'll learn." Miss Pearl smiled to Candy and patted her cane, as though subtly telling her it was alright, and to let it go.

Candy was confused, but as she watched the boy playing with Eevee and Torchic... she couldn't help but sense why she should let it go. "Okay." she felt the tension leave her body and she, herself, began to smile. "Rocky start, but good progress." she rotated her shoulder to stretch it out, and went back to picking up blocks and clearing the mess.

Eevee jumped into the boy's lap, wagging it's tail and dodging and laying Torchic as it looked shocked that Eevee would be so direct in stealing it's attention. "Vee-vee!" it called, biting the boy's shirt to tug on it slightly, and let his paws hang on the boy's chest, yipping to be pet more. "Ee! Eevee!" it cried out, as Jake happily gave in and scratched it behind the ears, completely overjoyed at the fact that he was petting TWO pokemon now!

Igglybuff dropped it's brush it was using to feel the same sensation and rushed over to throw her whole, tiny frame at the yarn ball that was now just resting like stone on the ground. While trying to tackle into it, it fell on her face and had to get itself up again, her eyes beginning to water as Pearl walked over and picked her up, "There, there now. My, you don't worry about anything until something actually happens, do you?" Pearl chuckled as the Igglybuff slowly stopped crying from her laughter, and laughed too, licking her hand.

"I'll hold her." Jake offered, as Pearl happily placed the Igglypuff gently to his shoulder, as it hung on and cheered, squishing his cheek to hers. "Hahaha! Hey! Quit that! Hahaha!" he laughed at the returned affection. "Sorry for chasing you before, ah! Haha! H-hey, I'm trying to apologize here!"

Riolu leaned against a wall, watching the others but didn't have a desire to join them. He just sat, too cool for school it seemed, and watched Candy continue to pick up robots and turn them off, lining them up again as he decided to hang close by her side...

But this time, Candy kept a careful eye on him, making sure he didn't topple them over in a domino's effect. Seeing his foot reach out, she immediately turned around, "Ah-ah-ah!" she warned him, and he put his foot down, pretending to pout and whistle, rocking on his heels as though he wasn't going to do anything naughty...

"Okay, blocks set back up, robots standing guard, and still a shredded book." She didn't know how to feel about that last one yet, "Anyone hungry?" Food always solved everything, right? Candy held out the apples, that she had picked back up into her arms, "Jake? You can help me feed them." She placed them on the table, then adjusted her snowy, beanie-like hat back on her head before watching Jake roll up his sleeves to help. "I'll wash them off again and we can eat!" The pokemon dashed to the pokemon's eating area, while the kids had the table for them, but Jake seemed torn.

He watched as the pokemon so willingly left him and went to their bowls,...

"What's wrong, Jake?" Pearl asked, taking Igglypuff's hand and helping her down from Jake's shoulder so she could run off and join the other pokemon for their snacks.

"…Can I-...uh…" he grabbed his shirt and twisted it a little. "Can I eat with the pokemon too?"

Pearl seemed glad to hear it, "Alright, but only until another youngster, like yourself, shows up."

He beamed and ran over to the pokemon, but Riolu scooted over, wanting nothing to do with the kid.

They all ate on the floor, but Candy was impressed by Jake's sudden change in demeanor. That's when, out of nowhere, while she was watching Jake interact more with the eating pokemon, Miss Pearl's hand reached out and patted Candy's head.

In a moment of relieved bliss, Candy felt so proud of herself, feeling the gentle praise of a day well done by her boss.

She then choked on an apple slice, realizing she felt just like a pokemon, huh!? Was this supposed to be demeaning, or encouraging!?

Riolu got up, worried by her coughing, and swung his body into a roundhouse kick that forced Candy to spit out the piece.

Everyone then laughed as Candy felt like the young pokemon may have broken a rib...

End of the day...

"And then we all play tagged, and the jungle gym is so cool! Eevee was afraid of the tunnels at first, but I kinda helped it out, and now it loves running through them! Torchic is really gungho and she went down the slide and learned a fire move! O-or I thought it might have been, she got really warm sliding down it a lot though. Dad, Dad! The slide had a pokemon with a long tongue too! It was like when Miss Candy chucked up a piece of apple! Haha! And Riolu was really good at tag! We couldn't catch him, and he was too fast when he was it! Also, Dad! Are you listening? And-and Igglybuff, that's the pink one, slid down the slide while sticking it's tongue out, and we all made of Miss Candy while we did it, she was so mad. Riolu's still a loner… but at least Torchic was really fond of tag and could get him to play cause she's fast too. I couldn't get her to let me take a breather, but I didn't mind! And then there's Eevee, I like him, he loves to be pet and hugged and is also super fast at tag. Oh! Dad! I'm coming back, right?!" It was a cascade of words, but Mr. Johnson looked pleased as anything that he enjoyed his first day.

"Of course, Son." he smiled kindly down to him, holding his hand as they walked in the setting sun of the twilight hours.

"Alright!" Jake jumped up and kicked his feet out, his father helping support him in the air while he did so with his strong arm. "Bye, Pearl! Bye, Pokemon!" he waved behind him.

Jake walked home, excited to speak with his father about the day, as the distance they traveled led all the way to the glistening skyscrapers of the city, still big compared to most, but seen as a small city by most of it's citizens. Still, the orange glint off their steel made the city look bright and shining as any of the bigger destinations along the route of traveling adventurers and their pokemon.

The snow was beginning to melt a lot faster lately, and only fragments of ice were soon left for the sun to finish off tomorrow.

Candy looked unamused, hearing no goodbye for her as Zippity patted her head while standing on her shoulder, at least she was willing to tell her 'good job on your first day of work' like Miss Pearl had.

"For our first child, he'll be exceptional." Pearl stated, and began to walk back to the Daycare, where she made a room for herself on the top floor. "Great work today, Candy. Please take some time to rest and come back tomorrow."

"...Ah! Miss Pearl!... yeah, you too." She wanted to say 'great job with the kid! I thought he'd never turn around!' but the words just disappeared as she didn't feel they were meant to be said or even felt. Of course the boy would change… he had never experienced pokemon that intimately before. This would change him for the better… and Pearl was right.

Learn, Love, and Understand

That was the Pokemon Daycare's way.

She nodded her head and turned her sights to the skies, "You know, Zip-a-dee-doo-dah?" Zippity hated when Candy used her full, ridiculous, nickname that she had given her when she was still very much a child.

She facepalmed, but leaned her head back, defeatedly, "Pii..?" she spread her mouth out with gritted teeth, as though exasperatedly wondering 'what?'.

"...I think we have a lot of room to grow too." a hopeful smile spread out over her gentle features as Zippity leaned to look more fully at her facial expression, but smiled too, wanting very much to become stronger as well.

"Pi." she nodded, and looked to the sky, "Pichu, pi, pi!" She whispered, as though saying, 'I know we can be.'.

"Huh?" Candy still didn't understand her very well, but beamed with a nod, "Yeah, I'm still starving too!"

"Pii..." Pichu shook out a tiny fist, her cheeks charging with electricity in her fury at the stupidity of her trainer. "PICHU PI PICHU!?" 'You still can't understand what I'm feeling!?'

A Thunder Shock lit up the fading sky... along with a "AHHH-OUCH!" that rang through the forested woods and icy terrain, of another day well spent in the amazing world of...

Pokémon!